Greg (2:39)

I like that.

Dan Le Batard (2:40)

But the thing that I had asked you was. I asked for a number of carries we had yesterday and just some general advanced statistics.

Tony (2:47)

Yeah, yeah. 22 for 78.

Greg (2:49)

Okay. See, that's not bad.

Tony (2:50)

Not great.

DraftKings Advertiser (2:51)

64 in the first half.

Mike (2:52)

We said we were going to say committed to the run game.

DraftKings Advertiser (2:55)

Yeah.

Tony (2:55)

And 22 carries when, you know, they stacked the box. 10 of those carries came when they stacked the box.

Dan Le Batard (3:00)

You feel like we're going to do better or worse today because he's come in today and said he's proclaimed himself a firestarter. He wants the nickname as a running back of Fire Starter, which is a good.

Mike (3:10)

It's a good nickname.

Dan Le Batard (3:11)

We would agree that any. Any running back in the league would like if. If a running back. If we started calling a Chan Fire Starter and got it off the ground, Hn would love to be called Fire Starter.

Mike (3:22)

In Greg's case, I think it's appropriate because he was amongst the first to discover fire.

Greg (3:26)

Yeah, I like that. I want to adopt that as my official nickname, by the way. I want people to start calling me FS Fire. Fire. Fire Starter is a little unwieldy, but in terms of the carries and the yards, I'm more concerned with carries than yard. It's a Cesar Tovar theory.

Dan Le Batard (3:45)

That's a. That's a baseball player. That's not a running back. Okay, listen to his. All right. He's been doing this to me for 40 years.

Mike (3:52)

Stuffed at the line.

Dan Le Batard (3:53)

40 years, you guys. Tony, do you know what he's referencing? Does anyone there. Does his son know what he's referencing when he says it's a Caesar Tovar reference?

Tony (4:04)

I've heard it.

DraftKings Advertiser (4:05)

It's the guy batting average. Go on.

Chris (4:08)

Did you just drop a Firestarter sound effect?

Dan Le Batard (4:10)

No.

Greg (4:11)

Oh, I like that.

Dan Le Batard (4:12)

Tony, do you know what he is saying when he is saying Cesar Tovar?

Tony (4:15)

I have no Roy.

Dan Le Batard (4:17)

Roy. No, Mike.

Mike (4:19)

I think I've heard it on this show before. And it was a guy that was like boomer bust.

Greg (4:23)

Well, Cesar Tovar was a former Minnesota Twin. He may have played for other teams, but I'm thinking 60s and 70s. And he was notable because he once had over 700 at bats in. In a season. He was a guy who was just prolific. And I like the idea of a lot of at bats. You know, you give me 700 at bats, it doesn't really matter whether I'm hitting.241 matters a little bit or 278. No, because the at bats akin to carries by a running back. You know, I'm the kind of guy who would like 31 carries and doesn't particularly matter if. If it's only for 68 yards, you know, because I'm putting in the work. You know, I'm doing the lifting.

Tony (5:04)

You also did have a fumble here. I didn't know. Obviously, the packers vs Steelers situation was a fumble. We were in the red zone there. We're getting really close to. To coming home. And you did fumble.

Greg (5:13)

But I recovered my own fumble, didn't I?

Intuit TurboTax Advertiser (5:16)

I don't think so.

Greg (5:17)

I thought I did.

Mike (5:18)

I'm afraid we've started three and out and you know what that means.

Greg (5:20)

Greg, what's that?

Mike (5:22)

Punt.

Greg (5:23)

Nice. I like that. Caesar Tovar. Not even on my catchphrase countdown.

Dan Le Batard (5:28)

Caesar. Tobias, can you guys give me his career average, please? I'd like to now go through. Thank you. Zaslo, what do you have?

Chris (5:35)

278 career average solid.

Dan Le Batard (5:38)

So you're saying that you're going to take 10 swings on jokes and if you fail seven or eight times, you're good with it?

Greg (5:45)

Yeah, if I get two or three out of 10, I've succeeded.

Dan Le Batard (5:48)

Did you yesterday?

Greg (5:49)

Hall of Fame material? I think so. You just heard that from the statisticians.

Dan Le Batard (5:53)

Yeah. Did he. Did he succeed or fail yesterday? Did we win yesterday?

Tony (5:59)

I think we won despite Greg Cody.

Greg (6:01)

Okay,

Dan Le Batard (show intro) (6:05)

this is the Dan Levatar show

Dan Le Batard (6:07)

with the Stugats podcast. Professional basketball may indeed st. But I'm finally ready to do it. I am here to announce it. Jokic is a better offensive player than Michael Jordan. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. It took me a long time to get here. I am now here. Everyone should capitulate. There has never been a better offensive player than that loaf of bread. And you're not comfortable with it because you want it to be a wing guy and you want it to be somebody who soars through the air. And I'm sorry that this guy ruined basketball for you, but he's better as an offensive player than any that the sport has ever seen.

Chris (6:48)

Okay? So if I asked you, you have one game. Michael Jordan and Nikola Jokic. You're taking Yogic.

Dan Le Batard (6:54)

That's not what I said.

Chris (6:55)

But I'm asking a different question.

Dan Le Batard (6:57)

But that's not. It's not what I said. I said he's the best offensive player I have ever seen. I could give you all of the numbers and metrics of how champion the Nuggets are when he plays offensively and defensively because he's also good defensively. He clogs everything up. They're not the same thing defensively, but I don't want to start there.

Greg (7:20)

You just did.

Tony (7:21)

Dan. I was willing to follow you into the breach. You're my. My captain. I'm going to follow you into the

Mike (7:25)

breach even if it's just me and you.

