Local Hour: The Pressure of The Second Seat

Summary

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Episode Summary: Local Hour: The Pressure of The Second Seat

Release Date: March 18, 2025

In this episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz," titled "Local Hour: The Pressure of The Second Seat," hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz engage in a dynamic conversation that weaves together sports analysis, personal anecdotes, and humor. The episode delves into the intricacies of sports roles, particularly focusing on the metaphorical pressures associated with being in the "second seat," alongside other engaging topics relevant to the Miami sports scene and beyond.

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The Pressure of the Second Seat

The episode kicks off with a spirited debate about the pressures tied to specific roles within sports teams, using baseball as a primary example. Chris Cody introduces the topic by questioning Stugotz's comfort with his position:

Chris Cody: "I've been told by informed sources that Greg Cody doesn't like the pressure of the second seat. Is it true or is it untrue?"
[01:27]

Stugotz clarifies his stance, comparing the pressure of different batting orders:

Stugotz: "What I confirmed was that there's more pressure in this seat being the second guy instead of the third guy. It's like there's more pressure batting third in the lineup than batting eighth."
[02:33]

Greg Cody adds to the discussion, challenging the traditional views on batting order pressures:

Greg Cody: "What about batting second and batting third? Not much difference."
[02:18]

The conversation evolves into a deeper analysis of lineup strategies, highlighting the modern trend of placing top hitters in the second spot to maximize their exposure and at-bats throughout the season.

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Greg Cody's Cruise Experience

Shifting gears, the hosts delve into Greg Cody's annual cruise trip, turning it into a humorous exploration of vacation dynamics and personal quirks:

Chris Cody: "Chris, are you taking this trip with him? Is this another family trip? How often do you...?"
[05:09]

Greg shares amusing insights about navigating cruise ship logistics, emphasizing the challenges and light-hearted moments:

Greg Cody: "We have a cruise ship for those who haven't cruise shipped."
[06:22]

The segment showcases the camaraderie and playful teasing that define the show's dynamic, providing listeners with relatable and entertaining content.

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March Madness Special: Top Five Marches

Stugotz introduces a special segment related to March Madness, where he and Christopher Cody humorously attempt to compile a "Top Five Marches." The discussion takes a quirky turn as they categorize various unrelated topics under the "March" theme:

Stugotz: "One of my top five brackets is the Carpenters. Know it well, the angle bracket..."
[12:11]

The playful banter continues, illustrating the hosts' knack for blending sports jargon with everyday references, resulting in comedic exchanges that entertain the audience.

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Miami Heat's Recent Performance Analysis

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing the Miami Heat's recent struggles in the NBA. Dan Le Batard recounts his experience listening to Jeremy's analysis during a lengthy drive:

Dan Le Batard: "Jeremy was 100% correct in his analysis of: win the Heat, lose every game."
[19:03]

Billy Gil elaborates on the team's inconsistent performance, highlighting patterns of early game dominance followed by second-half collapses:

Billy Gil: "They start up 13, they go up 17, and they haven't been skilled enough to end teams early in the game."
[20:28]

Stugotz and Greg Cody discuss coach Eric Spoelstra's unprecedented losing streak, questioning the effectiveness of coaching strategies and roster decisions:

Stugotz: "Stay the course is sort of an odd thing to say, right?"
[22:07]

The dialogue emphasizes the complexities of team management and the fine line between maintaining consistency and adapting to challenges.

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Live Programming and the Future of Sports Media

Towards the latter part of the episode, the conversation shifts to the evolving landscape of sports programming and media consumption. Chris Cody and the hosts debate the necessity of live audiences and the role of corporate influence in sports broadcasts:

Chris Cody: "The future of sports doesn't require fans to be in attendance and it doesn't even require fans to be watching on television. It's just all programming."
[32:15]

Dan Le Batard contrasts live sports with other forms of live programming, emphasizing the unique engagement sports offer:

Dan Le Batard: "Sports are unique because you obviously don't want to know who wins it, like after it happens. It gets spoiled for you."
[36:38]

The discussion touches upon the importance of maintaining live elements to preserve the excitement and unpredictability that make sports a staple in American entertainment.

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Notable Quotes

• Stugotz: "There is more pressure in this seat being the second guy instead of the third guy. It's like there's more pressure batting third in the lineup than batting eighth."
  [02:33]

• Greg Cody: "You don't coach if you don't have enough."
  [22:42]

• Dan Le Batard: "I think third's probably more stressful than second, though."
  [03:04]

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Conclusion

"The Pressure of The Second Seat" episode offers a compelling blend of humor, personal stories, and insightful sports analysis. By dissecting the nuances of team roles, sharing amusing personal experiences, and debating the future of sports media, Dan Le Batard and Stugotz provide listeners with a rich and engaging narrative that both entertains and informs. Whether discussing the pressures within sports lineups or the shifting paradigms of media consumption, the episode encapsulates the show's signature lively and thoughtful discourse.

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Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

You're listening to Giraffe Kings Network. Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?

[Stugotz]

Yeah, sold it to Carvana.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.

[Stugotz]

The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency, no interest over 36 months. Yeah, no. Carvana gave me an offer in minutes, picked it up and paid me on the spot. It was so convenient.

[Dan Le Batard]

Just like that?

[Stugotz]

Yep.

[Dan Le Batard]

No hassle?

[Chris Cody]

None.

[Dan Le Batard]

That is super convenient. Sell your car to Carvana and swap. Hassle. For convenience, pickup fees may apply.

