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Dan Le Batard
All right, Smirnoff. Official vodka of the NFL. World's number one vodka. Chris, Cody, you're with me here.
Stugotz
Smirnoff.
Dan Le Batard
Wow, you're on the money with Smirnoff.
Smirnoff.
I'm gonna ask you, Chris, what's your favorite game day food?
Stugotz
Smirnoff.
Dan Le Batard
That's your favorite game day drink. What's your favorite game day food?
Smirnoff.
All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything. The noise, the rituals, the passion, the dip, the wings, the dip again.
Smirnoff.
Smirnoff belongs in that mix. Because if you're tailgating or hosting or just sitting there checking your fantasy lineup every 30 seconds, you need Smirnoff. Otherwise, it's not a real game day. They've been doing it since 1864, which is. I don't even want to do the math. It's a long time. It's like when Greg Cody was born. They're award winning, they make cocktails super easy, and they're all about bringing fans together. So, yeah, we do game days. That's their thing. And if you're over 21, you. You should, too. Why, Chris?
Smirnoff.
Grab a bottle of Smirnoff at your local retailer and head to smirnoff.com to find recipes of delicious cocktails perfect for game day.
Smirnoff.
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Mike Ryan
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Eddie
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Mike Ryan
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Dan Le Batard
Chris, do you know the Whereabouts of Zaslow. Because I see a clue for some reason. There's half a bagel with way too much cream cheese on it next to me. And I see a clue that he's here somewhere. But I haven't seen what he's doing as we start the show. And he's usually pretty responsible.
Louis
Way too much cream cheese is quite the statement. It needs to be a lot of cream cheese for it to be way.
Mike Ryan
Too much cream cheese.
Dan Le Batard
I mean, he's hurting us. You've seen the breakfasts go down in quality because of the amount of money that he has spent. Him and Ethan are spending on the amount of cream cheese they consume in the morning.
Mike Ryan
It is a lot of cream cheese. I mean, like, I don't think there should be a measurable difference in height. There shouldn't be, like, NBA players in socks versus in shoes bagel without the cream cheese or with the cream cheese.
Louis
And now they're policing the cream cheese. Because I heard Ethan before the show say to Louis, hey, why are you taking so much cream cheese?
Dan Le Batard
The first time I saw Zaslo's bagel, I thought it was a piece of cake because it had so much white cake on top of it. But what's the answer to my question? Where is he? What's. What's he doing?
Louis
I have. I know he's here today. I would assume he's preparing for some punishment. I don't know what he's dressing as today, but I believe he's preparing for a grit of death punishment.
Dan Le Batard
I don't know if the rest of you feel the way that I do. Did all of you feel the general hostility of Mike Ryan this morning walking into the room? Just enraged at the CFP committee and Arkansas's athletic director?
Louis
I would say, personally, I felt it more on Twitter the last couple days than I did this morning. He seemed fine this morning for me.
Dan Le Batard
Well, he greeted me with bleep off. Why would you say that? NC State won only five games, and one of them was against Campbell. And then he accused me of getting that stat from somewhere other than the schedule. Like, he accused me of getting it from a biased member.
Stugotz
I asked him. Who emailed you that? Greg Sankey.
Dan Le Batard
He's not being reasonable about.
Stugotz
I'm being logical. I'm applying logic. And that's where I've erred.
Dan Le Batard
Yes, you're not being reasonable about understanding that. This is like complaining about the judges in boxing. It's what the thing is. Like this. The whole thing that college football is is feed the argument, feed the Outrage before it even matters. Let's do a television show on total contrivances. It's like doing a television show after the third round in boxing by asking the judges what they think so far.
Louis
Rank the fighters so far?
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, so far. What do you think, Larry?
Eddie
If we had open scoring in boxing and combat sports, obviously you'd know what you'd have going out throughout the different rounds. In college football, you kind of have that, too, because you have the games every single week and then you have the show every single week.
Stugotz
Olean said of the charismatic Larry Merchant. You have a wet sock.
Dan Le Batard
All right, we'll get to the Arkansas athletic director right now.
Zaslow
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.
Dan Le Batard
I'm doing this off the top of my head, so I will need help from the group on this. When I think of Arkansas sports in general, I think of Nolan Richardson's basketball teams. But I'm pretty sure Arkansas hasn't been great at anything since Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones played for the Arkansas football team. So that's how long that has been. I'm just doing it off of the top of my head. I have not. I have not looked up the resume of Arkansas. But off the top of your head, give me the Arkansas teams. It would only be basketball, right? Football hasn't mattered in Arkansas in a minute. And the Arkansas athletic director is now running or spokesman for the cfp. He's got very little in the way of personality. So Zaslow is serving his punishment. He is the Pope. He is a pope who really likes his cream cheese. And he is a Chicago White Sox fan. It is a good outfit. What is the answer to my question? Off the top of your head view.
Stugotz
If you're going to bypass the Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team, they. They had Darren McFadden, Felix Jones. They had a good run in football there in the sec, and then Bobby Petrino got in that accident.
Mike Ryan
How about a man named Jerry Jones? Ever heard of him?
Stugotz
Have you ever heard of Steve Martin?
Dan Le Batard
Steve Martin was on mention that it's a long time ago because Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson are very old. They're both in their 80s, and so they played football. I want you to imagine, given the general frailty right now of Jimmie Johnson and Jerry Jones. Jimmy Johnson was a nose tackle. That's the last time Arkansas was good at football. But I'm going to make fun of this person. What is this person's name? I don't know how to pronounce.
Stugotz
You're a.
