Local Hour: If It Wasn't For Me

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – Local Hour: “If It Wasn't For Me”

Date: September 5, 2025
Recording Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Billy Gil, plus contributors

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Episode Overview

This Local Hour episode focuses on the recurring theme of sportsmanship and disrespect following multiple high-profile spitting incidents in sports. The crew discusses recent events in the NFL and international soccer, dives into the legacy and impact of such acts, and segues into notable sports reporting with a playful takedown of “journalistic heroics.” A major portion of the show humorously debates the ongoing NBA salary cap scandal surrounding Steve Ballmer, Pablo Torre’s role in uncovering it, and the bizarre interplay between billionaire owners and the sports world. The conversation repeatedly returns to the ever-present weirdness of South Florida, its sports fans, and the unique cast of characters populating these stories.

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Main Discussion Themes & Key Segments

1. Spitting Incidents in Sports: A Symbol of Disrespect

[02:08 – 06:44]

• The episode opens with a rundown of not one but three spitting incidents: two in NFL Thursday Night Football and one in MLS (Luis Suarez).
• Key Quote (Dan Le Batard, 02:27):

  “If you're going to start the season in a way that gets my interest, do it that way as a symbol where Philadelphia and Dallas hate each other so much … I spit in your face. Because I'm that kind of disrespectful.”

• The hosts break down the difference between spitting at someone's feet (Dak Prescott) vs. in someone’s face (Jalen Carter), contextualizing the varying levels of disrespect.
• Reference to infamous sports spitters: Roberto Alomar (“That’s the guy who spit in the face of an umpire”), Luis Suarez, and even a Jose Fernandez story.

2. Dak Prescott, Jalen Carter, and Game Tactics

[06:44 – 08:27]

• New details reveal Dak Prescott instigated the NFL spitting altercation with a disrespectful spit at the ground, leading to Carter's retaliatory ejection.
• Quote (Billy Gil, 07:28):

  “If this was genius by Dak Prescott… The ultimate game plan. The thing the quarterback doesn't want is pressure up the middle. The thing that guy provides... is pressure. And when you look at what Dak Prescott did…after that, spit lands on his face, he's got to be feeling pretty good about himself that he's just eliminated the thing that was among the most problematic things in the game plan…”

3. Pablo Torre, Steve Ballmer, and Journalism as Spectacle

[08:41 – 17:04]

• The show pivots to the NBA scandal involving Steve Ballmer, Mark Cuban, and a $50 million mysterious payment, with Pablo Torre uncovering the story.
• The crew mocks Pablo’s self-congratulatory tone and playfully exaggerates Ballmer’s “confused billionaire” persona.
• Quote (Dan Le Batard, 10:45):

  “He found somebody who would keep a deal for his most important player... secret so successfully that he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for me.”

• Stugotz (11:00):

  “He hit him with that Scooby Doo, Dan. Oh, he hit him with that Scooby Doo.”

• The “if it wasn’t for me” phrase becomes a running gag throughout the segment.

4. The Journalist Archetype and Ownership Ethics

[15:51 – 18:21]

• More jokes about journalistic bravado (“Jim DeFede is what a real journalist looks like... Paolo's walking around with like a quarter zip on and some shoes with tigers on them, probably…” [16:21]) and billionaire oblivion.
• The morality and impact of major reporting and the ethics of billionaire team owners are discussed.
• Quote (Dan Le Batard, 17:04):

  “How is Pablo’s brand such that he makes the billionaire likable?”

5. Mark Cuban’s Motives & NBA Owner Solidarity

[18:22 – 22:57]

• The group questions why Mark Cuban would spar with Pablo Torre given his limited knowledge on the subject, theorizing that he wants to keep club business private and protect owner solidarity.
• Ongoing critique of salary caps as anti-player and pro-owner, referencing injustices like the disparity between Juan Soto and LeBron James’s earnings.

6. Salary Cap Hypocrisy & Owner Behavior

[22:57 – 25:15]

• They confirm that, contrary to oversimplified narratives, salary caps serve to depress player wages rather than ensure parity—billionaires always seek competitive advantage via loopholes.

7. Acts of Disrespect in Sports: Ranking the Worst

[27:50 – 39:49]

• The crew recalls not only spitting, but other shameful, creative, or bizarre moments: George W. Bush dodging a thrown shoe, JR Smith throwing soup, Lance Stevenson blowing in LeBron’s ear, Brad Marchand licking an opponent.
• Quote (Stugotz, 33:17):

  “I'd rather have soup thrown at me than someone spit at me.”

• Context provided around cultural meanings of disrespect (shoe-throwing, etc.).

8. South Florida’s Iconic Sports Fans

[39:49 – 41:09]

• Tribute to “Fake Ric Flair” — a beloved Florida Panthers fan, recently passed away — and a rundown of legendary South Florida superfans: Marlin’s Man, Dolphan Denny, Yamayama, Cutler Ridge Laz.
• Jokes about how local celebrities evolve from fans to mascots and how everyone “knows Chris’s friend Steve.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard, on Ballmer’s Confusion [09:13]:

  “I believe that he could actually be confused and just not know how $50 million of his ended up somewhere … a bumbling idiot type of guy.”