[Mike Ryan]

Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?

[Chris Cody]

Cuervo. Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out, especially for one of our great partners.

[Chris Cody]

Sweet, delicious Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.

[Chris Cody]

Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

So enjoy the tequila that started it all.

[Chris Cody]

Cuervo. Cuervo.

[Mike Ryan]

The tequila that invented tequila. Proximo. Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.

[Chris Cody]

Cuervo. Shadow Show.

[Stugotz]

Shadow Show.

[Chris Cody]

Shadow Show.

[Billy Gil]

Shadow Show.

[Stugotz]

Shadow Show.

[Billy Gil]

Shadow Show.

[Chris Cody]

Shadow Show.

[Stugotz]

Shadowing it.

[Chris Cody]

I don't know if this is true or not, but I've been told by informed sources that Greg Cody doesn't like the pressure of the second seat.

[Stugotz]

Who told you that? I want to know your source.

[Chris Cody]

Is it true or is it untrue? Or you just want me to betray my sources because I feel pretty confident in my sources. That you feel like the third seat is the place that you do your best work. There is less pressure and that you deflate whenever you come in and you hear, as many of us do, as many in the audience do, that Stuart is not here.

[Stugotz]

Wow. Isn't he Stu?

[Mike Ryan]

Who?

[Stugotz]

I'm kidding. I don't deflate. However, it is more pressure in this seat. You know, I'm used to staring the show because of the the Greg Cody show podcast, which has my name in it. So it indicates that twice.

[Chris Cody]

The Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody with Greg Cody.

[Stugotz]

Right. But no, I'm. I'm. I'm thrilled to be in this seat. Honored to be in the stot seat.

[Chris Cody]

So you're denying what sources say? Well, you just confirmed it beforehand and then you denied it.

[Stugotz]

What I confirmed was that there's more pressure in this seat being the second guy instead of the third guy. It's like there's more pressure batting third in the lineup than batting eighth. You know that, that kind of thing.

[Greg Cody]

What about batting second and batting third? Not much difference.

[Stugotz]

Leadoff. The only pressure spots in a, in a baseball lineup are batting first, third and fourth.

[Greg Cody]

What?

[Stugotz]

It just doesn't make sense. Everything else is gravy, you know, that kind of thing. Because you know, if you're batting seventh or eighth, you're, you're on a holiday.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, but nobody expects anything after a certain inning. You could be batting fourth that inning.

[Stugotz]

Well, that's true. You know, the, the guy batting 8th could bat 4th that inning.

[Chris Cody]

Right.

[Greg Cody]

So what are you doing?

[Billy Gil]

And you know that the best hitter in a lineup now, more often than not back second.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

It's a new thing.

[Stugotz]

Is that right?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, it's new.

[Stugotz]

When did that happen?

[Billy Gil]

About a decade ago.

[Stugotz]

Really? And what's the rationale behind that?

[Greg Cody]

More at bats. Over a long season, you get like 40 or 50 more bats.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think third's probably more stressful than second, though.

[Stugotz]

I would think so too.

[Dan Le Batard]

But that's.

[Stugotz]

No, you're right. I mean, we're on the same page on that one. Second. That's an easy spot. You know, if the leadoff guy gets on, you're in a no lose situation. You know, you bunt. Anybody still bunt. The sacrifice bunt used to be a.

[Greg Cody]

Thing like Ohtani bets leadoff. Some managers just go with, if I bat him first over the course of a long season, he's going to get X more at bats, so I'm going to put him first.

[Stugotz]

Back in the day, if you batted a home run hitter leadoff, you were laughed at. You were laughed out of the league. It never happened.

[Chris Cody]

Can I, can I ask you just a quick question here? How is it possible that you have been trudging out to Marlins games for the last 10 years and it has escaped your attention that the best hitter in baseball now hits second?

[Stugotz]

I don't acknowledge it. I don't think it's true. Is there any quantifiable proof to that name? Name one team.

[Chris Cody]

Yes, it's all of the best hitter batting every team.

[Dan Le Batard]

Name one good hitter on the Marlins. How would he know what a good hitter is?

[Stugotz]

No, you can't. I mean, it's ridiculous.

[Chris Cody]

The Marlins, Craig, how do you not know this? You've been, you've been going to baseball games for the last 10 years.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, long enough to have earned a Hall of Fame vote.

[Chris Cody]

How do you not know that baseball has switched to its best hitter now? I do love when Baseball brilliant. People suddenly discover, oh, yeah, get our best hitter. More bats. Like we've been doing it wrong for 100 years.

[Greg Cody]

Vlad Guerrero Jr. With the Blue Jays one of their best series. Batting second in their projected starting lineup. Gunner Henderson for the Orioles, batting leadoff.

[Stugotz]

Never heard of him.

[Chris Cody]

Guerrero projected as batting second for someone other than the Blue Jays.

[Billy Gil]

We're going to skip past. He's never heard of Gunnar Henderson.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, well, we're going to just start the show and see where we end up with him not feeling at all the pressure of being the second chair. This is the Dan Levatar show with.

[Stugotz]

The Stu Guts podcast.

[Chris Cody]

We're in for an experience today because if you guys are not aware of what happened to Greg Cody the week before his annual I'm going on cruise and all I care about is just please put me at a bar for seven days so I can stand in the middle of the sea drinking from the drink package. Greg Cody tends to mail it in right before that annual trip. He is already sort of. He's sailed to sea on vacation. Chris, are you taking this trip with him? Is this another family trip? How often do you. Does your father lean on you or get carried back to his room by you? Because that free drink package is something that he really, he. He attacks with vigor.

