Local Hour: You Gotta Be Schmidtin' Me

Summary

Podcast Title: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: Local Hour: You Gotta Be Schmidtin' Me
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Greg Cody, Mike Ryan, Jessica, Chris Cote, Stugotz, Roy Bellamy

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Introduction to the Episode

The episode kicks off with Dan Le Batard and his co-hosts diving straight into the heart of South Florida's vibrant sports scene, particularly focusing on the ongoing NHL playoff series between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Amidst light-hearted banter and personal anecdotes, the hosts navigate through intense sports analysis, the evolving landscape of sports journalism, and the interplay between personal biases and professional integrity.

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Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: An In-Depth Analysis

Current State of the Series

The primary focus of the discussion centers around the Panthers' surprising performance against the Lightning. Dan expresses skepticism about the Panthers' dominance, questioning the normalization of their success:

Dan Le Batard [12:10]: "This is the Dan LeBatard show with Stugots podcast... I expect Tampa to turn into something else in the playoffs. But Shador Sanders is now getting smeared anonymously even louder than before."

Greg Cody echoes similar sentiments, highlighting concerns about the quarterback draft and the overall quality of the current draft class:

Greg Cody [08:40]: "This is a terrible draft for quarterbacks... Maybe Shador Sanders will be lucky to go ninth to New Orleans after that."

Player Performances and Team Dynamics

The hosts delve into specific player performances, notably Matthew Tkachuk and Nate Schmidt, analyzing their impact on the series:

Mike Ryan [15:44]: "I was surprised to see how sharp Matthew Tkachuk looked. That goal in the crease where he had Vasilevsky clueless about his next move was phenomenal."

Jessica adds insights into team strategies, emphasizing the Panthers' disciplined play:

Jessica [14:25]: "John Cooper seemed panicked when he challenged that play which cost him another goal. It just seemed desperate right now."

Expectations for the Series

Dan remains cautious about the Panthers' trajectory, comparing their potential playoff journey to past experiences with other teams:

Dan Le Batard [16:57]: "Having seen Pavel Burry have great seasons and then get swept in the playoffs, not winning a single playoff game, these games are all close. That one wasn't."

Greg anticipates a long series, predicting a seven-game showdown:

Greg Cody [29:07]: "There's enough heavy metal and hard rock to last the entire playoffs. But I agree with Mike. It's going to go seven games."

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The Evolving Role of Sports Journalism

Impartiality and Bias in Reporting

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing the changing dynamics of sports journalism, especially concerning impartiality and personal biases. Greg Cody critiques the blurred lines between journalism and entertainment:

Greg Cody [40:24]: "If you tout your expertise while wearing a Panthers jersey, what you are is not impartial."

Dan challenges the notion of unbiased reporting in the modern media landscape:

Dan Le Batard [35:13]: "I believe we are no more united as a people as we are around... Let's just all complain about everything. It is the great sport."

Personal Anecdotes and Professional Integrity

The hosts share personal experiences to illustrate the challenges of maintaining journalistic integrity. Greg discusses his stance on impartiality and how personal affiliations influence his reporting:

Greg Cody [40:24]: "If you tout your expertise while wearing a Panthers jersey, what you are is not impartial. That's what you are."

Mike Ryan reflects on the necessity of transparency regarding personal biases:

Mike Ryan [45:05]: "People tend to confuse journalists and insiders... We have to realize that the dynamic has shifted."

The Intersection of Journalism and Entertainment

Chris Cote comments on the difficulty of balancing entertaining content with factual reporting:

Chris Cote [46:07]: "If you can be entertaining while also have a little bit of a reporting thread, or at least not spread misinformation. That's obviously a hard needle to thread."

Dan emphasizes the transformation of journalists into entertainers, citing examples like Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon:

Dan Le Batard [35:13]: "Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon were doing print journalism on television... That's where journalism died right there."

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Interactions and Rivalries Among Hosts

Professional Relationships and Conflicts

The episode delves into the personal dynamics between the hosts, highlighting tensions and rivalries, particularly between Greg Cody and other media figures like Zaslo:

Greg Cody [37:54]: "Zaslo can mock me, although I don't care if behind my back he gives you a snarky call about a column I've just written that he didn't like."

Dan and Greg engage in a spirited debate over journalistic impartiality, with Greg asserting his commitment to unbiased reporting despite personal affiliations:

Greg Cody [40:24]: "If you tout your expertise while wearing a Panthers jersey, what you are is not impartial. That's what you are."

Humorous Banter and Host Dynamics

The hosts maintain a light-hearted atmosphere through humorous exchanges, particularly when discussing personal quirks and preferences in music:

Greg Cody [25:00]: "Well, that's a hockey song. That's a hockey sound."

