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Dan Le Batard
Close your eyes.
Stugotz
Exhale. Feel your body relax and let go.
Dan Le Batard
Of whatever you're carrying today.
Stugotz
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Chris Cody
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Stugotz
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Billy
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast. Happy Friday, everybody. Let's go around the horn. We got Billy, we got Izzy, we got Jeremy, got Ro, we got Chris, Cody, we got Jonathan Zaso, and we got me here on this Friday rocking with you. Happy birthday. 10,Tony. He's not in right now. We begin with the breaking news that we had to end the post game show yesterday with an icon of professional wrestling, really an American pop culture icon, a global icon in Hulk Hogan and his passing. I found this one tricky to eulogize and we talked through that a little bit yesterday and I have some remorse. I know I mentioned that you're not your worst moment, but let's get into why this one's a little complicated.
Chris Cody
I don't think it's complicated.
Billy
You don't think it's complicated?
Chris Cody
No. Like, like, I think, I think it's all out there. We, we know. I don't think it's tricky to understand how to handle Hulk Hogan's death. We know that there is an incredible, like, there is good where he brought us a lot of joy. If you're a child of the 80s like myself, and then it's okay. He was also really shitty to black people, you know, the last 15 years. Like, this is not complicated. Not just complicated.
Mike Ryan
15 years would be my guess.
Billy
15 years.
Chris Cody
No, but that. That we. That we heard about.
Billy
That we heard about.
Chris Cody
Yeah, that we heard about.
Billy
Okay, so, like, he had the. The N word controversy. And look, this was not. Like, this was super racist. This was. He was taped in his home, something to the effect of, I would not let Brooke date a racial slur. Now, he could have bounced back from that, and I think he largely did. Look, this is a guy that gave the keynote speech, one of the keynote speeches at the rnc. He's a huge brand, and he's made several appearances since his controversy, but a lot of what followed him after that, because he could apologize, have a sincere apology, and slowly work his way back into the good graces of people. There was an incident in which Vince McMahon tried to get him back in the locker room's good graces. He addressed the locker room, and any black superstar that was in that locker room came away more upset with Hulk Hogan, because. Hulk Hogan, because the rumors were that the lesson that he kind of learned from that whole controversy is be careful around phones and cameras, guys. That was really like.
Chris Cody
It is good advice.
Billy
The new Day came away really insulted by him. Shelton Benjamin, who was in that locker room at the same time, said he was completely done with him. Now, Hulk Hogan made several appearances on WWE. Vince McMahon was smart about putting him in good spots the last time we saw Hulk Hogan. And I think part of what happened, so many years removed from that controversy, Zas, was he never really had a public reckoning. He never had the good apology. He never really publicly capitulated when it's a pretty easy one to do. And he finally had his reckoning in Los Angeles, and people were super vocal. And it is sad. And that the biggest superstar in the history of the business, his final act in front of a packed house, was getting booed out of the building. But I guess the saddest part is he totally deserved it.
Chris Cody
This is. This is the part that's frustrating if. If you grew up a huge fan of Hulk Hogan like myself, he was a really big deal to me as a kid of the 80s. All right. Where. Okay, so you have someone who you really, really liked or you really, really loved, and then you find out, wow, they did or they said something shitty. This. Sometimes it's unforgivable. The shitty thing that they do. Like, did you kill someone? You know, did you rape someone? Like, it's unforgivable. There's no coming back.
Billy
The OJ Scenario.
Chris Cody
Correct. Although he.
Billy
I don't know. He kind of had like a little comeback. Right, people? Did I miss the Twitter videos?
Mike Ryan
Who, Ray Lewis or O.J. simpson?
Billy
That's a good one.
Chris Cody
But the worst part about it is what, what, what he said is forgivable. And he chose not to go down that path. Like he chose to never have a moment. Well, but he can get in front.
Billy
And say, wow, like it is forgivable for most people. I understand.
Chris Cody
He can make an effort to change. He could say, it's a terrible line of thinking, I need to be better as a person. I'm going to make an effort to change. Like it is forgivable. And he wants to be forgiven.
Jeremy
Myers Leonard path.
Chris Cody
But he. Right. No, but that's true.
Billy
That's a good one. Kyle Lawrence.
Jeremy
I'm being like genuine when I say.
Billy
That Kyle Larson is my favorite NASCAR driver. He became my favorite NASCAR driver. And then I found out about an N word controversy that he had on a stream during COVID and I found out he served a suspension. He was super apologetic. He started a foundation. He did good work with it. He was really sorry. He's moved on from it.
Chris Cody
It can be forgivable if you make an effort. And he chose zero effort. He was like, nah, I don't really need to be forgiven for it.
Mike Ryan
Which means he sucks.
Billy
Yep. As a person, no doubt. But let's talk about the character, the immortal Hulk Hogan, which meant something to people.
Mike Ryan
Well, you kind of knew from the very beginning when he was. I am a real American. I used to have issues with that. I was like, what the hell is that supposed to mean? I kind of knew as like a.
Billy
10 year old fighting for the rights of white men. Rick Derringer also passed away a couple months ago too. The guy that made that iconic song, which was actually not made for Hulk Hogan. It was made for a tag team that Barry Windham was in. True story. But Hulk Hogan, complicated legacy, no doubt, but pretty irrefutable. The biggest star in the history of wrestling.
Chris Cody
Right.
Billy
Like, we'll concede that you could hate Hulk Hogan up and down. You could maybe venture and posit like Stone Cold Steve Austin. I don't think wrestling was ever bigger in terms of pop culture. Like everybody in school talking about it, but I mean the 80s, oh, he.