• Billy Gil, on Pablo as heroic journalist [11:09]:

  “Paula's acting like he's rummaging around in, like, garbage bins, finding these things. If it wasn't for me…”

• Stugotz, on "expectoration" [08:27]:

  “You're only the second person that I ever heard use the term expectorating, the first being Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.”

• Dan Le Batard, on salary cap [23:51]:

  “I don't think that the salary cap in the NBA is really leading to the parity that they're parading around that it is.”

• Billy Gil, on comparative value [24:39]:

  “If Juan Soto gets hurt today and never plays again, he makes $200 million more than LeBron made for a career that's six years longer than Juan Soto's contract. That's what I'm saying. That's stupid.”

• Stugotz, on legendary sports fans passing [39:49]:

  “And one of the goats, the fake Ric Flair from Panther games... It's sad to see an iconic Florida Panthers fan pass away. Rest in peace.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Spitting Incidents in Sports: 02:08 – 06:44
• Football Game Day/Strategy Analysis (Dak/Jalen Carter): 06:44 – 08:27
• Pablo Torre/Steve Ballmer Reporting: 08:41 – 17:04
• Journalism & Owner Ethics: 15:51 – 18:21
• Mark Cuban/Sports Ownership Solidarity: 18:22 – 22:57
• Salary Cap Discussion: 22:57 – 25:15
• Acts of Disrespect in Sports: 27:50 – 39:49
• Tribute to Iconic South Florida Fans: 39:49 – 41:09

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Additional Running Jokes & References

• Multiple callbacks to Scooby-Doo's villain reveal line: “...if it wasn’t for me.”
• Billy’s light-hearted confusion between reality, AI, and Caddyshack.
• Ongoing “Team Ballmer” versus “Team Pablo” satirical debate.
• Local color: South Florida personalities and the peculiar nature of fandom in Miami.

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains classic Dan Le Batard Show energy: irreverent, fast-paced, and self-aware, with a blend of zany humor and real sports cynicism. The hosts mix sharp media critique, authentic sports analysis, and Miami-centric storytelling, punctuated with friendly mockery and memorable soundbites.

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Summary Prepared for Listeners Seeking Deep Dives, Hot Takes, or a Taste of Miami Sports Radio at Its Wisest—and Weirdest

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stu Guts]

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[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stu Guts podcast.

[Billy Gil]

Two spitting incidents in a week. I don't think America knows there have been two spitting incidents in sports. Or are there three spitting incidents? You guys are giving me a third spitting incident?

[Stu Guts]

Dan, there was a second spit on Thursday Night Football that we have identified. So three. Two in one game.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dak started it.

[Billy Gil]

Oh, hold on a second. I didn't even know about this. I was talking about Luis Suarez. I was talking about the Luis Suarez thing from Sunday that got missed because everybody was watching Notre Dame, Miami and Inter. Miami didn't do anything about that, and the league didn't do anything about that. And I wonder what's going to happen to Jalen Carter here. Now, I. I'm going to preface this. I make this mistake all the time. I'm going to preface this by saying, obviously you shouldn't spit in anyone's face. And it's super strange to have it happen the way that it happened last night, where they haven't even played any football yet. But if you're going to start the season in a way that gets my interest, do it that way as a symbol where Philadelphia and Dallas hate each other so much that Philadelphia's best defensive player is costing himself the game, the first game of the season, because he so badly wants everyone to know that that quarterback is someone. I spit in your face. I spit in your face. Because I'm that kind of disrespectful.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, that's what it appeared happened. We later found out Dax bit first. He started it. Dax started it with a spit. So as a retaliatory spit that led to the ejection. Now, is there a difference between spitting at someone's feet, which is what Dak did? I don't believe Dax spit reached him. It was just more of the disrespect.

[Billy Gil]

For sure, is a difference between spitting at someone's feet and spitting in their face.

[Stu Guts]

It's still an insult in some culture, spinning somebod.

[Billy Gil]

I'm not saying it's not an insult, Dan.

[Stu Guts]

The images that we have online are pretty damaging. It's like Dak stepped up into the pocket and made sure that the Eagles players saw the disrespect by spitting at the ground. That is how back in the old days, certainly in Looney Tunes, that people would display their lack of respect for somebody.

[Dan Le Batard]

Jose Fernandez once, like, led a benches clearing scuffle because he hit a home run and he spit as he was rounding third base. And Brian McCann took none too kindly. Fun police. Yeah. And then everybody cleared the benches and there was pushing around and all this stuff.

[Billy Gil]

I'm actually kind of surprised that Brian McCann, you know, he had a pretty good career in a difficult spot, a difficult position to play, it seems. Physically demanding, had a pretty good career. And yet what I associate the name Brian McCann with is other people can't have fun. Wants to be vigilant about protecting sportsmanship in a way that's really repressed. Is Jalen Carter, because of the size of last night, because you're opening the season, is Jalen Carter going to have this stick to him in a way that makes it the thing that people remember about him? Because Roberto Alomar, when I think of Roberto Alomar, he's a Hall of Fame baseball player. And the first thing I think of with Roberto Alomar is, oh, that's the guy who spit in the face of an umpire. When you do something like this, I don't. Luis Suarez basically has had a majestic soccer career. But what I think of with him, it's multiple incidents. So it's not one, but I just think of bad behavior. Is this going to stick to Jalen Carter that way? Because the spitting in the face is such a profound disrespect that I don't think that this is in any way going to be something that you find near Dak Prescott the rest of the way, but because Jalen Carter got ejected from the game because it was strange where everybody's wondering to themselves, how the hell does the season start that way?