Dan Le Batard [26:32]: "But if you want to start with Queens of the Stone Age, you gotta build up to that."

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Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

As the episode draws to a close, the hosts reflect on the state of sports media, expressing both nostalgia and concern over its evolution:

Dan Le Batard [35:13]: "I feel like I have the exact crossroads for you on where all of these things intersected... The local sports columnist went national, became an entertainer..."

Greg Cody emphasizes the importance of maintaining fun while upholding journalistic standards:

Greg Cody [48:36]: "Well, it's not all about nobility, though. It's about fun, too."

Mike Ryan advocates for transparency and the acknowledgment of personal biases to enhance the authenticity of sports reporting:

Mike Ryan [49:45]: "I was wrong. There are impartial journalists... But we have lost our way here."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Greg Cody [08:40]: "This is a terrible draft for quarterbacks... Maybe Shador Sanders will be lucky to go ninth to New Orleans after that."

• Dan Le Batard [12:10]: "This is the gulf between the Celtics and the Heat now from when they were closed, and the gulf between the Lightning and the Panthers now..."

• Mike Ryan [15:44]: "I was surprised to see how sharp Matthew Tkachuk looked. That goal in the crease where he had Vasilevsky clueless about his next move was phenomenal."

• Greg Cody [40:24]: "If you tout your expertise while wearing a Panthers jersey, what you are is not impartial."

• Dan Le Batard [35:13]: "I feel like I have the exact crossroads for you on where all of these things intersected... The local sports columnist went national, became an entertainer..."

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Conclusion

"Local Hour: You Gotta Be Schmidtin' Me" presents a compelling blend of sports analysis and meta-discussion on the role of journalism in today's media landscape. Through lively debates and insightful commentary, Dan Le Batard and his co-hosts offer listeners a nuanced perspective on both the Florida Panthers' playoff run and the broader challenges facing sports journalists. The episode not only entertains but also encourages reflection on the integrity and evolution of sports media.

Transcript

[Mike Ryan]

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[Greg Cody]

Shadow Show, Shadow Show Shadow Show Shadow Show.

[Dan Le Batard]

Shadow Show, Shadow Show, Shadow Show Shadowing It.

[Greg Cody]

Shadowing it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Greg, Cody, we have missed you around here. You haven't been here for a couple of weeks after getting that flap, that awning removed from your belly button. Did you see what I just saw in the other room as Roy gets makeup? And I was told that our biggest makeup aficionados at Metal Arc Media are Mike Ryan and David Sampson, that they're the ones that most enjoy a good pampering and makeup. But. But I was shocked to see moments ago, Mike Ryan getting his elbows lubricated by Jess. He was getting lotions put on his elbows. That seemed extravagant to me.

[Greg Cody]

I don't care what my elbows look like. I've never raised them and looked at them in the mirror. I could have. I think I've got handsome elbows. But who cares about what an elbow looks like? I don't.

[Jessica]

I mean, you're hiding them right now for someone who's so proud of their elbows.

[Greg Cody]

I'm not proud, But I just have never been one to take pride in that particular body part.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, so you're saying you've never seen your elbows.

[Greg Cody]

I don't know what they look like.

[Jessica]

What body part do you take pride in?

[Greg Cody]

We don't want to get too personal.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, Anthony Edwards over here.

[Greg Cody]

I don't know how to answer that question. I have beautiful feet. I used to be a foot model.

[Dan Le Batard]

You don't have beautiful feet. You've got talons. You don't have beautiful feet. Back in the foot model day, you know how tired you are with this line. It. It's two lines that you have together.

[Greg Cody]

What's that?

[Dan Le Batard]

I have beautiful feet. Never ends. That thought I used to be a foot model has been coming after that for 30 years.

[Jessica]

What he says every time.

[Dan Le Batard]

You don't have beautiful feet. And that's a tired old line. Get a new one.

[Greg Cody]

Okay. It's the truth. I happen to be proud of it. I don't know if there's any other.

[Dan Le Batard]

You were not a foot model?

[Greg Cody]

I used to be.

[Jessica]

What year?

[Greg Cody]

In college age. Greg, you know.

[Dan Le Batard]

What were you doing as a foot model?

[Greg Cody]

It was. I was in a couple of magazine ads.

[Jessica]

The before.

[Greg Cody]

Sandals were big back then. I remember doing an ad for a sandal. You could ask my wife that.

[Jessica]

She.

[Greg Cody]

You know, I'm not making anything. Everybody thinks I make stuff up. You know, I. I say I was in a major motion picture. I didn't.

[Dan Le Batard]

How much were you paid to be a foot model?

[Greg Cody]

I think it was 75 bucks or something.

[Dan Le Batard]

Really? That's a golden age of foot modeling.

