Local Hour: The NHL vs. The NBA

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Episode: Local Hour: The NHL vs. The NBA
Release Date: February 17, 2025

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1. Introduction and Set-Up

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Dan Le Batard and co-hosts Stugotz, Chris Cody, Billy, and Amin Elhassan delve into a heated comparison between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), particularly focusing on their respective All-Star events. The episode kicks off with the hosts addressing the absence of Stugotz, setting a slightly chaotic and humorous tone for the discussion.

2. The NHL's Resurgence

The conversation shifts towards the NHL's recent accomplishments, highlighting the Florida Panthers' impressive performance and their significant impact on South Florida sports culture. Amin Elhassan praises the Panthers for elevating the sport's profile, emphasizing player Matthew Tkachuk's pivotal role.

Amin Elhassan [08:49]: "The World Cup of Hockey pulled 4.4 million viewers, the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final game since 2019. This is now a lucrative television property. The players deserve all the credit for making that happen because they care so much."

The hosts commend the NHL for revitalizing international interest and creating a more engaging All-Star experience, contrasting it with the NBA's declining ratings and player enthusiasm.

3. NBA All-Star Weekend: A Critical Slant

Chris Cody and the team express significant criticism towards the NBA's All-Star Weekend, pointing out low local ratings for the Miami Heat and general fan indifference. They argue that the NBA's recent format changes have alienated both players and fans.

Chris Cody [04:35]: "Matthew Durant is saying, 'I don't understand why any of you watch any of this. You all NBA fans seem like they don't like the NBA.'"

The discussion highlights LeBron James' absence from certain All-Star activities as symptomatic of broader issues within the NBA, including player dissatisfaction and a disconnect from fan interests.

4. Player Engagement and Fan Experience

The hosts analyze the differing approaches of the NHL and NBA in engaging their audiences. The NHL's emphasis on national pride and competitive integrity is contrasted with the NBA's focus on entertainment elements like the dunk and three-point contests, which some players find unfulfilling.

Chris Cody [10:07]: "What you're seeing is hockey players actually care because putting that country's jersey on matters. They've waited 11 years for this best-on-best tournament at the international level, and they delivered from the very first puck drop."

5. Cultural and National Identity in Sports

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to exploring how national identity and international rivalries, particularly between the U.S. and Canada, play into fan interactions and the overall atmosphere during NHL events. The hosts share anecdotes about confrontations and camaraderie between American and Canadian fans, underscoring the deep-seated cultural connections inherent in international hockey competitions.

Mike Ryan [12:07]: "One of the most united I felt with Canada all weekend was after that first period. It really was one of those 'holy shit, what did we just watch?' moments."

6. The Role of Key Players and Trades

Matthew Tkachuk is spotlighted as a transformative figure for the Florida Panthers and, by extension, the NHL's popularity in the United States. His leadership and marketability are credited with attracting a broader fan base and elevating the team's status.

Amin Elhassan [17:58]: "Matthew Tkachuk is the face and attitude of this national hockey team. He is the voice, he is the attitude. He grabs every opportunity to grow the game. This is a marketable star."

7. LeBron James and the NBA's Future

LeBron James' actions during the NBA All-Star Weekend are scrutinized, with the hosts debating whether his absence is a personal statement against the league's current direction or simply a business decision related to his health and performance.

Dan LeBatard [43:16]: "I've never been more sure that LeBron is retiring after next season, that this was his moment to nuke what this All-Star Weekend was."

This segment underscores the tension between star players and league management, suggesting that high-profile athletes like LeBron have significant influence over the league's public image and future.

8. Comparative Analysis and Conclusions

Concluding their discussion, the hosts assert that the NHL has successfully revitalized its All-Star format by prioritizing competitive integrity and national pride, whereas the NBA struggles with internal dissatisfaction and a lack of authentic engagement strategies.

Stugotz [41:22]: "They need to just explode their whole All-Star Weekend and do something like the NHL is doing to make All-Star Weekend something that players and fans look forward to."

9. Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

The episode wraps up with the hosts reflecting on the broader implications for both leagues. They posit that the NHL's approach could serve as a model for the NBA to enhance its All-Star experience, thereby rekindling fan interest and player investment.

Chris Cody [43:04]: "At the very least, he's going to the party politely. He's showing up because he must. It's part of his employment contract, but he separated himself. That this was a victory for LeBron."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Amin Elhassan [08:49]: "The World Cup of Hockey pulled 4.4 million viewers, the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final game since 2019."

• Chris Cody [04:35]: "Matthew Durant is saying, 'I don't understand why any of you watch any of this. You all NBA fans seem like they don't like the NBA.'"

• Mike Ryan [12:07]: "One of the most united I felt with Canada all weekend was after that first period."

• Stugotz [41:22]: "They need to just explode their whole All-Star Weekend and do something like the NHL is doing to make All-Star Weekend something that players and fans look forward to."

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This episode provides a comprehensive and critical examination of both the NHL and NBA's approaches to their All-Star events, highlighting the successes and shortcomings that define each league's relationship with its players and fans. Through engaging discussions and insightful commentary, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz offers listeners a nuanced perspective on the evolving landscape of professional sports.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

You're listening to giraffkings Network.

[Greg Cody]

You know that sound? It's the sound of money hitting your Venmo account. A friend paying you back. Or maybe it's getting cash back from your favorite business when you pay with the Venmo debit card. Or it's realizing you can pay with Venmo at checkout at thousands of brands. Now there are so many more ways to answer the question, what's your Venmo? Download Venmo Today, the Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated. DOSH cashback terms apply. You know that sound? It's the sound of money hitting your Venmo account. A friend paying you back. Or maybe it's getting cash back from your favorite business when you pay with the Venmo debit card. Or it's realizing you can pay with Venmo at checkout at thousands of brands. Now there are so many more ways to answer the question, what's your Venmo? Download Venmo today. Thanks. The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank N.A. pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated. DOSH cashback terms apply.

