Dan Le Batard (1:18)

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugach podcast.

Stugotz (1:29)

Winners on Face Off. Now the time is here with some uppers you're changing on the fly Hitchecks and tricks are gonna make them cheer Got the bombs are determined riding high now it's time for action Tonight's gonna burn this barn right up Slap shot will lamp so nice.

Dan Le Batard (2:05)

Let's go for a break away on

Stugotz (2:08)

the chains to Rhythmica we'll be standing on our heads till we meet him at center ice. Hockey is back, Jack. Hockey is back, Jack. Hockey is back. 10 KDM will be us. Enter rice. Is hockey back? I don't know. They might cancel up. Up north up in Canada way. Meantime, in these United States, I am stunned that people are busting to the degree that they are. Hi and hello, sports fans. This is. What's that? Yeah, well, yeah, that's what I meant. I said what I said. Roy, congratulations on the. On the live show yesterday.

Dan Le Batard (2:53)

Oh, thank you.

Stugotz (2:54)

Festive stuff. Obviously, if you were rooting for the red, white and blue, I Mean, what's happening, man? Oh, you are properly attired, wearing perhaps the greatest American sports hero ever, Apollo Creed. The Count of Monte Fisto.

Mike Ryan (3:07)

That's right. The King of Sting, the Prince of Punch. To put into perspective what you're talking about, I went to a watch party at six in the morning in Old Town Scottsdale yesterday, and it was packed. And all these people, including friends of mine who I did not know, liked hockey.

Dan Le Batard (3:29)

Closeted hockey fans.

Mike Ryan (3:30)

Closeted hockey fans. Or maybe they would just like to experiment a little bit. You know what? You go through that phase and say, hey, you know what? Let me try this hockey thing.

Stugotz (3:38)

The deja vu, as far as that goes, is striking. You know, if you watch the Netflix documentary about the US Hockey team winning it way back when, and the connection to the here and now, obviously massive differences. NHL players versus a bunch of schoolboys and otherwise, you know, evil Soviets instead of evil Canadians. Yep. Well, okay, okay. The evil Canadians is exactly what you're talking about. But this about hockey. And as a lifelong hockey fan, I am kind of struck by the fact that people do seem to be once again revisiting the sport that is otherwise largely ignored.

Mike Ryan (4:17)

So, as not a lifelong hockey fan, I think I have a reason for this. Because as I'm watching yesterday, the broadcast, they point out that USA has won the gold in Olympic hockey, obviously Lake Placid, the famous one, and then won in like 19.

Stugotz (4:33)

Squaw Valley, I believe.

Dan Le Batard (4:34)

1960.

Mike Ryan (4:35)

1960. And that's it. And it blew my mind. I said, what do you mean? This is only the third time winning this. This is a massive deal because we're so conditioned that American professional sports that we must be awesome at it on the international level, right? NBA, we're the best league. Guess what? We win gold and basketball almost every time. And when we don't, something went horribly wrong. Right. And so I think I know. I've felt that way. I was like, oh, yeah, the NHL is here. I know it's a very international sport, but come on, man. Muslim Americans, Come on, man. Who else has access to this kind of facilities and stuff? Of course they've won the most gold medals. To find out that yesterday was the third time, I'm like, well, of course. This is like Canada beating us in basketball. Like, yeah, they've got players, but it's like, come on, this isn't their thing.

Stugotz (5:28)

I guess. So, yeah, that. That makes some sense. But we're not good at soccer either, right?

Mike Ryan (5:33)

No.

Stugotz (5:33)

So we should be. By that standard, we should be much better, right? We should be otherwise, right?

Mike Ryan (5:39)

We don't have a good professional league though. That's the point. The, the, the idea, the, the grace that I gave USA Hockey was that because the elite, most elite professional league in all the land is here, clearly we've got to be the best at it. Baseball might be the only, the closest corollary, right? Like where baseball is like, clearly the MLB is far and away the best baseball league in the world. And then the World Baseball Classic, you're like, oh crap, man.

Dan Le Batard (6:05)

In a Dominican team.

Stugotz (6:07)

But Team USA always expects to win. Like they might not win it every year, but they've gotten to the final most years in the World Baseball Classic. I think they've won it once or twice, but they lost last time around to Japan. They've had great games with the Dr. They're the two favorites this year, USA and Dr. Well, the, the thing that strikes me too is you just mentioned the 6am watch party that you went to is why was everybody on the east coast in particular complaining so much about the early start time? I know it's Sunday morning and maybe some people like to sleep in, but who are these people? How late do you sleep on a Sunday? It was. 8am was too much for you?

Mike Ryan (6:47)

8am would have been a dream.

Stugotz (6:48)

I want a pregame though. That's the problem. I don't want to just start right at 8. I need to start a couple hours before.

Mike Ryan (6:53)

Chris, which I did tell you the good people of Scottsdale, Arizona started well before the 6am did they even close the previous night? They had to. It's a 2am last call, so they had to close. But there were people who had just been going. They just went and just kept it moving from last night all the way into Sunday morning.