[Greg Cody]

Well, I mean, you know, there's a magazine ad or a newspaper ad or something. You know, you go. They shoot your foot for one hour and they give you a bunch of money and what seemed like a bunch of money at the time, and then you're. You go away and you forget about it for 40 years. But elbows. I just never think of my elbow. Never look at my elbow, never consider my elbow. What delineates between a great looking elbow and a below average looking elbow? I have no idea.

[Stugatz]

Was this for an ad for toenail fungus ointment?

[Greg Cody]

It would be. Now, to your point.

[Jessica]

Elbows get dry, to answer your question. And if you don't lotion them up, they can get kind of.

[Chris Cote]

Exactly.

[Jessica]

Yeah.

[Chris Cote]

The problem is no one really thinks of their elbows, which is why Jesse, our makeup artist, will give Mike a nice little rub of the elbow. I saw Mike this morning.

[Mike Ryan]

It ain't just me.

[Chris Cote]

No, it's not.

[Mike Ryan]

A lot of people subscribing to the. The full service elbow.

[Chris Cote]

I'm aquaphored up right now. All right. This morning, I saw Mike get more insecure than I've ever seen Mike get insecure in his whole life, because Jesse knows all of his weaknesses. She knows everything that makes him feel insecure. And she peeled some dry skin off of his ear, and he was mortified. And then she said, mike, did you piss yourself? And he looked down and there was a wet spot on his shirt and lower groin area. And he walked out of the room with his tail tucked between his legs like I've never seen in my life.

[Jessica]

And now we're talking about it on the show.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you, guys.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did you. Did you piss yourself?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, man, I pissed myself. It's a great segment we got here.

[Greg Cody]

Nothing wrong with that.

[Stugatz]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats podcast.

[Dan Le Batard]

Stugat's out again with a toothache. I'm pretty sure he's gonna miss the draft tomorrow night. As part of the award winning God Bless Football's coverage of the draft with a toothache. That is early for that advertisement to come up on our show. It says, with Stugats, Dan Lebatard show with Stugats. But neither Dan Lebatard nor Stugat. Well, maybe Stugatz will be there. I don't know. But at present, he has a toothache and can't make it. Greg says this is his hell because the draft has produced already a couple of anonymous quotes. Okay.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, boy.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah. A head coach was quoted by Diana Rossini as saying, there are no Robert De Niro's in this draft. I don't think young people know what that means. Roberto.

[Mike Ryan]

There are no.

[Dan Le Batard]

That is an old coach with saying that there are no great players in this draft. It is not going to stop us from covering the holy hell out of this draft. But Shador Sanders is now getting smeared anonymously even louder than before. An NFL assistant coach, according to Tom Pelissero, Quote, the worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life. He's so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks, he never plays on time, he has horrible body language. He blames teammates. But the biggest thing is he's not that good. This is the famous guy in the draft. And this is the famous thing that happens this time of year every time to us, somebody who looks a lot like Shador Sanders. When the anonymous quotes come flying from the people who still admire Robert De Niro as a marquee movie star, the old coaches are speaking anonymously. I hate this. One of the many reasons I hate this time of year.

[Greg Cody]

Well, if Marv Levy and Don Shuler were still alive, the reference would have been, there are no Lawrence Oliviers in this draft. So we, we have moved forward on that progress. But it's a terrible draft for quarterbacks. I've been saying that and I sound like a curmudgeon. I sound like I'm anti Cam Ward. But he'd be the fourth or fifth best guy if it was a year ago. He's the luckiest man on earth right now.

[Jessica]

Maybe last year's was just really good.

[Greg Cody]

It was. This year's is not good. We had Field, maybe this one's average.

[Jessica]

And last year's was great.

[Greg Cody]

Okay. We had Field Yates on our podcast, the Great Cody show, and he talked a lot about the draft and the quarterback and he totally agrees with me. Shador Sanders will be lucky to go ninth to New Orleans after that. He could really, really tumble in the first round. I hate anonymous quotes. As someone who's in journalism and occasionally has used an anonymous quote, I really, really hate them. Because the reader has every bit of entitlement to think, is that a made up quote? Is he just making that shit up? Because it's possible to do that, you know, in journalism. So if you're anonymously quoting somebody, I take it with a grain of salt.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, so before, before we get too deep into the NFL draft and we're not going to do a lot of this today because Stan Van Gundy is going to be on with us. David Sa to be on with us. I do want to talk to Chris, Mike, and Roy about something that I found disorienting last night. I don't know if Jess checked in with the hockey game. She was at a lovely party that I was invited to very late. Too late to get to. Late enough to make me wonder whether I was actually wanted there. I don't know. But we'll get into that with Jess in a moment.

[Mike Ryan]

I get a lot of these from you, a lot of these very late invites where I'm supposed to mobilize and find myself in South Beach.