Dan Le Batard
Check all Right, let's play some sound here as they explain. They explain or he explains, why is that Notre Dame and Miami, even though they will have the same record at the end of the season if they both keep winning and even though Miami beat Notre Dame when they played, why he's explaining that Notre Dame's loss to Miami is more impressive than Miami's victory over Notre Dame be in the field. We know they have to win the.
Zaslow
ACC to get in.
Reese
How close is Miami and Notre Dame.
Basketball Insider
In terms of evaluation within the room?
Dan Le Batard
I think when you look, Reese, at Notre Dame and Miami, we really compare.
Basketball Insider
The losses of those two teams.
Dan Le Batard
Miami has lost to two unranked teams. Notre Dame has lost to two teams that are ranked in our top 13. And so we really haven't compared those two teams. They haven't been in similar comparative pools to date. But Miami is creeping up into that range where they will be compared to Notre Dame. If something happens above, then I will continue to request of the audience and people who listen to this show for the last few years when invariably they did a made for television event for this very reason. Trafficking on America's number one addiction, which is just outrage. It's just arguing that is the greatest sport we have going right now is argument. And so I will continue to compare it to boxing. I don't love that boxing has three judges and that's how you decide the winners. I've never loved it, but that's what college football is. You can use your computers, you could use your committees. They're not deciding things on the field. They are deciding things with a bunch of people being judges. And so understand that it's made for television gymnastics, like that's what it is. I understand that it's college football, but. But it's gymnastics. They're not making the decisions based absolutely on merit. It's not absolute in any way. It's this guy haunting Mike from behind because he is, as you said, a wet sock. He has no personality. If you're gonna make something for television, entertain me, man.
Stugotz
Yeah, get a charismatic lead. I think where I and most of the people struggle to follow is we went to this committee because we were upset with the computers because they weren't taking head to head into account. And they outlined these criteria. And the criteria shifts year to year. There's no consistency. Last year they underlined quality wins. This year they're saying when you compare Miami, you compare the quality losses. Comparing quality losses is a tiebreaker in the event the two teams don't play head to Head. Why are we bypassing that? And also, if I'm. Let's set my Miami homerism aside for justice.
Dan Le Batard
It's hard to do.
Stugotz
I'm setting it aside.
Mike Ryan
You.
Dan Le Batard
You drink. You're cloaked in it. It. Sometimes it feels like you're drowning in it. And it's only your lips.
Stugotz
This is big of him.
Dan Le Batard
The ocean of Miami by it.
Stugotz
So let's. They establish the criteria. Notre Dame and Miami. We can't even compare them because Notre Dame is in a different tier. BYU is ahead of Miami. BYU has one loss. BYU has a win over Utah, which is ranked just below byu. It's a better win than Notre Dame has, which is usc. They have one fewer loss. And their quality loss is to Texas Tech. They have one loss. Notre Dame has two. So establishing the criteria. So if I have established that criteria, why in the hell is Notre Dame ranked ahead of byu?
Mike Ryan
I got a better question. Why is Miami ranked ahead of Georgia Tech? We're the best team in ACC. Why don't we have that spot?
Stugotz
You lost to NC State. They put up 48 points on you. NC State didn't cross the 50. I hear you. The good news for you is you have everything in front of you. You can play your way into the ACC championship game.
Reese
You know, I get with a wall.
Stugotz
And you'll be there. Like, everyone understands that. I would look at those cfp, I'd say it's a joke.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, cool. Like I care. I'm with you.
Reese
And they're going to get it if they win the acc, like, it's not an issue.
Stugotz
I'm with you, by the way.
Mike Ryan
I'm just saying we're going to have an ACC team in there. Why don't we have the current ACC leader?
Dan Le Batard
Let me ask the difference. Let me answer Mike's question. When he says why is BYU with one loss ahead of Notre Dame? Because behind. Excuse me, behind Notre Dame. The reason for that is because this year, for whatever the reason is, they're measuring the losses. And. But I just told you, BYU got dragged by Texas Tech. It's the way they lost to Texas Tech. It's that it wasn't a closed game.
Stugotz
Notre Dame, number six team, and they have one fewer loss.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, but they, they. Yes, it's the number six team, but they lost by a million points. They lost by.
Stugotz
They lost by three scores. And it's one loss. It's. It's one loss and it's a quality one. They. They. They have a better win than Notre Dame.
Dan Le Batard
What I'm telling You is. You're saying you just made your own point when you said they're measuring losses this year. The way they lost to Texas Tech is what makes them drop that far in the rankings.
Stugotz
So now it's how much you lose. It's not even the amount of losses.
Dan Le Batard
Yes.
Stugotz
Have one fewer loss. It's a quality loss. One better win than not a quality.
Dan Le Batard
Loss because you lose by three scores. It's not a quality loss. You just played a good opponent, but you got dragged by them. That game was never close.
Stugotz
It's not a quality.
Dan Le Batard
No, because of the way they lost.
Reese
Their measuring losses ahead of the quality wins. Why are the undefeated teams 1, 2 and 3 like the teams with a loss should be?
Dan Le Batard
Well, that's a good point, but I think it's because Mike Ryan made fun of me last week because I said the three best teams I've seen are Texas A and M, Ohio State and Indiana.
Reese
Any quality losses?
Dan Le Batard
No, but he's like. He's like, really, Dan? So you're going out on a limb there with all the undefeated teams. But BYU was undefeated and I never considered them one of the best teams. And then they got dragged by Texas Tech. Texas Tech is also lost. They lost because they played their backup quarterback in an important game. But Texas Tech has looked all season to me like one of the best teams. But it's the way they beat byu. Here's the thing about Miami.