[Chris Cody]

Shadow Show.

[Stugatz]

Shadow Show.

[Chris Cody]

Shadow Show.

[Stugatz]

Shadow Show.

[Chris Cody]

Shadow Show.

[Stugatz]

Shadow Show.

[Chris Cody]

Shadow Show.

[Stugatz]

Shadow in it. Shadow in it.

[Chris Cody]

Chris, as our fearless leader today. Greg, we've started. You need to stop doing that with the microphone. You didn't hear. Okay, we're on, Greg.

[Stugatz]

All right. What did I do? I touched my microphone.

[Chris Cody]

But do you not hear the countdown? Do you not hear five, four? And then after one is when we're starting. Like, do you not hear that?

[Stugatz]

I thought it was segueing right into the Shadow Show.

[Billy]

Yeah. And Greg's defense, Shadow show is different. It's just us. Kind of the concept was we stroll in and it's like cash as we're getting ready for the show. Greg's just getting ready with his tumid bag and his laptop.

[Chris Cody]

Chris, as the son of Greg who is in charge of the shenanigans today, do you know where Stugatz is?

[Mike Ryan]

I know that I saw an email last night which is for him very early notice that he would not be here because I didn't see an answer why. I just saw an updated schedule.

[Dan LeBatard]

No stugats today.

[Chris Cody]

Billy, as the keeper of the stugots, do you know what's happened? Because he almost made it to a full workweek at the super bowl, and then he celebrated it by failing at the end. The tires falling off inconveniencing everybody, canceling a dozen guests and then not showing up for work on time on Monday.

[Billy]

I have no idea where he is. I saw the same email as news to me and then I also saw that he is now working on Thursday which throws off our recordings for later this week. I haven't gotten a heads up, no clue where he is. I also not to, you know, put anyone's business out there. Also was told that, you know, we have someone that helps with weekend observations and I was told that person did not get a heads up. So that person did weekend observations and did not know that it was for nothing.

[Mike Ryan]

At least it's done.

[Chris Cody]

No, let's have Greg do it.

[Stugatz]

Do what?

[Chris Cody]

Stugatz's weekend observations. Let's see. You want to audition for the role of Stugat since you're in the seat. It's a Greg Cody Tuesday. It's always better when it's Greg and Stugatz on a Tuesday.

[Billy]

It's possible that that's not entirely complete yet though, because this person did get the heads up last via email. But I think that work was being done earlier in the day just unaware that it was not necessary for today.

[Chris Cody]

Billy, I do think that the spirit of Shadow show should have the sound of you poned on your toast.

[Billy]

I'm trying. I'm trying to keep things back to how they were.

[Chris Cody]

I think that the Shadow show should always have you buttering toast in the background as you just prepare for the day. Chris, you were just drinking beer in Canada with Mike Ryan all weekend, right?

[Mike Ryan]

Some whiskey as well?

[Amin Elhassan]

I wasn't drinking any beer. It was all tequila, sodas, gas, no brakes.

[Chris Cody]

You guys had fun, huh? That's a, that's well done. Like, that's the thing. There's a little bit of a difference between the exhibitions right now. That's kind of, it's kind of startling.

[Amin Elhassan]

Charlie McAvoy is in the hospital as we speak.

[Chris Cody]

It's. Look, man, I'm stunned at how quickly some of this happened with hockey and basketball where you've just desecrated one All Star Game. You've made a bunch of changes to it. Now one of your star players, Kevin Durant, is saying, I don't understand why any of you watch any of this. You all NBA fans seem like they don't like the NBA. He wasn't even talking about exhibitions like he's talking about in general. He's like, NBA fans exist to just complain about all the things they don't like about the NBA.

[Amin Elhassan]

I thought he made a bunch of Great points.

[Chris Cody]

He did.

[Amin Elhassan]

His best point was, I think it's more fun to complain than actually watch. Yes, that's right. 100%.

[Chris Cody]

Put it on the poll, please. Juju at LeBatard show. Is it more fun to complain than to watch? He also said the only thing that people are interested in in the NBA is the trade deadline, free agency and player beef. And he's not wrong there either.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, he made a bunch of great.

[Chris Cody]

Points and the playoffs, he said.

[Amin Elhassan]

But you know what? It happened on their watch. Like, they are lamenting what they perpetuated in fairness.

[Billy]

When the players don't care about playing the games, why should the fans care about watching the game?

[Chris Cody]

That is correct. That is absolutely happening. But I really do think one of the things getting lost between the link is bubble pandemic George Floyd. They didn't feel like playing back then either. And it's like precipitated. It's gotten as the things in America have gotten worse. And the conversation around that league is, ah, they were so woke. And the uniforms with social justice. Like, they didn't want to play then to entertain us when America was falling apart either. And they don't want to do it now. And then America turns on them. Like, of course, because you want joy with your games. Why wouldn't you want that? It's. You want simply that the athletes have a contagious feeling about caring about what they're doing as much as we do.

[Amin Elhassan]

It sounds like you're trying to make the players victims here.

[Chris Cody]

I'm not.

[Amin Elhassan]

A little bit.

[Chris Cody]

I'm not. I'm just telling you why it's happened. I'm not. I think they're wrong. You got to care about your sport. Like, I don't defend it. I am absolutely not defending it. Their job as performers is to entertain, but they don't like it so much right now. Like. And they've got so much power that they can tell their commissioner bleep off on national television. LeBron doesn't even bother to put on the uniform.

[Amin Elhassan]

Did we start the show?

[Chris Cody]

Did we?

[Mike Ryan]

Let's do it.

[Billy]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Chris Cody]

Greg Cody doesn't think he needs any prep. Greg Cody is always ready. He was born ready. He stays ready. And when you came in today, did you see who is on our guest list today?