[Dan Le Batard]

Like, you know, I don't blame this on Jess. I don't even know if it was a surprise party or. I don't blame this on Jess. I just got late notice to the party and it seemed like a lot of work people were at the party.

[Chris Cote]

If I may, there was notice of the party in slack that you didn't see.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, Slack. That. That is me. That's me slacking.

[Mike Ryan]

As.

[Jessica]

I mean, our communication is slacking.

[Dan Le Batard]

The.

[Chris Cote]

Not in this case, it wasn't slack.

[Dan Le Batard]

The reason I wanted to ask Chris, Roy, and Mike this is because I am still 30 years in this market. I still walk in today with a level of legitimate confusion about how much progress has been made in this market in hockey. When I'm coming in today and I'm like, what do you mean? The Florida Panthers played a no problem, easy playoff game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I'm not. That's not normalized enough for me yet to understand that the playoffs begin with, oh, Tkachuk rested. That's what that looks like when it's not him trying to play as a torso the last two postseasons. Him. Him. Rest Nate Schmidt. You gotta be Schmidt. Me? Get out of here. Nate Schmidt, two goals. I'm not. I'm not yet under. I'm not yet in a place where I get that this is the best hockey team in the world.

[Mike Ryan]

That's strange. I mean, they beat him in five games last year on their way to a Stanley Cup. Their second straight Stanley cup appearance in the final. So, I mean, I'm. I'm. I understand what you're saying because Tampa was so dynastic, but this is. I mean, Florida's already had like a three.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, but it's. But it's not just that. It's still Vasilevsky. Like, it's still.

[Mike Ryan]

He was the second best 88 on the ice.

[Dan Le Batard]

But I'm saying that's still that goalie. Like, I. I've seen that snuff out of blueprint by getting Hot in the playoffs. Like, I understand that you guys are looking at me, where you been? But it's. I expect Tampa to turn into something else in the playoffs. I don't expect the Panthers to do it.

[Greg Cody]

They did it last year. I mean, but. But to your point, I think if Tampa wins game two, six to two, nobody's surprised. @ least I'm not. If this, if this series goes seven games, nobody's surprised. I would.

[Dan Le Batard]

These games are close.

[Greg Cody]

I would.

[Dan Le Batard]

The hockey playoffs have started and the teams are close and the games are.

[Greg Cody]

Close, but I would not put too much emphasis on the fact that they won game one easily because I think it's going to be okay.

[Dan Le Batard]

But. But if. Can I do this, though, please? They went on the road in the place where they made championships in hockey and Florida matter and made it look easy. Like. No, that. That's. That's. That's the gulf between the Celtics and the Heat now from when they were closed, and the gulf between the Lightning and the Panthers now in terms of the attitude you guys have of like, yeah, we expected that. I don't go into that, expecting that.

[Stugatz]

Well, one, everybody except for Aaron Eckblad returned to the ice. So the Panthers, they can basically run five lines out there right now as far as their force is concerned. And two, you can beat Andre Vasilevsky by creating traffic. The first two goals that they had were via deflection because he couldn't really see the puck and he couldn't adjust to it.

[Jessica]

Sam Bennett bunting it in. What a pass. What a pass from Sam Escavich.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, my God. How do you do that? A waist high pass and he's using his stick to put it in that. That's unbelievable.

[Dan Le Batard]

You guys can say to me, that's how you beat Vasilevsky. I've seen him beat the Panthers. I've seen the most overwhelming offense I had ever seen in a Panthers uniform snuffed out by that person. So you could tell me the way he can be beat.

[Mike Ryan]

That's like three years ago, though.

[Stugatz]

That was a whole completely different style.

[Mike Ryan]

That was a different Panther team. Florida actually did quite well against Vasilevsky last season. I'm always going to have that ptsd, so I'm with you. But I don't think you're allowed to be surprised by it anymore. And maybe what you're doing is 30 years in this market covering this team, understanding that this is such an outlier on their timeline as a franchise as a whole, that any kind of success still is bewildering but at a certain point when it comes to these two teams, we have to realize that the dynamic has shifted some. That being said, Tampa has ole mice in this series for a reason.

[Jessica]

Not anymore.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, not anymore. But Tampa retooled their roster. They got rid of Circuit Chev, they got rid of Stamkos, they brought in Gensel. They have more guys playing the best hockey of their careers right now after that reshaping of their roster. So, like, this is still going to be a long series.

[Jessica]

I think my biggest takeaway from last night was John Cooper seemed panicked that that challenge was a bad challenge. It cost him another goal. It just kind of seemed like he felt 3, 1. I have to challenge this. I don't even know if it's gonna work. But it's just. I'm desperate right now. And that was just. That was good to see. I love John Cooper. That interview, they ask him, why'd you challenge that? He's like, ah, these things go.