[Stu Guts]

Dan, what are we doing already? You're ruining Football Fridays. You're doing Jalen Carter legacy. Like, that game was awesome until the weather ruined everything. We had multiple fights, multiple spits. Everybody was scoring every drive, beautiful passes. Jalen Hurts is running everywhere. Cowboys don't look that bad. So many talking points. But I did fall asleep once. Mike Tirico said, like, we should be playing ball around 11:30.

[Dan Le Batard]

You got to roll the dice there. Just keep the going. No. Yeah. I mean, people don't get struck by lightning.

[Stu Guts]

Just a minor league baseball game that one time.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'll roll the dice.

[Billy Gil]

I saw a video. I can't tell anymore what's real and what's AI, But I saw a video a couple of days ago. See if you guys can find it and tell me whether it's real or not. Of somebody in the middle of a golf swing being hit by the golf swing being hit by lightning, and then that person just flying off of your screen.

[Stu Guts]

That was Caddyshack, because.

[Billy Gil]

Oh, that's what I was watching. That's right. It wasn't AI. It was a 1979 movie.

[Dan Le Batard]

I was disappointed to learn that Dak kind of instigated it because he gave us an all time key check. Can you believe this guy? To the ref, when he spit on him, he gave like this, like, just played it so cool. Like you'd think there'd be rage there.

[Stu Guts]

He just looked to his left.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's like, can you believe this guy just spit on me? But it turns out he started it. That's why he played it so cool, because he was kind of expecting it, because he knew he spit first.

[Stu Guts]

Instead, he's just like taking a page out of Eddie Guerrero's playbook. Like, yeah, the referee's looking the other way. I'm the person that did it. Next thing you know, he's on the ground with a steel chair next. So I'm like, oh, DQ winner.

[Billy Gil]

You said he was expecting it, and I thought you were going to say he was expectorating it. And that would have been shocking coming out of your mouth. But because of the way that you, the way that you started made me wonder the way that you guys have framed the entire thing, if this was genius by Dak Prescott. Like the ultimate game plan. The thing the quarterback doesn't want is pressure up the middle. The thing that guy provides more than anybody is on that team is pressure. And when you look at what Dak Prescott did at the very beginning of the game, after that, spit lands on his face, he's got to be feeling pretty good about himself that he's just eliminated the thing that was among the most problematic things in the game plan headed into the game by getting him ejected, by spinning at his feet like that. That part is. Is sinister. If you're telling me Dak Prescott is that good at stoicism that, that he could have planned that out. I know how to get Jalen Carter. Watch how I disrespect him. And the retaliation is going to get him right out of the game.

[Stu Guts]

Classic Eddie Guerrero. You're only the second person that I ever heard use the term expectorating, the first being Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.

[Billy Gil]

You've never heard that?

[Stu Guts]

No, no. But I do know Gaston is especially good at it.

[Billy Gil]

I came in here today and Billy looks at me and he says, I think I'm on team Ballmer. Now.

[Dan Le Batard]

That'S somewhat of a misrepresentation of what I said. I said, is it crazy that I think I might believe Steve Ballmer? I'm not. I. I'm.

[Stu Guts]

That is exactly what.

[Dan Le Batard]

No.

[Stu Guts]

Presented to the audience.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, no. It's a massive gulf that just jumped over.

[Stu Guts]

You were much stronger in your conviction earlier.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, no, no, no, no. This is an evil Knievel sized gulf that Dan has just leaped over.

[Stu Guts]

This is fallacies and falsehoods again.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's. Listen, I'm just saying, I saw, I saw his interview and I thought, you know what? This seems like a guy that could not know what's going on at any point in Time, Like, I believe that he could actually be confused and just not know how $50 million of his ended up somewhere. Because reminder, he's a multi billionaire, so $50 million, while that is a lot of money to everyone, it's not to him. So, like, it would be kind of like if I had $5 in my pocket and then I found it in the dryer, like two weeks later or whatever, and I was like, oh, I forgot I even had that $5. This guy was like, oh, tree's out here. Whatever. $50 million tax, write off, whatever, I don't care. And I was listening to him talk to Ramona. I was like, yeah, this guy seems confused about what's going on here. I think I might believe that he just doesn't know what's happening.

[Stu Guts]

He could. Even though he's been dubbed one of the greatest investors ever, he does pull off, like, I don't know, bumbling idiot type of guy. But I'm on Team Ballmer now, too, for a complete.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm not ready to make that statement.

[Stu Guts]

Oh, I'm, I'm. I am entrenched now. Team Ballmer. And it's not even so much for what you described, though I can follow your logic. I'm on Team Ballmer now because I'm decidedly anti Pablo after this episode, this navel gazing episode, Dan, that he did with Mark Cuban. Let me play a clip, and if I. I will throw this out there to the audience. You will hear this clip. You will hear Pablo, who is having a moment and feeling himself almost rightfully so. But the way that he lands this clip will also get you on Team Ballmer.