Stugotz (7:11)

I have, I have some friends that went from, you know, a strip, a strip club establishment to elbow room. I like a strip, a strip establishment from 4 to 7:30am and then left elbow room.

Dan Le Batard (7:24)

You set it up. Seems like you were going to protect.

Stugotz (7:26)

I was going to.

Mike Ryan (7:27)

You just like straight up strip club, a bar establishment.

Stugotz (7:32)

You mean to say like gentlemen's. I don't know what I was doing. I got caught up in the air. This is the way you can live. Don't you see on the east coast, this is how we live on the west coast all the time. It is. Is this now going to be. I don't know if everybody's now going to jump in and on hockey stateside, but is everybody now on the east coast going to pine to see their Sporting events on the weekend start a little earlier because once you get used to it and it doesn't take long, Saturdays and Sundays and football season, that it is the reason to live in the West Coast. You wake up in the and the football's kicking off at 9am it's way better than waiting.

Mike Ryan (8:10)

Dave, these people over here, I'm not going to say specifics, but these people who work here live in Miami. Sometimes they've got to fly to the west coast for something to hear them complain about. Oh my God, what are you talking about? Football starts at 10. I'm like, that's the greatest thing ever.

Stugotz (8:25)

You understand?

Mike Ryan (8:26)

I go through a whole Sunday and be done with Sunday Night Football. And it's like a reasonable.

Stugotz (8:30)

Now I'm waking up in a panic because it's 9 o' clock and I got an hour. I got to get on my fence and I got to get my fantasy lineup set. Now, now on the East Coast, I got time, baby. I would way prefer the west coast in terms of time slots. To be able to be done with Sunday Night Football and still be able to like do something with the rest of my night would be incredible. No, no, what I want to do

Dan Le Batard (8:49)

is I want to crawl into my

Stugotz (8:51)

bed unshowered at about 11:45, 12:00 clock at night. My wife's like, you've been watching football all day.

Dan Le Batard (8:56)

And I'm like, I know.

Stugotz (8:57)

I exactly know. Because I get to get out of

Dan Le Batard (9:00)

things like, oh, we've got dinner with these people tonight.

Stugotz (9:02)

You're done with, with football at 7:30, right? And I'm like, yeah, 8 o', clock,

Dan Le Batard (9:06)

we've got this dinner. It's like, I don't want to do that.

Stugotz (9:08)

I want to watch Bengals, Lions, late dinner, Sunday Night Football.

Dan Le Batard (9:11)

How old are we, guys? Come on. Like, what are we doing? That was one of the best international sports moments in American history. It's the first Olympic gold medal on the men's side of my lifetime. We finally conquered the Canadiens. It was a walk off game winning goal from Jack Hughes. An incredible moment in which the Canadians, arguably, I know many of them are saying it, they outplayed the US in this game. And yet it's one of the rare sports that the United States gets to be a scrappy underdog. They finally knocked Canada off the top of the mountain. That was incredible yesterday. What are we talking about with 8am call times and 6am call times.

Stugotz (9:44)

You're right, you're right. I got, I got distracted there. Please. Guy in the NHL hat Which is ironic, since the NHL proper doesn't really like their players going off to play in the Olympics. But the players themselves did, and it was a joyous event. I am surprised, Mike, by the reaction. I'm usually surprised by major news events, how big they get. And I am surprised over the last 24 hours by the national reaction. I had no idea it would be this significant. It seems to have obscured the entire two weeks of the Olympics, otherwise.

Dan Le Batard (10:17)

Yeah, I'm not even sure how many people know how long the NHL players have been away from this competition, but the last moment that we saw of these players on Olympic ice, I believe, was that incredible overtime winner in Vancouver, and Canada wins a golden. And then last year, you had the brilliant stroke of the Four nations that really set the table up for this moment. You had the Battle of Montreal that the United States won, but, you know, Canada wins ultimately in the end. I think with this core, you had a nice story table set so wonderfully by the four nations that you kind of knew the players when it came to this game. You knew what was on the line. It was embedded. Even, like the people that follow the sport as tangentially as possible kind of knew the deal headed into yesterday. I thought it was an incredible moment. The game winner, the game itself. And of course, for those that have a deep interest in US Hockey and go back with this team, some. The Johnny Goudreau stuff even. There were plenty of, like, moms that had no idea about the story, that were crying by the time that Goudreau's kids hit the ice and the jersey was there. It was just an incredible moment.

Mike Ryan (11:24)

Yo, I had a different experience because, like, some of these names, obviously, I knew about the bad blood from the Four nations from you guys prattling incessantly about it, but I. I, like, recognize some of most of the names. A lot of the names, obviously, my man Brad Marchand and guys like that.

Stugotz (11:44)

Like, I love how you're like, I know all the names, and you struggle the names.

Mike Ryan (11:48)

I recognize a lot of names here. The best player, to me was the goalie, and I'm like, who he played for. I've never heard that name once on this show. Not once. This dude is incredible because he never

Dan Le Batard (12:02)

got past the second round. Yeah, Hellebuck has been in Vesna Conversations goalie of the year. But, yeah, we're not getting in deep on Winnipeg jets hockey here on this show. But he was phenomenal. The save that he made on Taves with the stick, it was just an unreal.