[Greg Cody]

I'm going to give him credit. I rarely have to carry him back to the room. I would say that there's a lot of pointing. We go the elevator that way. That. That's the way down towards your room.

[Stugotz]

A cruise ship for those who haven't cruise shipped.

[Greg Cody]

Long hallways.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, long ass hallways. And depending on what flight of stairs you walk up, you're never quite sure. Are you starboard? Are you the other.

[Greg Cody]

You know, there's pictures clearly that say that near the elevators, that kind of thing.

[Chris Cody]

Do you know where you're going?

[Stugotz]

We're going to the Caribbean.

[Chris Cody]

Be more specific.

[Stugotz]

Saint Kit kits. Whatever. Saint Kitts. Okay, that sounds like a small island. That's a name that implies it's a very, very small island.

[Greg Cody]

Yo, you nailed it.

[Stugotz]

Okay. Saint Kitts and something. Tobago.

[Yeti]

Nevis.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, we are not going to Trinidad and Tobago.

[Yeti]

They have a nice rainforest there.

[Stugotz]

Where? Nevis.

[Yeti]

No, in St. Kitts.

[Stugotz]

Oh, okay.

[Yeti]

Yeah, you can zip line. It's fun.

[Stugotz]

Nevis doesn't even sound like the name of a country.

[Yeti]

Okay, great.

[Chris Cody]

I was told, Nexus, that Greg Cody, the Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody has a reveal today that was both embarrassing to you and that you didn't realize until several minutes after announcing it that it should be embarrassing to you.

[Stugotz]

Why? What do you. I don't know what you're talking about.

[Chris Cody]

Well, that you. You apparently reveal when you lost your virginity on the latest episode of the Greg Cody Show. Featuring Greg Cody.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, it's an estimate. You know, who can remember that far back, to be honest with you? I mean, you know, it's so, you know, I could have been off by a year. I think I might have been a year younger than I. Fascinated.

[Chris Cody]

How did this come up?

[Stugotz]

Well, we have a. A March Madness special that dropped today and yesterday. Y. And by that, I mean we don't talk about college basketball at all. But I do my Mount Greg more, which as everyone knows, is a top five, not a top four. I do my mount Greg more of marches, brackets, baskets and balls. And under the category of March, those.

[Greg Cody]

Top five marches of all time.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, I happened to lose my virginity in the month of March, as I recall. And so that was one of the five marches. And there's a poll online today under my Twitter feed. It's always Twitter to me. Still not X. That includes a vote on which of the five is. Should be the number one seed.

[Greg Cody]

March, March 77. Running away with it.

[Stugotz]

I think it was 76.

[Greg Cody]

It was 77. You're just embarrassed about this now.

[Stugotz]

I'm not. I was in my early 20s. I'm, you know, it happens. I don't lie like most people.

[Greg Cody]

You know, everyone else is lying.

[Stugotz]

I mean, I think, why would I be embarrassed about that? You know, I hadn't found anybody, or should I say no one had found me? You know, I was playing stratomatic baseball when I should have been dating in high school. What can I say? You know, I'm living my life. I'm doing all the best I can.

[Chris Cody]

Your son said that. Afterward you were sheepish and wandering around saying, is 23 old to be losing your virginity?

[Stugotz]

Well, Christopher was howling with laughter as if it was like, abnormally old. Maybe it is, I don't know. But say I don't. I'm not swayed by whatever anybody else thinks. Like you say I should be embarrassed by that.

[Chris Cody]

I didn't say you should be. I didn't say you should be embarrassed by that. I said that it was reported that you were embarrassed by that.

[Greg Cody]

For the time, that feels a little late for me. I'm not shaming you like a lot of people wait for marriage. There are a lot of reasons to not do that. But I just, you know, I. It was just funny to me because you, I think, thought that that was.

[Chris Cody]

You thought it was okay at the beginning. And then you were meant to feel shame that you didn't feel like feeling. And now you're defiant about not having felt that shame because you're just sort of covering up and hiding the shame.

[Stugotz]

Well, way to psychoanalyze me, you know, without.

[Chris Cody]

But that's just. I just gave a timeline. I just gave a timeline of factual information.

[Stugotz]

I was somewhat surprised by Christopher's reaction because to me, I have never. And. And still don't think of it as abnormal. You know, somebody.

[Greg Cody]

So it was the FAU dorms.

[Chris Cody]

It was afterward. If he's 23, he's out of college.

[Greg Cody]

It took him a while to get on college.

[Stugotz]

It took me a while. Keep in mind I worked for the Miami Herald. They had me work 39 hours a week so that I was essentially full time. But they didn't have to pay me like a full time employee or start my benefits clock.

[Chris Cody]

That should have been your first warning that journalism was trying to do it on the cheap.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, but back then it was the heyday of journalism. Are you kidding me? 70s and 80s, that's when we were king. But what is a heyday? Heyday?

[Chris Cody]

Is that for horses?

[Stugotz]

Is that for horses like on days?

[Chris Cody]

I don't know, but I don't know what a heyday actually is. Hey.

[Stugotz]

No, because it's H e y. It's not H a y.

[Chris Cody]

So what is it? What is a heyday?

[Stugotz]

A heyday is. Is the best of times.

[Chris Cody]

I know, I know.

[Yeti]

What I think it has to do with Willie Mays.

