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Dan Le Batard
I found a kid who swings a golf club like a dream.
Stugatz
I'd like to try to qualify him.
Mike Ryan
For the US Amateurs coming to Apple tv.
Greg Cody
Plus, what's your name?
Dan Le Batard
I'm not into older guys, but I'm flatter.
Amin Elhassan
A new comedy series. Stick, I don't want to go on this trip.
Dan Le Batard
Your mouth's saying one thing, but those eyes are saying something else.
Amin Elhassan
From the home of Ted Lasso.
Mike Ryan
This is your shot at redemption.
Amin Elhassan
This is your mulligan, Owen Wilson.
Dan Le Batard
This game takes and it takes. The game's finally giving me something back. Stick.
Mike Ryan
You know, Arnold Palmer iced tea Lemonade makes it.
Dan Le Batard
I'm missing a nap for this.
Amin Elhassan
Streaming June 4th on Apple TV.
Stugatz
Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?
Mike Ryan
Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.
Stugatz
Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out, especially for one of our great partners.
Mike Ryan
Sweet, delicious Cuervo.
Stugatz
Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.
Mike Ryan
Cuervo.
Stugatz
So enjoy the tequila that started it all.
Mike Ryan
Cuervo.
Stugatz
Cuervo, the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo. Cuervo.com Please drink responsibly.
Amin Elhassan
Cuervo.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Dan Le Batard
Shadow Show.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Dan Le Batard
Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show.
Mike Ryan
Shadow Show.
Dan Le Batard
Shadowing it. Shadowing it.
Greg Cody
My dad has kind of become a diva with the days of the week that he works. If he's scheduled for one day, he says, why not two this week? If he's scheduled for two, he's like, oh, one would have been nice. If he's scheduled on Tuesday, he's like, oh, so just Tuesday. If he's scheduled on Monday, Wednesday. Why no Tuesdays? It's just. You can't win with this guy.
Dan Le Batard
Well, it used to be Greg Cody Tuesdays. That was like a thing, and. And now it's like Willy Nilly. So I'm just trying to figure out. Trying to read Wednesday, you know, Wednesday.
Mike Ryan
Wednesday is Willy Nilly.
Amin Elhassan
It's wild Willy Nilly.
Mike Ryan
Tuesday used to be Greg Cody Tuesday.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. What happened?
Mike Ryan
I'm convinced. I don't know if this is true. Mike, you will have to tell me what is true or not true of the Stugach negotiations that Stugatz negotiated into his contract that he could just skip the days when the Knicks embarrass him.
Dan Le Batard
He won't be in much because he.
Mike Ryan
Was supposed to be in today, he's going to be in tomorrow. But I assume that he's not in today because he's just trying to avoid what will be a hysterically laughing day. The biggest day of the Heat season. The basketball season concluded for Heat fans with Game 6 in Indiana. That concludes our interest in anything to do with basketball and understanding that OKC will win the championship easily from here.
Amin Elhassan
I feel like this is one of the rare times I feel a little young in the show. Like not young in age, but young in show experience. I don't think I ever witnessed strident Nick fan stugats. I missed that era completely. So when you talk about, oh, he's bored in the tears, I'm like, Scott's even like the Knicks.
Stugatz
He was pretty strident during this series to a frustrating end because every time they would suffer a loss and he was scheduled on the show, he's like, oh, no, the Knicks are better. I know that we're better. And now we don't actually get to have the satisfaction of him realizing that, no, you're not better than the Indiana Pacers. It's a bummer.
Amin Elhassan
It's pretty clear that they weren't game sixes.
Stugatz
It was clear that they weren't when he was saying that as a defense. But I don't know if it was coping or just not wanting to give people the pound of flesh when they.
Amin Elhassan
Lost the first two games. There's an argument, much as Boston had the argument, like, look, we were up. Sure, they beat us, but we were up. We outplayed them for most of the game. And then they had a hot little streak and that was cute. You could still convince yourself of that in the early parts. I don't think it's so far fetched. Even though they did that series should.
Mike Ryan
Have gone seven games. One of the most miraculous shots in the history of all of sports went in. Yeah.
Stugatz
I also don't want to minimize it by just saying the shot. Indiana did so much, so many improbable things to put themselves in position for one of the more improbable shots.
Amin Elhassan
It kind of sucks for Aaron Neesmith. I know we talked about it. Really does. He's the one that won game one. Not like Halliburton hit a shot to tie.
Mike Ryan
Understood.
Amin Elhassan
But they was the one that went.
Mike Ryan
Wasn't a 10 point lead with a minute left, was it?
Stugatz
Yeah, they were up nine with 52 seconds left.
Mike Ryan
That's not a. That's a game. That series should have gone seven games. That, that should we should have been able to eat on a live stream tomorrow night. The Knicks losing at home that Game.
Stugatz
7 in Madison Square Garden. I'm bummed that we're missing out on that. But we. We said it after. Hours after that shot went in. People are going to forget they trailed in overtime. People are going to forget the path that they got to make that shot. All they're going to remember is that shots kind of like the Ray Allen shot. No, they played an entire game after the Ray Allen shot.
Amin Elhassan
Can I. Can I make a confession here? I love NBA basketball. The playoffs have been amazing. I can't wait for the Finals. I'm glad we didn't get a game seven. I get four nights of just this right here. Like, what's on Disney tonight? Oh, Paramount. Oh, Mobland finale. I get to live a life and not have to worry about. Okay, well, this is what the Knicks need to do. And da da, da. And be kind of consumed by same dude.
Greg Cody
This weekend. The Panthers were off. It was nice.
Amin Elhassan
There was nothing that I needed to pay attention to.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. By the way, Mobland, that's a killer show. I mean, literally.
Amin Elhassan
Literally.
Dan Le Batard
I love that. I just discovered it and immediately fell in love with it. It's great.
Amin Elhassan
Oh.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, my gosh.
Mike Ryan
Why are you being such a diva? Cody? This Cody's been there since the newspaper days when he'd get sent to Buffalo with the Dolphins. He's like, why do I gotta go to Buffalo? When he wouldn't get sent, he'd be like, I should be going. Why am I not allowed?