[Dan Le Batard]

Were you mad at Kachuk for the mistake early? Did you get mad at him after.

[Mike Ryan]

A three point game? I don't think anybody was like, yeah, but look, they're power play merchants. You have to stay out of the box. When Florida has had success against Tampa in the playoffs, it's because they played disciplined hockey. But last night, those two teams weren't even remotely close. Forsling was doing the same thing to Kucherov that he'd been doing his entire career. That guy has Kucherov in absolute hell. I think for me, the biggest surprise outside of Nate Schmidt playing a good hockey game and scoring two goals randomly was how sharp Matthew Tkachuk looked. That goal that he had in the crease where he just had Vasilevsky having no idea where he was gonna go.

[Jessica]

He could have deeped 14 more times. He stood there just going back and.

[Mike Ryan]

Forth and he had so much room in front of him. I think that's a thing like Tampa's going to have to. They'll have a day to adjust and I imagine they'll have a different defensive effort, but they were a bit of a nightmare with those.

[Dan Le Batard]

The thing that I'm. The thing that I'm saying though, is easy on the road. Like, that's the amount of excellence that the Panthers are presently giving us. Ranks historically now over three years with any of the best of what we've had in this market. You guys are flipping about what Tampa was. And like, it was a long time ago. And I understand things age quickly, but in the state of Florida, that has made hockey matter because its excellence is now what the Panthers are looking to embark on. They've just started this part of the jersey but journey, but going on the road and beating that team, that goalie, that franchise, like I'm. I'm still not. I will not shrug that off. Having seen Pavel Burry have great seasons and then get swept in the playoffs, not winning a single playoff game because it's hard to win on the road or at home or anywhere in the hockey playoffs. These games are all close. That one wasn't.

[Greg Cody]

But. But this is not a flash in the pan. The Panthers have been really good for four years. This is qualifies now as sustained excellence. They have a great gm, a great coach, elite players. But. But to the point I made earlier about this, probably going to be a seven game series. Tampa Bay is really, really good. They led the NHL in goal scoring. They led the Eastern Conference in giving up the fewest goals. Their goals differential was the best in the league by a lot. This is a really good team. Last night to me showed the impact of Matthew Tkachuk. You can say that the heart of this team is Alexander Barkov. Say whatever you want. The heart of this team is Matthew Tkachuk. He's the spirit, he's the spark. And man, did that show.

[Dan Le Batard]

Mike Ryan, the last couple of postseasons has been talking about banged up, banged up. Somebody's banged up, banged up in that sport. We know that these have been the body part remains of Tkachuk by the end of these seasons because of whatever he gets. Ground down to however many surgeries and needles and ridiculousness he has to endure to just get on the ice. Him not playing for two months, I can't even imagine how much his body has recovered. But it looked like it last night.

[Jessica]

I just looked it up. Outside of the Vegas series in the final two seasons ago, the Panthers have won the first road playoff game of every series. So this is honestly what they do. They go on the road, they shock a team and then, you know, they'll give one at home and kind of even it out. But the Panthers have started series on the road. Fantastic.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did you guys feel a statement shivering up and down the coast of Florida? Is that what you guys felt last night? Statement game, A statement shivering up and down the coast? Was it felt along the whole, the whole coastline? Did it get to Canada? The statement?

[Mike Ryan]

I think the statement is like top to bottom, this is the deepest Florida Panther team that we've seen in a while. Roy's absolutely right. They can go five lines deep you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Guys are saying they're. They're deeper than last year. You're saying. You're saying they're better than last year is what you're saying.

[Mike Ryan]

No, I'm not saying that they're better than last year. I'm just flatly saying they're deeper. I mean, we'll see. Florida last year was a nightmare to play with. Can they ratchet up that kind of intensity? They have a more flair type of wingers this year than last year. Last year they had some like, goons, especially on that fourth line. This year your fourth line is Evan Rodriguez and Jesper Boquist, which is insane to me. Your third liner has. Brad Marchand's a third liner and he's by far the worst forward of that three.

[Dan Le Batard]

Here we are again.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think he was good. I don't think he was good.

[Dan Le Batard]

You were still yelling about this before the show. I got.

[Mike Ryan]

If Brad Marshawn's name wasn't Brad Marshawn and it was, say, for example, A.J. greer, we'd be wondering, why does this guy get so much playing time?

[Jessica]

It's just odd.

[Greg Cody]

Veteran.

[Jessica]

It's just odd to do it like he had a. He had a couple bad plays last night and he had a play that created a goal and it's like you're dismissing that play.

[Mike Ryan]

No, I saw that. I saw this shot near post that created the goal that was actually created by Lusty and then Schmidt just cleaned it up.

[Jessica]

But it seems unnecessary to do this after last night.