Chris Cody
Was the first one like WWF at the time that was ushering itself or crossing over into the mainstream. WrestleMania 1, of course, rock and wrestling. Yet the collaboration with MTV, Hulk Hogan was appearing on the late night talk shows. Okay. We all remember him choking out Richard Belzer. That was a major lawsuit. Crazy, all right. Like Hulk and Lips. Hulk Hogan was in movies, you know, Rocky 3. No holds barred. A truly awful movie. The Nanny and Suburban Commando.
Billy
Suburban Commando.
Chris Cody
But. And I don't know. I don't know that, like, wrestling may not be what it is today if not for Hulk Hogan.
Mike Ryan
I don't think Hulk Hogan survives today if he's in his prime today, strictly because Mike Ryan would point out his hair loss.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, it was Mr. Nanny, not the nanny. Sorry.
Billy
Fran Dresser is a wrestler.
Mike Ryan
The camera back on me, please. My arms are so shiny, it's crazy. I'm, like, sliding all over the table here. I'm not complaining. I enjoy it. Hockey with your elbows.
Billy
Make sure you see it. That's how you. You're paying tribute to.
Chris Cody
But like, what? But what? So, again, what is complicated about the way to talk? I don't think it's complicated.
Dan Le Batard
Well, I think it's. I think if you're too. This was.
Jeremy
He was awesome.
Dan Le Batard
I think if you go too far of just wanting to celebrate, I think. No, I'm not saying. We're doing a good job of saying both sides.
Mike Ryan
Can we really like what Zaslow said, that he is really shitty to black people and never apologize.
Billy
Let's have Roy.
Mike Ryan
Let's not put that to the side. And then talk about the good things.
Chris Cody
I don't know.
Mike Ryan
Exactly.
Billy
I don't think anyone's talking about things about him. I think. I think there's plenty of good things to talk about. The characters he portrayed, this is like.
Chris Cody
It could be both.
Billy
It could be like. He did bring a lot of smiles. He entertained several folks. I think every child has good memories of Hulk Hogan. Go ahead, Roy. It's not complicated when you separate the art from the artist.
Chris Cody
Yeah, it's not complicated.
Billy
Talking about the person is also easy. He's a racist. So go ahead. Bye. See you later. Yeah. Yeah. And again, I think the biggest issue that most people had from him. We identified the locker room incident where everybody left more mad with him.
Chris Cody
It's really crazy. Like, why couldn't he just never.
Billy
He never sucked. Yeah, he sucked.
Jeremy
He was a bad guy.
Chris Cody
Even if he didn't mean it. Why can't. Why couldn't he apologize?
Billy
Weird. Very weird.
Chris Cody
It's weird.
Billy
But there are a couple of reasons why I don't know if Hulk Hogan could make it today. The hairline, as you identified as one, one of the best promos of all guys of all time, if not the. In terms of quotable, iconic, getting able to move units There was no.
Chris Cody
There was no wrestler. And there never will be a professional wrestler who connected and understood the pro wrestling audience the way he did that.
Billy
That is great. That is right on the money. I think maybe the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin have an argument there, but I think it's clear in a way. Hulk Hogan. But the main reason why I don't think Hulk Hogan would make it today is I put together a top five list. I put together a couple top five lists, but I put together a top five list of his best matches of all time.
Chris Cody
That's. That's. That's tough, man. You could. You can get three easily. I don't know how you get to five.
Billy
It was. It was tough. I do. As tough as it was, I do have an oli. So here are the top five Hulk Hogan professional wrestling matches.
Chris Cody
Oh, well, I.
Billy
Low key. One of my favorite matches of all time because of the selling From Shawn Michaels. SummerSlam 2005 Shawn Michaels vs Hulk Hogan. Hulk Hogan famously did not want to do jobs for anybody. He did not want to lose in the ring. And the plan was for Sean to get over on one. For it to be a trilogy and Hulk Hogan ultimately to go over. Hulk Hogan didn't want to give Shawn one of them. So after months of frustration trying to book this match and get some offense in, Shawn Michaels just takes a huge dump on the entire thing and oversells the entire match.
Chris Cody
Like, like completely ridiculous.
Billy
Yeah. Gets punched in the face and does like three. Back, back roll.
Dan Le Batard
Ric Flair style.
Billy
Yeah. No, stand up. No, no, no, no, no. Watch.
Jeremy
Cliff.
Dan Le Batard
I do what I was.
Mike Ryan
I'm intrigued by it.
Billy
Now Shawn Michaels just rebels against the entire construct and decides, you know what? Screw you, I'm going to oversell and make this a circle.
Chris Cody
Like, Hogan must have just been mother effing him the whole match, right? Like, what. What are you. You're making me look like an idiot.
Billy
Hogan is confused in the match. You can see it on his face at Shawn Michaels selling. Shawn Michaels is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time. And that match really sticks out. All right, number five, Perhaps not. Not the greatest in ring competition, no doubt not the most entertaining match, but certainly one of the most important matches in pro wrestling history. WrestleMania 3 against Andre the Giant is number five.
Mike Ryan
I mean, there's a one move.
Chris Cody
That's where I became a fan. A lifelong fan of pro wrestling. I was six years old. It's the most important moment. It's. It's a terrible match. All right? It really is. Like the fact that it's number five on your best Hogan matches shows you it's a terrible match. But it's the most important match and it's the biggest moment in the history of pro wrestling. Hulk Hogan body slamming Andre 90,000 plus Pontiac Silverdome. I was six years old. I couldn't wait. Like I don't, I see these pictures, like these promos for Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. I don't know what this, like I'm 6 years old. I don't know what this is, this pro wrestling, but this is for me. Like I, I like this terms of.
Dan Le Batard
Sports moments that change you. It's that and then the Chuck trade or what do we.
Chris Cody
Yeah, yeah. And then probably maybe Shaq arriving. I mean, you know, he came in on the big diesel truck, he had the water gun.