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. The low point was when I started thinking that my column should be played out front above Edwin Pope's. That was really a low point for me, and I regret it to this day because I was wrong. But here's the thing. Greg Cody Tuesdays used to be a thing. Right? Like. Like, I would say 80% of the references I get when I get a cameo request or something. Cha ching is we love you on Greg Cody Tuesday. That's our favorite day of the week.
Mike Ryan
Right.
Dan Le Batard
And. And what happened?
Amin Elhassan
What happened?
Dan Le Batard
What happened to Greg Cody Tuesday? GCT used to be a thing.
Greg Cody
We've added to it.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. Okay.
Amin Elhassan
Back in my day.
Dan Le Batard
All right. I'm just saying.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, what are you saying?
Dan Le Batard
I'm just saying that GCTS used to be a thing, and now it's been erased.
Billy Gil
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugatz podcast.
Mike Ryan
I am bumming that Stugatz is not here today. No offense to Amin and Greg. I'm very happy to see them. But I wanted to. To see how it would feel to be obnoxious New York fan today after losing to Indiana and getting ransacked by Indiana like that. Those turnover differences made Indiana feel like they're okc. Just being able to play in the open court like that. But before we get to all of the games here, I just. Things are moving faster in the playoffs. Our local team is in the Stanley Cup Final. We will get to that. But we didn't properly celebrate around here when the Boston Celtics season came to an end. I forgot to use any number of the devices in our arsenal to unleash upon Boston Celtics fans. But today is a day to enjoy the misery of New York, the loudest New York there's been in basketball in 25 years. Falls is a favorite. Falls is a favorite on its face. When you did the hard thing, you beat Boston. Cleveland got taken out. And so what you did is, for the first time in 25 years, Knicks fans dared to hope so. When it collapses like that against a team you were favored to beat, a team you were better than all season. Now you get to a point where okc. The best records since the start of the year are OKC. In Indiana, we know this right? 53 and 13, OKC. Indiana's 46 and 18. So they've both been very good since January 1st. But I want to celebrate here, and Stugatz isn't giving me the right. This is delayed. This is a delayed celebration. This is the suffering of Boston fans. Find somebody who would represent New York so that we can just have. Ben Stiller. Is it Ben Stiller?
Stugatz
Where's Sam? Yeah, we need that pound of flesh.
Amin Elhassan
That's. That's some tears. You want. You want to. God's tears. I don't think Stuart's tears will be good. Sam Morrill's tears. Oh, my God.
Dan Le Batard
I don't know. Stu guts. You know, you have to differentiate. The New York jets beat the life out of Stu Gotts, but he honestly was putting all his emotion into the Knicks. I think he really bought this is the finally the year for the New York Knicks.
Amin Elhassan
I don't buy it.
Dan Le Batard
I buy it.
Stugatz
I don't buy it either. At times I question, does he actually watch Knicks basketball? Is this all to put on? Does he even really care? Is he capable of giving us the suffering? If he really didn't sweat it all.
Mike Ryan
That much, it'd be great if he were here to talk about it. He will not be today, unfortunately, contractually. But he will be here tomorrow. God Plays football. Coming soon to a podcast near you. Billy, what are you saying?
Billy Gil
Who got Tuesday, taking inventory of the studio and I noticed the gobbles football tile disappeared and it was replaced by Nothing Personal with David Sampson tile, which is interesting.
Stugatz
Congratulations on your very busy weekend of destroying God Bless Football with David Sampson.
Amin Elhassan
Is that the name of the podcast?
Stugatz
Yeah, yeah, according to Awful Announcing. Well, via Stugatz directly.
Mike Ryan
Oh, Awful Announcing. What happened? You're gonna have to inform me. I'm not informed here.
Stugatz
Oh, you didn't see it. Awful announcing runs with the story. Stugots blames David Sampson and Dan LeBatard for God bless Football no longer being a part of Metal Arc's lineup.
Dan Le Batard
Wow.
Amin Elhassan
I mean, to be fair, the tile is gone and it's replaced with nothing personal.
Stugatz
Well, that was what Dane was doing all weekend. He physically removed the tile with David.
Amin Elhassan
Saying, did he throw the tile?
Mike Ryan
So wait a minute, I'm being blamed? I'm being blamed for who else?
Stugatz
That's right.
Mike Ryan
For what? God Bless Football. For God Bless Football being independent and owned by Stugon.
Stugatz
That's right. For him negotiating that you were to blame.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. Forced him out.
Amin Elhassan
Clear as day. Damn shame what happened.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, it really is terrible.
Mike Ryan
Mike Ryan mentioned the Ray Allen shot and the idea that people forget that there had to be an overtime after that and then another game after that. Some of the greatest examples of what Mike is talking about there is that many people don't remember that there had to be another game after Carlton Fisk's home run, that there had to be another game after Bill Buckner's error, that there had to be another game after the United States hockey team beat Russia in order order to win the gold medal. What are the examples of that that you can think of any more than the ones I just mentioned? Of something in history that happened that was so seismic that you don't remember what came after it. You just came. You just remember the moment before. Because I think Halliburton's shot ought to qualify because I believe those teams were relatively evenly matched. I thought that should be a seven game series. I don't think it's ridiculous to think that the New York Knicks could go into Indiana and win a. Indiana could go into New York and win a game seven as well. But we're going to be denied that. I was planning. I was. I was expecting New York to lose at home in seven because of how inconsistent they were at home all season and because of how unafraid Halliburton just generally seems, even as Siakam wins the quietly. Right? Is it possible.
Stugatz
I wanted to.
Mike Ryan
Possible to say quietly wins Eastern Conference Finals MVP for putting up 30 point game after 30 point game. And no one will be talking about Siakam after this series. He will be third or fourth among the things you talk about.
Stugatz
I wanted to get Amin's thoughts on that because it was a close vote. It was 5, 4. Siakam gets it. It looked like Halliburton maybe expected to get it. From his reaction, there's no maybe. Or was that a put on?