[Chris Cody]

No, I don't.

[Stugotz]

Heyday, kids.

[Yeti]

That's right.

[Dan Le Batard]

Speaking of heyday and journalism, there was a Yale Review story that I saw yesterday that said Vanity Fair's heyday. And the guy in it, Graydon Carter, for 25 years was the editor there and made $166,000 per article that he wrote. And he wrote like three articles a year and was just raking in cash.

[Stugotz]

Wow.

[Dan Le Batard]

That was the heyday of journalism.

[Stugotz]

That's crazy. I probably get about $78 an column.

[Chris Cody]

I want to go through again. What is on the Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody. You said top five marches.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, final five marches. Brackets, baskets and balls, Brass five brackets of all time.

[Greg Cody]

Or is that like tournament years? Like, I love the 99 NCAA bracket. Like, what does that even mean?

[Stugotz]

No, it's, it's. I. I'll give you an example. One of my top five brackets is the Carpenters. Know it well, the angle bracket, which is a classic 90 degree bracket which affixes together two different types of wood. I was making my. I once had a tall table around my avocado tree and I used angle brackets to attach the tabletop to the 4x4 legs. That's an example of a classic bracket that nobody ever gives respect to. Nobody knows what an angle bracket is.

[Chris Cody]

I've got to tell you, I'm shocked that you would be so ambitious as to think you could find five brackets. And the reason this has made the top five is because of how hard it is to find top five brackets.

[Yeti]

Not a. No, it's not a carpenter over here. He doesn't know there's brackets aplenty.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, there really are.

[Yeti]

You could do brackets for days.

[Greg Cody]

Give another bracket, give another, give another teaser.

[Stugotz]

I believe there. I think one of them was the short lived television show called Brackets. Yep, that was on there.

[Billy Gil]

Did you include the brackets? Braces. Right where you. That's where you sort of put like the rubber bands when you're trying to fix the way that your overbite might work.

[Stugotz]

That did not make the.

[Billy Gil]

Wow. Oh, a lot.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's got to be a bottom bracket though, those things.

[Stugotz]

Well, keep in mind it's tough to make a final five. It's tough to make amount Greg five and.

[Chris Cody]

But that is not the way that is said amount Greg 5.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, Greg 4.

[Chris Cody]

What is the name of it? What is it? It is not a Mount Greg 5, is it?

[Stugotz]

I don't know.

[Greg Cody]

Greg Moore is his top five.

[Chris Cody]

Greg, it is so great to see you on your own podcast that has your own name twice always go, I don't know. What is it about this thing that I do, Chris? Tell me more about it. I can't be bothered to answer questions or retain information about my own podcast. And you just point to your son and say, I don't know, Chris. Go ahead and tell him what I think about things.

[Stugotz]

Well, that's, that's. He's my executive producer. I pay him as such and sometimes I rely on him to fill in the details.

[Chris Cody]

Chris, you just rolled your eyes that he pays you at.

[Greg Cody]

I mean, he knows how I feel about that. Okay, different conversations.

[Stugotz]

But anyway.

[Chris Cody]

Well, wait, wait, what? No, it's not a different conversation. It's the one I want to have now where he thinks he's paying you well and you think he's not. So he, he just, he just said, I don't have to retain my own thoughts because of how well I pay my executive producer, who then rolled his eyes at how well he's not paid.

[Stugotz]

Well, he's feeling a little bit entitled. I'm gonna. If I ask Christopher how much time he devotes to the Greg Cody show podcast on a weekly basis, I don't know whether he's gonna exaggerate it or not. I'm saying some weeks it's maybe an.

[Greg Cody]

Hour of actual recording, you know, then there's creative, like, thinking about the show.

[Chris Cody]

Creative. Repeating your thoughts that you can't retain for yourself.

[Greg Cody]

Stupid call. You and YETI want to have every Wednesday.

[Stugotz]

The point? A stupid call called an organizational meeting.

[Chris Cody]

O wow. You like meetings for your own show.

[Stugotz]

We have a phone meeting. We don't have a meeting where we're all in a room.

[Greg Cody]

Here's the meeting.

[Stugotz]

Saying anything that's worthwhile.

[Greg Cody]

Here's the meeting. Greg Cody goes. We should have a guest this week. Like 30 minutes.

[Billy Gil]

Christopher, get on it.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, it makes it.

[Yeti]

Who books the guest, Christopher or Yeti?

[Stugotz]

Both, sometimes.

[Yeti]

If there was budget cuts and you had to choose one, Christopher or yeti? In terms of who is more responsible for the putting out of the Greg Cody show with Greg Cody, Good question. Who would you choose?

[Stugotz]

That's a tough answer because Christopher is the second in command on air, like he's my Robin to Batman. But Yeti does most of the producing work, most of the social media work and stuff like that. So I need both.

[Chris Cody]

So, Yeti, which of your top fives did you feel the best about? Balls, brackets, baskets or marches? Or marches.

[Stugotz]

I think all four of them came out fabulously. The idea for this was Christopher's, but my execution was top notch. And I would not say that if I didn't believe it.

[Greg Cody]

Will loose. Will Lucille Ball appear in top five.

[Stugotz]

Balls of all time? You know, she was very important in my life. I love Lucy. I mean, Lucy and Ricky, you know, that was ahead of its time. Ricky, a Cuban guy speaking in a very thick accent, almost like poppy, maybe more so. And that was a time in TV when there were very few people of color or, you know, foreign nations on tv. So that was. That was trailblazing. Lucille Ball, one of the great women, dynamic women of the entire 20th century. Politics, screen. No matter what the category is, she was just fantastic. So chances are I'm hinting that she might have been one of the. One of the final five.