[Stugatz]

It says guest for Dan's story. I have no idea what that means.

[Chris Cody]

Well, that's not what it said on the board when I walked in. And on the board I'm looking At guest lists. All it said is 11am Racist guests. That's what it. That's what it said. Racist. Racist guest. And I think we need to get Greg Cody up to speed because that has some danger in it if he's not aware of what we're doing at 11am and there's been a scramble here today because Stugats Stugatz has failed to show up awol. We will talk about the things from the weekend in a moment. A lot of people that you love in sports are taking this week off. Taking, taking this week off the way that the basketball All Stars took the weekend off because they are tired that particular exhibition. And it is super interesting to watch them take for granted their audience caring. I don't know if you guys have seen how low the Miami Heat's ratings are locally down 56% year over year. As I've been telling you, what the Panthers did in taking this town and what hockey now does by caring about its exhibitions. Going to the hospital is flying all over the place. Giant hits in a game that's not supposed to matter until you. You wrap it in patriotism. That's where Mike Ryan and Chris were drinking tequila and drinking some whiskey.

[Amin Elhassan]

Can we, can we celebrate the NHL and its players first and foremost before we get into all the negative. I know that that's the place that everybody wants to go. But where the NBA and its players are failing is where exactly the NHL and their players are succeeding. They, out of thin air, put together a TV property in four nations that now has value. They are going to share in the rewards of this, be it. There may never be another four nations, but with the World cup of Hockey, given the numbers that this pulled. 4.4 million, the most watched non Stanley Cup Final game since 2019. This now is a lucrative television property. There is big money now in international best on best hockey and the players deserve all the credit for making that happen. From the conceptualizing to the actual execution because they care so much. It's evident.

[Chris Cody]

If I can take you back. Kidding. To the last time I cared enough to summon any kind of criticism or indignance for an All Star exhibition or friendly of any kind. It would have legitimately been back when I cared about all Star games, which is when there were three channels this week in baseball existed because there were no highlights anywhere and they just gave you this week in baseball and you caught up on everything that was happening and then all the stars gathered in one place and it was before streaming and a million years ago, obviously ancient times Times. But that is when I started caring about that and about when I stopped as I entered adulthood. And then all of the exhibitions were a silly thing. But when you wrap it in patriotism, Greg, and when you have in basketball, the joylessness of it doesn't seem like they care very much because they don't. They're giving voice to it. Draymond Green is killing his product, saying that it's boring. And Oscar Robertson is coming back at him and saying it's boring the way you play it. All you're doing is running around passing a staff. What else are you doing out there? But like they're doing something to their product to see both of them try and fill the space after football and to do it that differently.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, it was amazing to watch this past weekend because hockey kicked basketball's ass. And it was amazing that basketball tried to rejigger its whole All Star weekend and failed miserably. These three games now separated by time, the players hate it. First to 40, 40 points. It's a nightmare. You have a G league guy who's always winning the dunk contest because nobody wants to be in the dunk contest. The three point contest is now superfluous.

[Chris Cody]

Can you stop for a second though? Because I want to take, I want to get all your thoughts on basketball. We columnists can get to the negative very fast. You were rolling. You were rolling and you weren't going to stop. I do want to celebrate hockey for a second because when you're talking about changes to a sport, I can tell you right now that if you make basketball an All Star game that involves the nations, it'll feel different than what it is that you got this weekend.

[Mike Ryan]

Also, two fights at the tip would help.

[Chris Cody]

That helps. That helps as well.

[Amin Elhassan]

I'm surprised no one fought Shane Gillis at the beginning of that All Star game. That would have gotten me certainly more invested. Yeah, the fights are great, but look, hockey players just go about their sport differently. Amin and I had a big on air conversation about it. These guys care because putting that country's jersey on matters. Even last night in a totally meaningless game in a round robin tournament, it still mattered to these guys because they have professional pride and national pride. They've waited 11 years for best on best tournament at the international level. And they delivered from the very first puck drop. Sweden, Canada on Thursday. It was already the single greatest All Star week I had ever experienced.

[Chris Cody]

Well, you were there drinking too much. Roy, what were your thoughts on all things hockey this weekend and where it is? This is a Pretty seismic shift. You do understand this, right? Like, you. You understand that it's super weird in one weekend to have these two things next to each other. It's. It's a little bit disorienting.

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, there's one man that you can thank for all this.

[Billy]

Wayne Gretzky.

[Roy Bellamy]

No, not Wayne Gretzky.

[Amin Elhassan]

Donald Trump.

[Roy Bellamy]

Exactly. The man who's wasted taxpayer dollars because he wanted to do laps around the Triover in Daytona. That's on him because he riled up everybody in Canada, talking about Canada being the 51st state and all the tariffs and everything that they got Canadians, even in regular season games leading up to this tournament born the national anthem. So politically, this was even bigger, this tournament for nations.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, there was a little extra juice to it.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, a little.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not going to lie. I've never felt more like a Trump supporter being in Canada. Yeah, it's like you get sucked in. You hear all the booze and you want to. Like, you're in a corner and it's just like, hey, stop booing us. The next thing I know, I'm being looked at. Like, I support.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, you're America.

[Mike Ryan]

I am.

[Chris Cody]

I look at you and I see.

[Mike Ryan]

I know the bloated. I look in the mirror.

[Chris Cody]

Like, I see them. I have everything happening over there.

[Unknown]

Everything happening over there.

[Chris Cody]

I look at you and I see the map of a bloated America.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, there was a lot of apologizing on the front end and F words on the back end. Like, it was just, you know, you get wrapped up in it, especially when you're in a barn where everybody's booing you. And I understand. They're not booing me personally. They're not even booing the guys. Like, it got so aggregated that the fights were about the booing of the national anthem. No, they weren't. Those fights were premeditated weeks in advance. Listen to the words before you post on End Wokeness.