Billy
I mean the body slam on Andre the Giant. And it was reputed he'd never been body slammed, he'd never been beaten. That was all. Neither should. No, no. He'd been body slammed and beaten several times over. I mean it's a true passing of the torch. I mean Andre the Giant putting over Hulk Hogan. No, it was great. It was great booking, it was a great build and people left there happy. And it's basically a one move match, but it's an iconic match for several. It really got wrestling into another stratosphere and got it to where it is today probably. I don't know if it, if that match doesn't deliver and people don't leave that building happy. I don't know where wrestling is today.
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Chris Cody
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Roy
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Stugotz
Deborah had to have surgery.
Chris Cody
I had hip surgery in November of 2024.
Stugotz
Her United Healthcare nurse Crystal checked on her.
Chris Cody
We do a routine call after surgery and I could tell that she was struggling.
Stugotz
Deborah needed help.
Billy
My infection markers were through the roof.
Stugotz
And Crystal knew what to do.
Billy
I called the hospital and said she's.
Stugotz
Coming in and got Debra the help she needed.
Chris Cody
Crystal and United Healthcare saved my life.
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Roy
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Billy
Don LeBatard A recreation of the iconic scene in A Few Good Men as told by Chris Cody Stugats.
Dan Le Batard
Colonel Jessup, did you order the code red?
Chris Cody
You don't have to answer that question.
Billy
I'll answer the question. You want answers?
Dan Le Batard
I think I'm entitled to them.
Chris Cody
You want answers?
Dan Le Batard
I want the truth.
Chris Cody
I you can handle the truth. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stu Cats.
Billy
Let's go to number four. This one's actually a fun match and a pretty good real life rivalry because they had sued each other. He had left wwf. They had their personal beef. So the build to this was fun. And the payoff was good too. The good Street Fight, WrestleMania 19 against Vince McMahon Safeco Field. I mean they put their bodies on the line. They tapped into some extreme rules.
Chris Cody
It was fun match against the chairman's in your top five of all time.
Billy
It shows you how bad this dude was in the ring. He was not a good wrestler.
Chris Cody
I told you getting to five is tough with him.
Billy
Yeah, number three. Now we get into some genuinely good matches. Good storytelling in the ring and this was in terms of build my favorite Hulk Hogan build for a payoff and you gotta I there's something on this list like Hulk Hogan is a big game player because they're all WrestleMania matches from here on out. There was one Oli on SummerSlam, but the rest of the list, all WrestleMania matches. WrestleMania 5 mega powers collide. Macho Man Randy Savage versus Hogan. Elizabeth fighting over Miss Elizabeth. Macho Man Randy Savage, one of the few people that can match Hulk Hogan's crazy on the mic. Performance enhancers. No doubt. In several respects, Macho man was a beloved babyface form. The Mega powers, they break up lust in your eyes over Miss Elizabeth.
Chris Cody
A year long storyline. A full year. It ended up being more than a year, but up to that point, a year long storyline. It's a truly great match. Macho, I mean, Macho was just so good. It's a great match.
Billy
Classic build number two. This might actually be. There are two of my first memories. My parents divorced when I was 2. I have a memory of my dad living in the house and me sitting by on his Rocky rocking chair. My second memory is looking at a full page ad for WrestleMania 6. Hulk Hogan vs. The Ultimate Warrior in Toronto. This match delivered. And those are two dudes that cannot work.
Chris Cody
Champion versus champion. Title for title. It's the ultimate challenge. It's WrestleMania.
Mike Ryan
Who's that?
Billy
That was Vince McMahon.
Chris Cody
Another great person.
Dan Le Batard
But Jack, I thought I grew up a wrestling fan and then I hear you two talk about it, I'm like.
Chris Cody
I was some real scumbags in wrestling, I think is what we're finding out here.
Izzy
Oh yeah, what happened with the rocking chair?
Billy
Yeah, it's my memory. I have a memory of my dad sipping out of a coffee mug that my Willa wanna still has somewhere that says Michael. He was reading the newspaper.
Mike Ryan
And you were how old?
Billy
I had to have been 2 because my parents divorced when I was 2. I had to have been.
Chris Cody
You have a memory from two years? What?
Mike Ryan
Yep. I tell people this all the time. That's why I was curious with Mike, because there's just one image of me sitting on like a rolled up rug.
Dan Le Batard
If it was a rocking chair, I'd be like, that's weird. You both have rocking chairs.
Mike Ryan
It was me sitting on a rolled up rug. And the room was empty and to my left was an entire mirrored wall. So I saw like the picture of myself on that thing. And to my right was a thing of windows. And I like remember, I don't know, some point in my childhood or you know, maybe adolescence, I asked my mom about that image and she was like, yeah, that sounds like the first house when we moved in here, when we moved in South Florida after you were born.
Billy
All right, I want everybody's first memory. All right, so get to work on that. We'll get to everybody's first memory in a little bit. And then number one, this one is obvious. This one is easy. Ironically Enough, the top two matches in Hulk Hogan's career both happened at a WrestleMania in Toronto. WrestleMania 18. Icon vs. Legend. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan. And this is a legit, incredible match. Some good stuff in the ring. The Rock kind of carries them a little bit, but the storytelling and the way that the crowd. It was a weird double turn. The Rock came in as a babyface. Hogan came back to the WWF as several years removed, comes back as Hollywood Hogan. The NWO is pretty much doa. And the Toronto crowd just decided, screw your plans. We have an affinity for Hulk Hogan, the Hulkster, and we're going to get behind him. And the crowd starts cheering for Hulk Hogan in the match. It's electric. Both ultimate showman know how to read the crowd. The. The face off in the middle of the ring as everyone in skydome is going bonkers. If you watch one Hulk Hogan match, it has to be this one.