Dan Le Batard (7:26)

I. Well, this the reason There are a number of things that I wish to get to today and I want to put that over to the side for the moment because I do think it's the. It's one of the worthy things to talk about in basketball when everyone is that sport. The excellence is unprecedented at the top of what these people are doing. Like you can take the MVP from that gu if you like, but there's never been a better offensive player. And you can argue on behalf of Michael Jordan and you can say one game, all the players that ever played. But we're watching one right now who's a multi.

Mike (7:56)

You could argue for Michael Jordan being a good basketball player, but you can

Dan Le Batard (8:00)

make the argument on the other side and it'll be hair splitting. Like whatever it is you're doing to reduce my Jokic argument, you're doing it by this margin. We are watching genuine mastery in basketball. But everybody's mad at basketball for an assignment for an assortment of very good reasons. But we've got the fire starter in our midst. We've got Chris Cody has what he believes to be the five best sounds of the week. When we have done a lot of careening into ditches this week. And I want to get some votes from you guys. But I also want to have the serious conversation. Everybody's asking me about Diana Rossini, wanting me to say something about Diana Rossini. And I'm like really uncomfortable with all of this and sort of the dirtiness of what my profession has become. Where every time I'm talking about where it is that Schefter and Shams are compromised, nobody cares. But then they do this, this thing that's in public that I want. I don't want to give air.

Chris (8:58)

You know why they do it though?

Dan Le Batard (8:59)

But. But I don't want to give it air because I haven't talked to my friend and I'd like to talk to my friend, not text my friend. I'd like to see how she's doing. Cuz this seems deeply unpleasant no matter who you are, true or not true. It's like ew, this is a foul thing to go to. As hard as that person has worked for her credibility and that pit of sewage she works in, to have this happen to her doesn't feel good. But I don't know anything and I don't want to gossip and I don't want to bother her. I just like to know how she's doing because this seems awful. Like it was so hard for her to come by her credibility and now we're going to do this. But I, so I don't want to give it oxygen, but everybody wants to talk about it. And so I asked you guys genuinely what to do in the modern age. And this, I had this conflict 20 years ago with Deadspin of all things. Deadspin came over to threaten newspapers and it did so with gossip and things that people wanted and the Internet became popular and the manosphere and everything that's happening with podcasts. Because the rules are different over here. You don't have to apply a journalistic standard. Doesn't matter what you say. If you want to gossip in the, in the sewage, you can do that and you can get listeners and viewers and it's the currency of the day and newspaper dies and so do those standards. When this thing happens, you're expected to talk about it. Cuz everybody's a gossip. And I've got somebody in the middle of this that I can sound like I'm white horsing on or this is too close a friend for me not to be biased on it, but I just feel for a human being in the middle of something like this because it's like you're going after her and not him. Huh? That's interesting. Like that's super interesting. Do you know how hard it was to come by the credibility that she has as a person who has relationships in that sport? Because you have to have relationships, right? You can't, you will fail at that job because seven people can do it and they know all the other people who trust them, who believe in them, and so they walk the line between friendship and conflict of interest. And how do you get your information? So I ask you guys sincerely, as I'm rambling here, because I'm troubled by this and I don't know how to address it with being fair and just human. What do you do? What am I supposed to do? Because easier was to ignore it here and just see how, and try to see how she's doing. Because this seems unpleasant. It seems like a really unpleasant thing to go through, especially if it's untrue, like. And it's not journalism.

Greg (11:19)

No, no. It's grainy photographs that are innuendo without substance. And I think at this point, I just give all. Not that there's any doubt in my mind or not much.

Dan Le Batard (11:31)

Now, see, I don't want to do that, though. I don't want to do that. Like that.

Mike (11:35)

That.

Dan Le Batard (11:36)

What? Yeah, that was a good job, asking for help and shutting them down. It's. It's.

Greg (11:42)

What I'm saying is you don't know

Dan Le Batard (11:44)

what you want to do. And then someone offers something to do and cut him off at the pass because this is good work. Because of how he's doubting. He's sitting here. What he believes and what he doesn't believe.

Mike (11:55)

We haven't. In fairness to Greg, we didn't let him say what he wanted to say. And I think part of what he wants to say is something that you omitted, which is a very strong denial from the athletic, from Diana, from Mike

Greg (12:06)

Vrabel and from Vrabel's incriminated here as well. And he's had to respond.

Chris (12:11)

But nobody cares about that part, man.

Greg (12:12)

It's always about the women, but that's the problem. But a headline I read noted salaciously that they're both married. As if that proves anything. When I say benefit of doubt, I have no doubt, but maybe some people do. I believe Diana Rossini's strong denial, and I believe Mike Vrabel's until there's any proof otherwise, because the proof was not in any of those photographs.

Dan Le Batard (12:35)

But I'm asking you, what am I supposed to do? That doesn't help. That just allows us to talk about it.

Mike (12:40)

I think what you did is fine. Now, speaking for the audience here, a little bit, like when you say when I talk about where Shums and Schefter are compromised, nobody cares. Well, Dan LeBatard cares. That's why he's talking about those things. And you are showing a human side here by saying, well, I don't care that much to have that conversation here because I have a conflict here that's human, that there's going to be people in the audience that call us out for our hypocrisies. And I'd say humans are allowed some. And I think you laid the cards out on the table. Why this one's uncomfortable. I think this one has a pretty strong denial attached to it. I side with Greg here. Like, I want to see more. If there is more. Actually, I don't want to see more. All of this is really, really icky. And the denials are strong. The athletic really came to bat for Diana in ways that we don't typically see.