Mike Ryan
Here.
Dan Le Batard
Here is the thing that I'd make an argument. If we're doing this as subjectively as judges on behalf of, on behalf of Miami, you know they're of the best teams, you know why they're going to be favored in every single game they play this year. So, you know the, you know they're one of the best teams. So if there are a bunch of teams with two losses, the money tells you they're never an underdog. They are always expected to win every single game they play this season. Now, I don't know that the three teams at the top would probably. I don't even. Maybe Indiana would be favored against them right now.
Stugotz
Again, people keep saying, well, who would be favored right now, Notre Dame or Miami? And I would always say Notre Dame. They were favored when they played in September when Miami beat them. Like lines are about getting 50, 50 action. Miami would probably be an underdog at Oxford. I think I saw a 3 1/2 point line out there. I think this is much larger than betting lines or anything like that. I knew Miami's chances were cooked in this cfa.
Dan Le Batard
There's nothing larger than betting lines, by the way. That's the most important thing when you say this is something larger than betting lines. It's where the money goes.
Stugotz
And while if that wet sock came out and said that, I'd understand it. But there is no consistency here. They put Arizona state at number 25. We all know why they did that. It's directly tied to not wanting to have Miami and Notre Dame bunched up together. It is because they want to avoid that discussion.
Reese
I want to ask you something. So.
Stugotz
So if that is true, that's why Utah exists, okay. Which by the way, Utah's athletic director joined the playoff committee last week, okay.
Reese
If that part is true, that that's why they want to have them number 25. Do they have that discussion in the room or is it like an unspoken thing where they all know, hey, like, you know, it's going to do the thing which will.
Stugotz
Well, one of the people having the discussion is the aforementioned athletic director at Utah. Arizona State got ranked number 25. Arizona State represents Utah's best win. Utah's best win came against Arizona State, who was playing Jeff Sims at quarterback, not Sam Levitt. Arizona State is behind both Louisville and SMU. If you look at others receiving votes in the AP top 25, they're behind SMU in the coaches poll. Both SMU and Louisville are unranked and I've heard for two weeks how this is a bad loss. The SMU loss is a bad loss. Even though SMU was a CFP team last year and has one ACC regular season loss in they joined the conference. I keep hearing it's a bad loss. So what do you do? How do we juice this Utah ranking? We rank Arizona State even though they have no business being ranked here. Arizona State has zero business being ranked. They're behind the two teams that Miami lost to in all the other rankings.
Reese
I hear what you're saying, my son.
Dan Le Batard
The idea that we're throwing this in the lap of judges and you're bouncing past what I'm saying about betting lines. When it comes to the judgment of money, Miami will be favored in all of its games. That means you think they're good. You're not doing that with more than 12 teams in the country. They're one of the best 12 teams in the country based on how it is the money would decide when you put them against people. The reason the SMU loss is viewed as a bad loss is because they were an 8 1/2 point favorite.
Stugotz
Right? Notre Dame was a. I think it Closed at six and a half point favorite to Texas A and M. I guess the difference is two points there. I Look, Notre Dame is a really good team. I understand this.
Reese
Why does everyone love Notre Dame so much?
Stugotz
I understand why Notre Dame is a good, serious.
Dan Le Batard
You're saying that that's. Well, I'm saying that sometimes the Pope knows why everyone loves Notre Dame so much. What do you mean?
Reese
I'm trying to be fair, my son.
Stugotz
Amen. I would love to hear the Pope rip Notre Dame. Notre Dame has gotten fat off of a flat track. I mean, Notre Dame's third best win is probably Miami's third best win. It's both encapsulated by NC State. I mean, they were up 10 to 7 on NC State at halftime, but Notre Dame is a really good team. I'm not arguing that Notre Dame should be out of the cfp, only they should be out of the cfp if Miami finds itself out of the CFP because they're either both in or just Miami's in.
Mike Ryan
I've asked this question before on Cinefo, but does Notre Dame have to kick back to the. To the Vatican? Like a little taste of the action?
Dan Le Batard
Put it on the poll plays at LeBatard show. Does Notre Dame have to kick back to the Vatican? A little taste of the actual.
Reese
And I hate Notre Dame.
Dan Le Batard
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Stugotz
Want to talk to you about how Game Time is the official ticketing partner of the Dan LeBatard Show. Grateful that gametime has been on with us as long as they have. Because I use this product all the time. I travel for football. If I'm in a new city, I like to see what concerts are in town. One of the very first things I check is my favorite app for the secondary ticket market, the gametime app. Why? Because it gives me zone deals, favorites, panoramic seat views. Most importantly the lowest price guarantee. Because if GameTime does not have the lowest price for you, GameTime will credit you 110% of the difference. I've lived it folks. I've been at a place where I saw cheaper tickets. They credited me. It's legit. Gametime ticket coverage means your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. Take the guesswork out of buying NFL tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase terms. Apply again, create an account and redeem code dan for $20 off. Swipe tap ticket. Go download the Game Time app today.
Mike Ryan
Don LeBatard if Daniel Day Lewis did it, you'd be jerking off all over yourself.
Dan Le Batard
Oh come on.
Stugotz
Yeah, I would be aggressive description.
Dan Le Batard
I mean what is it? What is that?
Mike Ryan
I'm just saying.
Dan Le Batard
No, that's just saying what?
Stugotz
That's me. I see that photo of Daniel Day Lewis looking like Lincoln before he's about to start filming. Lincoln and you know what I do? I mean stugats. I jerk off all over myself. That's what I do.