Mike Ryan (12:15)

He Was incredible to me. The corollary. I always try to translate things in basketball. It's like, okay, we don't get deep on Minnesota Timberwolves basketball here. But like I say, Anthony Edwards, I'm like, yeah, we all know who he is. And like, for that name, I'm like, this guy's amazing. We've never talked about him once on the show.

Stugotz (12:31)

Well, but Hellebuyck and Auston Matthews both get to wash off the stink of not being able to win in a big spot. Not true for Connor McJesus who continues. I know he wins the Four nations last year, but this is now becoming a career long plague of this guy. No showing in big spots. And somehow he still got just like he's got the con Smite against the Florida Panthers in a lot. That was the Internet trolling me. He actually won MVP of the Olympics.

Dan Le Batard (12:58)

Yeah, the. Ih.

Mike Ryan (13:00)

That was.

Stugotz (13:00)

I thought they were just doing the thing of like the way he.0 points and had a breakaway in the gold medal game. Big spot. He forgot to shoot the puck. Literally. You watch it like seven deep. Yeah. If you watch the play, like, yeah. He was so busy trying to cast a spell on Hellebuck, he cast a spell on himself and forgot to shoot the puck and just ran it right into his pads. That was zero points. MVP of the tournament. What were we doing?

Mike Ryan (13:28)

That was wild because they do the whole tournament. Like we're conditioned here that the MVP is like the guy in the last game who killed it. And a lot of these internationals, he

Stugotz (13:38)

was on the losing team too.

Mike Ryan (13:40)

But they.

Stugotz (13:40)

Does that matter as well?

Mike Ryan (13:41)

They do it for the whole tournament. That's how.

Dan Le Batard (13:43)

Well, not only do they do it for the whole tournament, the vote comes in during the first intermission.

Stugotz (13:47)

Which is insane, Roy. Right.

Dan Le Batard (13:49)

I mean, you got a finite amount of time to get this vote in and do the tabulation. So.

Mike Ryan (13:53)

So to be clear, let's just assume like, Team USA was down six going into the third, and then one player scores seven goals in the third, he doesn't win mvp.

Stugotz (14:07)

Then they do a revote.

Dan Le Batard (14:08)

They.

Stugotz (14:09)

They have that in writing. If that happens. They do a revote.

Dan Le Batard (14:11)

You just made that.

Mike Ryan (14:12)

How tougher.

Stugotz (14:13)

The language issues that you have to submit your vote two periods in advance of the end of the game.

Mike Ryan (14:18)

They got to translate everyone's answer. What's that say?

Dan Le Batard (14:22)

I think it's pretty. It's bordering on funny right now because Connor McDavid, you know, considered by many to be arguably on track to be the greatest player of all time. I understand. We'll talk about the Sidney Crosby stuff.

Stugotz (14:37)

How could he be the greatest player of all time, right?

Dan Le Batard (14:39)

But, but everyone, some names, everyone points to him and says that's a guy right now. And for whatever reason, when there are these huge moments, he looks across the ice and he sees a player that's a lesser player than him, certainly so slow, far less talented skater than him. And this Matthew Tkachuk thorn in his side is just there constantly at 11. Florida's gonna, I mean right now, probably in all likelihood gonna miss a playoffs because they've been so hurt. But Matthew Tkachuk just considers, just continues this all unreal run back to back Stanley Cups. Oh, this is a down year. I'll win gold for the first time since 1980. They're going to be partying across the street.

Mike Ryan (15:18)

Are they at 11 right now?

Dan Le Batard (15:19)

They're going to be at 11 tonight.

Stugotz (15:22)

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Dan Le Batard (17:57)

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Mike Ryan (19:10)

Don LeBatard.

Stugotz (19:12)

This guy comes in as the next Wayne Gretzky. His nicknames Include the chosen1 and McJesus. Okay. He's a great player. He scores a lot of goals. He scores a ton of assists. But it hasn't translated to making Edmonton a powerhouse in the league.

Dan Le Batard (19:29)

They're in the final Stugats.

Stugotz (19:31)

What's your nickname for him? MC Overrated. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats. Is this. I was thinking about that. Of all the NHL brands out there, the greatest winner is probably the Florida Panthers. Right? Because you guys are now. You're still basking in the glow of your cups and everything, and it just completely erases the fact that you're going to be watching the NHL playoffs this year from home. Ryan.

Dan Le Batard (20:03)

Bill Zito was the assistant general manager for Team USA as well, so there was that. And Seth Jones was named to the initial roster, but I had to stay home because of injury. I think the true testament to the Florida Panthers here is that their gold medal celebration. I know there was a blizzard in the northeast that probably altered plans, but after New York shut down, they're like, well, the Panthers celebrations at 11 look plenty fun. That seems like a great, proper hockey town. This is where we're going to celebrate our first hockey men's gold medal since 1980. Eleven nightclub in Miami. That is how the Florida Panthers have changed hockey, buddy.