[Dan Le Batard]

He found somebody who would keep a deal for his most important player who he needed to pay above the salary cap to the tune of $28 million secret so successfully that he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for me.

[Stu Guts]

He hit him with that Scooby Doo, Dan. Oh, he hit him with that Scooby Doo.

[Billy Gil]

I'm on Team Ballmer now.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for me.

[Billy Gil]

First of all, that should be a.

[Dan Le Batard]

We.

[Billy Gil]

There are a lot of people working.

[Dan Le Batard]

I was gonna say Paula's acting like he's rummaging around in, like, garbage bins, finding these things. If it wasn't for me. Not time to be, you know, rubbing elbows at the Harvard Club if you're. If it wasn't journalism. What's up, listeners? I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I certainly dreamed.

[Stu Guts]

Big I think when we were all.

[Dan Le Batard]

Kids, we dreamed big. Whether we wanted to be astronauts, presidents. Personally I wanted to be a pitcher for the then Florida Marlins. Now and we're dreaming of something else.

[Stu Guts]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stu Guts]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stu Guts]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stu Guts]

Hey listeners, it's Mike. Hey, Billy Gill.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hey.

[Stu Guts]

Hey Billy. As a proud member of your inner circle, remember when we were hanging out last weekend?

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh yeah, Fishtail Palms.

[Stu Guts]

Fishtail Palms. Great memories we made kids playing in the pool and in our hands, a nice ice cold pan of Miller Light. It was so hot out.

[Dan Le Batard]

I know, but it was so cold in my hand.

[Stu Guts]

We took that first sip. It was crisp. It was refreshing. Oh man, there is nothing like cracking open a Miller Light with your crew and your inner circle bones.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hell yeah, we fist bumped.

[Stu Guts]

Whether it's we actually really did. Whether it's that touchdown didn't make a.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sound, but I just thought bam.

[Billy Gil]

Boom.

[Stu Guts]

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[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Stu Guts]

It's just 96 calories.

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Stu Guts]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Billy Gil]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Stu Guts]

In reading while smiling. If you listen to ESPN Daily, he.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sounds like he's having the time of his life.

[Stu Guts]

Stugats coming up next, I'm gonna tell.

[Dan Le Batard]

You how the Savannah Bananas are changing.

[Stu Guts]

How do you know I'm bananas?

[Dan Le Batard]

How do you know I'm smiling?

[Stu Guts]

That's how I found my vocal range. Sometimes I just say savannah Bananas.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Billy Gil]

Did Steve Ballmer in the interview just. First of all, I don't think people know how hard it is to do what Pablo just did. And it's usually not worth it because it's really hard to find out these kinds of things. Proves them get them through legal and it's really hard to get the sixth richest man in the world to scamper to wherever Ramona Shelburne is, whether that was Los Angeles or Bristol, Connecticut. But to tell everybody how mad and sad he is about this. But you guys would agree that in that interview, Ballmer looked like a serial killer many years removed from the crimes in jail. They found him after family DNA tests and he is stoically giving the interview just physically on how it is that he looks. He looks like the, the interviews you've seen from jail from the guy who just does no remorse about all the terrible things that he's done to get in jail.

[Dan Le Batard]

When he says if it wasn't for me, you know, it gives off journalism when I think journalism. And this is more of a compliment than it's gonna sound like to Pablo. When I think of what a journalist looks like, I think a Jim Defeati, you know, like that's a journalist. That's someone who's given everything to his craft. And by the way, Louis foundation, the greatest photo of Jim defeating that I've ever seen. Jim Defeat. He's a great journalist. That is smirk right there.

[Billy Gil]

But when he's that's also. That's thin defeated.

[Dan Le Batard]

When that's current.

[Stu Guts]

That's current right there. That's current. Glass house.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let Billy in the field. That's not what he's looking like. He's got his sleeve rolled up to his forearm like he, he's getting to the bottom of these stories, Jim Defeat, he is. Okay. Paolo's walking around with like a quarter zip on and some shoes with tigers on them, probably. And it's like, okay. And he's like, I'm here to find out, okay, if it wasn't for me.

[Stu Guts]

Oh, and hitting him with the Scooby Doo. Are you doing that just because Steve Ballmer does look like a villain that's under a mask in that cartoon?

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I believe he doesn't know what's going on. I also believe that should Pablo disappear, he's still like, I don't know what happened to that guy. Who knows what could have happened? I don't know.

[Stu Guts]

How is Pablo's brand such that he makes the billionaire likable?

[Billy Gil]

It was a curious choice, I thought, for Mark Cuban to do all of the things.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, come on, guys. That's not him in the field. But that's closer. That's Jim Defeati for those listening on the podcast. Yeah, not flattering photo.

[Billy Gil]

It's an old photo of Jim Defeati. I was not body shaming Jim Defeati before. I was just saying that the photo that I saw of Jim Defeati as Billy described a journalist that perhaps all of America might not know because he's a South Florida journalist.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, because journalists, you don't know, you know the story. Journalists don't make the story about them. Not that I'm making that comment about.