Chris (13:32)

I don't think it has to be labeled as an hypocrisy where. And I've seen the same comments from listeners too, where, you know, Dan's hypocritical, the show's hypocritical. Why won't they talk about this, but they won't talk about Diana here? I don't know. Like it's okay to be a good friend, like it's okay to support your friend. And I don't understand why people wouldn't understand that part of it where, okay, she's a friend and we want to support her. And the way that we know we're choosing, not that we've had this conversation, but the way that we're choosing a supporter is by not getting involved in this and lending more comments to this situation like, yeah, like she's a friend. So wouldn't everybody want to stand up for their.

Dan Le Batard (14:14)

No, but this is this one's.

Chris (14:17)

And I mean by standing up, I mean not talking about it. That to me is standing up.

Dan Le Batard (14:20)

No, but that's. No, there's some cowardice in that. And especially given what it is that we do.

Mike (14:27)

Can we establish some ground rules where people are trying to answer your question, what you should do, you shouldn't just dismiss them with saying no.

Dan Le Batard (14:35)

Okay, you can establish those ground rules. But you guys are talking about something as if you're not understanding the journalism at the core of it. No. When our friends or people we cover in sports become news, that's different journalistically than it's been for a really long time. The reporter is not the news. We've distorted all of this. The reporter's never the news. Just cuz what Stephen A. Smith now is, what he's. What he's turned this into with ego and flatulence and everything else. Like over here, he's still a journalist. He's still yelling at Matt Barnes, pothead, you're an influencer. I'm a journalist. I have standards. I have standards. I have friendships and relationships throughout the business. But I'm uncompromised. I'm objective. I know what my biases are, or I try to be objective about things and people and truth and news when we're talking about this stuff. So the reason I'm knocking you down on no is because this woman is at the height of sports journalism. She got there the right and the hardest way, fighting the other information People to get to the top of information that is credible, that, like, is rock solid reported. Stronger than the opinion maker. She's not an opinion maker. She's a journalist. And she has good relationships in the business. And I sound here like I'm simply blindly and emotionally defending and writing for a friend. I don't know what the hell happened here. But this is a journalist who came by her credibility honestly the hardest way and harder than all the other people that. That have to do this. This stuff of getting and fighting for the information, who don't have to deal with this. This would not happen to Shams. This would not happen to Woj. This would not happen to any of these people. And so, yeah, nobody. She doesn't want to be at the center of this. She doesn't want any part. This is not why she got into this business.

Mike (16:30)

One note. When you say, like, the news people don't typically become the news. There is a head coach of a, you know, conference champion here that's involved. That might be playing into why this is also new.

Chris (16:41)

But this isn't a story if it was Mike Vrabel with some random woman that we don't know. It's about her, man.

Dan Le Batard (16:47)

And it's also just gossip. It's also just gossip.

Mike (16:50)

She's been gossiped about before. There's also, like, a weird New York Post athletic thing going on here, too.

Dan Le Batard (16:57)

So I appreciate, okay, that you're trying to talk me down on my tone because I know what, where I can be strident here, and I don't know where my blind spots are here. I really don't. Because I came up in a man's business, too. It's people like Diana who taught me, ooh, God almighty. We made this a lot harder than it had to be for women because there were so few of them around. And because, look, even after all this, our progressive woke machine. Look, all dudes in the room, all dudes talking about this, because still we fail here in a million ways. And I know my tone's bad, and I know that nobody wants to hear this message, but what do I do when I'm simply emotional about, ooh, I can't reach somebody who's got to be under it. I'd like to talk to her before talking about this. And there's pressure from every angle to you and fraud. You don't talk about the real things. Look at. Look at how you protect others when, when now you're attacking that journalistic thing that I care about. Where it's like, no, what's responsible here? What's right? Is there a clear answer? Like, because I don't think there is and I don't think silence is it Like, I don't want to give oxygen to it, man. I don't want to go give oxygen to that bullshit going on between Whitlock and Stephen A. And I could drive it for clicks all day. All day. I could sit here and talk about all the that happened between those two friends of mine, but they were trying to do something journalistically objective once upon a time. And then this business distorted all of us, turned us into preening peacocks like we are the news. We are the newsmakers. We opine on the news. And when you don't talk about your friend, you're a fraud.

Chime Advertiser (18:29)

Okay, hello friends, hello listeners. I want to talk to you about Chime because Chime is changing the way people bank. And honestly, it just makes sense. This is fee free smarter banking built for regular people like you and me, not old school banks charging overdraft and monthly fees just for trying to get through the week. This is banking that actually feels like it's on your side, which is very, very important. Chime isn't just another app. They unlock Smarter banking with tools like MyPay giving you access to up to $500 of your paycheck when you need it. And boy do we sometimes need it. It even lets you get paid up to two days early with direct deposit. I know someone who would benefit from that. No overdraft fees, no minimum balances, no monthly fees. Chime helps your everyday spending work harder with credit, building tools and savings, earning up to 3% APY. And there's the new chime Card. Build credit with your own money and with qualifying direct deposits. Earn 1.5% cash back on eligible purchases. Chime is not just smarter banking. It is the most rewarding way to bank join the millions who are already banking fee free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.com dan that is chime.com

Chime Legal Disclaimer (19:36)

dan Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking Services A secured Chime Visa credit card and MyPaid line of credit provided by the Bancor Bank NA or Stride Bank NA. MyPay eligibility requirements apply and credit limit ranges $20 to $500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com feesinfo advertised annual percentage yield with Chime+status only. Otherwise 1.0% APY applies. No min balance required. Chime card on time Payment history may have A positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary. See chime.com for details and applicable terms.