[Roy Bellamy]

They had a group text about it.

[Mike Ryan]

Such a millennial way for, like, it. Doesn't that take away a little bit from it? It's like, oh, this was all predetermined.

[Chris Cody]

I thought it was just a fight. If I predetermined an NBA fight for you, you wouldn't eat that up if at the start of the All Star Game, what do you care whether it's predetermined?

[Billy]

And also, like, I don't think you should be telling people out loud you're premeditating crimes.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, it's not a crime if it's on the ice, right. But unlike, you know, Jimmy Butler and the Denver Nuggets and, you know, the Jokic brothers and all that nonsense, this actually came to fruition. And it was. We had three fights in the first nine seconds. It's crazy. Look, the Florida Panthers went about a decade plus without an American of note on their roster. You had one guy in, David Booth that was flirting with getting international call ups every now and then. I know Auston Matthews is a captain and he's the biggest star in American hockey because he plays in Toronto and he's great, but Matthew Tkachuk is the face of this national hockey team. He is the voice, he is the attitude. And he, with every opportunity, he grabs at each and every opportunity to grow the game. This is such a marketable star. He needed to be the guy that set the tone and he did. And it was amazing.

[Chris Cody]

Boy, it seems strange to me, okay, because I know he was great before he got here and obviously he didn't even have to be as great as some of his teammates for them to win the championship. Because Tkachuk was better the year before than he was the year they won the championship by a good amount. I don't know if I can say this is a coming out party given everything I just said about who this player is, but to go and fight on behalf of your nation, take the lead on something that is hockey, taking the lead from basketball or no, our exhibition is the one that matters. To be the face of that, if you're a Panther fan, that had to feel pretty good.

[Roy Bellamy]

I agree. In Calgary, they couldn't get past Edmonton and obviously with him playing in Canada now, switching over to America, now, he's the entire face of this league. You're seeing him in Perry Ellis commercials now. He's got his own clothing sponsors. So, yeah, like, he's now the face of this national team and I'm for one, very happy about it.

[Mike Ryan]

Some of the best interactions in Canada over the weekend were with Calgary fans because they just get so sad when they see Panther fans. They're just like, oh. And I'm just like huberdo. I just say Huberdo to them. It's like punching them right in the sky.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's having a better season and there were a lot of Panther fans. That, to me, was the most astonishing take from the weekend in terms of a single individual fan base that was well represented in Montreal. I saw more Florida Panthers fans outside of Canadiens fans, that was the biggest group there. A bunch of people repping their team. You could actually See this sport growing, people traveling on behalf of their Florida Panthers.

[Chris Cody]

I know that we have spent too many local hours this regular season talking about what Kevin Durant says is absolutely so player beef, disharmony and basketball sells. So we have talked a lot about Jimmy Butler and the Heat when it's a nowhere season that is, like I said before, a 56% drop off in ratings year over year is something that tells you there's a profound indifference around the Miami Heat for the first time in a very long time. And to have the Panthers step into the breach and feel very much like. Like it's Tampa. It's what grew at the beginning in Tampa, in Florida, where you get such strong allegiances. Because these are the moments that you remember for a lifetime. The snapshots when I talk to you in general, for all the howling you hear about the All Star Games. Go ahead and mention all the moments you remember all time from all of the All Star Games. Like your entire data bank of memory of amazing All Star moments. Mine are all in baseball. They're not. You know, I've got a couple in basketball.

[Amin Elhassan]

Sean Taylor killing Brian Moorman.

[Chris Cody]

Yes, yes, Sean Taylor, a hit on a punter in a Pro bowl game. But, like, the moments are the things that make for the stickiness that has a lifelong allegiance of. I saw this with my mom. I saw this with my dad. I remember what the place smelled like. I remember how good that felt. To be a part of that, to be a Panther fan in Canada in the middle of that, and to watch your guy, not the best guy on your team, but kind of the most important one, kind of the star, not necessarily the best guy. Like I could have said it two years ago.

[Amin Elhassan]

The attitude, the culture changer is Matthew Tkachuk, the best player two ways, Alexander Barakov. And it was great to see a bunch of Panther fans out there cheering for him. But the guy that is the face and attitude of this team and now nation when it comes to hockey is Matthew Kacheck.

[Chris Cody]

But we have aired, and this is our fault. It's our fault as a show. And it exposes a casual interest that Stugz and I have in the Panthers. We have three Panthers fans, like, die Hard, three Panther fans in the room, and they're still at the top, top of the conference.

[Amin Elhassan]

And I guess Roy likes it, too.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, they're still covered a team. They're still unbiased, exceptional. Okay.

[Billy]

All right.

[Amin Elhassan]

Okay.

[Greg Cody]

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[Billy]

Try to clear my mind, make my body feel right.

[Greg Cody]

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[Billy]

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[Greg Cody]

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[Billy]

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[Chris Cody]

Mike Ryan's in there, and he's the one with a baby. He's the one who's gotta, like, worry about what the future is. And Mike Ryan bet on DraftKings because Mike Ryan bet on us. This is the bet you're afraid of doubling down on? Putting up a billboard in Edmonton. Stugats.

[Amin Elhassan]

I care more about Matthew Tkachuk than I do my daughter.

[Billy]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Chris Cody]

Roy, you have been compromised. You. You are. You are the most biased of all of the Panther people that we have around here.

[Roy Bellamy]

Impartial reporter, unprofessional.

[Chris Cody]

You have a. You have a press credential. But I. You guys have to feel like you're at the beginning of what was happening in Tampa, do you not? You. You slay Tampa. You win the championship, you take out McDavid. McDavid's not as good this year as your team is when I thought McDavid and they would have, you know that engines jump that the. That the spurs grow into when they beat the Miami Heat after losing to the Miami Heat. But your team is still better and some would argue more expert than I that your team is tougher.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah.