Chris Cody
It's. It's one of the great moments in the history of pro wrestling. It's one of the great crowds in the history of pro wrestling. I remember watching it. I think I was 21 years old. WrestleMania 18. I remember watching it. And all right, the match is starting. And this is Hollywood Hulk Hogan. He's a real piece of shit in the ring and outside the ring. I mean, he drove a semi truck into the Rock's car the week before. He literally tried to kill Rock.
Billy
Asshole.
Chris Cody
So obviously I'm rooting for the Rock. And you would think that that's going to be the case. And then they lock up to start the match. And Hogan throws Rock into the turnbuckle. And he does his not Hollywood Hogan poses. He does his Hulk Hogan poses. And Hulk Hogan had not been in a WWE ring in like eight years. And this is SkyDome in Toronto. And he's doing the Hulk poses.
Billy
And.
Chris Cody
And the crowd is going bananas. And I'm watching him like, whoa, I'm cheering for Hulk Hogan now. That's Hulk Hogan. That's not Hollywood Hulk Hogan. And. And the way the story goes, like, they weren't expecting that to be the case. And Hulk actually says to Rock in the middle early on in the match, when they see the crowd reaction, Hulk says, do you want me to fix this? And Rock says, yes. And Hogan kind of takes control of the match, and they kind of flip sides. One of them is going to be the babyface, and the other one's going to be the heel. Jonathan Zazzle.
Mike Ryan
I have never been more impressed by you. I don't know if it's how you did your hair this morning, but there's.
Chris Cody
Something about you I'm very attracted to.
Mike Ryan
Right now that you have born. Thank you for this exact segment. Right.
Dan Le Batard
This guy made fun of me earlier in the week for going to a Backstreet Boys concert, and he's sitting here reciting every storyline in the history of wrestling.
Billy
This is great theater.
Jeremy
Do you watch them over and over again, or is this how do you remember. You remember it from the moment.
Billy
This is the. This is the only Hulk Hogan match that I think you can rewatch. Okay.
Chris Cody
It's an. Well, I've seen this one many times, and I've seen one WrestleMania 6 against Warrior many, many times as well.
Mike Ryan
Top two, many, many times.
Izzy
Yeah, you sit down and rewatch the whole WrestleMania. You're just like, you know what I want to say.
Chris Cody
No, no, just the match. No, not the whole thing.
Billy
That WrestleMania is really funny because there were matches that had to follow that, and the crowd was dead.
Chris Cody
Yeah.
Billy
Absolutely dead.
Chris Cody
It's a tremendous. If you're at the house, then it's. It's such a great, great experience. That match, it's honestly one of the.
Billy
Top 10 matches of all time. It's. It's like the one really, really good match from a technical and storytelling and just a crowd. The crowds, the story.
Chris Cody
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
No. Mike, can you sit this one out? I want more Zed.
Dan Le Batard
How's that not the main event?
Chris Cody
Because it didn't have. It didn't have a title.
Billy
Didn't have a title back then.
Chris Cody
It was like, oh, well, WrestleMania. The world title has to be the main event. It was a mistake.
Billy
No one knew that the crowd was going to react to that the way that they did. And, yeah, it is what is most remembered. And it was a pretty good WrestleMania, mostly because of that match. But that match really, really sticks.
Izzy
WrestleMania 6.
Billy
No, WrestleMania 6.
Chris Cody
Israel smitten with me right now. Look, I mean, I'm very confident, I gotta tell you.
Mike Ryan
I got two words for you. Says, go on.
Chris Cody
Yesterday was such a. Yesterday was a weird day for me. Right. Because I'm doing ESPN radio yesterday, and the news of Hogan's passing breaks like five minutes before we're going on the air. And I'm probably to my horn, you know, But I'M probably the guy that you want on ESPN radio when Hulk Hogan passes away. So that was a great coincidence.
Mike Ryan
I've waited my whole life for this.
Chris Cody
Moment and that's right. And for, you know, if you would have told 9 year old Jonathan Zaslow, you're gonna be the one who all breaks the news about Hulk Hogan on espn. Like, that's crazy.
Mike Ryan
That is wild.
Chris Cody
That's crazy. So I was sad yesterday because this, if you're a child of the 80s and this is going to happen as we get older, you know our childhood heroes are going to pass away. And this was kind of like the first one of those for me. And it's kind of a weird experience.
Billy
Billy, what was your first ever memory?
Izzy
My first. I don't know, like, I don't, I don't have this catalog of memories like you guys do, like back to your, your youth.
Billy
You don't have a first memory. You don't have like a memory that you can pull from when you were a child that you could say, like, I guess, approximately. That might be my first memory. Do you remember your first day of school? Let's work backwards.
Izzy
No, I think, I mean, I played T ball. I remember hitting two grand slams in a T ball game.
Mike Ryan
Oh, that's gotta be it. That's gotta be the one.
Izzy
But I don't know if that's my first memory.
Dan Le Batard
Six or seven years.
Izzy
Yeah, I mean, it was T ball. It was the second year of T ball.
Chris Cody
Over the fence or Bad News Bear over the line.
Izzy
No, no, it's T ball. There's no fence. It was basically you just keep running and the kids are just throwing it everywhere.
Chris Cody
So it's bad news Bear style.
Izzy
Yeah, yeah. Look at me. This is a little string bean. You look like I can hit a ball over a fence. No, get out of here.
Billy
Jeremy, what was your first memory?
Jeremy
I think, because I'm trying to go back to as far as I can, I think it's watching Mark McGuire hit like a 550 foot home run at then Pro Player Stadium in 1999.
Mike Ryan
Two out of the three first memories back here. Baseball.
Dan Le Batard
No, I'm about to do the same thing.
Billy
Oh, my God.