Intuit TurboTax Advertiser (19:59)

In sports, championships aren't one alone, the one with the right people around you. That's exactly what Intuit toboltax brings to taxes. With tobotax Expert Full Service Match with a dedicated tax expert who handles your taxes from start to finish. The experience is seamless. Start in person, finish online, move between both whenever needed. The dedicated tax expert keeps things updated every step of the way so nothing falls between the cracks. Think of it like having a great head coach with a solid game plan. The plays are called, adjustments are made, and the work gets done while everyone stays focused on what actually matters. And just like Gamefilm doesn't wait for business hours, neither do taxes. With TurboTax Expert full service, you can get any tax question answered at no extra cost, even on nights and weekends during tax season. This is having someone in your corner running the whole operation and helping put points on the board. Get started@turbotax.com only available with Intuit TurboTax full service experts real time updates only in iOS mobile app

Mike (20:59)

hey, Roy, buddy.

Intuit TurboTax Advertiser (21:00)

Yo.

Mike (21:00)

You know that energy shift when the game gets good and everybody all together in unison knows to stand up on their feet?

Intuit TurboTax Advertiser (21:08)

Oh, absolutely, Mike.

Greg (21:09)

Yeah.

Mike (21:09)

You've been at many big time sporting events. You know that moment quite well. That's what it's like when you take your first sip of Cuervo.

Intuit TurboTax Advertiser (21:16)

Oh, delicious.

Mike (21:17)

It's the signal that says, we're not checking the time anymore, pal. It's when small talk turns into stories. Cuervo, man. It's that high five. A random stranger effect. That's right. The game is popping. You're hugging people you never met before. That's the kind of energy that Cuervo brings. It's so smooth, so delicious. That's the Cuervo effect. Keep it Cuervo.

Dan Le Batard (show intro) (21:41)

Don Lebatard.

Greg (21:43)

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

Mike (22:00)

They're in the final Stugats.

DraftKings Advertiser (22:02)

What's your nickname for him?

Greg (22:03)

Mcova Rated.

Dan Le Batard (show intro) (22:04)

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

Dan Le Batard (22:10)

But no, when I ask you guys, do you understand what I'm in here when I'm saying how do I do this? Right. But fair by her, fair by her standards. When I can't talk to her when I haven't because I don't know what she's under.

Intuit TurboTax Advertiser (22:23)

Well, then you continue to criticize the gadget journalism of this. This tabloid, whose sole effort here is to destroy lives.

Mike (22:31)

You can do that, and you can reach out to her. It's probably not the way that you want to. I've reached out to Diana to offer the support.

Dan Le Batard (22:37)

I don't want to do the text thing. See, this is another thing, though, okay. And this is about communicating in the modern age. My wife's father just died, and everybody's texting. That's nice, but they're texts. I'd like to talk to somebody. I'd like to see if somebody's okay. Like, yeah, I could. I could check in by text. That's how we're communicating now.

Mike (22:56)

Yeah. I think the text is, like, kind of like feeling it out a little bit. I understand. What, you don't think she's got a

Dan Le Batard (23:02)

lot of that right now?

Mike (23:03)

I think it's like a. Respectfully, it's a bit of a boomer thing to be like, well, just the text. Where's the call? Where's the letter? It sounds like. Where's the telegram? A little bit like people. People text to kind of see how people are doing. If they're receptive to it, then a conversation can spark from there. It's just testing the waters.

Greg (23:19)

I think the text right now to Diana is conveying, hey, I know you're under it right now. You've got a million texts. Everybody's reaching out. I'm sorry for what you're going through. Just want to let you know I'm thinking about you, support you, believe you, and that's it. I don't. I'm surprised by your combative tone on all this, Dan, because I don't think any of us disagree. I think the reputation Diana Rossini has well earned is a reason for benefit of doubt. And the only reason I even use the phrase benefit of doubt is that a lot of people out there infer what they see from those photos as guilt. I don't.

Mike (23:56)

There's also.

Greg (23:56)

I have relationships with female friends. We hug each other. She's allowed to have Mike Vrabel as a friend. Beyond their professional relationship, there is also

Mike (24:05)

moralizing attached to it because of what's being discussed. And I think, like, true or untrue, a message of support for Diana Rossini should not be a controversial one. Especially when you attach.

Chris (24:18)

That's pretty much what I'm saying. I think it's okay to blindly support A friend. I do. That's really where I come from. I think it's okay to blindly support someone who's a friend.

Dan Le Batard (24:28)

Is it. Didn't like Ashton Kutcher do that with his. With.

Chris (24:32)

No, they're not accused of rape.

Dan Le Batard (24:34)

No.

Chris (24:34)

I'll set that aside.

Mike (24:35)

No Danny Masterson that I could like.

Chris (24:38)

I think there is a distinction.

Dan Le Batard (24:39)

No.

Chris (24:40)

Yes.

Mike (24:40)

I don't like what Ashley, you shouldn't have said blindly. I didn't think you'd go for DJ Mom Jeans. But he went there.

Dan Le Batard (24:45)

I mean, but blindly is where.

Greg (24:46)

No, no.

Mike (24:47)

You know what he says?

Chris (24:48)

Yeah. I feel like it's implied.

Mike (24:52)

You're the fire starter. He can't be the fire starter because you've been the fire starter for 20 years.