[Billy Gil]

Anyone, but what you showed me about Jim Defeati, the picture that you guys just showed me looked healthier than any Jim Defeati that I've seen. And so I was happy to see that today's Jim Defeati is thinner than yesterday's Jim Defeati. That's all I'm saying. That Jim Defeati, Jim Defiti is so good. Look, do you know how good you have to be at what it is that you're doing for television to allow heavy people to do their jobs? Like, I'm living proof. Don't look at me with judgment. I'm living proof. Don't look at me as if I don't know what I'm talking about here. I'm a fat pioneer.

[Stu Guts]

Let Billy be funny with the Jim defeating and we move on.

[Dan Le Batard]

I wish. Yeah. I wouldn't have mentioned Jim Defeati by name. This didn't. I didn't want this to be like a.

[Stu Guts]

Let that be a lesson. Don't spackle with the funny.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Billy Gil]

Fat people wouldn't be on TV if it wasn't for me. I want to get to some of the Ballmer and Pablo stuff. Another episode dropped, and it's not another Pablo. It's not. It's just another episode of Pablo. Torre finds out he did not drop another Pablo. No, he didn't do one of those. He just talked to Mark Cuban and they argued for an hour. But I was really curious as to why Mark Cuban would do any of that, because he's not as informed as Pablo on this subject. Pablo has done work here that is exhaustive. It's seven months of work. These things are very difficult to do. And Mark Cuban just comes over with a parasol and says, why didn't you take the time to do this? And it made me wonder if he's projecting on, man, I don't want anybody looking in here in these spaces. And I want future deniability if people start looking in these spaces, because I know how it is. Basketball is able to be the business that it is. And this what I'm about to say when you hear me forever lamenting the stupidity of the salary cap. Juan Soto makes $750 million. That's what happens when you leave the owners to their own devices. That's what happens. If you don't think Mahomes and LeBron are worth what Juan Soto is worth.

[Stu Guts]

You sound a little like Samson.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like, yeah, that's what happens.

[Stu Guts]

Players actually get their value. If you don't cap this sport, people are going to circumvent the salary cap. We've seen it happen before. We've seen it in that sport before. Hell, as Pablo pointed out on this episode, it happened to Mark Cuban as a result of the whole DeAndre Jordan's Clippers pursuit. Remember locking him in that office, putting the door there. It was a great moment in Twitter history. There was a car sponsorship that ended up getting the Clippers fined for that pursuit. So he was actually a victim of the Clippers circumnavigating some salary cap rules, too. It does kind of feel like Mark Cuban, if you want to be sinister about it, was protecting the overall club. That was the billionaire owner.

[Dan Le Batard]

Club owners can't know everything is what.

[Stu Guts]

He was fighting for. But I was happy to discover that Mark Cuban, despite how we've talked about him on this Week shows, is still very much an owner of the Dallas Mavericks. Owns a pretty large percentage at 27%.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't think you're trying to present it this way, but it's coming off very anti player and players getting paid what they're worth. The way you're saying the salary caps there to protect the owners, it's really there to punish the players. The players are really the ones that are the victims of the salary cap.

[Billy Gil]

How am I coming out like I sound against the player? I'm saying the salary cap is a stupidity. I understand why it is. The players would collectively bargain. What they feel like is partnership. That isn't partnership with their leagues. But the discrepancy I'm giving you there, that Juan Soto makes $750 million. Like when I hit you with that in the face. Go ahead, tell me what, what, LeBron.

[Stu Guts]

You'Re positioning it as an irresponsible. Yeah, use of money.

[Dan Le Batard]

We need a salary cap to protect the owners. Like, look, look, Juan Soto of all seven. We can't have that. No, we need to have billionaires.

[Billy Gil]

I'm saying. Okay, thank you for the correction if I miscommunicated. What I'm saying is the reason stuff like this happens is because the balmers of the world don't like confinements. When they're competing and competitive, people will look in every crevice and every corner for where it is their advantages are. So if I legislate equality, what does Ballmer do? He buys the biggest staff he can buy because there are no limits there on leadership positions. He does all sorts of things with his money to try and gain those advantages. And if I remove the salary cap, the way he would win that game is by being someone like Stevie Cohen is with the Mets, where he'll just make all the other owners mad at him because he gets whomever he wants. And so what you would see in basketball and football is LeBron and Patrick Mahomes making a lot more than Juan Soto. Can you guys just get me LeBron James's career earnings so that I know if LeBron James has indeed earned more than Juan Soto in. In his career, I would assume he'd earned at least that much. But maybe not.

[Dan Le Batard]

So what you're saying is billionaires don't like regulations.

[Billy Gil]

That is what I'm saying.

[Dan Le Batard]

But also, who cares? Like, who cares if the billionaires go and spend a lot of money on the players and the players make more? Like you're using Steve Cohen as an example. He spent a lot of money. It's been great for the players. It's been great for all of MLB because it raises, you know, what the market is. And even in giving them all that money, the Mets aren't going to win the World Series this year. More likely than not. I mean, maybe they get hot, but it's not like they have this great advantage over Everyone else, if anything, like the Dodgers, is kind of nasty. What they're doing, where they're paying shohei a million dollars a year, $2 million a year, and stretching that out over, you know, the next 30 years, they're skirting around it worse than I think the Mets are doing. The Mets are just giving everyone their money up front, and if they're good, they're good, and if not, they're not. But everyone gets their money. So I don't see that. I don't think that the salary cap in the NBA is really leading to the parody that they're parading around that it is.