Dan Le Batard
Being at the first Marlins game ever. 93. I'd be sick. So I. That's a memory. And then I remember falling off of like a. Those little like red and yellow toy cars you had as a kid. I was like climbing on top of it and I fell on.
Chris Cody
Oh, the yellow hood.
Dan Le Batard
Exact car I fell off. I was like climbing on top of it. And I fell onto, like, my parents, like, Chattahoochee and, like, cut my forehead or something.
Izzy
What's a chattahoochee? It's like a river.
Billy
Yeah. It gets hotter than hoochie coochie.
Dan Le Batard
I'm telling. I think there's a. My dad used to call it that.
Izzy
Well, what's it called? What is it?
Dan Le Batard
It's like, little, like, pebble rocks.
Billy
Like, I think your dad just made a name for it.
Chris Cody
Really?
Billy
I'm on this.
Dan Le Batard
I look this up.
Jeremy
Chattahoochee rock.
Izzy
Yeah, it's a rock.
Dan Le Batard
It's just like a bunch of little. It's like a ground. It's like gravel.
Jeremy
Yeah, Gravel, pebbles.
Billy
You know, I'm learning something.
Dan Le Batard
And I fell. And I don't have to text my mom how old I was for that. That might have been before, but those are my two first memories. Falling off the red car and bleeding and being, like, rushed inside. And then Marlin's first game ever. 93.
Mike Ryan
And for those skeptics who say you probably just looked at a photograph of when you were 2 years old.
Chris Cody
That's what I was thinking.
Mike Ryan
No, we went through the entire house. Nobody's taken a photograph of. Just blank room with people random now.
Izzy
Yeah, that's what photographs were back in the day. You just like, we have eight of these. Like, let's just take it. Then we develop. It's not crazy to think I had a cousin that told me or that used to say he remembered being born. I was like, okay, so people just lie. Like, that's not just liars. I just remember sitting down on a thing and looking in a mirror. That's it. I think you saw a photograph.
Chris Cody
Israel. You think it's unreasonable for someone to see a baby sitting in a room and say, let's take a picture in.
Mike Ryan
Let's say, what was this? Maybe 1980, 1979. My parents moving stuff around, going to say, hey, stop, honey, let me go get the disposable camera. Which my family did not have disposable cameras sitting around. My dad was not a techie. Like, if you go through our old family photos, there's not a ton. Not a ton. Especially not of me. Not a ton of pictures.
Izzy
Maybe they were doing something cute right before, and then they took the photo and you no longer were doing something cute. So it's just, like, the after cute.
Mike Ryan
Then why couldn't we find the photo? Went through every single family photo we've ever had, couldn't find it.
Billy
I'm telling you, I believe You, Izzy.
Izzy
I believe you're zaz. You're full of skeptical. Yeah. That thinks you're a liar.
Mike Ryan
Someone likes Hulk Hogan.
Billy
That.
Izzy
Yeah. He is a notable fan of racists. Yeah.
Billy
That's unfair.
Izzy
He did say, not a big deal.
Billy
Totally fair.
Chris Cody
I did not say.
Billy
You did not.
Chris Cody
How dare you?
Dan Le Batard
How long did it take you on ESPN Radio to get to that part?
Billy
The racism? Yeah.
Chris Cody
Oh, no. Well, that's why I said, I don't think it's complicated to discuss this. Like, I got to it right away. Okay, good.
Dan Le Batard
You know, I think that's important, though. I just think if you do 10 minutes before you get to it, I.
Billy
Do think it's a little buck up against, like. It's not complicated when, like, inside of your first three sentences, you're talking about how the dude said an N word and never really gave a formal apology. I think that's a tricky one.
Chris Cody
Right?
Dan Le Batard
That's the part that's a little weird because you're just like, this is so simple. Why anybody? It's like, did some terrible things.
Mike Ryan
Seems easy to me.
Chris Cody
But why? Yet? Why is that complicated?
Mike Ryan
Like, well, it depends. Did you announce it this way? Noted racist Hulk Hogan dies at age something, something.
Dan Le Batard
I think the question is, the debate is how much do you want to praise a guy that is.
Jeremy
That.
Billy
That's a tricky part. That's exactly the thing.
Chris Cody
Right.
Dan Le Batard
But that's what he's saying. That's not complicated. And I think.
Chris Cody
I think you just. You do both. I don't think it's hard. Like, you could talk about, you know, the joy that this person brought you as a child, and then you also. It's also very okay to then talk about why black people especially did not like this man for the last 15, 20 years and how shitty it is that he could have just showed a little bit of remorse somewhere, and he never did. And as a result, he got booed out the building earlier this year and then tried to blame it on, you know, he went on the McAfee show, like, a few weeks later and then tried to. You know, it's very political. No, it's not like, there are other pro wrestlers who are right wing who support Donald Trump, and they don't get booed out the building when they appear. Maybe that had something to do with it, but it's because of things that you've said in the past and you chose not to acknowledge it.
Billy
The Undertaker was on that very same card. Came out to a Kid Rock. So, yeah, I mean, the guy wears nine line shirts. Undertaker loves Trump, loves him. And he got a huge ovation there. And I think really the. But the most frustrating, sad part, and the one that is probably most damning on his character, is that there was a large part of that wrestling audience that was ready to forgive him. You listen to people that were in that locker room, particularly the black wrestlers. They were there. They were going to hear him out. Now, Vince McMahon told him to be there, but he did so poorly that they doubled down and they were like, to hell with this guy. Listen, brothers, Listen, brother. Brother's right there for you.
Dan Le Batard
Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile Now. I was looking for fun ways to tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment.
Stugotz
Of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of network's busy taxes and fees extra see mint mobile.com this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want, like that dream house or ride, is a great feeling. That's why the State Farm personal price plan can help you save when you choose to bundle home and auto bundling. Just another way to save with a personal price plan. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.