[Stugatz]

Connor is still mc. Overrated, by the way.

[Billy]

It's a fine.

[Stugatz]

A great man once said that. I can't remember who. The great thing about the Panthers is that this is.

[Chris Cody]

You can remember who this is sustainable.

[Stugatz]

They've been really, really good for three years now. One of the great trades in South Florida sports history. Tkachuk just turned 27. He's absolutely in his prime.

[Chris Cody]

Well, hold on a second. It's not only one of the great trades in South Florida sports history. That's one of the greatest trades ever made to lock up that guy for eight years, win a championship immediately. Like, that's all of sports. That's both countries. That's not. That's not just South Florida.

[Stugatz]

That.

[Chris Cody]

That trade changed the Panthers from being a team that never won in the playoffs to this conversation we're having right now. That's nuts.

[Mike Ryan]

Can I bring it back to Saturday night? The most united I felt with Canada all weekend was walking out of my. Away from my seat into the concourse after that first period because it really was one of those holy shit, what did we just watch? Moments. You're literally high fi. High fiving Canada fans of just. No, I'm telling you, it was a Just mutual. Okay, we're at war right now, but holy. That period was one of the coolest sporting events I've ever seen. I know. I'm being hyperbolic. Top 10, easy. I'm not gonna go top five because everyone's gonna get mad at me. A top 10 sports moment. That first period, those fights, the hockey after the crowd when McDavid scores. One of the loudest things I've ever heard. Just that first period.

[Chris Cody]

Billy is skeptical.

[Billy]

You'd be terrible at war, honestly. Like, horrible at war. You're going. You're high fiving your enemies in the concourse.

[Mike Ryan]

It was just like after one of the battles. After one. You don't think ever in war after a battle where they kind of decided that we're done here. Like, hey, good one, though.

[Billy]

That was good.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, come on.

[Amin Elhassan]

At the end of the day, they're Canadian. You know, it's like, everyone's like, I got warned by Sid Sharrow. He's like, man, I feel bad for you going in there. I'm like, relax. I dry hump the gator outside of the swamp and I put a collective hat on him.

[Mike Ryan]

We're good, right?

[Dan LeBatard]

They would boo.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's fine as a group.

[Mike Ryan]

They would boo. But face to face, nice. Because you're just Canadian.

[Amin Elhassan]

The French Canadian, they don't even want to be there.

[Mike Ryan]

Uber Doe. And they would just be like, oh.

[Chris Cody]

You just say Uber do. I mean, I don't know.

[Amin Elhassan]

We get.

[Chris Cody]

We don't. We're.

[Amin Elhassan]

We're a line. There and then by the end of the game, you're chanting 51 at somebody's face. You know, it is what it is.

[Mike Ryan]

They get mad at us, and we say, we're just kidding.

[Amin Elhassan]

Just kidding. Sorry, sorry.

[Mike Ryan]

That's good banter.

[Stugatz]

Banter.

[Amin Elhassan]

We did give people their first, and that was literally an olive branch, you know, I guess they don't have them there without, like, all crazy warnings, and they're like, what are those, pal? Oh, we're about to change your life.

[Mike Ryan]

He's like, I chew it. Nah, buddy, nah.

[Amin Elhassan]

It just dissolves. Get ready for ride. These are sixes.

[Chris Cody]

Chris, did you really turn to a Canadian fan after some rhetoric back and forth and say, with a point. Good banter.

[Amin Elhassan]

There was two guys that really took exception to us, and then the entire row of eight dudes got involved.

[Chris Cody]

All right, can you guys get me that video? I want to show the video of Mike Ryan and Chris Cody fighting 10 Canadian fans at once. We have that video from earlier in the show. I don't know what country this is from here, but it's 10. Mike and Chris, 10amateur. Thank you, Billy. 10amateur fighters against two professional fighters. And this is. This is where the future is headed here. Which way is this going to end? 10. 10amateurs against two professionals. Who do you guys have, the 10amateurs or the two pros?

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, there are weight classes for a reason. I'm going to go super heavyweights here.

[Chris Cody]

I don't know where this ends. I haven't seen the entirety of.

[Mike Ryan]

This is good banter.

[Billy]

That's you, too, for the podcast audience. We're watching two guys. Guys punch. 10 smaller guys.

[Amin Elhassan]

Two super heavyweights against, like, 10 smaller guys. It's the two super heavyweights. Yeah, the amateur got a good shot in there, allegedly. Amateur fighters, the smaller ones. And the two guys are. Yeah, the two guys. The two professional super heavyweights. One.

[Chris Cody]

Wow. Those are not amateur fighters. Those are 10 kids who have never fought before fighting two professionals. What stories did you come back with? How many good stories do you guys have from the weekend?

[Amin Elhassan]

So there was a moment before the Saturday night cap USA Canada, where my friends were at a bar and we went to scout to go get food or see if we can get a proper American pregame. And we walked down the block, and I found a Hooters, and I was like, oh, perfect. Do they have a Touch Tunes now? Touch Tunes in Canada, owned by a different company. So your app doesn't work, so you have to get cash to put it in. So I saddled up to the bar And I put in 20 Canadian dollars, which might as well. I think the exchange rate is like 3,000American. And all I do is put American songs. I'm telling you, like free birds in there, like two dozen times. There was one point, and this was my mistake. I played after party in the usa, the Star Spangled Banner.

[Stugatz]

Oh, boy.

[Amin Elhassan]

The entire Hooters turned against me. They knew what was happening.

[Billy]

How'd they know it was you?

[Mike Ryan]

Me and the Kachuctors.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, when I started. Yeah, me and the Kachuctors eating it up with all the other Panthers. It was actually a great unifier. There were two Tampa Bay Lightning fans, and they were like, yeah, good on you. And so, like, the Canadians in the bar unplugged the touch tunes. They just. The music just stopped.

[Chris Cody]

Hooters, come on.