[Billy Gil]

But I'm not. Just to be clear, okay, I'm anti salary cap. I want these owners spending so that the players get their actual worth. It's not what's happening, what they're doing, because they can't control themselves. They've built a system that allows for fixed costs because they can't control themselves. I don't want them to control themselves. I want the players making what Juan Soto is making because it removes the lie of we can't afford this. It removes everywhere the lie that sports isn't as profitable as it actually is. Basketball and football have restrictions on the players that make it so. LeBron James made what Jeremy in his.

[Dan Le Batard]

Career through 2025, he has made $528,695,302.

[Billy Gil]

So think about that. Think that Juan Soto's contract, even if he doesn't play the last five years of it, even if gets hurt today, if Juan Soto gets hurt today and never plays again, he makes 200 million more than LeBron made for a career that's six years longer than Juan Soto's contract. That's what I'm saying. That's stupid. It doesn't. And it's only because these ballmers of the world, who might be decent at crisis management, but aren't great at controlling themselves when they're competing against other people who won't control themselves and they want to win because they've got monster egos.

[Dan Le Batard]

Boost Mobile is a legit nationwide network. So I have to take a break from the jokes here for one second and put on my serious voice. Because I would never, ever joke about a nationwide network that has invested billions building towers across the country. Not even once. I would. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to. There's nothing funny about this. Boost Mobile is a legit nationwide network and also provides coverage across 99% of America. Seriously. Visit Boost Mobile.com or your nearest Boost Mobile store location. To learn more. The Boost Mobile Network, together with our roaming partners, covers 99% of the US population. Game On Week 1 is here, and every touchdown can bring you closer to a payout with DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NFL. We're talking first down fireworks anytime tuddies and live bets that follow every momentum shift in our beautiful game. Your season starts now. New customers download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use Code Dan. That's Code dan to get $300 in bonus bets instantly when you bet just 5 bucks plus 200 bucks off NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny 467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gamb, call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. Fees may apply in Illinois, 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Boyd In Ontario, bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. See [e-mail] promos NFL Sunday Ticket offer for new subscribers only and auto renews until canceled. Digital games and commercial use excluded restrictions apply. Additional NFL Sunday ticket terms at YouTube.com go NFLSundayticket terms limited time offer.

[Billy Gil]

When.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did making plans get this complicated?

[Stu Guts]

It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together.

[Billy Gil]

Use polls to settle dinner plans, send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th and never miss a meme or milestone.

[Dan Le Batard]

All protected with end to end encryption.

[Billy Gil]

It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone.

[Stu Guts]

Learn more at WhatsApp.com Don LeBatard the.

[Billy Gil]

Hoy is Captain Slappy Stugats is this chum bucket.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Billy Gil]

Let's play here for people our famous Steve Ballmer clip that we've been playing for years since really, I think this is this might have been the time that I was introduced to Steve Ballmer. Because it's not like I was sitting here thinking about Microsoft at the time that this happened.

[Stu Guts]

Ladies and gentlemen, Steve Ballmer.

[Billy Gil]

Come on, get on, get out. Come on.

[Dan Le Batard]

Come on.

[Billy Gil]

Give it on for me. Come on. Who said sit down?

[Stu Guts]

I got four words for you. I love this company.

[Billy Gil]

Yes, that armpit stain he did a good job in removing the cul de sac and going totally bald. He looks more like. More like an executive these days than he. He did there. A little, little frumpy and early in the, in the career and now able to go on television and make us all team ballmer just because Pablo's out here saying all of this would have stayed secret if not for me. It's totally obnoxious, is it not? We all reacted to it the same way. I want to get back to the football from last night and I don't know about you guys because Philadelphia beating Dallas isn't any kind of surprise, I suppose if you're going to be surprised is that Dallas was able to keep it close. But the starting of the season with the disrespect of let's spit back and forth in each other's faces. When you guys think of acts of disrespect that have been in sports or that you have seen video of or outside of sports, I learned, I don't know if you guys knew this at the time, that in some cultures the throwing of a shoe at somebody is a sign of disrespect. And so the way that I learned that as an insult was when I watched George Bush, who really surprised me with his reflexes. Go ahead and play that for us if you can get it, please. George Bush with his reflexes, yeah. Just very quickly avoided the throwing of shoes. When you guys think.

[Dan Le Batard]

And had a similar smirk after to Dak of kind of like, can you believe this guy?

[Billy Gil]

Have you guys. When you guys think of acts of disrespect that you have seen that not have not resulted in any actual harm except to that American flag behind him. When you think of acts of disrespect, what rivals the spitting in the face? Because I can't believe that we have two of these incidents in five days. And by the way, Zaslo is saying much stronger than he said on this. He said on this show after seeing the tweet from Inter Miami after Luis Suarez spit on a Seattle Sounders staffers face, Inter Miami sent out the tweet. Inter Miami condemns the altercations that took place following the conclusion of the league's cup final. These actions do not reflect the values of our sport and we remain committed to upholding the highest standards of sportsmanship. Sportsmanship both on and off the pitch. We are working closely with leagues, cup and MLS officials to ensure the situation is addressed appropriately. We thank our fans and community for their continued support. Zaslo Says Inter Miami is so full of shit, if you condemn the actions. Notice they didn't even mention Suarez spitting. You suspend them, they don't actually condemn anything. This team is an embarrassment. And then he follows up with four days it took to condemn spitting in someone's face. Ridiculous team.