[Chris Cody]

Seems like stronger than a hint. It suggests that if we tune in to the Greg Cody show featuring Greg Cody, there will be prominent placement where we would get some redundancy on what you just said about your admiration for Lucille Ball.

[Greg Cody]

You want to reveal one of the baskets. Now I feel like we've dipped our toe in each one. I don't know the Lucille Ball. I don't want to give it away.

[Chris Cody]

I want to get to Billy's. I want to get to Billy's tournament here, which we have not updated, which begins on Thursday. Our March Sadness Tournament, that involves the fans. That's something that we must get to at some point today. But also I wanted to get to the fact that Jessica spent an hour recently just listening to Jeremy, and that sounds like that could awful. Well, if. Unless it's a back and forth listening, just listening to him talk for an hour, listening to anybody talk for an hour can get droning.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, that's true, Dan. So yesterday, Lehman and I got tickets to unrivaled courtesy of DraftKings. It was the final, so we had to drive all the way to medley, which is not a short drive in rush hour traffic. And Lehman turned on his favorite Knicks podcast because the Knicks were playing the Heat last night at Madison Square Garden. And we turned it on in the Knicks. Knicks Film School, I think it's called. And Jeremy was the guest. And so he turned it on and I was like, oh, you know, it'll be a short drive. We'll listen to 20 minutes of this. Well, no, it was. It took like an hour and a half to get to medley, which is like west of Doral. Like, it's not close. And so I listened to an entire hour of Jeremy break down the Miami Heat in the car while we sat in traffic in the baking hot afternoon sun.

[Billy Gil]

Did you love it?

[Dan Le Batard]

I, you know, I want to do the bit and say, no, you're annoying, but actually, like, when he's not being interrupted and purposely being annoying, it was, it was pretty informative, I hate to say.

[Yeti]

And how did that play out based on the results? Because the Heat, Tracy Morgan last night.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, well, Jeremy actually was 100% correct in his analysis of win the Heat, lose every game. Jeremy, if you want to jump in here. So I don't get it wrong, it's not that they're like starting out the games and their ass the entire four quarters. They're actually, like playing well and then they sort of like lose the plot in the second quarter and then get blown out in the third quarter.

[Billy Gil]

That's exactly right. They start the game hot. Starting lineup, kind of no matter what.

[Greg Cody]

The starting LineUp has been recently 9, 990.

[Billy Gil]

It was 120 last night and they were up, I believe, 2714. And then they brought in A certain backup point guard, and things went awry and all of a sudden it was 33, 31. And this has been the issue for Miami. They go up 13, they go up 17, and they haven't been skilled enough to end teams early in the game. Go up 20, 30, they let teams get back into it and you have a single digit score at the half and then everything goes awry in the second half.

[Yeti]

So as an unbiased member of the media, would you say it's coaching is to blame or is it roster construction, lack of talent? Like, as someone who's just, you know, fairly judging the teams and their failures, what would you say is the reason and how do you fix that?

[Billy Gil]

A little bit of column A, a little bit of column B, a little bit of column C, everybody's failing right now. They've lost eight games in a row. It's the most games in a row Eric Spoelstra has ever lost as a head coach.

[Chris Cody]

No, he sounds. He sounds broke, sounds sad. People are trying. Getting tired of the trust.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, Jeremy Cortez, you. Which.

[Stugotz]

Who.

[Billy Gil]

Who's broken and sad?

[Chris Cody]

Oh, Eric Spoelstra sounds broken and sad. Let's play the sound of Eric Spoelstra sounding. You know, we're pretty annoyed at this point, hearing this coach talk with these words because it doesn't sound as brilliant or entertaining when they're not in the finals.

[Jeremy]

That's the thing that we've been trying to. We've been racking our time, our brains, everything, you know, trying to find solutions for that. We have not come up with solutions and we've pretty much tried everything. That's why I say I haven't been out being able to come up with, you know, solutions for that. This has been one of the biggest challenges, you know, of a regular season that I've been a part of. And we just have to stay the course, you know, this is the NBA, you know, so we'll have another game, you know, on Wednesday night.

[Chris Cody]

They have blown more leads than anybody in the league. They've now tied Utah for most blown double digit leads. And as Jeremy mentioned, Eric Spoelstra has never lost this many games in a row. And he's wearing it.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, stay the course is sort of an odd thing to say, right?

[Chris Cody]

Well, he's just used to saying it. Like there are certain phrases that he has. We can. Jeremy. Jeremy. I believe a number of Heat fans can do a top five of phrases they are done hearing Eric Spoelstra say. But he's so used to saying it that yes, you need a different course. Go to a different course. Whether it's a path or whether it's an instruct that someone's going to teach you. You're in the wrong course. You're in the wrong classroom.

[Greg Cody]

We have enough. Is one of his hits. They don't right now. No, you don't coach.

[Stugotz]

Right.

[Greg Cody]

You don't have enough.

[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, sure thing. Hey, you sold that car yet?

[Stugotz]

Yeah, sold it to Carvana.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, I thought you were selling to that guy.

[Stugotz]

The guy who wanted to pay me in foreign currency, no interest over 36 months. Yeah, no. Carvana gave me an offer in minutes, picked it up and paid me on the spot. It was so convenient.

[Dan Le Batard]

Just like that.