Dan Le Batard
Lincoln, who you outed other.
Stugotz
Don't make this a rejoin.
Zaslow
This is the Dan lebatar show with the Stugats.
Dan Le Batard
I'm going to move off of this subject if you want more. Mike Ryan on University of Miami Outrage. There is a bubble that he lives in. He is a co owner of an afternoon delight that he's going to be partaking in. Are you going to do a seven.
Stugotz
Hour outrage Special today we have Keen's insight today. The money Peter Rees and myself will be on live on our YouTube page. YouTube.comfficialcain's insight at 1:30. If you want more of this, we have Jesse joining us later today. That's a losing proposition for me. I really don't wanna do that. But she'll be joining us.
Dan Le Batard
I will just tell people that if they want more of this, that's where they can get it. But it is something I've been lamenting. I really do remember on highly questionable when they broke out the whole idea of committee weekly announcements made for television event. I've been complaining what's how long they've been doing this now for more than five years. About, like, the stupidity of we're really gonna do this in November where we're just gonna fill the work week with talking about arguing about what judges think about things that are subjective when the teams actually play. And the way that we do meritocracy in sports is you play, you win, you get to keep playing games. Unless it's inter Miami, then you take a month off.
Mike Ryan
So to be clear, nobody here will even deign an answer. Although whether Notre Dame has to kick.
Dan Le Batard
Back to the Vatican, it doesn't appear like anyone here has an answer. So we've just thrown it out to the audience.
Mike Ryan
I don't think you gave anyone a chance, to be honest. You kind of said poll and then you just.
Dan Le Batard
All right, go ahead. All right, let's see.
Mike Ryan
Anybody have an answer?
Dan Le Batard
All right, let's see.
Mike Ryan
Pope, you got an answer?
Reese
Don't worry about it. My childhood.
Mike Ryan
Okay, I like that answer. My fellow Catholics over here in the back row, you guys got an answer?
Stugotz
Catholic conspiracy. Count me out on that.
Eddie
I'm Christian. But, yes, I do believe that there is a little bit of kickback back to the Vatican. Like, it's tied in.
Mike Ryan
Dan, you haven't weighed in yet.
Dan Le Batard
Because I don't think it's a good question. I thought it was a question that shouldn't have gone answered. I didn't think that anyone had anything. It appears I was right.
Mike Ryan
Well, I guess we could just go back to arguing about the rankings for things that don't matter for another month.
Stugotz
They matter, though. This is what I hate about this, is it does matter. It does matter. Like if this is all just setting the table for Miami to handle its business in November, something that they struggled to do, something that I am concerned about them doing because history is my guide. But if we're just setting this up for Miami TC being the next two weeks, looking the way that they've looked since they fixed their offense, then you're just going to pull the rug out from Notre Dame. And that ain't necessarily fair either.
Eddie
I think we're looking at this in a weird spot because we used to have a system that would take out the human element. Now about it, okay, now we're taking it into account.
Louis
Let my boy cook.
Stugotz
The polls were a huge part of the criteria, but what did we take out?
Eddie
What did we take out?
Louis
Computers.
Eddie
The computers.
Dan Le Batard
Okay?
Eddie
AI is in such a good place now. We are so above and so, so beyond anything that we could even imagine.
Louis
We need a robot to be part.
Eddie
Of the committee all of a sudden. AI, you put chatgpt, you put grok, you put whoever. Whoever you want. Gemini. Doesn't matter who it is.
Reese
Who's Gemini now?
Eddie
You'll find out about that.
Reese
I don't know that I thought.
Eddie
You see everything.
Stugotz
It's an American Gladiator.
Mike Ryan
I'm gonna tell you something. Grock will have FIU in the rankings.
Louis
Well, Tony's cooking right now.
Eddie
Well, I think that we should go back to the computers, put everything in and see what that makes sense.
Stugotz
Why? We got away from the computers because everybody was upset because the computers didn't care about Head to Head matchups. And here we are. You write that into the algorithm 20 years later, and the committee that was supposed to be a guardrail against bypassing Head to Head is once again bypassing Head to Head. You can look up what the BCS rankings would be. Miami would still be behind Notre Dame, and everybody would be upset about this.
Eddie
You write it into the algorithm that it spits back. You, hey, consider Head to Head as an important thing.
Mike Ryan
The algorithms are smarter.
Reese
Now, as a follow up, hey, did.
Louis
You consider Head to Head? And then they give you a new answer.
Mike Ryan
Back then, it was just like, oh, put in calculations. According to my calculation. Now it's like having a conversation with you.
Stugotz
Exactly right.
Mike Ryan
Hey, Mike. Well, here's the deal. That's how we would answer. You'll be like, hey, Mike, So here's the deal. You know Miami, I know they beat Notre Dame, and that should count as a lot. But that happened at the beginning of the year. Things have happened since then. Plus, you guys have some pretty bad losses.
Dan Le Batard
They're not bad. I will tell you that I believe that even though this is the local hour and even though the subject matter is interesting to me, I will tell you that I believe that the audience has a glaze over effect on the last 20 years. Of all the arguing that we've done in November, that doesn't matter by the end of the season when they've played all the games. And it's just something we do to entertain ourselves during the week. During a content week where you need stuff to feed on. I know that Amin is shocked by the fact that AI is now capable of blackmail. And so I want to get to that in a second. But. But the last few weeks, John Oliver has had some funny video that he has played on. Last week tonight, one of them was a shocking beauty pageant where the talent of the beauty contestant was death metal. And it was just really funny to watch a beauty pageant contestant do death metal.