Amin Elhassan
So, okay, so at first I said, my God, he thought he was gonna get it. Then I remembered when we went to the screening for Friendship, they had a whole panel before and there's a big build up. And I think. I can't remember whether it was you or maybe it was. It was Carlos who said, our next guy is a really big. On social media and movies and stuff like that. Please give it up for. And as a joke, I did this right here. And then they called up the kid superhero. What's his name? Superman.
Stugatz
Supes.
Amin Elhassan
Supes. There you go.
Stugatz
You're flirting with a penalty right now.
Amin Elhassan
Well, I don't know.
Mike Ryan
Finish a thought. Finish a thought as a communicator.
Amin Elhassan
So the Washington communicating with him. So I sat back down, you know, like, I did the little thing. And then they did it again. And I was like, oh, this one. Oh, nope. And I sat back down. It's funny. It's like a funny. I love doing that. Whenever they're doing the. Hey, the guy that this couldn't have happened without.
Stugatz
So you think Halliburton knew?
Amin Elhassan
I think he knew. Like, I don't think that was a genuine dude.
Greg Cody
He has his arm around someone and then as they're like. And the winner. And he like takes it off, steps forward, like, this is my time. Sorry, man. Sorry, guy. I had my arm around. I need to go get my award.
Amin Elhassan
That's a funny move, man.
Stugatz
I'm fairly certain there's a field producer telling them beforehand who wins the award so they can make sure that they're alert and ready to step into the mark.
Amin Elhassan
Yep.
Mike Ryan
Billy, what are your thoughts here? Does anyone have any thoughts here? These are two very different things. If Halliburton is doing this as a joke, it's one kind of funny. If he's not doing it as a joke, it's funnier.
Billy Gil
I mean, he's probably trying to be funny. I think he mimics everyone's celebrations. I think he just likes being a funny guy.
Mike Ryan
All right, so but as it relates to Siakam, I don't know if we have the sound of Siakam being testy with Greg Doyle, because this is Siakam's worst public moment. Siakam. You were there for that.
Amin Elhassan
I was behind Greg Doyle.
Mike Ryan
All right, so we'll get to that in a second. But first, Roy, when are you gonna pay your penalty here of having to stick an entire bag of Big League Chew in your mouth over the show here?
Roy Bellamy
I'm gonna do it right now.
Amin Elhassan
Oh, no.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, God.
Mike Ryan
All right, so it's the whole bag.
Roy Bellamy
Oh, man. This is not good.
Amin Elhassan
Start more.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, my God.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, this is just the start. It's a giant bag. Now, Chris Cody tried to do this and failed, and I don't believe that.
Amin Elhassan
Come on.
Mike Ryan
He failed.
Amin Elhassan
He failed at putting something in his mouth.
Billy Gil
Well, he swallowed it, so it's a.
Mike Ryan
Lot of Big League Chew. I don't think. I don't think it's safe to do the entire bag in your mouth at once, is it? I believe that whole bag will make it very, very difficult for Roy to speak after that.
Amin Elhassan
I like the idea that you don't think it's safe. Like, Roy's gonna open, so now a.
Billy Gil
Second person is doing it.
Roy Bellamy
This is a choking hazard.
Dan Le Batard
I'd worry about his teeth. Do we have a dentist on call?
Billy Gil
Oh, this is a dentist dream. I feel like dentists give you bad advice so that they return business. You know what I mean? Like, oh, you should brush three times a day. Really, you're just, like, brushing the enamel off of your teeth. Like, I think that they give you advice that damages your teeth so that you come back for repeat business.
Dan Le Batard
I think you're 100% right.
Billy Gil
Thank you.
Greg Cody
I'm going to take the under on 100% right.
Dan Le Batard
Nobody's got a perfect mouth. According to a dentist, you could have a perfect mouth. And they're like, well, you have a little sign of a cavity in your lower right molar neighborhood. And I feel like once a week.
Greg Cody
I feel like once a week, someone comes in onto their chair, and they're like, you have the perfect mouth.
Billy Gil
Never.
Greg Cody
I wish I could have 100 of you.
Amin Elhassan
Nope. I'm telling you, my dentist, Dr. B. Great dentist. Great dentist. But for about 18 years, every time I see him, like, we got to get those wisdom teeth out. Like, they're not a problem now.
Billy Gil
They get a commission on that.
Amin Elhassan
They will be. They will be. And they haven't been a problem ever, ever, ever. And you know what, Billy? To also bolster Your point? Up until like 2003, when you take your kids to like the pediatric dentist, you know what they give them at the end? A lollipop. What's that about?
Billy Gil
How about that?
Amin Elhassan
Keep them coming back.
Dan Le Batard
Ironic, isn't it? Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Like the iPhone or the apple where they're purposely. They've had to pay money, right. Because they make products that are meant to break early so that you have to replace them.
Amin Elhassan
The battery life and all that. Yep.
Mike Ryan
As a business model.
Stugatz
Although famously, they. They got sued for pennies on the dollar for that Martin.
Mike Ryan
In the six games versus the Pacers, Karl Anthony Towns had one block, one block from the center. That doesn't happen very often. And he went the entire conference finals last year without registering a block. And it got him traded. Well, I mean, right after that, they.
Amin Elhassan
Didn'T get him traded.
Mike Ryan
Right after that, he was traded. That and his salary. But my point is that a bad defensive team, like when Haberstro writes that Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Anunoby and cat was the second worst defensive unit in conference finals since 2008. Only one that was worse was 16. Toronto with Luis Scola out there. Oh, my God, Luis Scola makes me smile. Put it on the poll at Lebiton Show. Does Luis Scola make you smile?
Stugatz
They. They seem to be a very flawed team, and I don't know if they're going to convince themselves that they're close. They spent a lot of capital on trying to get Bridges on their roster when they're actually pretty close right now. I mean, a lot of Knicks fans are lamenting like, we could have used those five picks for Giannis now that he's in the.
Mike Ryan
Well, what does it mean that 93% of their money is tied up in six players and they got less from the bench than anybody. And they got less from the bench all season. Like I'm asking you the question, structurally, as people, like people now wonder, are the Celtics going to trade Jaylen Brown or what are the Celtics going to do to counter? However it is that OKC needs to be countered. When I say the conversation today, Amin goes very quickly. Roy, how much of that you got in your mouth so far?