Mike Ryan (20:36)

Where else would they go? Why would they go anywhere else even if there wasn't a blizzard? Are you kidding me? Hey, guys, we can either go to Miami or go to New York and bundle up some more. We've been cold for the last month over there in Milan or Fortina or wherever the hell they play those games. You gotta make me come over here, freeze my ass a little bit more.

Stugotz (20:54)

No, you just described what's happening to the NHL over the last half decade, too. Edmonton, Calgary or Florida, Winnipeg. This is what the farm boys up there continue to think, Mike and everybody else in there. I'm fascinated, obviously, by the context that history gives us with these things. So I try not to lie and the past too much, but I also try not to to over celebrate the here and now. Mike Aruzioni is a name. I think, in fact, I brought it up last. I. Everybody who doesn't care about hockey, I think, can put the asterisk and say, at least I know who Mike Aruzioni.

Mike Ryan (21:36)

Of course I do.

Stugotz (21:37)

Right?

Mike Ryan (21:37)

Jeremy doesn't know, so can you explain

Stugotz (21:39)

it to Jeremy, crying out loud, Everybody knows Aruzioni is. That is. That is the same true 40 years, 50 years from now with Jack Hughes Is he now a legend for all time with American sports fans? Yeah.

Dan Le Batard (21:52)

Well, I don't know if everybody knows the name Michael Ruzzioni. Like we're sports fans, we know the name Michael Rusion. So I think within these circles, yes, I do think that Jack Hughes is going to have a name and a moment that is going to ring eternal. No doubt.

Mike Ryan (22:04)

He's got that picture with the teeth. That's the. That's the one, right.

Stugotz (22:06)

Did that happen banging into the board? No, it was a high stick by Sam Bennett.

Mike Ryan (22:11)

Did you see Sam Bennett?

Stugotz (22:12)

That's the name. I know the whole team. His celebration into the boards. I thought his face like just got smashed. I guess it makes.

Dan Le Batard (22:19)

No, it's a double minor that Benny got.

Stugotz (22:20)

Oh, that double minor. Jack Hughes, Jeez. It felt like after we made the kill, we killed. We had five on three against us in the second period. From that point on we got dominated. The fact that we got to overtime, it could have been four to one those that la. That second half of that game. Well, the irony with. With the three on three and it going to overtime and you could see this, this, this cloud, this black cloud gathering as it got closer and closer and people, for at least a week we're complaining about the three on three solutions.

Dan Le Batard (22:50)

Canada is right now.

Stugotz (22:52)

Well, they picked it up before it even started. But the irony of that is, I will say without getting too deep in the weeds on specifically the puck is the three that they threw out there are better than anyone that the US could possibly conjure to put out there. And those are the three guys that were on the ice for the game losing goal from Canada's side. I mean they had Makar, who is in the conversation, if you aren't aware of. Cale McCarr is in the conversation or will be by the time he retires as one of the three best defensemen in the history of the sport.

Mike Ryan (23:23)

Absolutely.

Stugotz (23:24)

You have McJesus out there and you have McKinnon out there and those are the three that were out there when Jack Hughes scored that goal.

Dan Le Batard (23:30)

McKinnon missing that wide open net. McEvoy behind Hellebug saving that puck from going across the line. Awesome moments in this game.

Mike Ryan (23:39)

Hockey purists. What is more offensive, the 3 on 3 in overtime or the golden goal rule in overtime?

Dan Le Batard (23:45)

What's the golden golden goal will always exist. Which is.

Mike Ryan (23:48)

It's always been a golden goal.

Dan Le Batard (23:50)

Yeah. Whoever scores overtime.

Stugotz (23:53)

What was the one when TJ Oshi scored on penalty shots where he keeps

Dan Le Batard (23:59)

sending the same guy out on penalty shots?

Stugotz (24:00)

That was worse. That was a worse.

Dan Le Batard (24:02)

It was a great moment for Oshi.

Stugotz (24:04)

Yeah, it was neat looking, but it was, it was an unsatisfying way. Same as the World cup is to end on PK's. And I'm not a soccer fan, but I can see why that stinks.

Mike Ryan (24:13)

Hockey. Pierce, question part two. When did the rink shrink? Didn't it used to be massive?

Stugotz (24:18)

The Olympics.

Mike Ryan (24:19)

Yeah, the Olympics used to be massive. Used to be massive. That's why Wilbon used to love the Olympics.

Dan Le Batard (24:24)

Honestly, it kind of neutralized a bit of an advantage that Canada has because they have much better skaters. Whereas if you shrink the rink, I mean, the Kachuk's brother's inability to skate seems a lot less visible.

Stugotz (24:36)

I also, this is one of the signature moments of this millennium for sports fans, I think. I also, I hate to be a curmudgeon.

Mike Ryan (24:47)

No, you don't.

Stugotz (24:48)

I feel like you love it.

Mike Ryan (24:49)

You love being a curmudgeon.

Dan Le Batard (24:50)

I love part of your DNA that's

Mike Ryan (24:52)

right down your lane.