Eddie
What does that mean? Like what you're. I know what you're saying. I don't understand what you're saying.
Dan Le Batard
I'm saying that there was a talent portion of a beauty contest, and the woman during the talent portion was just doing death metal, where she was like.
Reese
She was doing.
Stugotz
She was singing.
Eddie
Okay, gotcha.
Dan Le Batard
Not really singing. More like singing, growling.
Reese
But you have a good death metal voice. I didn't know that.
Mike Ryan
How about that? Put that on the poll. Did you know Dan LeBatard had a good death metal voice?
Dan Le Batard
But the other video that he showed, and I'm going to just show you this, if you have not seen it, when you say the robots, we need another robot in charge of the committee. I believe we have one, and I believe this is the robot that we have. And the rest of his helpers are the committee, where they tried to hide this while. While they were trying to bring out.
Louis
I'm not seeing anything here.
Dan Le Batard
A robot fell down while trying to walk. And then they tried to bring out a curtain, and the curtain just sort of fell apart here.
Louis
Twisted up the curtain.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, the curtain. They were trying to hide the drunk robot.
Louis
And they're like, no, put the curtain this way.
Mike Ryan
Robot walks like Joe Biden.
Stugotz
Now, keep in mind, throughout this entire thing, they were playing the theme song. The Rocky.
Louis
That is that fly. Now that could be Joe Biden.
Dan Le Batard
So this was during Eye of the Tiger. The robot.
Reese
Come on.
Stugotz
Going to fly now.
Dan Le Batard
Just put a little oil in me.
Louis
I'm a robot, you know, I'm like the Tin man you talk about.
Stugotz
Yeah, Popsicles.
Dan Le Batard
Tonight, the Golden State warriors are in town. I want to get to some Steve Kerr sound. Yesterday, juju played the world's smallest violin for Steve Kerr, complaining that this is the worst road trip he's ever had in his life. That the worst Travel schedule that he's ever had in his life would. Despite all the load, management players are continually getting injured. Golden State lost at Orlando yesterday. Orlando's undermanned and ends up beating Golden State anyhow. And so Steve Kerr comes into town tonight with Jimmy Butler. Are we expecting Jimmy Butler to play? We've done.
Louis
That's funny.
Reese
No, no.
Stugotz
I never expect a star to play in that league.
Dan Le Batard
So how many free throws did Jimmy Butler have last night? Because he played one of those games where he went for 30 points because he got a million free throws.
Mike Ryan
Small. Correct. He didn't go for 30 points. He went for 30 per.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, you do have to get that. That's. That's something that you gotta get 13.
Eddie
Of 15 from the line.
Dan Le Batard
So he played one of those games.
Zaslow
Why you did not have a 30 per?
Dan Le Batard
You guys are expecting him to play tonight?
Reese
No, no, there's no way he's playing. Steve Kerr's been setting this up for a couple days now.
Zaslow
That.
Mike Ryan
That.
Dan Le Batard
That not.
Reese
And Curry, by the way, is definitely not playing like Curry after the game. A little bit sore. Off to see how I feel. Jimmy said something similar, too. Curry is definitely not playing, but Steve Kerr has been setting this up for a couple days that Butler and probably Draymond is not gonna play either. And it's annoying, too, because the heater on the second half of a home and home.
Mike Ryan
This is something that I've been saying for quite a while, Dan. The whole, like, rest rules thing, it's kind of stupid because it all rests upon, like, your ability to lie effectively. So basically, if you just start the lie a little earlier, by the time you're about to sit the guy, which you already knew, they already have on their schedule, they know which games these are. This is sick games. Sick game. Whatever. By the time you get to that game, it's like, no, I've already been established here. For the last week. He's been feeling under the weather. What is the league gonna fly doctors in him? Like, open your mouth, stick out your tongue, go, ah. Like, I'm not gonna do all that. They're just gonna have to take your word for it.
Dan Le Batard
What did you make of the CAVS being fined $100,000 for that aforementioned home and home in Miami that they sat all their starters for the second game? They played their starters in the first game and lost it. Then they sat all their starters in the second game and won it. But they were fined $100,000 for allowing Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley to just go home.
Mike Ryan
Yeah. So it was a front end of a back to back because they did play versus Toronto at home.
Reese
The very but the second half of a home and home.
Mike Ryan
It's not a home and home.
Stugotz
Not right now. Let's not confuse people.
Reese
Sorry, my child.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, Dan, they were fine because they, they didn't do what Steve Kerr did, which is establish an alibi really nice and early. What they did is say, oh, yeah, he's fine. And even if they had established an alibi, like he's not feeling so well, the league would have turned on tv like, what the hell is he doing at Louisville, Kentucky?
Stugotz
You work for Vegas.
Bumpus
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Stugotz
Folks, the leaves are turning. The weather's getting a little chillier. That means the football games are more important. That means football time should be Miller time. Game day hits different with a Miller light in your hand. From jaw dropping touchdowns to fantasy heartbreaks. My fantasy season's over already. But you know what makes that better? Miller time. It's the beer that's been there for every moment. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients, and that iconic golden color you can spot from across the room. And here's the kicker. It's just 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. So whatever your game day looks like, remember Miller Time is always a good time. Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you or you can pick up Miller Lite 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.
Eddie
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Zaslow
Don Lebatard all these high paid analysts, I don't want to mention names. Tnt, espn, you know, oh yeah, they are dead. They cannot, they're not going to make it. You know, even if they win in, if they lose in Miami, I need.
Dan Le Batard
To calm you down.