Roy Bellamy
It seems like half the bag so far.
Mike Ryan
When I say Amin, that 93% of the salary is tied up in the six guys.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah, I think there's a glass half full kind of way to look at it, which is they've got six guys who are under contract that they don't have to worry about. Towns, Anson, Bridges, Hart, Robinson, and that's a really good start. I think they could do better with their bench. I also think Tom Thibodeau could do better with trusting his bench. Landry Shamet was a nice little discovery. Would have been nice if he had been playing all year long as opposed to just the last couple of games. Same thing with Precious Achua, who played with Mitchell Robinson with her earlier this year. Would have been nice to be able to turn to him earlier in the series rather than later. So I think part of it is coaching a coaching decision. Part of it is they've got to get better at finding talent in the margins because that's how this thing works. You don't pay everybody. You pay a certain number of people, in this case for them, six, which is actually a pretty good number to have locked up. And then you've got to do a great job with your scouting with your first round picks, second round picks with your minor league scouting with your guys, young vets that kind of pop up somewhere and help a team. That's the next phase of that that the front office has to go through.
Stugatz
But can you actually win a championship with two out of your starting five being that bad at defense? People that you can target right up the spine of your defense? And moreover, I don't know if you saw Becky Hammond's quotes, but is Jalen Brunson just too small? Can your best player be that small for you to win a championship?
Amin Elhassan
So shout out to Master Tofacion who grabbed that flag and ran with it. You have to understand when Massar posts anything, there is a Dallas narrative underneath. So his narrative is that Jalen Brunson isn't that good because he was at the Mavs and the Mavs let him go and now it's like, oh yeah, he's too small. Becky Hammond said that two years ago, right? That's all well and good. Also, they made it to the conference finals and they were up in two, you know, three of the six games right in the fourth quarter. So it's yeah, but what does that mean?
Mike Ryan
They're not good enough and they needed Cleveland to get knocked out and Indiana did all the killing and Tatum got hurt and they're not good enough and Brunson's their best player and if he's your best player, that's about as far as you're going to go.
Amin Elhassan
This is the revisionist history that you were just talking about with.
Stugatz
Like they did win the majority of the games in that series with Tatum on the floor, right?
Amin Elhassan
Well, yes, they were up 3, 1 with Tatum and this thing was crumbling for Boston. Crumbling. And then Tatum got hurt and then they had one win of like the pride win and then they lost in games.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, but what are we doing? Explain the point we're doing.
Amin Elhassan
I'll explain it. I'll explain it. You don't have to preamble. I'll explain it. They're good. Guess what? Only one team wins. They fell. They fell because Indiana had a better game plan and they executed the game plan better. It's not because the Knicks clearly were out talented. No, it's not a talent issue.
Mike Ryan
Nobody's saying it's a talent issue.
Amin Elhassan
They're not good enough to win when.
Mike Ryan
They just lost to a five. Okay, like they lost to a five. No, and they are a three. They beat one of the two that were better than them. But. But maybe they're better than Cleveland next year and maybe they're not better than Cleveland next year. And I don't know where Giannis ends up, but when we're talking about Boston realized during this year that they might have to make a change while watching what OKC was doing, a structural architectural change. If Boston is the champion is doing that, I feel like we've sped up. What do you. What do you look.
Amin Elhassan
What was Boston realizing had to make a change?
Mike Ryan
There was a conversation happening during the season. People realized like you did, OKC has gotten better than Boston. What might that team have to do to change if it loses against okc?
Amin Elhassan
No, that's not a conversation that was happening.
Mike Ryan
So it's a conversation that's happening now, is it not?
Stugatz
It was a conversation that was really tied to the purchase price because they had to avoid the luxury tax.
Amin Elhassan
It was all a money conversation.
Mike Ryan
Okay.
Amin Elhassan
It has nothing to do like, my God. Okay, she's really good.
Stugatz
Their elimination has changed it though.
Amin Elhassan
Of course. And, and Tatum being hurt like, and being out for the next year changes it. There's a lot of stuff that is accelerated because of the circumstances. Most of them are financial. It's not a basketball like, my God, they're so great. We have to change my one, my point number two, cuz I have to correct something else. You said Indiana was a four seed, not the five seed. Number three, Indiana had the best record in the NBA outside Oklahoma City from January 1 on. So it's when you frame it as, oh my God, the Knicks should. No, they shouldn't. They shouldn't have. That was a great team that they played.
Billy Gil
They were also only one game worse than Knicks record wise for the season.
Amin Elhassan
There you go.
Mike Ryan
There are three teams in the conference I can argue today are better than the Knicks, at least three. And I don't know what Philadelphia is going to be. I understand if no one trusts anything regarding Joel Embiid, but I do believe that when a season ends you can either say that you believe, oh, they're good enough as is and they can add a thing, or you say, ah, they need to add something better than Brunson, and Brunson is plenty good. But they need to add something structurally that changes their fortunes because 93% of the money is tied up in six guys. I mean, and I do believe it's fair to have a structural conversation about the Knicks today.
Stugatz
I agree. I mean, we've seen teams, Carolina and another sport is kind of the same way. Are we good enough? We made it to the conference finals. But then when you peel it apart, well, the conference finals are a little kooky in that sport. You can make an argument that the four best teams are from one division that you totally avoid. New York has been in this position before and they traded away popular players. Hartenstein, Divincenzo, guys that were really making contributions and they realized that they have to be aggressive. Now it's a bit different because they have a hand tied behind their back because they just gave up five picks for Bridges. They don't have the same kind of flexibility that they had before, but they got rid of Julius Randle. When most Knicks fans were celebrating in the streets thinking that they were close, but they recognized and they were self aware enough to know that they weren't actually close.