Dan Le Batard (24:58)

The tone is shitty, undisputable. Cannot, cannot argue it. The thing I'm asking you, all bad tone and all, cutting you off and all, is the very serious question. With everything you see happening in America and all around the globe, fairness, like wanting something to be fair, fighting for something to be fair. To have a standard, to have a journalistic standard of. You talk about this when you know what you are talking about. When you have facts, reported details. When you are aspiring to objectivity, the times. And when you talk about this, not on radio, podcast, espn, the printed standard of. How do you do this fairly? Does it matter? Because I ask you guys, sincerely, I didn't want to. I did not want to talk about this. Greg. Greg. It's the thing that Greg was interested in today and he thought it would be interesting. I didn't even know about that I was being criticized by anybody. It's the thing Greg found interesting. And I'm conflicted with. Well, what do I do with this? It's just a cheap thing to talk about. Like, it's just. It's a cheap thing to do because people want you to talk about it. And so when I ask you what's

Greg (26:15)

fair, I think it's fair in this case. Diana Rossini is a frequent guest on this show. If you believe her, her denial about this controversy as much as I do, I think it's fair simply to say we support her, we believe her. You know, in two months from now, if we're proven wrong, that'll be regrettable. Not for us, but for the parties involved. But right now, all benefit of doubt to Diana Rossini because she has earned it. She's earned the respect. She's earned her recognition.

Dan Le Batard (26:46)

The employer knows her. And that's why the employer's statement was as strong as it Was.

Mike (26:50)

I mean, we've seen things like this in the past, so that's about as strong a statement in defense.

Dan Le Batard (26:54)

But they know her. They know what she's about. They work with her every day. They know what she does there and how hard the specifics of that job is. I'm sorry. Enough. Enough on that. The. The thing that I wanted to talk to you about after we killed all of the local teams, and now. It's terrible. What's happening right now is terrible in that Zaz is now the guy who just complains about the league. He loves this league. He loves this league. And right now, Zaz is kind of broken.

Chris (27:22)

I don't like what it's done to me.

Dan Le Batard (27:23)

Oh. Because the conversation around this league is around all the dirty things money has done to the Sport the last 15 years, where you're like, oh, wait a minute. None of these games are going to be close. Everybody. What just happened to this league?

Chris (27:34)

I don't. Yeah. I don't like what it's done to me because, oh, my God, it used to be my favorite. God, I loved the NBA, and. And I miss feeling that way about the NBA. But everywhere you turn, it could be radio, it can be television. We're. We're a week away from the playoffs starting, and all of the discourse around this league is just rotten.

Dan Le Batard (27:57)

Not. Not. Not all of it. In the places where people. That Hawks, Knicks game, like, there are two. There are two different generations and things happening here. People who really love basketball. Because you're not. You're not going to convince Tony there that watching Jokic every night isn't a pleasure that he. That he doesn't appreciate.

Tony (28:14)

And we don't even have to look at, like, the mountaintop of the NBA, which is Jokic and Wemby and SGA right now. Like, you're talking about the Hawks, who've had a bunch of.

Chris (28:21)

But that's not the big story in the league.

Tony (28:23)

I hear you.

Greg (28:24)

Okay.

Chris (28:24)

Should be, but it's not.

Tony (28:25)

I agree. The problem is in three games, we'll start talking about the NBA playoffs and everything will be.

Chris (28:31)

You're right. No, you're right.

Tony (28:32)

But great games, all the bad teams are going to be done and then meet.

Mike (28:36)

We hope that we'll have great games, which is why I think it's an important playoff for this league in this moment of time. Cultivate new stars, have highly competitive series. Let's stay away from the national TV windows being blowouts, because what Zaz is saying is not a controversial opinion. And I don't think we do this as much as other shows out there, because that is the narrative around NBA. And we have Amin on our show, and Amin defends the NBA at every turn and its merits and why we are where we're at.

Dan Le Batard (29:02)

Because the greatness in the NBA is all time great, where you're watching real excellence. And we're not appreciating it, because what's happened over the last 15 years is the narrative has been distorted by the way we cover this league. It's gotten worse and worse. It's not just Barkley and Shaq complaining about everything, complaining about all the threes and everyone else, everyone talking about the garbage, how the games are bad and how 10 of the teams aren't trying.

Mike (29:30)

I could offer up a lukewarm take that collective mastery of a sport isn't great for a sport. Maybe it's fine in individual sports, but when every team has the sport down to a science and has tried to expose every single mathematical they all play the same, then you become baseball. And baseball realize, okay, when we invented this game, we didn't account for the loopholes that math might provide. And that's where the NBA has found itself in. And hopefully, like all the other major sports, seemingly, they will listen to overwhelming fan feedback. They are at that impasse. But to Tony's point, it's a pretty gnarly postseason that we have set up here with a lot of great storylines with a league in transition, desperate for new stars, and I think those guys are ready to deliver.

Tony (30:16)

There's going to be a tipping point at some point like there was for baseball, hopefully with Adam Silver, if he's not a nothing, well, he'll look around and say, all right, baseball did it. NFL did it. We gotta do it, too. And there's gonna be a moment where that math is not gonna math anymore. We gotta turn the tide.

Dan Le Batard (30:30)

No, but I just. Look, man, this. This part's a bummer. Like, it's. This is the best time of year in basketball. Tony is right. The playoffs will erase some of this. Some of these people will be amazing. The stakes will get really high. You'll care about what the Knicks are doing, but what you guys are doing in reflecting our show and our market is, oh, the Heat stink. And now Zas is out. The Heat. The Heat don't have a real chance. And so Zaz isn't going to be interested in all of the other good teams because, look, it hurts to watch Boston kick your ass because they got better at the threes than anybody. I don't want to watch that. This stinks.

Mike (31:05)

Oh, that was a huge part of it for me. But I am receptive to what Amin says and it is a fair criticism that it's awfully convenient for me to bail on the NBA when my team is no longer relevant.

Chris (31:17)

I'll be locked into the playoffs for sure. But the part that bums me out is in the other sports are not like this. Our other major sports in this country are not like this. Where just I find that the majority of the discourse you put on any TV show or any radio station right now and for the most part, if they're talking NBA, they're talking about two things. They're talking about tanking and they're talking about 65 game rule. Those are the stories and rotten.