Izzy
It's the Smuckers Uncrustables podcast with your host, Uncrustables.
Dan Le Batard
Okay, today's guest is rough around the edges. Please welcome crust.
Billy
Thanks for having me.
Dan Le Batard
Today's topic is round with soft pillowy bread.
Billy
Hey.
Dan Le Batard
Filled with delicious PB and J.
Chris Cody
Are you talking about yourself?
Dan Le Batard
And you can take them anywhere.
Chris Cody
Why'd you invite.
Dan Le Batard
And we are out of time.
Chris Cody
Are you really cutting me off?
Roy
Uncrustables are the best part of the sandwich.
Billy
Sorry, Crust.
Chris Cody
Dan Levitard. My algorithm on Instagram. It's Dan. It's all boobs.
Billy
Stugats.
Chris Cody
It's a good algorithm. This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.
Billy
Roy, what's your first memory? Just walking the water.
Izzy
That's it.
Chris Cody
Like what?
Billy
To the school bus from the school? No, into the building. Hello, school. Everybody remembers their first day of School or no. Billy, do you remember your first day of kindergarten?
Izzy
I don't know.
Billy
Wow, that's unfortunate. I remember my first day of kindergarten.
Mike Ryan
I remember a day in kindergarten where I peed myself.
Billy
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Because I was very. I'm very much. I'm very much a.
Billy
Rules.
Mike Ryan
Right.
Chris Cody
Follow the rules.
Mike Ryan
I got there and they told us that wasn't very. That wasn't a very specific rule. What was the rule is don't interrupt during. What was it? Morning announcements or something? And so we're all in the middle. We're all like, you know, what is it? How do you sit with your leg trusted? It's not a crisscross applesauce. Applesauce. We're all sitting there. Crisscross applesauce. And I really needed to go, but I'm just like. I mean, she said never to interrupt, so I'm just like. She was almost done. And I was just like. And then when she was done, I was like, I gotta go. I wet my pants. And she's like, why didn't you say anything? I said, you told us not to say anything. And then she, you know, called my mom and I got some new shorts.
Chris Cody
Rough first impression.
Billy
You are 34 years old.
Jeremy
I think that my first memory, actually, now that I think about it, is a dream that I had when I was a little kid. No, because that doesn't count. I've been told the story. So it's a weird story about your dream? No. So this is a weird one because I can remember the dream totally. And the reason it's something I've been told about is it sent my mom down this weird numerology path and spirituality. That was very interesting. But what? It was a kook a little bit. I love her. But the. I had this dream where. And I had it back to back nights where I was sleeping in my house and I got up and it was the middle of the night and I walked down the hallway and walking in through the door to the garage was Billy the Marlin.
Billy
And that's scary.
Jeremy
I end up. Yeah, terrifying, right? But I end up like, hanging out with Billy the Marlin. And we're like. I don't know, we're playing baseball together, whatever. And then the next night. Well, yeah, I was still am obsessed with baseball. But the next night I had the same dream but with this random like, adult who I did not recognize but felt like family and same exact thing. I promise, I promise this isn't bad. Just let me get there.
Mike Ryan
Dreams, I promise, create faces that you.
Chris Cody
Don'T recognize in your dream.
Mike Ryan
It's gotta be somebody that you.
Jeremy
Right? So this is weird, right? And then what ends up happening is that a couple of weeks later, my mom was going through an old photo album showing me pictures of her from being a kid, whatever. And there's a face. And I'm like, oh, that's the guy from my dream. It was my Uncle Mori, who died when he was 24 years old, well before I was ever born. And my mom was like, what? And so she called my aunt and was like, did you ever show Jeremy pictures of Maury? And no. The answer was no. And so it was this very weird, like, what's going on in this kid's.
Izzy
Head anyway, that your house is haunted?
Dan Le Batard
Could it have been also, you saw a photo of someone and you, like, in hindsight, you're like, oh, that was him, but it really wasn't him in the dream.
Jeremy
I mean, maybe he saw.
Billy
No, I.
Jeremy
Look, I. I think it's. It doesn't make any sense, right? But my. I can still vividly remember what both of those dreams looked like in my head now, today.
Izzy
Why. Why did that send your mom down a path of numerology?
Jeremy
So it was my. Yes, here's the interesting one, right?
Billy
The number 23.
Jeremy
It's really great, right? Because so what it was is basically my mom. I don't know what. Who she went to go talk to, but there was some sort of spirituality, something that she was talking to about this. And basically what it ended up being was it was like my, like, birth weight and time I was born and her birthday were all exactly the same. It was like the time I was born. 731. She's born on July 31st. And there ended up being basically this connection with that to my uncle. I know. I get it. I get all of those.
Izzy
How are you feeling about this story right now?
Jeremy
I'm not feeling great about bringing it up, if I'm being honest, because it's really cool. It's cool stuff for her, you know, And.
Izzy
And Uncle Maury.
Jeremy
Yeah. And my uncle.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, I bet he pops up in another dream now, like, today, because of.
Jeremy
How insane this conversation. I'm sweating.
Izzy
Can I ask you a question? Why did you decide yesterday to share your high school baseball stats on Twitter?
Jeremy
Because it said it's a piece of baseball lore about you. And so I went ask. Grew it. I'll brag for a second.
Billy
I love that photo. Yeah, like, that photo was cute.
Jeremy
Thanks, man.
Chris Cody
I'd like to see this.
Billy
Yeah, show the. Show the photo. We'll give you time.
Jeremy
You know, I figured I'd do it on Twitter instead of on the show every. You know, every week. Like Tony.
Izzy
Yeah, it led.
Dan Le Batard
By the way, it led to an over. I overheard a conversation of Jeremy just being like, yeah, through four and two shutout innings, of like, just breaking down, like some game that didn't happen. You were talking to GQ about it.