Amin Elhassan
So Hartenstein, they didn't give them up. The rules said we can only pay you this much. And Oklahoma said, Oklahoma City said we'll pay you double. So that wasn't a choice. If it were up to the Knicks, they would have kept them. The Bridges trade, that's, that's if you want to pick on the Knicks front office, that's where you go. Cuz at the time I said they were, everyone said, oh, it's the power of friendship. I said, it's not about friendship, it's about, it's a Toyota Corolla. You don't pay $500,000 for a Toyota Corolla. Even if you know there's a million dollars in gold bricks in the trunk because it's still a Toyota Corolla. Right? And in that sense you spent that 500 grand or five first round picks on a Toyota Corolla and now there's a Mercedes on the market. And you're like, if only I had $500,000 on me.
Chris Cody
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Stugatz
Lebatard what.
Dan Le Batard
Do I got here? I got a Magnum condom. We won't get that out.
Mike Ryan
That's shocking. Stugats.
Dan Le Batard
Here's a picture of Christopher when he was like three years old.
Mike Ryan
Right next to the condom.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Reminder.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah.
Billy Gil
Never forget it. This is the D? Ler show with the sts.
Dan Le Batard
Wait a minute. How many gold bricks were in the trunk?
Amin Elhassan
A million dollars.
Greg Cody
I'm going to keep that car.
Dan Le Batard
I'm going to keep that.
Billy Gil
Yeah. What year was it?
Greg Cody
I could turn bricks, get money and now buy an even better car.
Dan Le Batard
If it's a low mileage Toyota Gold's hard to move.
Amin Elhassan
If you go to the dealership right multiple ways and a genie says to you. By the way, that Corolla right there, it's got a million dollars in gold bricks in it. Nobody knows. The dealer doesn't know. The other customers don't know.
Stugatz
There's a genie.
Mike Ryan
It weighs a lot.
Billy Gil
Why is the genie there?
Amin Elhassan
The genie is Greg's guardian angel.
Stugatz
But if I have a genie. Hold on. Two different things.
Mike Ryan
There's a car with gold bars.
Billy Gil
A genie's in it.
Greg Cody
Who's a guardian angel.
Mike Ryan
Is it a genie or guardian angel?
Greg Cody
Why does the genie need to whisper?
Stugatz
Genie doesn't give you choices.
Amin Elhassan
Do guardian angels can't be genies? Is that what you're.
Mike Ryan
No way a Camry's trunk is big enough to hold them.
Billy Gil
When you say a genie, do you mean Robin Williams is Greg's guardian angel?
Dan Le Batard
You know, plenty of room.
Mike Ryan
It's going to be weighted to the floor. It's going to be. You're going to know there's a million dollars. You're not going to be able to drive the car. Put it on the poll at LeBatard show. Can you move a Toyota Corolla? Can you drive a Toyota corolla that has £1 million worth of gold weight?
Billy Gil
A million pounds?
Stugatz
No, no, no.
Amin Elhassan
Pounds.
Greg Cody
You have not this hour talking.
Amin Elhassan
This is in the south end. In it.
Mike Ryan
Forgive me.
Dan Le Batard
In it.
Mike Ryan
Forgive me.
Dan Le Batard
I love it.
Amin Elhassan
Wait, hold on. I gotta do my Tom Hardy. You gotta keep talking like this. See Kev, me and the arrogance. We've got a problem in it.
Dan Le Batard
I love that.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah.
Dan Le Batard
It came up on Mobland.
Mike Ryan
It was not any good.
Dan Le Batard
That's great. In it.
Billy Gil
I did some research. In today's market, a million dollars in gold would be 516.65 pounds.
Dan Le Batard
So you. You could light work. It's like two dead bodies.
Mike Ryan
My bad. My bad. Light work. I thought it was heavier than that. My bad. Roy, you have the entire pack of big league gum. Chew big league chew gum in your mouth now.
Roy Bellamy
Yes, sir.
Stugatz
Yes, sir.
Amin Elhassan
All right.
Mike Ryan
So are you chewing it or you just put it in. Like it's behind my cheeks right now. Okay, but have you chewed it? Have you made it inflate in your mouth? Yes. Okay. Can you give us your best Stanley cup preview here as Edmonton faces the Panthers in a rematch of last year's finals final. As Paul Maurice says this is the best team he's ever coached. This one right now.
Roy Bellamy
Yeah, he's absolutely right. Is the deepest and has the most talent on the team. I believe that the Panthers will win a six. But I won't be surprised that this game go. This series goes seven games. It's going to be a. It's a big blow to the Oilers that Zach Hyman is out for the season. But they still. But they still can make this a seven game series. Stuart Skinner has been been consistent over the last series versus the Dallas Stars. We'll see if the Panthers will put traffic in front of them and get deflections past them. But it's going to Be a close series. I think the Panthers are taking it.
Mike Ryan
All right, stay on here. I want more analysis from you. Faster and more. Edmonton is 12 and two in their last 14. They started the postseason. They started the postseason and they were down early against the Kings. And then in Games 3 and 4, they were also down late.
Stugatz
The Kings could have killed the Kings.
Mike Ryan
The Kings could have put an end to this.
Stugatz
In the history of sports, that series ended with that challenge.
Mike Ryan
The Panthers have been great during the last 12 games. Edmonton has been better, especially on the.
Roy Bellamy
Road for the Panthers and they all going on the road for this series. The Oilers have a home ice advantage in this series and I think the Panthers take full advantage of that one.
Stugatz
The Hyman thing is huge. What ayo. But what Bob struggled with so far this postseason, what certain teams were affected Toronto mainly until Mikola woke up up and realized he had to get ultra physical. Is putting a big body in front of Bob, screening him, making it tough to read the puck. Zach Hyman, that's what he does. They call him Shaq Hyman. He scores all his goals inside of one feet. But now that he's out, what big body can they put up there? Is it Nugent Hopkins is. He's very effective at that even when he's not scoring goals for them at the same clip. This is a former 50 goal scorer. So Florida's benefiting from this injury.
Roy Bellamy
No doubt Corey Perry is going to end up in front of net as well and he's been getting his goals that way.
Stugatz
Yeah, he's been very good for them lately.
Billy Gil
This Google AI thing seems to still be figuring itself out because it seems as though a million dollars in gold might only be 27 pounds, not 516.
Stugatz
Yeah, when Dan started saying that, I'm.