Stugotz (24:52)

Mike Fuentes says you're a hater. You hate everything. Tony Incorrect. I don't want to be that. This is what the world does to me. Don't you see? I want to be a ray of sunshine, you know, But I can't help it. The facts go against my ability to do that. I think that. But I have to just say on a short list and we'll get into it in a little bit. One of the worst calls of a classic sports moment that I've ever sort of experienced. Like, wait, what? That's in, right? I mean, before. I can't feel like the puck is in the net before the play by play guy acknowledges the puck is in the net and the tournament is over and the USA has won. It was, it was underwhelming to say the least, that moment. Nevertheless, the Jack Hughes goal is going to stand. You don't know if, if, if Jack Hughes names is going to name is going to resonate decades from now.

Dan Le Batard (25:46)

I think it will. I think it will because that's going to be a highlight. That's always like they, they won on a walk off against their arch rival when they weren't expected to do so. And Jack Hughes was at the center of it. And he's a pretty good player. He's a young player. He's got to stick around the pros for a long time. Every time that his name is brought up in the mainstream sports media, that moment will follow him shortly thereafter.

Stugotz (26:08)

I think, you know what we get. Chris can We. We can. We do have some bad calls. Which one you want to hear first? I got Joe Buck, David Tyree. This is one we got here. I feel bad because. Yeah, all right, let's get into it. Yeah. Albert had provided the call. Kenny Albert. Kenny Albert provided the call on which Albert.

Dan Le Batard (26:29)

Yes, yes. It was a shock comeback from Marv Juju.

Mike Ryan (26:33)

Put it on the Pol Poison. Albert calling the game.

Stugotz (26:38)

I hate to go at Joe Buck, who generally does dynamite work and has caught a lot of crap over the course of his career for reasons I'm not exactly clear about, but legitimately, he would explain why this call isn't great. But let's hear it anyway. The Tyree catch.

Dan Le Batard (26:55)

Pressure from Thomas off the edge. Eli Manning stays on his feet, airs it out down the field. It is caught by tyree

Stugotz (27:09)

inside the

Dan Le Batard (27:10)

25 and a timeout taken.

Stugotz (27:14)

Oh, my God.

Mike Ryan (27:16)

He did have no idea that he caught it against his helmet. He just saw kind of like a scrum and the ball's secure and the ref is calling catch. That's why he called it that way.

Stugotz (27:27)

I see. I think I could swear I've asked him about this specifically and he said he didn't know that the ball was definitely caught and he would have felt like a jackass. This is my assumption. He would have felt like a jackass. If it's like the ball hit the ground, man, and you're screaming and shouting about that and now you look like a fool. And so he was cautioning against doing that. I remember it's a catch. They got that ball. Yeah, he got that one.

Mike Ryan (27:54)

I remember that play from the Super Bowl. Watching the super bowl as a Giants fan, and we were like, great, it's a catch. And it wasn't until the replay we realized how he caught it. And that's when we lost our mind. And so I'm not gonna call that a bad call because hindsight is 20 20, sir.

Stugotz (28:12)

I'm not getting on. Listen, Joe Buck has provided some great calls as well. In fact, one of my favorite. One of my favorite calls of all time. But first, let's do the bad ones here. Another guy who may be. I think Al Michaels is my favorite, as I said on Friday, his mastery for those in 1980. If you go back and listen to those games, those highlights, how great he is is second to none. Keith Jackson is also on that list, though, for a great play by play, guys. And for all his great deeds, one of his last shots was the Vince Young touchdown in the rose bowl against USC. Underwhelming 4th and 5, the national championship on the line. Right? He's going for the corner. He's got it.

Dan Le Batard (29:07)

Vince Young scores.

Stugotz (29:10)

You also have to keep in mind, without the visual. Without the visual. He's in the end zone for roughly 27 seconds before he's like. He's got it. Yeah, he's. Yeah, that The. The indicator, Keith, is all his teammates mobbing him in the end zone.

Mike Ryan (29:24)

0 for 2 again. He let it breathe. That's what they teach. Television, broadcast. You're not doing radio. They're not doing that. He's doing tv. Let the picture tell the story, the crowd ambiance. And then he can say something cool like that. I disagree with you on both those calls.

Stugotz (29:41)

You don't know it either. Same thing as the Jack Hughes goal. It's unclear when you're watching it. Is it. Wait, Is it a goal? Is it Domino? Did Vince Young step out there? Was he definitely in the end zone?

Mike Ryan (29:53)

You just said it was clear because you saw his teammates mobbing him in the end zone.

Stugotz (29:57)

Okay.

Dan Le Batard (29:58)

All right.

Stugotz (29:58)

Tony agrees. I'm with Amin here.

Dan Le Batard (30:00)

You're completely off base as usual.

Mike Ryan (30:02)

What else you got?

Dan Le Batard (30:02)

From my experience, a celebration in the end zone means you still have to wait a beat. Yeah, you have to wait after the fireworks. You have to wait after the helmets go in the air.

Stugotz (30:12)

Are you gonna keep Zach?

Dan Le Batard (30:13)

The Testito's back.

Stugotz (30:14)

He's gonna. Now play the good ones. You're gonna be like, I don't like that one.

Mike Ryan (30:17)

Well, okay. Play the good ones. Let's hear it.