[Stu Guts]

And I'm wrong.

[Billy Gil]

And the league didn't do anything either. And I'm assuming it's just because nobody wants to piss off Messi, right? Like everybody. Messi's so powerful in that sport that no one wants to piss off Messi. That's got. Is there another good explanation for why it is that everyone would run scared there's going to be discipline on Jalen Carter. I mean, there was discipline on Jalen Carter. He was immediately ejected from the game. I don't know if there's going to be more discipline on Jalen Carter.

[Stu Guts]

Well, in the absence of an actual statement from the league, you're left to theorize. And as many fans are Inter Miami once again getting the benefit from MLS because no one wants to anger the biggest star in the league. That is a prevailing theory out there. And it's hard to dissuade people from that opinion when right now there isn't enough punitive measure.

[Billy Gil]

Jalen Hurd said afterward of Jalen Carter spitting. It's something we can learn from. When you're three years old, that's when you learn that. Two years old, that's when you learn, don't spit in somebody's face. Like, that's not something adults learn from.

[Dan Le Batard]

We don't have video of it, but JR Smith threw soup at somebody that's.

[Stu Guts]

I'd rather that. I'd rather have soup thrown at me than someone spit at me.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't know.

[Stu Guts]

Soup's hot. Unless it's like, gazpacho or something. There's a tortilla soup, I think we discovered.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, I think it's different also. I know we've covered this before, whether it's like Frisbee thrown and like the bulls coming at me, or whether it's like shot put, the liquid leading the toss.

[Stu Guts]

Also, the victim here was Damon Jones. Everyone found that funny.

[Billy Gil]

Yeah, well, especially because we were picturing French onion soup and then the cheese was just landing on his shoulder or on his face.

[Stu Guts]

Like, just Red Bull.

[Billy Gil]

Yeah. The game last night, you guys have thoughts on the particulars of the game? Because Philadelphia, you know, they're defending champions, they're super physical and think that everyone thought Philadelphia was going to win the game. And I think everyone might have been surprised that the game was close. As if we'd forgotten that so many of the games in that sport are always close. It's one of the reasons that there's a salary cap to legislate the equality that protects the league so that no one gets too much better than anyone else.

[Stu Guts]

I have plenty of thoughts. Number one, the game was awesome. It was an incredible start to the football season. Dak looks good, not just in form, but like he's lost some weight and it looks like it'll help him. The AJ Brown stuff is interesting. Also, Javante Williams is always going to scare me as a Miami Hurricanes fan because I just remember him and Michael Carter running for like 300 yards each against Miami. So it's not a surprise to me that he's an effective runner for the Dallas Cowboys. I got super excited for the season and I think that people started sleeping on Dallas. They do when the point was made on the pregame show that but the issues and yes, the defense was bad. You highlighted them when we were breaking down the Micah Parsons trade is but the biggest issue that faces the Dallas Cowboys outside of the lack of postseason success is Dak Prescott's health. When Dak Prescott is a healthy quarterback for that team, they're a 12 win team routinely. And if he's healthy and if he looks like he looked last night in moments before the weather got out of hand and impacted that game, Dallas is going to be in the conversation for the playoffs. It's just a fact. If he's healthy, they're that good.

[Billy Gil]

I think people were still surprised last night because the Dallas off season was a disaster and because of the other things that I've told you about the simplicity of if you're breaking down that Micah Parsons trade from whatever it is is the logic of Jerry Jones as a football move, it's because your quarterback is in year 10 and the other team is teams in your division that are better than you have quarterbacks who are younger and cheaper and going to get better. Whereas this is Dax ceiling. Like I don't know what Jaden Daniels ceiling is, but it's a ceiling that you can expect improvement from with reps because he's played very little professional football and Dax in his in his 10th season or is it his 11th season?

[Stu Guts]

Jayden Daniels ceiling is multiple time MVP. He came in and changed the franchise. It was a joke of a franchise and they made it to an NFC.

[Billy Gil]

Championship and Jalen Hurts is the one who actually won the division, won the sport last year.

[Stu Guts]

He outplayed Patrick Mahomes, he was a Super bowl mvp. The talking point is, you know, the, the lack of passing success, even though Jalen Hurts threw an absolute dime in that game. But Philadelphia is a weird team in that we all know their strength and they effectively salt games away on the ground. So especially after the weather turned, I'm not sure how much we can read into that.

[Dan Le Batard]

I mean, in terms of like the money at quarterback too, Jalen hurts makes like 50 plus million dollars also. The Giants obviously are spending a lot less on quarterback, but their team is not comparable to the Cowboys. It's really Jaden Daniels who has the advantage there in their division. But like the Giants right now are non factor and they're going to end up paying a quarterback eventually anyways.