Billy Gil
Like, see, it says a million dollars of gold at today's market price would weigh approximately 516.65 pounds. This equates to about 83,083 troy ounces or 27.46 pounds of gold.
Amin Elhassan
Now is it pounds of gold or is it pounds of gold in it?
Billy Gil
Governor, if you ever find gold, by the way, gang, if you're ever treasure hunting and you find gold, melt it down and remake your own bars. Because if it's stamped and it belongs like to Spain, they're gonna come and claim it. You really know you, you really have to find someone to melt it down because if, if it belongs to like the kingdom of Spain or like, you know, the Irish, whatever, so they come.
Greg Cody
And they like lighter, just like hold it up to a lighter.
Billy Gil
No, you'll see it if it's coins.
Stugatz
A cauldron.
Billy Gil
Yeah, no, you got him. Guys, I'm trying to help you. It's really a curse to find gold because they come and they claim it and you really get nothing out of it.
Mike Ryan
He's right.
Amin Elhassan
You ever seen the movie the Score? Robert De Niro and Ed Norton, they get it and then they melt it down and they make it into like, the bars on the ship thinks it's just golden.
Stugatz
What was that, Greg?
Dan Le Batard
Hey, Norton.
Stugatz
Yeah, no, I. I heard that.
Dan Le Batard
What.
Stugatz
What is.
Billy Gil
Greg's right, though.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, it's Ralph Kramden.
Roy Bellamy
Honeymooners.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, the Honeymooners.
Stugatz
The Honeymoon.
Mike Ryan
Hold on a second, Greg. Roy, can you stop chewing gum long enough to get the Back in My Day live here so that we can now get on a Monday, Greg Cody's live rendition of Back in My Day, where he tells us the inside reference that he was making there to all the 90 year olds who are listening to our podcast.
Billy Gil
Roy got it.
Stugatz
The Honeymooners started airing in 1955 at Levitard Show.
Mike Ryan
Is the poll question, is it really a curse to find gold?
Stugatz
I liked his perspective on that.
Billy Gil
Well, I always come back and claim it. You don't want to let. If you find it, don't tell anyone. Number one. And then two, melt it down and make your own gold because you're not going to be able to do anything with it. That's when you need to start researching the black market and how you move gold in the black market. I don't even know how you would do it, because the Internet these days, you search. How do I illegally move gold in the black market? They'll find you, Roy.
Mike Ryan
You're giving me the thumbs up there launch.
Dan Le Batard
I mean, everybody knows who Ralph Kramden is, right? The world's most famous bus driver, Ed Norton was his neighbor. And. Hey, Norton, you know, and. And so an actor named. It's almost like a. You know, Michael.
Roy Bellamy
Art Carney.
Dan Le Batard
Art Carney, right. Played Norton. Hey, Norton. It was like.
Greg Cody
It's really all you've got, huh?
Stugatz
Can you transcribe this? I want to transcribe this and have someone else read it.
Dan Le Batard
Okay?
Mike Ryan
Word for word. Hold on. I know you're so good at this that you don't need to pray for.
Dan Le Batard
Me back in my day.
Stugatz
I want to see this in black and white. I need to see this transcribed.
Mike Ryan
You haven't. You haven't written it back in my day in a while. You continue to publicize your books here.
Stugatz
Off of those books.
Mike Ryan
Old, recycled work. You haven't done a lot of new. You're not cranking out fresh material.
Dan Le Batard
I'm cranking out fresh books, I'll tell you that. I just bought a racehorse, flew down here from. Really, From Argentina to Miami. Isla Grande in. In quarantine right now. And then she's going to be shipped up to Ocala for some training.
Billy Gil
What's the name?
Dan Le Batard
Isla Grande.
Amin Elhassan
Ah, the big Island.
Greg Cody
Now I'm just picturing, like, a plane full of horses and like, there's like a cart going down the middle. Like, we got some hay here. There's some hay.
Dan Le Batard
No, we have. We have video. You should play the video of my horse.
Billy Gil
Yeah, you should.
Dan Le Batard
Boarding a plane.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just go run and get that for him.
Greg Cody
No, because we did this on podcast, and it's not the horse boarding a plane. It's just the horse moving from one vehicle to another.
Billy Gil
Horses, how do they like planes versus riding on the expressway?
Dan Le Batard
I think they. They like it because they disguise the plane. They try to make it look. Look like they're just in a stall or something. They even put, like a bale of hay there. Plus, Isla Grande had big, big ear muffs.
Greg Cody
Listening to music. I. I imagine Those are like AirPods.
Amin Elhassan
Watching mobland. It's like listening.
Greg Cody
Watching a show on the Moblands.
Dan Le Batard
Hey, Roy, can you feel your lower teeth rotting in your head?
Roy Bellamy
Yes.
Dan Le Batard
Okay, I'm just checking. But the other thing that occurs is that when you melt a gold brick.
Billy Gil
Yeah.
Dan Le Batard
Why does it have to be made into a brick shape? Like if you put it in a.
Billy Gil
Squirrel, you can make it into anything.
Dan Le Batard
You can make a gold squirrel. Like ice cubes. They have ice cubes with dimples like a golf ball. Why can't you do that with gold?
Amin Elhassan
It's a good point.
Billy Gil
I mean, it happened in. What was that Ben Stiller movie? The. The one where there was a hotel at Tower Heist. So in Tower Heist, spoiler alert for everyone who. Oh, it's a classic.
Mike Ryan
Such a bad.
Billy Gil
It's a classic Thanksgiving movie. So anyone who. Who watches Tower Heist will know this. If you haven't, maybe tune off. Now, if you're getting around to Tower Heist, it came out in 2011. So Tower Heist, it was kind of like a Bernie Madoff situation where the guy came out and he ruined everybody's retirement. And what happened was he hid all of the money in a gold shaped car that he had in his penthouse. And then it was painted, so everybody thought that it was A car. But really every piece of it was gold. So at the end, again, spoiler alert, Ben Stiller. When everybody that had lost out on their retirement, he mailed them in the mail. He sent them like a mirror. He sent them like the steering wheel, and it was solid gold. All of them. Boom. Retirement. Back then, he went to jail.