[Greg Cody]

Yep.

[Dan Le Batard]

No hassle.

[Chris Cody]

None.

[Dan Le Batard]

That is super convenient. Sell your car to Carvana and swap hassle for convenience. Pickup fees may apply.

[Billy Gil]

Hey, friends, it's Jerbear here and I'm here to tell you all about Boost Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network. So I must take a break from the jokes here for a second and put on my serious voice because I would never, ever joke about a 5G network that has invested billions building 5G towers across the country. Not even once. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to There is nothing funny about it. Boost Mobile is now a legit nationwide 5G network and also provides coverage across 99% of America. Seriously? Visit boostmobile.com or your nearest Boost Mobile store location to learn more. The Boost Mobile network, together with our roaming partners, covers 99% of the US population. 5G speeds not available in all areas.

[Stugotz]

Don LeBatard what do I got here? I got a Magnum condom. We won't get that out.

[Chris Cody]

That's shocking. Stugats.

[Stugotz]

Here's a picture of Christopher when he was like three years old.

[Chris Cody]

Right next to the condom.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Yeti]

Never forget it. This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Stugotz]

I do give him credit for honesty because you, as you said, you rarely hear any coach at any level in any sport say something to the effect I'm out of answers. We've tried everything and nothing's working. Well, the last essentially what he said.

[Chris Cody]

The last two games, they're not really in them. Like, whether you start or not, you're losing the games by 20 points to Memphis and New York. That's different. The There were a couple of odd basketball results last night, right? Denver ends up winning at Golden State.

[Billy Gil]

Sucks for the warriors, huh? They're terrible. Stinks for Jimmy Butler, man. Crazy.

[Chris Cody]

They lost a game without Jokic Character without Jamal Murray. It's the one that, you know, gets interrupted around here and isn't allowed to speak for.

[Dan Le Batard]

Why are you like this? You are so normal on that podcast.

[Billy Gil]

Sorry, everything's tough here.

[Chris Cody]

Jamal Murray doesn't play. Jokic doesn't play. And then after the game, Cur says of Curry, we need to get him rest. He's tired. Curry says, I'm not tired. My back hurts. And then Kerr says he's been carrying the team for a month. And then you get the weird result of Indiana beating Minnesota when everyone is watching Minnesota and saying, huh, they might be playing recently, over the last six weeks. Like they can climb into a championship conversation that only has four or five teams in it. But Minnesota loses at home because, of course, Obi Toppin and Indiana. I would love to have Indiana as my team. I would love if, if I can't have a championship team, something that looks or feels like Detroit or Indiana is something that I would love to be watching, falling in love with because of. Because they can play in a game like that on the road against Minnesota and put up 132 points because they're going to get their offense against anybody.

[Billy Gil]

What's crazy for Obi Toppin is he had a Historic night last night in Pacers history. Not only did he hit the game winner, but he joined Paul George as the only Pacers ever to have multiple games in a season with 30 plus points, 10 plus rebounds and 5 plus made threes. Like Obi Toppin is having one of the special Pacer seasons. It's so bizarre.

[Greg Cody]

Maybe Mike tries to sell it now. Oh, then better time than ever.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dan. I feel like you could just jump on the Pacers bandwagon. Like no one's going to judge you for it. Just.

[Chris Cody]

I feel like I just did just do it. You. I don't know whether you were jumping on the unrivaled bandwagon last night, but was that your first game attending? Because what you got was a stunner in the final, right? Like that's Nafisa Collier's team, the Owls. They had only lost one time all season and they were leading in that game by 20 points. That is an inventive experiment, by the way, that John Skipper and others are investing in. Steph Curry is one of the investors as a made for television event that is allowed to. That is created to bolster an economy outside of the WNBA for women who are complaining about their pay have been right to complain about their pay. And now recent others are mentioning the idea of, you know, creating a work stoppage in order to make sure they are paid better. So this league is a made for television event. Has been. What kind of success can we say? Because in terms of conversation, they've gotten a lot of conversation. And if you don't need fans are just existing as a tournament that's meant to be televised because people need programming. This seems like a smart idea with women who are underpaid taking their fame, putting the. I've heard that they've got these great facilities and stuff, but there is a little bit of cabin fever because as you said, it's medley. It's not a part of Miami that most that anybody is traveling to for tourism. It's over by the airport. It's a place where my father grew up working in factories. There's just not a lot over there. Except for a number of enormously famous women basketball players who are better than most people in the world.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. So the vinyl upset the Owls in the semifinals. So last night was Rose versus vinyl and the Rose one, it's Chelsea Gray's team. She was the MVP of the final game. It was a lot of fun. Like you said, it's a made for TV event because it's not in a huge arena it's in like a soundstage and there's not, I don't know the total seat count, but it's very small. But the in arena atmosphere is actually really fun and there are tons of fans there. It was just a really like entertaining environment. Tons of celebrities there. Dwyane Wade and Gabby Union were there. Asia Wilson was there. Francis Tiafa was there. There's a lot of celebrities courtside watching the final last night. So it was really fun. I think the basketball itself has been really fun to watch because it's three on three, but it's not half court three on three. It's like a condensed against like two thirds court. They have a target score, fourth quarter, you know, ending. So every game ends on a buzzer beater, a game winning shot, which is really exciting. The pace of play is really fast because it's three on three. So they're, you know, constantly running the court. And so it's been really fun to watch. It's been fun to watch like the sort of like crossover teammate, you know, like teammates that have never played together before. Coming together and playing together on a team like this, in this like small setting is cool. So I think fans have really enjoyed it, especially because usually in the WNBA off season, your favorite players are abroad. You might not get to watch all their games. And so this has been on TV a couple nights a week and has been easy to follow. And there's like tons of, you know, engagement coming out of it. And I think from what I understand, the players feel like, you know, they're getting like an ownership stake in the league, so they feel like a sense of ownership over it and like making it, it fun for the fans. And I think you can really tell that like this is a fun thing to get people engaged and get people excited about it. Made me really excited for the start of the WNBA season.