Stugotz (30:18)

Okay, which one's first? Here we have Al Michaels, the classic 1980 call. The greatest of all. 11 seconds. You've got 10 seconds. The countdown going on right now. Morrow up to show five seconds left in the game. You believe in miracles? Yes. Okay. You know what? That brings up something that I wanted to ask you guys, anyway, is. So you just saw what happened, Jack Hughes and all of that, and then we go all the way back to this game. I don't think there's. I mean, why. No, there's not a sporting event, even with my teams playing in it. San Antonio Holmes catching that touchdown pass with however many 34 seconds left. There's no sporting event. Immaculate reception. The number one sporting event to go to would be that game against the Soviets. Right?

Dan Le Batard (31:04)

There's.

Stugotz (31:05)

There's no comparison.

Dan Le Batard (31:06)

Right after Carson Beck with his legs.

Mike Ryan (31:09)

Right, that call. That calls. All right, you know how it would be better? Imagine if Gus Johnson did it.

Stugotz (31:15)

Oh, my God. Now you're talking.

Dan Le Batard (31:17)

Ooh.

Stugotz (31:19)

Is there A sporting event that you'd rather have gone to at any point in man's recorded history than the Soviet. Than the US Beating the Soviets, for sure. Name it.

Mike Ryan (31:30)

How about Michael Jordan beating Georgetown as a freshman with that jumper?

Stugotz (31:35)

Well, I mean, I'd like it.

Dan Le Batard (31:37)

You do all of these because you want to have a good conversation, right? You want to impress the ballroom at the cocktail party. You want to have the best story. The game is Malice at the Palace.

Mike Ryan (31:47)

That's a good one. That's a good one.

Stugotz (31:50)

Yeah. I feel like that Immaculate Reception, at least in Pittsburgh, is the equivalent of claiming you went to Woodstock. You know, like, I was there for that one. You know, everybody loves to make that claim. I mean, I can't imagine any better than beating the Soviet. This. The. The thing that comparison, the side by side comparison over 46 years is one was Canada, the other was the evil Soviet Union. What are we talking about, everybody?

Mike Ryan (32:15)

Well, one was in Milan, the other one was in Lake Placid. I think I'd rather be in Milan.

Stugotz (32:19)

Now we're the bad guys.

Mike Ryan (32:20)

What about. What about Wilt's 100 point game?

Stugotz (32:23)

Okay.

Dan Le Batard (32:24)

I would have loved to have seen anybody that was there for that. Yeah, Greg Cody saw it on tv. This is becoming urban legend.

Stugotz (32:33)

The other, I'll tell you another one that I would really would be in my top three probably events to have been a part of as an objective sports fan is this one with. With Kirk Gibson, the hero of the LA Dodgers in 1988, punctuating things on one leg. The improbability of this too is you have to kind of go back and get into the moment of, well, he can't play. It's the equivalent of Sidney Crosby not being able to play for Canada yesterday.

Dan Le Batard (33:01)

Or.

Stugotz (33:02)

Or Willis Reed. He would have came out. He's going to go. He's going to go. Sidney Crosby came out in overtime. Kirk Gibson can't bet. Sorry. He's our. He's our mvp. He's the league's mvp. Unfortunately, he's not available. Against the mighty Oakland Athletics and their greatest closer, Dennis Eckersley, we have no chance. But what else are we going to do? Put him out there on one leg. But the game right now is at the plate. High fly ball into right field. She is gone. Clapping in the press box, it is Ben Scully. In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.

Mike Ryan (33:50)

That's gooseies. That's.

Dan Le Batard (33:52)

But that's Vin Scully, too.

Stugotz (33:53)

You know what I mean? The little bias. The greatest ever I don't believe what I just saw is another great one. Do you have the Joe Buck call, the homage to his old man Jack that. That's the double down. Kirby Puckett hits the home run in game six for the Twins against the Braves in 91. Obviously the Force game seven. And Jack Buck quips almost as Kirby's ball flies over the left field wall and we will see you tomorrow night. And then Joe Buck, a generation later, honors his old man by making the exact same call. Yeah, I don't have that one, but I do have you calling him Joe back. I hate to go at Joe B. Joe Buck

Mike Ryan (34:32)

go back.

Stugotz (34:33)

Listen, I didn't fly across these United States to be attacked, not when I'm trying to sell. That's what we do. This is a moment for our nation to come together and instead Chris Cody a senseless attack. I don't understand. I mean, what goes on?

Mike Ryan (34:50)

Welcome to the show. That's what we do around here, buddy.

Stugotz (34:54)

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Dan Le Batard (35:59)

This week, the PGA Tour's best players go primetime with TGL presented by SoFi in doubleheader action, Atlanta Drive takes on both Boston Common Golf and Los Angeles golf club, plus two primetime matchups on Tuesday. Keep up it's golf. Tune in Monday and Tuesday at 5pm and 9pm Eastern only on ESPN, ESPN2 and the ESPN app.

Stugotz (36:19)

Close your eyes, exhale, feel your body

Mike Ryan (36:21)

relax and let go of whatever you're carrying today.