[Mike Ryan]

No, it's just, it's a whole thing, like he's going to get opportunities because he's playing with good players. And I don't think his output would be better than Jesper, for example, or Evan Rodriguez. Evan Rodriguez led the Stanley cup final in goals and he's a fourth liner on this team right now. My whole thing with Brad Marchand is he's just not the same player. And if his name wasn't that, we'd be feeling a little differently about it.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm Pro Rodriguez, always. He owes us a shirtless roller coaster ride. He said if they would, if they won the title, that he would come on shirtless and do a roller coaster.

[Roy Bellamy]

Folks, listen up.

[Jessica]

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[Roy Bellamy]

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[Mike Ryan]

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[Dan Le Batard]

Don Libertard 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.

[Mike Ryan]

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

[Stugatz]

This is the Dan lebatar show with the Stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

Mike's getting a bit out of control in general on Marchand. It's a little bit messy, but he's also at the high end of oh, I got a squad in a sport that I like. It's physical. And so he comes in here this morning and he's been doing this for for a minute. He turns on his music and I don't think anybody here was ready at 8am for whatever it is that that was. I heard some Pearl Jam, but the rest of you wake differently than than the. There are different wake ups here, right? So that music was aggressive for 8am.

[Chris Cote]

Was it not too early to be listening to Eddie Vedder?

[Jessica]

You can always tell Mike's mood by the music that you get when you walk. In general, I like the music, but there are some days I'm like, oh, we're in a mood today.

[Greg Cody]

Well, that's a hockey song. That's a hockey sound.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, what was today? Look, different. People receive music different ways. I will tell you that clubhouses are temperamental places. I have seen Albert Bell take a bat to a thermostat because he wanted the temperature where he wanted it. No, but Jose leaned. I've seen him throw like a hunting knife across the locker room and embed itself in a wal because he didn't like the clubhouse music. He wanted Latin music and there were like schisms in their locker room.

[Mike Ryan]

Well, I've got Ricky's got 20 year in this clubhouse and Part of his process artistically, before the show is dating back to when he would do the prep in his studio, would be to just play music the entire time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Are you referring to yourself in the third person?

[Stugatz]

Oh, that does not sound good.

[Mike Ryan]

That's what Ricky does.

[Dan Le Batard]

So in terms of choosing the music around here, I'm asking the group. I have not taken the temperature of the group. I was asking because the music hit me in the side of the face, and I was looking around the room, and I'm. I generally don't tend to hear music very much for whatever the reason is, but the rest of the room, I'm looking around, and I couldn't tell how everybody else was receiving that music. But this morning, it hit me aggressively. And so I'm asking you, how did it feel this morning to you?

[Greg Cody]

It wasn't playing when I walked in, but I like Pearl Jam. I love Eddie Vedder. I respect them. And like I say, it has to fit the mood. It has to. If we're talking about the Panthers coming off a big win, that's a song that fits the mood.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay. Because it did feel like a hockey. It did feel a little. It felt like after a game, one hockey playoff went in here, and I wasn't ready for it in the morning.

[Chris Cote]

It was angry. Confidence is how I would describe it.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm just seeing Pearl Jam tomorrow, so I wanted to listen to some Pearl Jam.

[Dan Le Batard]

There you go.

[Chris Cote]

We go back to dancing. You don't hear music. What do you mean?

[Jessica]

Yeah, what's going on there?

[Dan Le Batard]

I very often get lost in my thoughts, and so I tune out music or tune out sounds. It just sounds in general. And so I'm sorry about that.

[Mike Ryan]

But look, we've had plenty of show moments by ratcheting up the vibe here before, like when we have a segment that goes viral occasionally of us doing Cafecito shots because we were playing Daft Punks one more time. Because the vibes that Friday morning, we're really cooking. I like it when people respond to the music. I also know that when I'm not here, people really aren't playing the music because my Bluetooth connects to it right away. So afford me that. That's part of my process, please.

[Greg Cody]

I like that. No, I like that we need somebody to set the vibe in here. I would love a song that. Or music that is anti vibe. You know, just once in my life, I want to walk into a clubhouse, a sports clubhouse, and hear Adele, for example. You know, just something that isn't stereotypical. Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

We do that all the time over here? Yeah, like, yeah, I'm very moody.

[Greg Cody]

And what kind of vibe is that setting, though, if you're playing Adele?