Greg (31:41)

But it's real. It's not illegitimate. I mean if you have a great NBA playoffs, it allows you to forget for a month that there is this overarching problem in the NBA. Other major sport don't have the tanking problem that the NBA blatantly does.

Dan Le Batard (31:57)

Well, you say, you say they don't, but there are a lot of bad baseball teams and baseball can change some of this. You guys are seeing what's happening, right? Like it's not been unclear to you that over the last 15 years of sports reflecting everything in our market and In America in 2026, the Black League feels like this before the playoffs and hockey does not. But you guys don't have the Panthers this year and you will not be as interested in the playoffs.

Mike (32:23)

Oh, I will definitely.

Dan Le Batard (32:24)

You will not be as interested in the. You will be. I've seen this burn out of him. Like he loves the Panthers. I do not believe he'll he'll be watching the late games out west because his team's not in it.

Mike (32:35)

I hear you and I do. I'm not going to dismiss that some of the criticisms of the NBA when it comes to spoiled athletes not paying. Like yeah, there is a racial aspect to that too. But it was a decade of baseball discourse. A decade. And that's old and white when it comes to. That's as old and white a sport major sport as there is, folks.

DraftKings Advertiser (32:57)

Listen up. DraftKings Sportsbook, the number one sportsbook for live betting, is built for March. The tournament is unpredictable, but the rewards are guaranteed. And DraftKings is delivering some of the most generous rewards in the market. New to DraftKings, bet just $5 and get $200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now and use code DAN. That's code DAN to turn five bucks into 200 in bonus bets instantly. In partnership with DraftKings, the crown is yours.

Boothill Casino Advertiser (33:24)

Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MERNET NEW YORK. Call 877-8-HOPE and WHY or text HOPE and WHY CONNECTICUT. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boothill Casino in Kansas. Wager tax pass through may apply in Illinois, 21 and over in most states. Void in on bonus bets. Expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.draftkings.com promos Limited time offer.

Apple Watch Advertiser (33:49)

If we knew more about our sleep, what would we do differently? Would we go to bed at a consistent time or take steps to reduce interruptions to our sleep? With Sleep score, Apple Watch measures your bedtime consistency, interruptions and sleep duration. Then every morning, it combines these factors into an easy to understand score from 1 to 100. So you'll know how to take the quality of your sleep from okay to very high. Know your sleep score with Apple Watch. IPhone 11 or later required K Pop

Mike (34:20)

Demon Hunters Haja Boy's Breakfast Meal and Hunt Tricks Meal have just dropped at McDonald's. They're calling this a battle for the fans. What do you say to that, Rumi?

Chime Legal Disclaimer (34:29)

It's not a battle.

Dan Le Batard (34:30)

So glad the Saja boys could take

Greg (34:32)

breakfast and give our meal the rest of the day.

Dan Le Batard (34:34)

It is an honor to share. No, it's our honor.

Loom Advertiser (34:37)

It is our larger honor.

Greg (34:39)

No, really, stop.

Mike (34:41)

You can really feel the respect in this battle. Pick a meal to pick a side.

Dan Le Batard (34:46)

Ba da ba ba ba.

Boothill Casino Advertiser (34:48)

Participating McDonald's while supplies last.

Dan Le Batard (show intro) (34:50)

Don Le Batard.

Mike (34:51)

I'm not gonna apologize.

Greg (34:52)

I wouldn't expect you to apologize. Then you're a giant infant, okay? You have no control over your emotions. You have no control over your emotions when you're calling someone you know an idiot. I don't deserve it, okay? I don't deserve it.

Dan Le Batard (show intro) (35:07)

All right?

Greg (35:07)

And you're a fool for saying it.

Dan Le Batard (35:08)

Okay, Stugats.

Greg (35:11)

You're a fool. I was kind of following.

Mike (35:13)

Oh, you're locking in right now. You're locking in on us.

Greg (35:15)

Yeah. All right.

Mike (35:16)

Let's drop the gloves, pal. You should be thanking me.

Greg (35:20)

For what?

Mike (35:21)

Every day.

Greg (35:22)

For what?

Mike (35:22)

For what I've done around this character. And the second shit gets real for you, you want to come at me and call me a fool?

Chris (35:30)

Huh?

Dan Le Batard (35:30)

No, no, seriously, Jeremy.

Chris (35:32)

Seriously.

Mike (35:34)

I've added 10 years to your career.

Dan Le Batard (show intro) (35:36)

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.

Greg (35:51)

And, and the NHL does not have anything close to the tanking problem. If you're, if you're going to compare those two sports and look at what the Panthers this year, for most of the season at least, they, they had a winning record or close to it, and they're in last place in their division.

Dan Le Batard (36:07)

You guys don't find this funny, though? Like, I'm not even saying you're wrong. Yes, that's how it's played out. Yep, absolutely. The basketball guys get hurt, they get assigned, lazy, don't care enough, load management. That's not the hockey guys. The hockey guys would never do it that way. That's correct. That's how that happened.

Mike (36:24)

It's a cultural thing. It's not. We've had this discussion and sometimes it veers in a race. I don't know, dude. There's a lot of Europeans, there's a lot of Canadians. Hockey players are just different. It's a different culture around the sport. And by the way, that culture is perpetuated top down. If hockey all of a sudden in the front offices wanted players to rest up the way that NBA front offices do, you might see that more. But culturally, it's just a different thing.