[Amin Elhassan]

Which is a shame, because I was about to play Nickelback. How you remind me to set them up just to hit him a freebird one more time.

[Chris Cody]

Pow.

[Amin Elhassan]

But they had unplugged, and we wore out our welcome. So we just met up everybody else at the bar.

[Chris Cody]

How's Hooters doing?

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, that one. Not as good as it could have been. Yeah, but they definitely took all my money. I only got like. Like, dude, I was like, a third into my programming. It was incredible.

[Chris Cody]

Hooters hasn't gotten bankrupt like they.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hooters is awesome, man. I love Hooters.

[Stugatz]

I love Hooters.

[Chris Cody]

I'm not. I'm not complaining. I'm just asking you. Like, I would imagine in this day and age that they might struggle to survive.

[Stugatz]

Why?

[Amin Elhassan]

Why?

[Chris Cody]

I just don't see them anywhere.

[Amin Elhassan]

What?

[Chris Cody]

I don't see them.

[Billy]

South Beach.

[Amin Elhassan]

They're everywhere.

[Billy]

Just drive around.

[Amin Elhassan]

Hooters are still so thank God, an American institution.

[Billy]

Hooters is tame compared to Instagram, to be honest with you.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, put it on the point peak. So there's all sorts of competitors now.

[Chris Cody]

Put it on the poll. Is Instagram. What was the word you used?

[Billy]

Hooters is tame compared to Instagram. Before you went to Hooters, like, va, va voom.

[Amin Elhassan]

I also got like.

[Billy]

I go on Instagram, and it's like.

[Amin Elhassan]

I had the weirdest response to can I talk to your manager? I've ever received in my entire life. All right. And I hope they're not listening.

[Billy]

How often did you do this?

[Mike Ryan]

Was this the other touchstones issue we had?

[Amin Elhassan]

No. So this was still at Hooters. I'm like, I know that the manager was feeling it, because when I was playing Living in America, I saw him singing along so hey, can we. When the music stops, I'm like, hey, can we talk to your manager real quick? I want to find out what happened with the music. I'm like, hey, did you stop the music? He's like, what are you talking about? I love the tracks. I'm like, well, the touch tunes is off over there. He's like, all right, let me do that. And I thank the waitress for putting us in contact. I'm like, hey, thank you so much. I'm going to tell him how great you are. She's like, don't do that. I'm suing him.

[Stugatz]

What?

[Amin Elhassan]

Canada's different Hooters.

[Unknown]

All right, I know I got to do this ad read, but hold on, let me reapply.

[Chris Cody]

Did you hear that?

[Amin Elhassan]

Yep.

[Unknown]

That's my new favorite lip gloss from Nyx Cosmetics. Now I'm ready to talk to you. I've been a huge fan of Nyx Cosmetics for many years now. In fact, I use their thick It Stick it brow gel every single day. So you can imagine my excitement when we recently received a special delivery to the Lebatard Studios from our friends over at Nyx Cosmetics. And there it was when I opened the box. Glowing. I heard the angels sing. It's their latest lip gloss, Fat Oil Lip Drip. It's Nyx Cosmetics first lip oil of its kind. This creamy lip oil will have your lips dripping with fat perks. You get all the shine of a lip gloss and none of the stickiness while experiencing 12 hour hydration. I'm usually a matte lip gloss kind of gal. My normal go to is Nyx Cosmetics lip Gloss the lingerie xxl. But after applying the status update shade, I have found my new go to lip gloss. Fat Oil Lip Drip has high shine finish with comfortable wear and none of the sticky texture. A lip product that's hydrating, non sticky and only $9. Now that's a win. Try fat oil Lip Drip from Nyx Professional makeup. Available in 14 universally flattering shades. Find your perfect fat oil lip drip shop [e-mail] or a retailer near you.

[Greg Cody]

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[Amin Elhassan]

Not my favorite region. Context needs to be applied for a joke and thought the context was a we. We'd like to rip that out of context. I was going for a thing and.

[Chris Cody]

You'Re gonna have a family. You're gonna pretend here that you don't love Matthew Tkachuk more than you love anybody you've ever loved.

[Amin Elhassan]

I I don't love Matthew Tkachuk more than my daughter. Stugats now it's pretty damn close.

[Billy]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Chris Cody]

Chris since since we're talking about music, I really didn't think think I was going to get many more opportunities ever in my career to play the song that we're about to play. But over the weekend there was a very long story that opened the door to us to play one of the best and happiest and peppiest songs ever made around here.

[Unknown]

Who's stomping round the dolphin facility Toughening up everybody he sees who's cracking skulls and stealing from rookies Everyone knows it's Richie who's eating nails and poisonous cool Russ intimidating guys on his team who stole my wife and broke my my new classes Everyone knows it's Richie.

[Chris Cody]

And.

[Unknown]

Richie has monstrous thighs Be careful, he'll gouge your eyes. Screams racial slurs at black guys but out of love. But out of love.

[Chris Cody]

Did any of you have time to read this story? A deep, deep dive where Jonathan Martin spends a year with the writer and the only thing that comes from it is the aggregation of he lied about being bullied during Bullygate and now a lot of people are trying to support Richie Incognito. In retrospect, Richie Incognito was one of the worst people in the history of the NFL. But he's taking a victory lap today because what's getting aggregated is what he feels like is exoneration. Did you guys read this story? The writer spent a year with Jonathan Martin.

[Amin Elhassan]

I did not read the story. I did not read the story. Billy said under his breath. What a waste of a year. I was kind of done with this story in 2018 when Jonathan Martin made criminal threats on social media, no laughing matter, posting guns. And it was bad. I believed he got charged for it. It was a bad situation. I don't think there are any heroes here. I think they circle back and claim victory over one thing. I also don't necessarily think, I think maybe embellishments. But look, there's a lot of rotten behavior that we learned about that wasn't just around Jonathan Martin and Richie Incognito. When you think about the Asian victim that was giving interviews at the time, down through what happened several years later, it's just a shitty story.