[Dan Le Batard]

The thing that I would ask about my aesthetic and my vibe at this late age in life when I'm walking in and I'm telling Roy, Mike and Chris and like, yeah, no, Dan, they're champions and we expect to be champions because we're the Panthers and we're champions and we're going to walk around like we're champions and I'm supposed to get used to, oh, yeah, you just beat. You just dropped a half a dozen goals on the raid on Tampa Bay Lightning. And I come in here and. Because I know what the next three months are about to feel like for us in terms of a ransacking, we've got to pace ourselves. Your son has been heavy tongued and we just got started. Like, he can't. He hasn't been able to speak all week because he. Because he. Because he watched a Heat playing game. And so I need to pace ourselves because what you guys are telling me and what the Panthers are saying to me in a statement that felt across the coast and into Canada is, nah, we still got the best team down here. We are going to do what Tampa did where they add bodies late in the season and ours is going to be Kachak. But Mike Ryan's got to pace himself. It can't. You can't open with Queens of the Stone Age. You gotta build up to that. You can't. You can't start.

[Mike Ryan]

That was a good pull by Dan. Unexpected. Guys, I just played Pearl Jam. It was given to fly. Like, it's a very soft song. Yeah, like sometimes I'm with you. I'll be listening to death metal occasionally, but today I am pacing myself. In fact, you're the one putting the cart before the horse. I still think this is gonna be a very long series.

[Greg Cody]

There's enough heavy metal and hard rock to last the entire playoffs. We don't want to have to worry about running out of that. But I agree with Mike. It's going to go seven games. Tampa might win the next game. Six, two. I totally reject the idea that it's the Panthers who made the statement last night. They're the reigning champion. It's the other team.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, wait a minute. Everybody on ESPN picked the Lightning. Hold on a second.

[Jessica]

You were the hot team.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, wait a minute. Everybody picked the Lightning. It wasn't just in the game. It's in the series. It's to get to the Final. No, no, no, no.

[Chris Cote]

But Greg is saying if you win a championship, you can't make a statement. Like, you never have to make a statement. Right, Greg? Like the statement has been made when you won the championship.

[Greg Cody]

That's exactly right. And when I say the onus was on Tampa Bay to make that statement. Tampa, it was home. They scored the most goals this season. It was on them to say, hey, you're coming into our house now. Champions watch who's. Who's better tonight.

[Dan Le Batard]

And they felt that was excellent trash talk by you.

[Greg Cody]

Quite the promo flat. But it doesn't mean that the series is going to be like this. It ain't.

[Dan Le Batard]

At what age are you and I too old to be into our house? You're coming into our house.

[Greg Cody]

Yes. Well, you're too old to say that. I can still get away with it because I've got the street cred.

[Jessica]

My dad is right. Although they ended up winning 6:2. I buckled an imaginary seatbelt when it was 1:1 in the first period. Like, I. This is going to be a scary series. Like, I'm not getting overly confident.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's not going to do scared, I believe.

[Jessica]

I blame John Cooper for this being a blowout last night. I think if John Cooper doesn't challenge that goal, I think it's a closer game. And I'm still worried about this series.

[Stugatz]

I was not happy about that penalty that Matthew Tkachuk took because that's not a playoff penalty.

[Jessica]

No, you need that as a week.

[Stugatz]

That was a weak roughing call.

[Jessica]

Chucky's back, first period. Kucherov, you let you lay the wood on them. You take the penalty and you kill the penalty like they did.

[Dan Le Batard]

They cost him a goal.

[Mike Ryan]

It was still a good penalty. But keep in mind that was not a good.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, no.

[Stugatz]

That was a big, terrible penalty call by the referee.

[Mike Ryan]

Terrible penalty. I'm not gonna be that guy. It's fine. You gotta be careful what Chucky does. Like, we still owe Kucherov a little something. There's a receipt coming his way.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right. I don't like this. It's what Chucky does. There's a receipt coming his way in our house. We're one game in and look, we have annoyed the holy hell out of America with heat talk the last 15 years. We're going to slide effortlessly into tune out content of flexing our house. I'm still going to. I'm still worried about a close series, but you just saw a champion, a hockey champion about to promise us three. What are we looking at? Three Months. Two months of what? Greg Cody's beginning today with what he's calling hell week because he's got. He's got the NFL draft. Have you guys not seen the last couple of years, the battering that Greg Cody has taken, the difference, the before and after photo on what he looks like by the time we get to June when. When hockey has ransacked him and basketball has ransacked him.

[Mike Ryan]

This is a glass house.

[Dan Le Batard]

Why is today. Why is this week hell week for you?

[Greg Cody]

Well, this week in particular, because NFL draft, which isn't happening a week from now. Heat playoffs, which probably won't be still happening a week from now. That could be a sweep. But Panthers are in for a long run. Okay, so it's hell week now because I'm juggling three things. Having said that, it's also a delightful week because my favorite thing in life is to be able to and moan and complain about things that I love. Right? So that's what I can do this week only. Okay? The. The journalist in me can say, wow, I am so blessed to be living in this city where there's so much going on. I have great, you know, two great team, one great team in the playoffs, one lucky to be there. NFL draft. Dolphins drafting 13th. Who are they going to pick?