[Chris Cody]

It is easier, obviously, to just take a couple of concentrated months where you can make some money outside of the season and you don't have to go and run the risk of ending up in a Russian jail the way Brittney Griner did. Because you're trying to get money overseas, because they pay better overseas. But when you say it's a sound stage, a warehouse, do you feel while you're in it that it's not quite an arena, that the, that the fans make it an arena or the environment makes it an arena, but that you might as well be on the soundstage of a game show?

[Dan Le Batard]

No, actually they, they make it really feel like it's an arena, it's just not, you know, it's not like 20,000 people. It's like a thousand people or whatever it is. But like the. There are some really bad in arena DJs and entertainment in basketball. I will not name names, but whoever they have doing all of the in game stuff for unrivaled is very good at it. So like it doesn't feel like you're on a TV set at all actually. Just feels like you're in a small arena. I've been to a number of college basketball games in the last year and this unrivaled in stadium in arena was much more lively and exciting and was like a fraction of the number of people that have been at those games. So I really enjoyed it. I didn't know what to expect because it is not a lot of people. And like the farthest seat from the court is I think they said 20ft away. Like it's really, really close. But the energy is great. I mean three on three basketball is really fun. I enjoyed watching it during the Olympics this past summer. So I was a little bit familiar with like how the pace of play works. But this is not quite the same rules as that. This is more of a full court experience. So I just really enjoyed like Chelsea Gray is I think like the perfect athlete for this format because she's so good at that like shot creation. She can shoot from anywhere on the court, she can pass really well. And so I think it was very fitting that her team won and she was the MVP angel. Reese was out last night because she re injured her wrist, I believe. But she was the defensive player of the year and unrivaled. And so that was, you know, she helped that team get to the, you know, championship game. So it's a bummer that she wasn't there. But I think, you know, it just sort of highlights different characteristics of players that, that maybe don't always come out in five on five basketball and like really shows how different, different skills are more important there. And like being able to play two ways in three on three is super important because you're constantly hustling back and forth. It's an 18 second shot clock, it's moving really, really fast. You're just running up and down the court like constantly.

[Stugotz]

It's amazing that the league was this successful after they tried so hard and gave the moon, offered the moon to Caitlin Clark to play. And she's really the one prominent player who said no thanks, but it was a great season anyway. Good for the league. That The Lunar Owls lost because most of the regular season it looked like they were going to waltz to the championship almost uncontested. They were 13. 1. The next best record in the regular season was 7. 7. They ran away with it. And the fact that they lost in the semis was great. But that place seats 850 people and I don't know how they can sustain that formula because the bigger they get, the more popular they get. There's going to be a demand beyond.

[Chris Cody]

The I will keep saying to you guys that the future of sports doesn't require fans to be in attendance and it doesn't even require fans to be watching on television. It's just all programming. And the television streamers need the programming. Sports is one of the few places where people tune in at the appointed time. Like there's so few right now. What are they? Name all of the others. Like I know occasionally Max has on Sunday nights something that everyone's watching, whether it's Game of Thrones. Actually, you'd be surprised how low the numbers are on something like Succession or something like White Lotus. But I don't even know what I would say. Is it award shows? What in. In programming, what is second place to sports on thing that you do not on your time? You go and make sure that you are there. America goes and makes sure it is at the television. When sports or something like sports summons us, it's no longer. We have moved so far everywhere in America into convenience. Bezos is basically everything that he is because he's better at convenience than everyone else. So what's second place here on something that all of you feel like you have to watch and be a part of at the time? The watch so that you can talk about it with your friends as it's happening and you don't feel like you're left behind by it?

[Dan Le Batard]

Jeremy said, like maybe award shows fit in that category because I think the reason sports are unique is because you obviously don't wanna who wins it, like after it happens. Like if you don't watch it live, then it gets spoiled for you and other things don't. So you can watch it on your own time. Unless you're listening to this show and you haven't seen the Righteous Gemstones or White Lotus yet, in which case it will get spoiled for you on Monday morning.

[Stugotz]

Yeah, you spoiled gemstones, but I think.

[Chris Cody]

You did because there's a front. There's a frontal nudity scene. Frontal.

[Dan Le Batard]

It would have been better if I didn't know it was coming, but I knew it was coming and I was like, there's gonna be a penis soon. And then I saw it and I was like, well, I knew that was going to happen. I was still like, huh? Oh my God. But it would have been different if I didn't know anyways. I think unrivaled is different though, Dan, because, like, it's a limited, it's a limited season. It's not like the full year. It's. It's very like small. And I think it works for what they're trying to create. I think that, like, if the WNBA went to empty arenas and empty stadiums and no one was watching it, like, yeah, that would, that would matter and it would suck for fans. Like, I think the reason that the WNBA has been so exciting the last few years is because they have been packing arenas, they've been breaking a tent attendance records in various cities. So I think, you know, having fans at the games does still really matter to the television.