Zaslow
That's right, they lose in Miami, they don't get a chance in Boston or they are going to have their ass. You know what in Boston, you know, Stugats. They were wrong. Are they going to lose their job? No. Are they going to get a cutting pay? No. What are they going to do? Keep predicting. What is the obvious. They are going to say oh, the Nuggets are going to win. Oh Denver, the attitude. And you know what? The Heat are going to win it all. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.
Dan Le Batard
Let's play the Steve Kerr sound talking about injury. Steve Gurr Steve Kerr is always a good talker and, and he, I wonder how you guys feel about all that. He's going to say here, I'm very concerned.
Basketball Insider
You know, it's dramatic. The pace difference is dramatic. This team tonight has really upped their pace compared to last year. I think across the league. Everybody understands now that it's just easier to score if you can beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition. But when everybody's doing that, the games are much higher paced, faster paced and then everyone has to cover out to 25ft because everybody can shoot threes. So we have all the data. Players are running faster and further than ever before. And so we're trying to do the best we can to Protect them, but basically have a game every other night and it's not an easy thing to do.
Dan Le Batard
I had an actual considered the idea of pace being harder for old people. Like, it's not something that I had thought of that, yeah, Orlando plays fast, Miami obviously plays fast. So they're not likely to play back to back nights where they have to run at that speed. Given the way the game is played today, it's not something I'd considered.
Mike Ryan
Dan, first of all, what a company man. Steve Kerr is wearing the Golden State Valkyrie shirt to the post game press conference. Shout out to him. But also he's right. And this is the part where I think it's really lost on people. People like to compare. Oh, it's so much faster than it was in the early 2000s and the 90s. Did you know, Dan, that 10 years ago, 2016, which feels close, right? 73 win, Warriors, LeBron 3, 1 lead, all that stuff, right? It feels very recent. 10 years ago, there was one team in the entire NBA that played at a pace of 100 possessions per game. Today, 2/3 of the league play at a pace of 100 possessions per Game.
Dan Le Batard
Let me ask you, as our basketball insider who once sat in an NBA office, your thoughts on. Yes, obviously, without question, there's more pace in today's game. We can't say it's more physical though, can we?
Mike Ryan
Well, Dan, think about the injuries that's happening. It's not like, oh, I got hit and then like my chest caved in or whatever. It's soft tissue injuries, groin injuries, hamstrings, right. Calf strains, ankles, ankles, right? These are all pretty much non contact type injuries. So you can't talk about physicality. What we're talking about is wear and tear. And when you look around and again, Giannis is out for a couple weeks now, we know Ja's out, we know AD is still out. We know Kobe White is out like all around the league. Dylan Harper, Victor Wembanyama, bam Tyler, all these guys are not hurt because, oh, it was too physical. It's because of soft tissue injuries. And this is due to wear and tear. And the wear and tear doesn't come from, oh, he played too many minutes last night. But it's an accumulation, right, of these guys playing lots and lots of games as youths, right? And then the other thing, and this is big, they didn't have diversification, right? So years and years ago I watched this documentary called the Search of Greatness. They interviewed Jerry Rice and they interviewed Wayne Gretzky and all these Greatest of the great athletes, right? And one of the common threads they found in all of them was they all were multi sport athletes as youth. Wayne Gretzky talks about like, hey, as soon as hockey season was over, I throw my gear in the basement. I wouldn't look at it again until it started getting cold again. I picked up my baseball man, I wanted to be a major league player. That was his dream. Hockey was his second dream. Right? And so you think about a lot of the great players through history. Kobe Bryant was an avid soccer player. Tracy McGrady was a baseball player. All these guys played multiple sports. Michael Jordan, obviously. Now all these kids are like, you're just playing basketball every day, all day with a trainer, with au, with your school team, whatever. And so what happens is you're getting wear and tear on the same muscles in the same way over and over and over and over. By the time you get to this level, the pace and, you know, all of it adds up.
Dan Le Batard
They've got an injury problem. The NBA has an injury problem.
Eddie
How do you fix that? I mean, because you're talking about, you can't tell kids now, hey, don't play basketball if you're going to try and be a basketball player, right? Like, yeah, it's the same thing overseas in Europe where you have these academies where kids are little kids. Hey, this kid can kind of kick.
Dan Le Batard
Around a soccer ball. Perfect.
Eddie
Let's put him in the academy. And he lives 17 years in this academy until he makes his debut. How do you figure the NBA tells people of, you know, families of kids, hey, don't let them play basketball.
Louis
You start an NBA men's softball league. Who are you taking? First overall. LeBron's got to be a high pick. I'll take LeBron High.
Dan Le Batard
Anthony Edwards, NBA.
Louis
Anthony Edwards would be strong.
Dan Le Batard
An NBA men's softball team.
Louis
What do you mean, transition? That's exactly what we're talking about. He's like talking about NBA guys playing other sports.
Reese
Wemboonymo would be sick.
Louis
Thursday night, men's softball league.
Reese
First baseman, though.
Eddie
Too big of a strike zone. Yeah, too big.
Dan Le Batard
He would help you, though. Anything that is a ground ball to the infield, anywhere in the infield, he just stretches and you can just flip him what a. The third baseman. Can you picture that visual?
Eddie
But he can't field, right? There's no way he can field. If there's a. If there's a.
Louis
You don't need to really feel. No one talks.
Eddie
The ball, a ground ball, hit it towards him. He can't Catch that.
Dan Le Batard
He does a split.
Stugotz
You don't. You don't think he looks athletic enough, do you?
Eddie
It's a little too tall.