[Dan LeBatard]

For it to be aggregated as Richie Incognito is like off the hook somehow for all of the truly heinous things he said and did. Just because Jonathan Martin wants to reclaim his place within that story. Those two things are non congruent. You don't have to believe that all of a sudden Richie Incognito is some good guy who we all turned our back on in a moment of need. And he wasn't actually a bully. Just because Jonathan Martin at this point in his life doesn't want to view himself as a victim. Those are two separate things.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, Jonathan Martin, when he did the TED Talk that led the entree into that story, he didn't even mention this. I mean, that's the thing he's most famous or infamous for. Didn't even mention it in the entire TED Talk. Now Netflix is trying to do a story on this, a documentary, and Jonathan Martin I've heard is not cooperating. You know, the Dolphins would not cooperate because that was a tremendous national black eye for them back when it happened. So yeah, it's. I would. I agree with Mike. There's no winners here. May the story just go away because that was just a terrible time for all concerned.

[Chris Cody]

Okay? But when somebody is doing this exhaustive a piece of work that Billy is saying is a giant waste of time, surely it's not lost on you guys that the waste white black of this, they get held up as avatars. The story doesn't matter, the names don't matter, the sports don't matter. It's all just arguing on the Internet to say, see, there is something I can point to that the black guy did. And here I can exonerate the white guy.

[Amin Elhassan]

Right. As soon as things started getting aggregated, I kind of telegraphed where this was going and I had zero interest. I understand that the writer did an exhaustive job. That sounds exhaustive. Spending a year with Jonathan Martin, there are a lot of exhausting journalism pieces that I have no interest in reading, had no interest in. This one kind of put that story to bed almost a decade ago.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, so given. I will tell everybody this because perhaps you've noticed a general lightening of mood around here in terms of how it is that we've been doing the show for the last four months, at least in part because I have pulled much of the politics out of it. And temporarily, I just.

[Amin Elhassan]

Just.

[Chris Cody]

I need a break from the fight and from feeling like I am losing as I'm being bombarded with a strategy of. Yeah, sending people to camps on Guantanamo. That's like the ninth story that people care about today. There are planes turning over and whatever. Just a million things happening. So I've tried unsuccessfully, largely to avoid what's happening over the last six or seven weeks. It's impossible to avoid. But I saw that the politics shows made their return here. John Oliver's team gets a really nice break. Bill Maher works really hard. And I saw that Kid Rock was on Bill Maher. And I did not know. This is not the most interesting of things here, but I was not aware. Were you guys aware that Kid Rock's name was Bob? I did not know that Kid Rock's name was Bob.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, we knew that because he was tight with Carson Daley during the TRL era.

[Chris Cody]

Okay. I didn't know it was Bob. And there's something about the word Bob that is funnier than Robert. Like, if it was. Was Robert. If his name was Robert, it wouldn't seem as ridiculous to me as someone named Bob wearing the costume of someone named Kid Rock.

[Stugatz]

Yeah. Doesn't look like a Bob.

[Billy]

Well, his name is Robert. Bob is just his name. I know, but he goes Billy, William, Guillermo.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, it could be Bobert.

[Billy]

Oh, it could be. No, check it. Robert James Richie. Chris looks like a Robert James.

[Amin Elhassan]

I think he has a tattoo that says Bob right here.

[Billy]

Which don't you too?

[Amin Elhassan]

I do too. So it's one of the things we have in common.

[Chris Cody]

I. Chris, I. I know that you came back from Canada rejuvenated and creatively that you were inspired. So can you just make a quick song for me that makes fun of Kid Rock being named Bob.

[Unknown]

The Boogie Bob. Call me Bob. My name's Robert James Richie. Richie says I'm Chuggy no Crumb Pop. My name is Get Bob. My name's Rubber James Richie. Richie says I'm Drop off the Boogie. And this is for the trust fund boys with the answers to Orange man and the alleged caltromancer. The Wall street geeks daddy new car dealers my 5 acre farm redneck culture stealers I'm Robert Rock but you can call me Bob the kid who appropriated Trailer Slide the MAGA crackheads the critics, the cynics are buying into my political gimmick for the flag as a puncher with the super bowl and my cybertruck is straight fueled with skull My beer attack as my hate projects fill my bank account and let me cash some checks and my focus group said to hate Hollywood I resemble Dr. Phil with a wig and a hood Remember when I had the fake Senate run?

[Chris Cody]

I just want Donald Trump to call.

[Unknown]

Me son Bah com and bah. My name's Robert James Richie Richie says I'm drugging up from home. The buggy.

[Chris Cody]

A little faster next time, Chris. A little better, please.

[Amin Elhassan]

We have less politics now.

[Billy]

Yeah, we're back.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, that's not. That doesn't count, huh? Yeah.

[Stugatz]

It's a parody song.

[Chris Cody]

It's music.

[Stugatz]

No, no worry.

[Dan LeBatard]

We're doing both sides. We've given Trump credit for pennies for paper straws and for making the four nations so contentious because of his attack on Canada. So we' We've given him credit for stuff.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, Label it. Trump was right one more time. I know we did that last week, but I think we.

[Dan LeBatard]

Where Donald Trump was right.

[Amin Elhassan]

I think people are starting to get it. Like, you know, we're doing less. We're sticking more to whatever it is that we stick to. It's not necessarily sports.

[Stugatz]

Not.

[Chris Cody]

Not an echo chamber. Did you guys think because this was funny to see happen over the weekend as we're complaining about the basketball All Star game. It is something between a statement and a flex for LeBron not to even put on the uniform for the team photo. Right. I'll get in a second. To LeBron talking about why it is that he wasn't playing in the game and sounding like he's fumbling around searching for the excuse. But there aren't a lot of ways to defend that. LeBron couldn't put on the uniform for a photo shoot. Are there. Are there people defending this that you can't. I don't know. Like, if Silver's begging these guys to please care, to please care about how any of this looks. Just pretend like you care. Not wearing the uniform for the team photo.