[Chris Cody]

Oh, I agree. No, but it just, it doesn't matter to the business, that's all. It doesn't matter all that much to the business.

[Billy Gil]

Well, and when you're talking about trying to get eyeballs at a specific time, like Netflix is trying this right now, last week they debuted John Mulaney's new show, Everybody's Live, where they took something that they did for a week and had people tuning in every night for one week. Now they're, I believe this is going to be a 1212 week run where every Wednesday night they're doing something live. And the way they're producing that show is such a, honestly not dissimilar to this, where it's this high wire act of are they going to mess something up? And watching that live, I find myself as someone who knows I could watch it the next day or the day after purposefully tuning in live because. Because I kind of want to see if they can pull it off. And that type of programming is interesting. Seeing a late night show that is putting themselves in the position to not just be clips.

[Chris Cody]

I thought something interesting that happened recently because of all the money that Netflix is pouring into live and the danger of live. I saw that Kill Tony is now doing a version of its show for Netflix that begins in April. And that Kill Tony's fans are beside themselves with anger about having to show share that with. The biggest thing that they feel that Kill Tony will end up getting diluted by whatever they believe, I guess, is the corporate interference of Netflix, an interference that they're assuming that I have yet to see play out anywhere with Netflix in terms of content control. I found myself actually confused. Even while understanding that when you have your own little thing, that when you have the indie band and then everyone makes the indie band popular, it can be something that first arrivers don't like so much, I found confusing. Do any of you like Kill Tony, watch Kill Tony, or fear that Kill Tony will be diluted by the Netflix experience? Because it's something I'm hearing a lot about, but I'm not a Kill Tony person.

[Greg Cody]

I've seen clips of it. I don't watch episodes, but, yeah, I mean, I think you're right. It's just audiences want their thing to be theirs.

[Billy Gil]

It's also oversight. Right? Like, we all saw what happened when Tony Hinchcliffe got a national microphone and the way that people reacted to that. And I would imagine the people watching Kill Tony who hear those types of jokes all the time know that when it gets to mainstream and when it gets to Netflix, either some of that stuff around the periphery is gonna get squashed out in the mainstream, or it's gonna kill Tony.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, so that fear, what are you doing, dad? Wasn't it prevalent for Pat McAfee as well? And has it to date not been misguided, that particular fear of, oh, now it's going to become a corporate thing and change, but it hasn't actually changed. Right.

[Billy Gil]

McAfee's tame in comparison to what we're talking about.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, but not tame for Disney.

[Billy Gil]

No, but he's gotten away with a lot of stuff that normally wouldn't have happened at Disney. And then there were also conversations about. About Aaron Rodgers and others that changed because he was there. At the very least, it becomes a controversy, even if the end result remains the same way. Right.

[Chris Cody]

Okay, but whether there's a controversy or not, has it actually been changed as do do McAfee fans who feared that Disney would ruin their thing that curses and behaves differently and is outside of the mainstream, that fear to date has been misguided, has it not? Like, I understand. I understand why it is that people would fear corporate oversight. I don't understand why anyone would fear Netflix's corporate oversight. They have been a leader in terms of allowing comedians to do whatever the hell comedians want to do. Yeah, I think that's totally fair.

[Billy Gil]

You're right. And in that respect, I don't know that anything will change. I just think that I would imagine most of the people who have that specific niche audience that's watching Kill Tony on a regular basis are probably looking at any sort of corporation, any sort of mainstream anything. And what it's been for the last decade or so would mean that some of those jokes that are made on their show wouldn't get to a national platform. I think we've seen a shift. I think we've seen a shift in what's allowed and what's prevalent in our modern conversation. So maybe they won't have an issue. Issue.

[Stugotz]

I don't know. Kill Tony from Adam. I assume it's a very popular person or thing. So if you're buying. If you're Netflix buying that, why would you change what you know to be successful? If I'm Netflix, I'm saying, hey, kill Tony, don't. Not only don't change. Turn up the volume.

[Greg Cody]

I don't think they're saying that.

[Stugotz]

I mean, why wouldn't they? They know what they're buying. Controversy is good for business.

[Greg Cody]

I would be like, let's keep the volume right where you have it. We don't want to change you, but let's not go. Let's not go louder.

[Stugotz]

I'm just saying right here. It's good for business, right?

[Chris Cody]

Attention, attention.

[Stugotz]

Controversy.

[Chris Cody]

Attention. At the moment, I don't know that there's anything, including currency, more valuable as a currency made valuable by younger generations that make everything popular and just something that is valuable from everyone from Kill Tony to Elon Musk. No matter how much money you have, it appears to me that attention is the currency of the day.

[Greg Cody]

My Zion take, huh? Ahead of its time.

[Billy Gil]

That has aged so well. I mean, he's so right.

[Greg Cody]

That was seven years ago. You guys like. What are you guys talking about? Any pub is good pub.

[Chris Cody]

Again, not good for Nike.

[Billy Gil]

No, great for Nike. Everybody was talking about Nike. That's all that matters.

[Stugotz]

Yeah.

[Chris Cody]

Not good for Nike to.

[Stugotz]

Oh, Nike.

[Chris Cody]

You're right.

[Greg Cody]

They've been really hurt.

[Chris Cody]

Not good for Nike to have a shoe. Be something that could possibly injure the foot of Zion Williamson by not behaving as a competent shoe.

[Jessica]

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

[Dan Le Batard]

Did you hear that?

[Chris Cody]

Yep.

[Jessica]

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