Roy Bellamy
Spoiler alert.
Billy Gil
Well, he committed crimes. He had to do the time. Don't commit the crime if you can't do the time. Right, Craig?
Dan Le Batard
Oh, that's exactly right, Billy.
Billy Gil
Hmm.
Dan Le Batard
Only bet what you can afford.
Mike Ryan
Anyway, Greg, we were on the Honeymooners, but first, I'd like to just retreat for just a moment. I'm the truly ignorant one in thinking that a million dollars in gold would be heavier than it was.
Stugatz
Yeah, yeah. I mean, you came up with, like, a crazy poundage.
Mike Ryan
I did.
Dan Le Batard
I said it weighed a million pounds.
Stugatz
Gold is famously very valuable.
Greg Cody
You said the car wouldn't be able to move it.
Billy Gil
What do you think weighs more, a million pounds of gold or a million pounds of feathers?
Amin Elhassan
Ooh, good question. Wait, is it a million pounds of feathers?
Billy Gil
A million dollars?
Mike Ryan
Sorry.
Amin Elhassan
Than. All right, million pounds, governor.
Mike Ryan
So put it on the poll. Is it really. I know. We put it up already. Is it really a curse to find gold? Because Billy is maintaining. I just want to make sure I've got this right. You're maintaining that you would rather not find gold than find gold?
Billy Gil
I'm not saying I would rather not. I'm just saying once you find it, then. The treasure hunt has just begun. Now you need to move it. And how do you move it? Hey, by the way, friends, fun fact, Greg, because you mentioned the Honeymooners, how many seasons do you think it had?
Dan Le Batard
I would say six.
Billy Gil
It had one. 39 episodes. That was it.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, but nowadays. Nowadays that'd be five seasons. 39 episodes.
Stugatz
This show's been so Add that. I've been trying for 20 minutes to legitimately get in with the Bartman game. That was a game 6. A whole nother game had to be played after that.
Mike Ryan
That's a good one.
Billy Gil
That's a fact.
Mike Ryan
That's an excellent one.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, it is.
Mike Ryan
Why is that a fine for someone?
Billy Gil
I don't know. I don't even remember talking about that.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, the Barman game. That fits. I was actually going to say Herb Brooks, who's in the herb top 20 countdown on my podcast.
Greg Cody
Because we're in the top 10, by the way.
Dan Le Batard
Because everybody.
Mike Ryan
Wait, so it's 1220 herbs.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah.
Greg Cody
Dad, you want to give them the.
Mike Ryan
No, no, I Saw this the other day. I will continue to tell people that what Yeti and Chris Cody are doing with Greg Cody Brody on very low budget is. Is fun and funny and it's a ransacking. And last week it was top 20 herbs.
Greg Cody
Well, it's every week we revealed this week was, I believe, what, eight.
Mike Ryan
I cheered when cilantro was number six. Not just not to spoil everything for everybody.
Amin Elhassan
Time.
Dan Le Batard
Come on now.
Greg Cody
Time was already used, I believe.
Roy Bellamy
Oh, okay.
Dan Le Batard
I don't believe it was okay.
Greg Cody
That's rosemary. My bad. I'm thinking of rosemary.
Dan Le Batard
Right.
Amin Elhassan
Still time for time.
Dan Le Batard
There's still time for that.
Mike Ryan
Do you realize how shitty your Honeymooners back in my day was? Do you want to give it another crack on what the Honeymooners was or did all you have was hey Norton. To take us back to this 39 episode run through one glorious season of the honeymoon.
Dan Le Batard
Well, that's how it came up was hey Norton.
Mike Ryan
Hey, Ruffy.
Greg Cody
Right, and then we asked you to elaborate and you keep going back to hey, Norton.
Mike Ryan
So do you know anything about the Honeymooners? Because back in my day there was a television show was black and white. It only had 39 episodes. Do. Do you remember how to do back in my day?
Dan Le Batard
I do, I do. But. But the Honeymooners, the whole riff was Ralph being annoyed by Ed. Okay, so Edward, like the classic scene was where he's teaching Ed Norton how to hold a golf club. And Ed Norton, instead of taking a swing, he just, he just.
Mike Ryan
They're better when they're written. Check out his book back in my day. The Chronicles of Recycled Corned Beef Hash with Greg Cody.
Dan Le Batard
Thank you.
Mike Ryan
It's a great Father's Day gift.
Dan Le Batard
It is now that you mention it.
Amin Elhassan
Are you not fascinated by the way this man's brain works? Cause I'm fascinated.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Well, I will tell you, there is one thing I am fascinated by and thank you for bringing it up because if you hadn't brought it up, it would have escaped my attention. Since singing in Las Vegas, diva and ego has consistently come to Greg Cody, who now thinks he's the star of every show he's in.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, I did carry Vegas.
Mike Ryan
Agreed, agreed. So that you guys may have noticed this, cuz it made Mike laugh out loud in the other room when he shot out his left arm because he was about to give off some material like because he had a line or two for the audience and he was winding up. Up. That's Greg feeling himself. Look out, here comes some of the good. 100% yes. Pure. Don't Melt it down like gold. Greg Cody.
Dan Le Batard
Get me.
Mike Ryan
It's shitty, ladies and gentlemen. Makes no sense. So Tom Cruise and Father's Day. I link these.
Billy Gil
I love this.
Mike Ryan
I link these two because as Father's Day approaches, is Tom Cruise had the single most Tom Cruise answer to what I thought was just a lobbed question at the red carpet from a celebrity interviewer. It's not meant to sort of rummage around in his past or whether or not. Or ask him whether he loves his kids or not. But what a shocking answer to this question. The most shocking I've heard on a red carpet to this kind of question.
Annabelle
Also got to ask. Father's Day is just around the corner. What would an ideal Father's Day look like for you?
Stugatz
Hey, you know, just having fun, man. Making movies, big adventure, having a great time.
Amin Elhassan
I love.
Stugatz
He is not seeing those kids.
Amin Elhassan
I don't see what's wrong.