Izzy
I heard it.
Jeremy
Nope. It was.
Izzy
He came in, someone said something, and then Jeremy decided, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to put all of the statistical categories that I led my high school district in, and then I'm going to name all of the major league.
Chris Cody
You're like a big time baseball player in high school?
Mike Ryan
Oh, yeah.
Jeremy
I was first team all county.
Dan Le Batard
No, he was good.
Izzy
Yeah, I was a pitcher. Jordan McPherson, I think, put out his all county athlete picture that I guess he went through the Herald archives to find. And then he was like. And this was a league with this player and that player that are all like Major League baseball.
Jeremy
Jesus Lizardo and Tuki Tucson and Sean Anderson, and they were all in the same district as me, and I led the county in innings and Whip, what was your.
Mike Ryan
What was your best pitch?
Jeremy
Strike one.
Dan Le Batard
His coach was Dusty Baker.
Izzy
My. My thoughts while. While it. While it is impressive and we'll see the stats at some point here. While it is impressive and I know this shouldn't be the place that we. We went with this, but I remember seeing it. I was like, oh, what happened? Like, all these other guys made it to the majors. Like, oh, no, what happened?
Jeremy
I'm there too. Just on the broadcast.
Izzy
Yeah, that's true.
Billy
Good flex. Was there some sort of injury that derailed the.
Jeremy
No. I was 5 foot 9, Jewish, and threw 80 miles an hour.
Chris Cody
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Why do you look like you played in 1921?
Jeremy
I know, it's crazy, right?
Chris Cody
Yeah.
Jeremy
If you. If you're not seeing the image, it is something.
Dan Le Batard
I think you should bend the brim of that hat a little more.
Izzy
Yeah.
Chris Cody
What school is this?
Jeremy
Cypress Bay High School. Good school.
Dan Le Batard
Good baseball school.
Mike Ryan
Broward.
Chris Cody
Good for you.
Jeremy
Thanks, man. I was a regular season.
Chris Cody
All right. Now I'm not the only varsity high school athlete.
Jeremy
9 and 0 with a 115 ERA.
Billy
Almost all of us are.
Izzy
What'd you do?
Chris Cody
I played varsity basketball. Nmb. What is that? What was that sound?
Mike Ryan
I remember laughing about this back in the day.
Chris Cody
What sound was that?
Billy
Sorry. We have any basketball?
Dan Le Batard
We have clips of this.
Billy
Do we have your stats?
Chris Cody
No, but I I have. My father saved newspaper clippings where, you know, when you score, it's. It's in the paper, you know, is intramurals.
Izzy
Varsity.
Chris Cody
Okay. How dare you? Number one and number two. I do have. I do have video. It's a va. I have a game on vhs. I would have to find it, but I do have it.
Billy
Find a vcr.
Chris Cody
Yeah, Right. There's a lot of finding.
Mike Ryan
We'd have to do like a point guard.
Chris Cody
Shooting guard didn't have great handles. Okay, but obviously I'm small, so. A shooting guard. That's right.
Billy
Shooting guard didn't play very much.
Chris Cody
Let's be honest.
Billy
Played two.
Chris Cody
Let's be honest. Did not play a whole lot.
Mike Ryan
But in high school.
Chris Cody
Right. But played against those Miami High teams. Steve Blake, Udonis Haslam. American at. James Jones.
Mike Ryan
How to go against you and Steve Blake?
Chris Cody
I didn't. I didn't.
Billy
He didn't pick him up. That wasn't his assignment.
Dan Le Batard
Good High five.
Chris Cody
Played.
Mike Ryan
I didn't high five.
Chris Cody
Oh, yeah. I used to lead the team layup line. When we run into the gym.
Dan Le Batard
I can see that.
Chris Cody
I was the first guy. And you. You throw the ball off the backboard. You know, everyone, you know tips it off the backboard, and the last guy dunks. I was obviously the guy who threw it.
Mike Ryan
I can tell by your form that you're good at it.
Jeremy
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Throw it up real nice and soft.
Izzy
Did you walk around with, like, a varsity jacket at the time?
Chris Cody
No. No. You didn't do that at our.
Izzy
Really?
Chris Cody
No, I didn't do that.
Izzy
Now there isn't a dame out there, a belle that you gave your jacket to. Big dance now. Sock cop.
Jeremy
No, no, we didn't have those either. But you guys will love, because this is just, you know, sums me up as. As it goes. I was in our. Our school musical as well, and we had a big game. We were all supposed to wear our jerseys on that day. But in the same week of the musical, we were also supposed to wear promotional shirts. So I was walking through our school with my baseball jersey unbuttoned over our Legally Blonde, the musical shirt.
Mike Ryan
Just so you know, right before he said that, Jeremy said to me, you're going to love this.
Jeremy
I knew he would.
Izzy
Why is he.
Mike Ryan
I didn't love it. I liked it. It was okay. I didn't love it.
Jeremy
It's just typical of me, man. I know. I'm just trying to give you guys fodder.
Billy
It's an awful thing to do. Jeremy, that's actually unexpected of you. You're gonna love this. Legally Blonde, the musical story.
Mike Ryan
Real setup there.
Billy
Hey, man, you're supposed to represent.
Jeremy
I'm trying to get off of the idea of me bragging about my high school stats, so, you know, trying to show some humility.
Billy
Izzy, you weren't a high school varsity athlete.
Mike Ryan
I was a high school varsity athlete. I lettered in volleyball for two years. And I had one moment where at Northwestern High School, I had to play middle blocker because. Because one of our middle blockers was hurt. And I was a chunky little 510 guy. But I got up for a block one time. It was with such force that after it came off my hands, it bounced to the back wall and broke the glass that protected the fire extinguisher. And, man, did my team go nuts.
Jeremy
Don't know your own strength.