Dan Le Batard (36:54)

But when you say that basketball is becoming baseball, when we talk about the macro of this, like you guys have been marveling, I'm sure, right? Yesterday we were talking about this. Francisco Lindor uses a glove and batting practice machine is shooting the ball at him the way it would come off a bat at 100 miles an hour. The glove, it's 2 inches shorter than normal glove. He's got to get better. Francisco Lindor. That's the science of what we're doing. Basketball has been distorted because all of these people and athletes have bent the limits of science on the bodies to. We can defend this much. We can defend this much all the way out to here. Out to here. Ligaments are gonna break. These people are seven. Seven. This is crazy. And here, 53s beat you. 53s. If you make 30 of them beat you. And if you. And if you miss 40 of them, you're probably gonna lose. And look, the Celtics figured out, wait a minute, this isn't that fun to watch. Oh, it's interesting. They're winning. It's a spaceship that shoots from everywhere and it's gonna get ass. They improve the culture, but they'll shoot 53s and they'll make more than you, and that's how they'll beat or won't beat OKC and you're going to be watching a final that leaves you, if it's Boston OKC not feeling very good because they're decided by 20 and 30 points and it's Shay getting 25 free throws and it's who's going to make more threes and everybody's going to complain about the league again. Yes, I've got the story right on what's. What's about to happen here.

Mike (38:09)

Like maybe SGA stuff is. But that, that is something that the league can address.

Dan Le Batard (38:12)

But maybe a four or five sneaks in because maybe when he beats sga,

Tony (38:17)

it's Wemby getting coronated.

Dan Le Batard (38:18)

Right? So we'll follow the entirety of the story to the end and it'll be about the merit of the basketball. And there may or may not be good stories in there that make us care. But Zaz isn't wrong when he says the way that we talk around this league now, not Tony Diehards and there are many like the Twitterverse and Amin will buck on you at every point. This is majestic athletic excellence. We're watching at the limits of science. The people who are doing this well, but they are two math machines sort of buzz sawing toward each other. And oh, look, OKC's defense is also good. So if they don't beat you with the threes, they'll also smother you.

Mike (38:53)

It's just in a valley right now. And rather than just pour more dirt on it, I've poured my fair dirt on this grave and I want to be optimistic about it. I am encouraged by some of the things that I see in terms of stars. I don't think there's going to be load management in the NBA playoffs. That's not a complaint I'll have. I'm excited to see these matchups, excited to see what these stars do with this incarnation of the NBA. And I'm almost resigned to the fact that, that the point we're at the point right now that the changes that need to be made with this sport are so painfully obvious that even Adam Silver will wake up and smell the coffee.

Chris (39:25)

I don't know, man. I don't know. Got to see it to believe it. I, I think the part that bothers me the most and I feel like I've talked about this before where for me, and it's like this with all the sports, it's just as much about the journey as it is the destination. And okay, we're getting close to the destination with this NBA season and it's going to be really good. The destination. But. But the journey has sucked. The journey sucks. Like, the journey has been the last six months and it sucks. And to me, you know, the sport isn't just about let's get to the championship round. It's about the entire season. And like, the journey sucks right now.

Dan Le Batard (39:56)

Well, but of course that there is damage to cheapening and devaluing a regular season. But also just the business of this. All of these things have to get to the 83rd game with all of these players healthy because we're testing their ligaments, because the way they're being asked and fly and everything else. You saw how good the basketball was in the bubble. These bodies aren't meant for what we're presently doing to them, okay?

Tony (40:21)

And I think it's an important thing, too. Like, we talk about tanking. We talk about the 65 game rule, and those are the two things that across the entire season we've been talking about. I think it's important to hammer home just like we do in other aspects of life where we need to speak truth to power. We need Adam Silver to turn on the TV and see 65 game rules sucks. Tanking sucks.

Dan Le Batard (40:39)

But do you guys understand my how are we the show where Mike is howling, wake up and smell the coffee. Fix the game before the playoffs when the playoffs are always the best. Like, how are we the show that's like you just said, I might be

Mike (40:54)

in position as the anti NBA guy when I'm so, like, actively trying to

Dan Le Batard (40:57)

not be on that guy.

Mike (40:58)

No, that says.

Dan Le Batard (41:00)

I don't mean to put you in the position. I'm saying when we're doing the show of how do we fix the sport When I'm about to tell you no, these next six weeks, fix the sport. Like, that's.

Tony (41:11)

Yes.

Dan Le Batard (41:11)

What we do.

Mike (41:12)

Every line there, thumbs up, double thumbs up. We want to see a good playoff.

Tony (41:16)

Nobody cares about 65 game rules. The moment the NBA playoffs and if

Mike (41:19)

OKC runs through the playoff and SGA makes it to the free throw line 30 times because he does the bull. We all know what I'm talking about with the bull. Then we'll have an off season of. All right, enough. Enough talking. Let's go ahead and fix this. And I hear you bodies aren't made for this. I mean, they've been playing this sport for decades. All right, the excuse as to why the bodies weren't made for this was the pace of play. So legislate slowing the game down. Bring back hand checking. Like, make it harder for people to go to the free throw line, make it harder for there to be a three, make the three point line further away in the courts bigger. I don't know. Do something.

Greg (41:56)

Yeah, you're not wrong. And I don't want to rail against the three point shot overtaking basketball because then I'm volunteering myself as what I am. The old fuddy duddy. But the three has overtaken basketball. That's one problem. But everybody sees the NBA through the lens of their team. Particularly if you're a fan. You're a fan. They love the NBA in Detroit. No, Casey, right now they got no complaints about basketball. They love it. But if you're a Heat fan, as an example, you're saying to yourself we're not going to. We averaged 120 points. When was the last time a 120 point scoring team didn't make the playoffs? It's ridiculous. We're the second highest scoring team in the league and we're not in the playoffs.

Dan Le Batard (42:36)

But that's all tempo and it's sort of the way the game has shifted. Like the science of this is interesting to me. I think I've proven that over time. Boring you with how amazed I am by the evolution of that sport. I think people are tired of hearing me talk about like the thing that Steph Curry does. That's never been what Jokic does. That's never been. What do you mean? There's going to be a Wemby.