[Stugatz]

I thought it was great.

[Chris Cody]

Is not caring forever.

[Stugatz]

Yeah, it was wonderful. And it's just exemplary of this event. What the NBA All Star weekend has become is complete trash. LeBron James is bigger than the NBA. The only player who is. And for him not to be in uniform for this team photo, quote unquote. It's not even a team. Why do they need a team photo? Was ridiculous. Joyfully ridiculous. I thought it was Great. Good for LeBron.

[Chris Cody]

Good for LeBron.

[Stugatz]

Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Because.

[Stugatz]

Because he.

[Amin Elhassan]

He's.

[Stugatz]

He's. It's a middle finger to a ridiculous weekend of non events. They need to just explode. Take a lesson from the NHL if you need to. They need to just explode their whole All Star Weekend.

[Chris Cody]

So. So this is the first time I've heard this take being given by anybody where not only does he think it's great, he thinks it's great as a statement to just blow up the entire game. Are you guys hearing that anywhere?

[Stugatz]

Blow up All Star Week weekend. Okay. And do something like the NHL is doing to. To make All Star Weekend something that players look forward to, something that fans look forward to right now. It's. It's. I can't talk ill enough about what the NBA All Star weekend has become and what they've done with these three games now. The space in between the games, playing to 40 points. It's a nightmare. It's a disaster. The NBA deserves every.

[Chris Cody]

This is. Twice you've called it a nightmare.

[Mike Ryan]

Lashing out at LeBron. Seems odd here that, like, we have a weird relationship right now with the NBA and we're just mad at the NBA right now, so we're lashing out at LeBron, who's done more for the NBA than anybody. Like, be mad at Adam Silver, Be mad at whoever. Like, it's just going after LeBron right here seems odd.

[Amin Elhassan]

If I. If I may, he's perpetuating one of the problems. The guy literally bailed, like, minutes before the game. He could have had plenty of advance warning. Someone else could have been on that roster. To me, it felt like a response to Adam Silver saying, hey, guys, all right, look what happened last night. Let's. There's a property that has value. Let's try to care a little bit more. And then LeBron has the most obvious lie you can tell by his tells here with the shoulder shrug and the, um. Listen to LeBron James as he tries to come up with an excuse on the fly as to why he's not playing in the All Star Game.

[Chris Cody]

You won't see anything from me tonight. Unfortunately. I would not be in uniform tonight. Um, still dealing with ankle and foot discomfort. So I will not be playing tonight, unfortunately.

[Amin Elhassan]

The bobblehead tell from LeBron gets me every single time. You Want to give him credit for nuking this, I say. I look at him, I'm like, you're part of the problem, pal. But Jeremy has another theory here that I think might actually change my tune.

[Dan LeBatard]

I've never been more sure that LeBron is retiring after next season, that this was his moment to nuke what this All Star Weekend was, to not give them the opportunity for the photo ops where you see his placement within that photo, people would have been cropping in on him, Steph and KD as their All Star moment together. He didn't want to give anyone the photo shoot. He didn't want to give anyone the optics. He didn't want to give the All Star Weekend any narratives that people could glom onto. Oh, the Olympic guys are back together. This was his moment to tank this one. One. So that next year, as he goes on a retirement tour and you see guys like Giannis on Twitter sort of floating the idea of, ooh, maybe I'll do the dunk contest. John Morant saying the same thing. The All Star Game comes back as LeBron's final quote, unquote, gift to the NBA. Even though he was part of what ultimately tanked the All Star Game, he gets to be the hero because he tanked this weekend's All Star Game conspiracy theory.

[Chris Cody]

I can get behind. I can get behind that one. That one sounds good. That this was an act of defiance, that he didn't want the optics of being associated with anything that he knew would be a mess, so he would not bother to dress up in any way and be a part of the charade.

[Amin Elhassan]

And don't forget, it's Steph's weekend they're hosting in the Bay Area. This is a celebration of Steph. He's right inside Jimmy.

[Chris Cody]

At the very least, he's going to the party politely. He's showing up because he must. It's part of his employment contract, but he separated himself. That this was a victory for LeBron. Not being associated with this was a victory.

[Stugatz]

Correct.

[Amin Elhassan]

Can we not excuse the behavior? He's part of the problem.

[Billy]

He's part of why it's become what it is.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, you see, the biggest problem is the stars not playing. And you're literally in an All Star Game. They're asking for you to pay for tickets to see all the stars. And minutes before LeBron's got a foot ankle. I guess soreness like this is the issue.

[Billy]

He could have actually had someone who wanted to be there be there. Like, that's the part about it that's kind of, like, annoying. Is that, like, yeah, you don't want to be there. No one really wants to be there. But, like, you're taking the level of I don't want to be there to the next level, and you're actually costing people who want to be their opportunity.

[Mike Ryan]

If his ankles really hurt, you guys sound like jerks, though, okay?

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. Why would the oldest player in the league. Why would he have any body ailments with more mileage?

[Billy]

Because his body's aging like the rest of everyone else.

[Mike Ryan]

Disrespectful.

[Amin Elhassan]

Charlie McAvoy is in the hospital, okay?

[Chris Cody]

So I just want what I want, and it's. And Billy's been beaten down by the Stugotz experience here over the last couple of weeks. But I would say that Billy, if you say after Mike that LeBron is part of the problem, you have to remember and have echoing in your ears that Mike Ryan came in strong after a fiery weekend of drinking the real stuff, hockey. And he said, you're part of the problem, pal. He put an extra pal on the end of that, and you need to get better at your pal, pal.