Mike Ryan
We lost it in straight sets, but that was a hell of a play.
Izzy
A room of people who peaked at 18.
Jeremy
Yep.
Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Local Hour: I Don't Think It's Complicated
Release Date: July 25, 2025
In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosted by Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, the team delves into the nuanced legacy of professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan following his unexpected passing. The conversation is rich with personal anecdotes, in-depth analysis of Hogan's impact on pop culture, and a candid discussion about his controversial actions and their repercussions.
Billy opens the discussion by addressing the recent passing of Hulk Hogan, a towering figure in professional wrestling and American pop culture. He reflects on the difficulty of eulogizing Hogan, acknowledging both his significant contributions and his personal failures.
Billy (02:00): "We had to end the post game show yesterday with an icon of professional wrestling, really an American pop culture icon, a global icon in Hulk Hogan and his passing."
Chris Cody offers a perspective that simplifies the complexity surrounding Hogan's legacy, emphasizing the duality of his positive influence and his reprehensible actions.
Chris Cody (02:01): "No. Like, like I think it's all out there. We know. I don't think it's tricky to understand how to handle Hulk Hogan's death."
He further elaborates on Hogan's racist controversies over the past 15 years, noting the lack of sincere apology and the resultant alienation from the wrestling community.
Chris Cody (02:25): "He was taped in his home, something to the effect of, I would not let Brooke date a racial slur. Now, he could have bounced back from that... but he never really had a public reckoning."
The hosts engage in a deeper analysis of why Hulk Hogan's legacy is not straightforward. They compare his situation to other controversial figures, discussing the concept of forgiveness and accountability.
Chris Cody (04:59): "The worst part about it is what, what, what he said is forgivable. And he chose not to go down that path."
Billy acknowledges the hurt caused by Hogan's actions, especially within the black community, and criticizes his failure to offer a meaningful apology.
Billy (06:19): "He totally deserved it."
The conversation touches upon how Hogan's failure to properly address his racist remarks ultimately tarnished his reputation, despite his earlier popularity and contributions to wrestling's mainstream appeal.
Transitioning from Hogan's legacy, Billy introduces a segment ranking his top five Hulk Hogan matches, blending personal memories with significant moments in wrestling history.
Match #5: WrestleMania 3 vs. Andre the Giant (11:52 – 13:23) This iconic match is celebrated not for its technical prowess but for its monumental cultural impact, notably Hogan's legendary body slam on Andre, which captivated audiences worldwide.
Billy (12:35): "This was a legendary moment that took wrestling to another stratosphere."
Match #4: WrestleMania 19 Street Fight vs. Vince McMahon (15:53 – 16:17) A thrilling street fight that highlighted the personal beef between Hogan and WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, adding real-life drama to the athletic spectacle.
Match #3: WrestleMania 5 Mega Powers vs. Macho Man Randy Savage (16:21 – 17:24) This match is lauded for its excellent storytelling and the culmination of a year-long storyline involving Macho Man, Hogan, and Miss Elizabeth.
Billy (17:13): "It's a truly great match with Macho Man being so good."
Match #2: WrestleMania 6 vs. The Ultimate Warrior (17:48 – 19:00) A high-energy clash that epitomized the WWF's golden era, where Hogan and The Warrior faced off in a title-for-title showdown, symbolizing the ultimate challenge.
Match #1: WrestleMania 18 vs. The Rock (19:00 – 23:59) Crowned as the pinnacle of Hogan's career, this match against The Rock in Toronto is revered for its electric crowd reaction and the dramatic storyline twist where Hogan and The Rock switch roles from face to heel and vice versa.
Chris Cody (20:13): "It's one of the great moments in the history of pro wrestling."
The hosts reminisce about their personal connections to these matches, sharing heartfelt memories of how these events shaped their love for wrestling.
The conversation shifts back to the dual nature of praising Hogan's contributions while critiquing his personal failings. The hosts debate the importance of separating the artist from the art, ultimately agreeing that it is essential to acknowledge both aspects to fully understand Hogan's impact.
Billy (08:44): "It could be both. He did bring a lot of smiles. He entertained several folks."
Chris Cody emphasizes that discussing both the positive and negative aspects of Hogan's legacy is not complicated and is necessary for a comprehensive tribute.
Chris Cody (28:12): "I think you just do both. You could talk about the joy that this person brought you as a child, and then you also talk about why black people especially did not like this man for the last 15, 20 years."
As the episode progresses, the hosts transition to a more personal segment where they share their first memories from childhood. This nostalgic segment provides a heartfelt contrast to the earlier discussions, highlighting the hosts' connections to their past and each other.
Dan Le Batard shares memories of attending the first Miami Marlins game and childhood accidents, setting the tone for an intimate sharing session.
Dan Le Batard (25:03): "Being at the first Marlins game ever."
Jeremy recounts a vivid dream about his late uncle, illustrating the profound impact of familial relationships and childhood experiences on personal growth.
Jeremy (33:35): "I had this dream where I was playing baseball with Billy the Marlin."
Mike Ryan opens up about an embarrassing moment in kindergarten, adding humor and relatability to the discussion.
Mike Ryan (32:00): "I remember a day in kindergarten where I peed myself."
The episode weaves together a thoughtful exploration of Hulk Hogan's legacy with personal anecdotes from the hosts, creating a multifaceted narrative that appeals to both wrestling enthusiasts and general listeners. By balancing critical analysis with heartfelt memories, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz delivers a comprehensive and engaging discussion that honors Hogan's complex legacy while celebrating the hosts' personal histories.
Notable Quotes:
This summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions, personal reflections, and the balance between celebrating Hulk Hogan's contributions and addressing his controversies. Through engaging dialogue and notable quotes, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the topics covered, even if they haven't tuned into the episode themselves.