Mike (42:56)

That's.

Dan Le Batard (42:56)

That's both of those things. Like, like they've never exist. Existed on earth. The human bodies that you presently see doing that in that sport. Nobody's ever watched something like Jokic happen before. It's never existed. That's what's at the center of the playoffs and it's a three or a four seed because you got an all time scorer in Houston trying to be the old guy winning one punctuated thing so he doesn't soil the rest of his career hanging on for the old guard. You know already LeBron's gone. His team's not healthy enough in get physically broke under like not going to get to load management. 82 healthy for the playoffs. They have no chance. They're broken. They, they couldn't make it to the finish line protecting their thing. The, the whole league storylines are going to come roaring back where you get the fight over, you know, who gets to be next. And you guys are saying the bullshit on the MVP who wants Jokic's championships and you're calling it the bullshit. Are we really going to reverse this where Shay Gilgis Alexander is not going to be allowed to be Michael Jordan because we're going to say the white loaf of bread is the one who does it more fairly, more cleanly. The Giant guy, not the guy who gets 24 free throws doing that really quick.

Tony (44:08)

If I could talk about the loaf of bread. Give me the start of the day

Intuit TurboTax Advertiser (44:10)

music

Dan Le Batard (show intro) (44:13)

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 According to

Tony (44:35)

ESPN insights, with three games left, Nikola Jokic leads the league in both rebounds and assists per game. He's averaging a triple double. Had a triple double last night in three quarters against the Memphis Grizzlies. No player in NBA history has ever led both categories even across different seasons. So nobody has ever led the league in assists and then had another year where they led the league in rebounds.

Chris (44:58)

Really?

Tony (44:58)

Or led the league in rebounds and then came back and had another year where they led the league in assists. He's averaging a triple double, leading all of those right now.

Mike (45:06)

Big time underdog to win the mvp.

Dan Le Batard (45:08)

Yeah, Chris, can you.

Tony (45:10)

He's having the best season we've ever seen.

Chris (45:11)

I know it was offensive to Nick Wright to mention him in the mvp.

Tony (45:15)

I told Nick Bright, I was like, how are you not going to mention Jokic when he's having a better season than he did any other of his three MVP seasons?

Dan Le Batard (45:22)

Chris, can you please get for me, please, the board Jokic imaging because I have a different stat here and you tell me if it's better or worse than Tony stat. But we could rename this the Jokic Daily Stat of the Day because it's an unprecedented player we're not properly appreciating. So I'm about to give you some numbers here. Give me the bored Jokic music please of the day from that big man Nicola. Godlike skills put on display. But we're feeling so pleasant setting records all the time. We've become so indifferent. We're all born what the hay Yokich step of the day. So the Nuggets have won 10 straight games. It's the longest winning streak they've had since 2013 and it's the longest in the Jokic era. There have been over 1.4 million total 10 game spans by players in NBA history in playoffs. In none of them, I'M going to say it again. Over 1.4 million total 10 game spans, ends, including playoffs. In none of them did a player have as many points, rebounds and assists as Jokic. During the current 10 game winning streak, 252 points, 145 rebounds, 127 assists. He's a better offensive player than Michael Jordan.

Tony (47:01)

It's also his first 10 game winning streak in his career.

Greg (47:09)

Will history agree with you 15 years from now when he's retired? I don't think no.

Dan Le Batard (47:14)

No one will agree with me because he looks like a loaf of bread and isn't from this country. And we want wing assassins who dunk on your head. And it can't look like that. It's not going to be allowed to look like that.

Mike (47:25)

I mean, times change. It's hard for us to see that right now. But a lot of the Jordan vs. LeBron people are going to die.

Dan Le Batard (47:31)

Dan Jokic is invisible Michael Jordan. He is Michael Jordan every night because he plays in Denver and out west. Most people don't understand that he is an unstuck. And by the way, no load management out there all the time unless he recognizes Rex's name.

Mike (47:45)

You know, there were debates like this. There were a lot of people arguing. Wilt, you know what happened, Dan? They died.

Greg (47:51)

Yeah. Wilt versus Russell.

Dan Le Batard (47:54)

Thank you.

Greg (47:55)

Rings versus Stats.

Dan Le Batard (47:56)

The wheelhouse. The Greg. Greg Cody stirs to life wanting to talk about basketball when they did it. The fire starter. The American way. The fire starter.

Greg (48:04)

Yes. Before there was a three point line. Come on, that was basketball. Give me a 91 to 87 game. Like the Heat and the Knicks in 1991, whatever that was. Come on now, look at that.

Dan Le Batard (48:19)

The 50s.

Greg (48:20)

Damn right.

DraftKings Advertiser (48:22)

Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right?

Mike (48:24)

Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is won when it hasn't hit triple zero.

DraftKings Advertiser (48:30)

Always drink your Jagermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.

Mike (48:35)

Everything else?

DraftKings Advertiser (48:37)

Everything else.

Mike (48:37)

Wearing clean underwear every day, well, that's

DraftKings Advertiser (48:40)

just a personal decision. Brushing your teeth, obviously smart, but not a rule.

Mike (48:45)

Never pee pee on an electric fence.

DraftKings Advertiser (48:47)

Okay, maybe there are two rules. But the one that is 100% that I insist on completely. Jagermeister must be drank ice cold or don't drink it at all.

Mike (48:55)

Damn, that's cold.

Chris (48:56)

Exactly.

DraftKings Advertiser (48:57)

You're finally starting to get it.

Mike (48:58)

Drink responsibly. Jagermeister liqueur, 35% alcohol by volume. Imported by Mass. Jagermeister US White Plains, New York.