Stugotz (36:26)

Well, I'm letting Go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts

Dan Le Batard (36:29)

in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts.

Stugotz (36:33)

Oh, my gosh.

Dan Le Batard (36:33)

They're so fast.

Stugotz (36:34)

And breathe. Oh, sorry.

Dan Le Batard (36:36)

I almost couldn't breathe when I saw

Stugotz (36:38)

the discount they gave me on my first order.

Dan Le Batard (36:41)

Oh, sorry.

Stugotz (36:42)

Namaste. Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-contacts. Don LeBatard. Mike.

Dan Le Batard (36:50)

Bryan's in there, and he's the one with a baby.

Stugotz (36:53)

He's the one who's gotta, like, worry

Dan Le Batard (36:55)

about what the future is.

Stugotz (36:57)

And Mike Ryan bet on DraftKings because Mike Ryan bet on us.

Dan Le Batard (37:01)

This is the bet you're afraid of doubling down on? Putting up a billboard in Edmonton. Stugats. I care more about Matthew Tkachuk than I do my daughter.

Stugotz (37:09)

This is the Dan lebatar show with the Stugats. I do have my favorite call of all time. James catches, puts up a three.

Mike Ryan (37:22)

Won't go.

Stugotz (37:22)

Rebound box. Back out to Allen.

Mike Ryan (37:25)

His rebuttal.

Stugotz (37:26)

Bang. Tie game with five seconds remaining.

Mike Ryan (37:31)

That. That would be a pretty dope game.

Stugotz (37:33)

The greatest. He left early.

Mike Ryan (37:40)

That game left early. And then he's. Did he try to come back in? Was he one of the people outside?

Stugotz (37:44)

Doors were locked. Is that true?

Mike Ryan (37:46)

Very true story.

Stugotz (37:46)

Yeah, a lot of fans did. There were viral videos, Dave.

Dan Le Batard (37:49)

The game was over. The season was over, the series was over.

Stugotz (37:51)

The blueprint was over. The MF and ropes were out. Dave. People were leaving because they couldn't bear to watch. I remember the story. No, you don't remember. You clearly don't.

Dan Le Batard (38:00)

Rem.

Stugotz (38:00)

They were watching the Penguins or something. I didn't feel it. I was not emotionally invested in it. But I. But I do remember that. That was the story coming off of that one. And then a third of the Heat fans ditched the joint and missed the shot.

Mike Ryan (38:15)

Yeah, it's one of the greatest quotes of all time. Because Ray Allen hits the shot and he says, get those effing ropes out of here. Because the ropes are. That's it. The trophy's coming out. Larry o' Brien's over there. San Antonio. Congratulations. And so Ray Allen hits the shot, and he says, because there will be no ropes tonight.

Stugotz (38:30)

Tony, I already know your answer to this. Anybody else? Anybody rooting? Red, white and blue. Does this feel at all diminished by the fact that the captain not, you know, McDavid is great, but the captain of the team was Sidney Crosby, and he is the winner. Not McJesus, maybe more gifted, but the winner. When. When the chips are down. And you. And you got the. The as clutch a guy as there's been 87. Sidney Crosby couldn't go. Roy, how say you. Is this diminished at all that he wasn't out there for you?

Dan Le Batard (39:06)

I mean, they certainly could have used him on that five on three.

Mike Ryan (39:09)

Because

Dan Le Batard (39:12)

the greatest power play unit probably ever got diminished on that. Yeah. Who they have to throw out there, Sam Reinhardt. Oh, my God.

Stugotz (39:20)

Really? He was on the.

Dan Le Batard (39:21)

He was on the initial one. Who was the Sydney replacement? I may history forever remember that Canada was without its fifth best player on that gold medal game.

Stugotz (39:30)

I mean, shame on you. Is that really your thoughts in terms

Dan Le Batard (39:34)

of like actively, like how good they are? Yeah, I'd say Sidney Crosby is their fifth best player right now.

Stugotz (39:41)

And do you think if Cooper were asked, who are the guys like you get the pick? Who do you definitely want out there, do you think?

Dan Le Batard (39:48)

Now you're saying politics, which I often call politrix.

Stugotz (39:51)

Ah, but I mean, do you think he would say, why I'd rather have McDavid and Crosby for this, for this gold medal game?

Dan Le Batard (40:00)

I don't say that.

Stugotz (40:01)

But. No, no, no, I'm. No, I don't think that. I think if you said hook you, let's hook you up to a lie detector. Who do you definitely want in this game? I think he might go Kale McCarr one and Crosby two.

Dan Le Batard (40:14)

I'm okay. I disagree. I don't think Crosby's at the level of McKinnon this year or McDavid. That's not the point. The point is I would say it's winning time. Celebrini right now is better than sitting.

Stugotz (40:28)

I'm not debating that. I'm not debating who's more productive night in and night out.

Dan Le Batard (40:32)

I think that's important.

Mike Ryan (40:33)

I think I can hammer this point home. Do you remember when Dwyane Wade was full washed?

Dan Le Batard (40:39)

Yeah.