Greg Cody
That made me sad. There's sadness there.
Stugatz
Why is he treating Father's Day the way that Bill Belichick would treat Cincinnati on his schedule?
Mike Ryan
Play that again, please. Because I was just simply shocked by this answer.
Annabelle
Also, I gotta ask, Father's Day is just around the corner. What would an ideal Father's Day look like for you?
Stugatz
Hey, you know, just having fun, man, making movies, big adventure, having a great time.
Amin Elhassan
Sounds like an awesome Father's Day.
Stugatz
Do you think he didn't hear the question and he just had one whole step?
Mike Ryan
I think that's what he thinks an awesome Father's Day is.
Billy Gil
What's the other option? Brunch with the in laws. Like his version. So much better.
Amin Elhassan
So much better. Oh, my God.
Billy Gil
Father's Day's not about fathers. Let's be honest.
Dan Le Batard
It's such a softball question, though. I mean, come on.
Amin Elhassan
You know what he did? He went yard with that answer.
Dan Le Batard
Did he?
Amin Elhassan
Yeah. Okay, play it again, Play it again. Listen, listen. Listen to him process and then, like, deliver.
Annabelle
Also, I gotta ask. Father's Day, is this around the corner? What would an ideal Father's Day look like for you?
Stugatz
Hey, you know, just having fun, man. Making movies, big adventure, having a great time.
Amin Elhassan
I love that shit. Left the park, man. What are you talking about?
Stugatz
Did you guys know that the Texas Rangers were an out away from winning a World Series in 2011? Twice in Game 6 went on to lose that series.
Mike Ryan
It was an amazing World Series.
Stugatz
Josh Hamilton had, like one of the great forgotten moments by just putting them two up. Kind of like the Jermaine curse catch in that Super Bowl.
Amin Elhassan
You guys remember the Derek Fisher shot that he hit to beat the Spurs.
Greg Cody
That had to win the series.
Amin Elhassan
It did win the series. But even better than that, Tim Duncan hit an incredible shot right before. Tim Duncan's shot was even more incredible than the Fischer one.
Mike Ryan
Seconds before.
Amin Elhassan
Seconds before.
Mike Ryan
Put it on the poll, please. Juju at Lebatard show is Father's Day for fathers.
Billy Gil
You think Tom Cruise just walks around everything and says, I could jump off of that?
Amin Elhassan
No, he just does put that on.
Mike Ryan
The poll at Levittage show. Does Tom Cruise just walk around saying, I can jump off of that again? I just want to play it one more time because it's amazing. Annabella, he's not thinking about you at all. He's only thinking about himself. When it comes to Father's Day, it's me, me, me on Tom Cruise.
Annabelle
Also got to ask. Father's Day is just around the corner. What would an ideal Father's Day look like for you?
Stugatz
You know, just having fun, man. Making movies, big adventure, having a great time.
Greg Cody
That'd be like, if I asked my dad that, he'd be like, ah, just, you know, writing columns. Yeah, love to write a column.
Amin Elhassan
Big adventure.
Stugatz
That's a dude. I can't wait to get back to Anna de Armas.
Mike Ryan
He doesn't have time to see his kids. He's strapped to the side of an airplane. His face is vibrating.
Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Local Hour: HEY, NORTON!
Release Date: June 2, 2025
In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan Le Batard and Mike Ryan delve deep into the NBA playoffs, focusing primarily on the New York Knicks' unexpected exit against the Indiana Pacers. The discussion extends to broader analyses of team structures, salary distributions, and future prospects for key franchises like the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC). Additionally, the episode features a Stanley Cup Final preview between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, interspersed with the hosts' signature humor and playful banter.
Knicks vs. Pacers Series Analysis
The episode kicks off with a comprehensive review of the Knicks' performance in the NBA playoffs, culminating in their defeat by the Indiana Pacers. Mike Ryan expresses disappointment over the series' conclusion, noting, "The basketball season concluded for Heat fans with Game 6 in Indiana. That concludes our interest in anything to do with basketball and understanding that OKC will win the championship easily from here" (02:03).
Key Points Discussed:
Notable Quote:
Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder Analysis
The discussion pivots to the Boston Celtics, examining their structural vulnerabilities despite their strong performances. Amin Elhassan provides insights into the Celtics' overreliance on key players and the challenges posed by high salary commitments: "They've got six guys under contract that they don't have to worry about. Part of it is coaching decisions. Part of it is finding talent in the margins" (18:29).
Key Points Discussed:
Notable Quote:
Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers
Shifting gears, the hosts present a preview of the Stanley Cup Final matchup between the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers. Roy Bellamy offers his predictions, expressing confidence in the Panthers' chances: "I believe that the Panthers will win the series in six, but I won't be surprised if it goes to seven games" (30:15).
Key Points Discussed:
Notable Quote:
Throughout the episode, the hosts engage in their trademark banter, blending sports analysis with comedic interludes. A notable absence is Stugotz, who Mike Ryan mentions missing: "I am bumming that Stugotz is not here today" (06:19). This absence leads to playful discussions and light-hearted jokes, maintaining an engaging and entertaining atmosphere.
Humorous Segments:
Notable Quote:
Mike Ryan on Knicks' Strategy:
"93% of their money is tied up in six players... They've got less from the bench than anybody."
17:18
Amin Elhassan on Team Sustainability:
"They've got to get better at finding talent in the margins because that's how this thing works."
18:44
Roy Bellamy on Panthers' Talent:
"He's absolutely right. It's the deepest and has the most talent on the team."
30:15
Dan Le Batard on Gold Brick Scenario:
"If you find gold, melt it down and remake your own bars because... Nobody knows."
33:00
This episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz offers a compelling mix of in-depth sports analysis and entertaining banter. The hosts provide thoughtful critiques of team strategies and structures, particularly spotlighting the Knicks' playoff exit and the Celtics' financial constraints. The Stanley Cup Final preview adds valuable insights for hockey fans, while the comedic segments ensure the conversation remains lively and engaging. Whether you're a sports enthusiast or enjoy the hosts' playful interactions, this episode delivers a well-rounded and informative listening experience.