Dan Le Batard
Let's get a Stat of the day music here.
Stugotz
I saw Nick Johnson play first base. The hell are you talking about? Matt Stairs in interleague play would go to first base. Johnson Crook played first base at a high level. What the hell are you talking about?
Dan Le Batard
Sid Bream played first base and land in a split.
Stugotz
He's literally like the craziest athlete I've ever seen. What the hell are you talking about?
Reese
You know about Ken Herbeck.
Eddie
I don't know.
Dan Le Batard
A fool.
Zaslow
Start of the day, start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day, Start of the day it is the start of the day Start of the day Start of the day it is the start of the day.
Eddie
Guys, obviously we know Steph Curry is incredible. The best shooter of all time. He has 47, nine plus three point games, mate. 47 of them. The next closest is Damian Lillard with 14. So he has 47 games where he's made nine threes or more. He almost had one. A couple last night where he had seven.
Mike Ryan
Dan, 25, 30 years ago, Brian Shaw hit 10 threes in a game.
Reese
I remember.
Mike Ryan
Lost their mind.
Reese
10 for 15.
Mike Ryan
Everyone lost their mind.
Dan Le Batard
I was going crazy. He made how many threes? The record will never be broken.
Reese
He made his first six. It was crazy. It was at the Bucks.
Dan Le Batard
Terry Rozier also shot 10 threes. Also this man, Steve Balboni was a first baseman. Just so you know. No way. Yes, first base coach a power hitting first baseman.
Stugotz
Tony late stage Pablo Sandoval played first base.
Reese
You see Miguel Cabreri couldn't even move. He's playing first base.
Eddie
You guys don't get it.
Dan Le Batard
Just put up Steve Balboni again there. Just so that you know, like Costanza and Seinfeld. This is Steve Balboni at 24 years old. Just so that you know this is his athletic prime. This was him as a rookie.
Stugotz
Steve, you have a Steve Martin in the father the bride.
Eddie
You're supposed to be 39 years old. Give me a break.
Dan Le Batard
I thought the best example we could come up there was George Costanza being a young single man in New York when he was clearly looking like a 70 year old. Get me the other Steve Kerr sound that we also have because. So you guys are not expecting Golden State. I think the last time Golden State came To town. I think Steph Curry also didn't. I think. I think he sat out that game as well. You do not expect Jimmy Butler to play tonight. You think the Golden State warriors are just going to dump tonight's game?
Reese
I got no Curry, no Butler, no Draymond. I got all three of them out.
Dan Le Batard
All right, let's hear Steve Kerr here before tonight's game, because I am. I'm assuming that Jimmy Butler will be booed tonight. Just. They're going to just boo in general, but you're telling me they're not going to get the opportunity to boo because he's not going to be introduced, and he's just going to be sitting in street clothes on the sidelines so they. So he would get booed, but he's going to avoid it because they're never going to show him in a way that introduces him. Let's hear. Let's hear from Steve Kerr here.
Basketball Insider
You know, everyone. All the constituents would have to agree to take less revenue and 2025 in America. Good luck in any industry to agree. You know, imagine, you know, some big company saying, you know what? We. We're not as concerned about our stock price. We're actually concerned with employing people and giving people a stable job and making our product better. And come on, Nick, that's not happening. We know that.
Dan Le Batard
I set that question up or set that answer up poorly because the question was about shortening the season. And he's like, no, we're not going to shorten the season because it would require everyone to collectively bargain differently. What's already been collectively bargained.
Reese
I mean, dan, Jimmy played 38 minutes last night, which we all know is torture for an NBA player. There's. There's no way he plays tonight.
Mike Ryan
I think give Steve Kerr credit. Most of the time, people say you need to shorten the season, and they never. They never add along the other caveat of if you do that, everyone's gonna get less money. So at least he's acknowledging it even though it ain't gonna happen.
Dan Le Batard
Mike Ryan is taunting me, laughing right now. He's saying, this is what just happened. I'm trying to listen to both of you. And he's like, dan, Getup is doing a better show than you right now. Get up is so much.
Mike Ryan
I mean, they are.
Dan Le Batard
Get up is so much better than you right now.
Mike Ryan
What a game you are. I'm looking at it right now, Dan. It is a show.
Dan Le Batard
What does get doing that is better than what it is that I'm doing.
Louis
With Jeff Saturday Mike, what are they playing?
Stugotz
Jeff Nitely or Jeff Nitely not?
Reese
Ooh, I'm good at that game.
Eddie
We don't have a Jeff.
Mike Ryan
You guys out here with El Na and Ellie.
Louis
How do we turn that into a Dan game?
Stugotz
We need a Jeff.
Mike Ryan
We need a Jeff.
Dan Le Batard
You know what? They are doing a better show.
Louis
Dan Finitely or Dan Finitely not?
Dan Le Batard
No, no, definitely. Or Jeffinitely not.
Stugotz
What a flex I would be if he just does that casually.
Louis
We gotta get a Jeff.
Stugotz
Hey, Jeff, are you gonna be there? Jeff Nately.
Louis
We gotta get a Jeff. I need to play this game.
Mike Ryan
We need. No, we need our own version. This is what we.
Louis
Let's play this with Jessica.
Mike Ryan
They have the golden arches.
Stugotz
No, definitely.
Dan Le Batard
Or Jesse not.
Mike Ryan
They have the golden arches. We have the golden arcs.
Reese
When I say he's got his own.
Mike Ryan
Money, I mean he's got his own money. We both have two all beef patties, special sauce, set of cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles on a bun.
Eddie
What's the difference?