[Stu Guts]

It's an interesting division though because the Giants know even though there's a lot of name recognition in their room and they have the hope of Jackson Dart, that'll be a lifeline for when they inevitably struggle in the early season, they know that they're outgunned at that position. So their whole idea is let's have Thibodeau and Abdul Carter just pin their ears back and go after the quarterback and maybe we can have the best, the best edge rushers in the league. And I actually do think that Tony mentioned it yesterday. Not many pass rushing defense is better than what you have in the New York Giants.

[Dan Le Batard]

I love a pinning back of ears.

[Stu Guts]

I love pinning those back. It makes you faster, more aerodynamic.

[Dan Le Batard]

Lance Stevenson blowing in LeBron's ear, is that disrespectful?

[Billy Gil]

I think we all thought that was just kind of weird.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, even LeBron just rolled his eyes and laughed at him.

[Stu Guts]

That's Big three champion Lance Stevenson to you.

[Billy Gil]

I really was surprised, I gotta be honest, that LeBron James reacted so stoically to someone blowing in his face that way.

[Dan Le Batard]

And maybe he did it first. He played it cool, just like Dak.

[Stu Guts]

Eddie Guerrero.

[Dan Le Batard]

I got one.

[Stu Guts]

Brad Marchand licking Ryan Callahan's face.

[Dan Le Batard]

Wow.

[Stu Guts]

He's our guy now, Roy. He's our guy now. Chill.

[Billy Gil]

Yeah, Roy.

[Stu Guts]

Scumbag. But he's our scumbag.

[Billy Gil]

I don't think that it can be a sign of disrespect if it can also be intimacy. Although in the middle of competition, I'm just saying that licking someone's face while disgusting and if not intimate and against their consent, also not very nice. Not as disrespectful as spitting in their face.

[Dan Le Batard]

There's a lot involved. Some people are into that though.

[Stu Guts]

Yeah, I will Take the opportunity because you mentioned Panthers legend Brad Marchand, hero to a community, an iconic South Florida sports fan. Not many of these. We had pin guy, Marlins man, tries to very forcibly force his way into that conversation. Richard Molinari, the great Richard Molinari. There's been a lot of iconic sports fans down here in South Florida. And one of the goats, the fake Ric Flair from Panther games. And this guy, this guy's a Panther lifer. He was out there when David Booth was out there trying to convince people that he should get a call up to the national team. Fake Ric Flair has reportedly passed away. The source being multiple Facebook posts right now. If you ever went to a Panthers game, you know that they cut away to this fan rally. The troops, everybody would woo for him, was very friendly, would high five everybody in that lower concourse. So it's sad to see an iconic Florida Panthers fan pass away. Rest in peace.

[Billy Gil]

If we were to say most famous fans in South Florida history. If you go back to. You mentioned Rich Molinari, Dolphins, does a mascot get to count as a fan? If the fan has been turned into a mascot by the team, like Yamayama at the University of Miami, where they're not actually a mascot, they're just such a huge fan that they become a mascot as just a fan. Who is the most famous? Is it Marlin's man? Who's the most famous fan in South Florida history? We can go through Dolphan, Denny. We can go through Yama Yama, Cutler, Ridge, Laz. Yes, thank you.

[Stu Guts]

He's Google it.

[Billy Gil]

Yeah. The first word in Cutler is cut.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's a fan. Having this conversation.

[Stu Guts]

What about that kid that lifted up.

[Dan Le Batard]

His shirt and did like the little muscle boy Marlins game.

[Stu Guts]

Different guy.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, different little kid. You know that kid, he stuck out his tongue and was like, look, kids, keep your clothes on, okay? Yeah. Cheap laugh, my friend. Develop a real comedy style, kid. My friend Steve. Yes, Chris's friend Steve. Oh, yeah, Steve. Big Marlins fan.

[Billy Gil]

Why would you guys agree with that?

[Dan Le Batard]

Dancing Tony.

[Billy Gil]

Oh, yeah. Chris's friend Steve.

[Stu Guts]

Good teammate.

[Billy Gil]

It's what they gave you of. Yes and yes and oh, yeah, your friend Steve.

[Dan Le Batard]

Steve. I'll take it. Everyone knows Steve.

[Stu Guts]

Hey, listeners, it's Mike. Hey, Billy. Gill.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hey.

[Stu Guts]

Hey, Billy. As a proud member of your inner circle, remember when we were hanging out last weekend?

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, yeah. Fishtail Palms.

[Stu Guts]

Fishtail Palms. Great memories. We made kids playing in the the pool and in our hands, a nice ice cold can of Miller Light. It was so hot out.

[Dan Le Batard]

I know, but it was so cold in my hand.

[Stu Guts]

We took that first sip. It was crisp. It was refreshing. Oh, man. There is nothing like cracking open a Miller Light with your crew and your inner circle bones.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hell yeah, we fist bumped.

[Stu Guts]

Whether it's we we actually really did. Whether it's that touchdown didn't make a.

[Dan Le Batard]

Sound, but it just thought, bam, boom.

[Stu Guts]

Whether it's that touchdown you didn't see coming or just arguing about fantasy lineups. You and I did plenty of that. Miller Light has been the taste that you can depend on for 50 years. Brewed for flavor with simple ingredients, rich toffee notes, and that iconic golden color. And here's a kicker. Billy.

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Stu Guts]

It's just 96 calories.

[Dan Le Batard]

What?

[Stu Guts]

3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up in Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.