Mike Ryan (40:39)

But SPO just kept going to him,

Dan Le Batard (40:41)

that guy has to shoot.

Mike Ryan (40:42)

And I was like, why are they giving it to the guy to draw up a three for? The guy hasn't hit three since December. And you kept saying, because he's a winner, because he's three. And that's what he's saying.

Dan Le Batard (40:50)

He's doing the same argument they were without Sidney Crosby. We were with J.T. miller and Vinny Trocheck. It's a push. Trocheck can put a face off of you, though. It's a push.

Stugotz (41:01)

Also in his final year, Dwyane Wade did hit a game winning buzzer beater against the Golden State warriors because he was fed the ball.

Dan Le Batard (41:08)

It was a bank shot from the top.

Stugotz (41:10)

Dropped it. Did he make the shot?

Dan Le Batard (41:13)

Oh, the flannies that were switched.

Stugotz (41:14)

Did he make the shot? Does it make any difference to anybody out there now as we transition back into the NHL is a weird event. I know. You know, I, I'm a curmudgeon about it. I would much rather them do something like a Canada cup type of. Type of thing that happens before the season starts. I hate the three week disruption to the league. No, the other three major leagues in, in the US would not do that. They would not lower themselves.

Mike Ryan (41:40)

They absolutely would. If the, if the Olympics were in the middle of the NBA season, they would take an Olympic break. The WNBA does it.

Stugotz (41:47)

The wnba, baseball doesn't. The MLB doesn't break its season up.

Mike Ryan (41:52)

That's because the World Baseball Classic is a contrived thing. It's not real.

Stugotz (41:55)

Well, contrived or not, the NHL or hockey, the hockey world could do that. They've already done it with the Canada cup and the Summit Series and whatever else. They don't interrupt. Very weird that we're supposed to hit pause because it's in promotion of the sport. Even though there's no evidence that it really brings in enduring new fans.

Mike Ryan (42:16)

The prestige of the Olympics is above everything else to the players and to the, to the, to the nation, to the public. Right. If there's. Yeah, if there's.

Dan Le Batard (42:25)

This number will be huge.

Mike Ryan (42:26)

Oilers, jets is going on and at the same time as Olympics. No one's watching that.

Dan Le Batard (42:30)

I would say this number dwarfs the number of NFL. The number that Oilers Panthers made on TV. This number is probably going to dwarf that.

Stugotz (42:40)

In 1978 you could have watched a Jets and Oilers NFL game too. Right.

Dan Le Batard (42:44)

At the same time.

Stugotz (42:45)

Right. Yeah, they could play each other. That used to be a great trivia question. There used to be. There were, there were double downs on a sear. There was, there were the Panthers and there still are in two sports. Anyway. Yeah. Jets and Oilers are now.

Dan Le Batard (43:00)

That's why they had to call them the football Giants way back when.

Stugotz (43:04)

The New York Football.

Dan Le Batard (43:05)

Because there was a baseball Giants in downtown.

Stugotz (43:07)

That's right. That's right. So no. So, so no qualms at all. No. This, this doesn't feel diminished, tainted on any level that, that the other team captain couldn't go. Honestly didn't even think about him. No.

Dan Le Batard (43:20)

Like, okay, they're, they're unbelievable. Power play has one less unbelievable player on it and they just replace him with another incredible player. I understand Sydney's had a great season and is still a very good player, but, but their fifth best player.

Stugotz (43:35)

I do have to, I, I, if this bums you out, Canadians, I'm sorry, but this is the way it goes in sports. And it, and this is the thing that, that Broncos fans are doing right now to anybody who will listen. And I've got to tell you, like Broncos, we would have beaten the Patriots. You know, we would have won that game, obviously, if Bo Nicks had gone. We, we, we, we beat the Patriots. If Knicks goes, like, nobody gives a CL crap. Nobody, nobody is ever going to care. You can, you can sit at the bar with your buddies who are Broncos fans and in 37 years complain about the fact we would have beaten the Seahawks, we would have gone to the super bowl, and we would have beaten that team. And you'll complain and complain and don't tell it to anybody other than your friends, because nobody. Canadians, we three on three and we didn't have Crosby. Nobody is ever going to care. No one's ever going to recall that other than your fellow Canadians.

Mike Ryan (44:25)

And for that very reason. This is why the greatest sports pontificator of all time is the man who usually sits down in that chair, Dan LeBatard. Because you're saying, hey, no one cares that Sid didn't play. No one cares that Bo Nicks didn't play. Dan took it another level. He says, all my guys played. We still had the better team than the Seahawks. He talked about the Rams and the Seahawks that, like, after the Super Bowls, Dan's still sitting there like, I don't believe you.

Stugotz (44:50)

Sports are an imperfect measurement. That's what Nathan McKinnon's trying to do. Nathan McKinnon. Well, we were the better team. Like, congratulations, fella.

Dan Le Batard (45:02)

Second place. I'm still trying to remind people that Bam and Gorn were out for that bubble finals for extended periods of time. Hey, man, no one listens.

Mike Ryan (45:10)

Everyone for the Lakers was hurt when the Pistons won their first title.