Mike Ryan
Theirs have sesame seeds, ours have no seeds.
Dan Le Batard
I want to get to being Eddie the Netflix documentary, cuz I do wonder if young people will place him in the pantheon with the Richard Pryors and the George Carlins. Because young people have only known Eddie Murphy as somebody who does family stuff or does Shrek or does stuff for kids.
Stugotz
I don't think the young people know who Richard Pryor and George Carlin are.
Mike Ryan
It's the opposite.
Stugotz
Yeah, I think that's the thing, Dan. The young people is like probably. Do they put Dave Chappelle in Eddie Murphy's class?
Dan Le Batard
Oh no. But I would say that in terms of historical resonance, I believe that. And now maybe I have this wrong because of a general ignorance about history, but I thought that when you go, I don't know. I never saw Lenny Bruce, but I knew who he was because I liked comedy and because he did groundbreaking and because my gimmick, all comedians after him ended up citing him as one of the mod. Look, none of you saw Babe Ruth play, but you all know who Babe Ruth is.
Stugotz
The Dominican guy.
Mike Ryan
He no black. If you could see that on my. On my threads. Arthomene. I actually had the exclusive. No, it's true. I'm just plugging it.
Louis
How did you get that, man?
Mike Ryan
Look, I asked. Nobody asked apparently. So here's the deal, Dan Mo pain lookin ass. Think about someone who's 20 years old. Ask them who's better, Lebron or Jordan. Most of the 20 year olds are saying Lebron right now. Ask someone who's 40 years old, who's better, LeBron or Jordan? They'll say, oh, it's definitely Jordan. But then ask them who's better, Jordan or Magic? And they're like, come on, it's Jordan.
Stugotz
It's Jeffinitely Jordan.
Mike Ryan
Now go back a little older, get a 60 year old, ask him who's better, Magic or Jordan. They'll probably say, Magic. Or they might say, actually, young man is Kareem. And then someone older than that say, wait a second, what about Bill Russell? The way it works is the younger you are, the less you care about things that happen when you weren't alive. You're like, oh, I was growing up, I heard about Lenny Bruce. I know about Lenny Bruce. Kids nowadays don't know shit about anything that happened before they were alive. These are people who have never watched the Godfather.
Dan Le Batard
What it was before I was born. Me too, mother.
Mike Ryan
I still watched it. I still watched it because I understood it was great. But the attitude of children nowadays is, I don't need to know anything to answer.
Reese
We sound so old.
Dan Le Batard
That is unbelievable what you did. But he threw in a mother bleeper to make him sound edgier.
Stugotz
Folks, the leaves are turning. The weather's getting a little chillier. That means the football games are more important. That means football time should be Miller Time. Game day hits different with a Miller Light in your hand. From jaw dropping touchdowns to fantasy heartbreaks. My fantasy season's over already. But you know what makes that better? Miller Time? It's the beer that's been there for every moment. 50 years of great taste, simple ingredients, and that iconic golden color you can spot from across the room. Room. And here's the kicker. It's just 96 calories, 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. The original light beer since 1975 and still hitting different five decades later. So whatever your game day looks like, remember, Miller Time is always a good time. Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up Miller Lite 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.
Date: November 19, 2025
Setting: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Chris Cody, Zaslow, Louis, Reese, Eddie
This episode of the "Local Hour" is signature Le Batard Show: a rapid-fire, spirited, and absurd trip through college football outrage, committee conspiracies, Miami sports, NBA injury debates, and nostalgia for athletic glory (and mediocrity). Behind the tongue-in-cheek banter lies real discussion about subjectivity in sports rankings, the modern NBA landscape, and how generational memory shapes sports conversation. There’s plenty of Miami homerism, meta-commentary on made-for-TV arguments, and a generous helping of sports-adjacent nonsense, all delivered with the show’s familiar irreverence.
Key Segment:
Notable Quotes:
Notable Quote:
[34:44] – [36:26] Steve Kerr soundbite and discussion:
Developmental debate: Single-sport focus (AAU) vs. playing multiple sports to avoid overuse injuries (Gretzky, Jerry Rice, Jordan anecdote) [37:04–38:35]
Dan’s boxing analogy on CFP outrage:
“Let’s do a television show on total contrivances. It’s like doing a television show after the third round in boxing by asking the judges what they think so far.” [04:27]
On CFP’s lack of consistent criteria:
“We went to this committee because we were upset with the computers…there is no consistency.” [Stugotz – 09:24]
On betting lines as truth:
“When it comes to the judgment of money, Miami will be favored in all of its games...they are always expected to win every single game they play this season.” [Dan – 16:03]
On TV argument culture:
“It’s just something we do to entertain ourselves during the week, during a content week where you need stuff to feed on.” [Dan – 25:29]
On NBA injury landscape:
“[Injuries are] not like, ‘Oh, I got hit and then my chest caved in or whatever.’ It's soft tissue injuries... due to wear and tear.” [Mike Ryan – 36:41]
On generational memory:
“Kids nowadays don’t know shit about anything that happened before they were alive.” [Mike Ryan – 47:07]
On NBA players in a softball league:
“He would help you, though. Anything that is a ground ball to the infield, anywhere in the infield, he just stretches and you can just flip him... the third baseman. Can you picture that visual?” [Dan – 39:23]
The episode is breezy, irreverent, and hyper-local in flavor, mixing serious sports analysis with surreal bits, inside jokes, and Miami-centric pride. The tone swerves easily from genuine frustration about college football’s subjectivity to playful mockery and pop culture tangents.
You want:
(End of summary)