[Mike Ryan]

A local guy going number one.

[Greg Cody]

Cam Ward. Absolutely. Luckiest man on earth, Cam Ward. But I also like to complain about it because I'm too old to do this shit. You know, that's part of me. So I love both sides.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let me examine this for a second, because I do believe that America's greatest pastime right now is complaining. I think it's the greatest sport.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, it's beautiful.

[Dan Le Batard]

I put it on the poll at LeBatard show.

[Stugatz]

And racism, by the way.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, it's all in the same. It's in the same complaining and racism.

[Mike Ryan]

It takes all of us.

[Dan Le Batard]

All of us are complaining.

[Stugatz]

It took some of them.

[Mike Ryan]

That's not about racism. That's just about complaining on the NFL helmets. It takes all of us.

[Dan Le Batard]

Look, I believe we are no more united as a people as we are around. Let's just all complain about everything. It is the great sport. But when he says that this is the only week that he has where it's something he absolutely loves and he's allowed to complain about it. That is the descent of the American sports media as it ages. Like, that is exactly how it is. You cover sports, kind of hating it, kind of complaining about it, and. And also while celebrating it, because. Because the content. The content Machine can't be all pure. Like the amount of excess that this NFL draft has now become, where it really is the intersection of, you love college football, you miss it. You love pro football, you miss it. You're bored by baseball and, and MMA and basketball. You just sitting around waiting for football to get back. All right, we're going to throw in the middle of the NBA playoffs. This giant thing in the middle of the NHL playoffs. An event where we're just transactions and America's going to eat every bit of it up. Wildly entertaining simulcasts all over the place. A spectacle like to see sports become that this night become like second to the super bowl outside of games is a nutty evolution.

[Mike Ryan]

I've always like, over the last few years, it took a couple of like, deeper runs, especially with the Panthers getting good in hockey. That helped. But it's not the super bowl for me. It's certainly not March Madness for me, because the games don't actually live up. To me, this is the best time on the sports calendar. You have both playoffs starting their first rounds. You have like four game nights in both leagues going off. You have the NFL draft. Hell, you got Talladega going on this week. You just had Wrestlemania. You're coming off the Masters like this, like month of sports to me is why I love it so much. You have big time European soccer games, all of it all happening at the same time.

[Dan Le Batard]

Messi, we haven't even talked about Messi.

[Greg Cody]

I was about to say, oh, by the way, we have the most famous athlete in the world leading Inter Miami into the semifinals of what would be their biggest trophy. So what a wonderful time. To Mike's point, it's just terrific. But I can complain because I'm working too hard, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I love it. Sort of be glad when it's over, but I love it now.

[Mike Ryan]

It's been a lovely cruise.

[Greg Cody]

It really is.

[Dan Le Batard]

Over the last. Over the next couple of months. He's going to take a battering. He begins with surgery. All right, he's tumbling out of surgery. He's been out for two weeks. This chair is going to take a battering. Stugatz is out with a toothache. You've seen Zaslo's been battered over the last couple of weeks. Where's your status? Zazzle is going to be around for the next couple of months. What's your, what is your status with him and your rivalry?

[Greg Cody]

I don't consider it to be a rivalry. I mean, you know, I don't know. Is he still wearing backward caps. I. I haven't kept track of him.

[Mike Ryan]

He is okay.

[Greg Cody]

He's still doing that.

[Chris Cote]

Greg is Don Draper right now. He's saying I don't think about him at all.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, Not a big fan of middle aged men wearing backward caps, but he. I love Zaslow. He's great. I mean, do you love Zaslo?

[Dan Le Batard]

Do you.

[Greg Cody]

No. I mean, I respect his place in this market. Been down here a long time. Leaning into a mic longer than I have, and.

[Chris Cote]

Can we just replay the last few seconds? You said, I love him. Dan says, do you love him? And you said, no.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I mean, he doesn't love him.

[Greg Cody]

No, I. I don't, because I don't know him that well. You know, I know him casually.

[Chris Cote]

Why you say you love him, then.

[Greg Cody]

You know, I'm a nice person.

[Mike Ryan]

We'll do more shows together, and you guys can do you like him, build some camaraderie.

[Jessica]

I think the only, like, I'm sure.

[Greg Cody]

Why wouldn't I like him?

[Jessica]

I think the only thing in their relationship that brings them apart is you, Dan.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. Shit, stir like you love. Yeah, he's a. He's a divisive force.

[Jessica]

Zaslow has privately mocked my dad for years.

[Mike Ryan]

He's doing it. He's like. You know, even, like, when we're all on the same topic, he'll still, like, inject, you know, the audience hates this shit. That sucks.

[Greg Cody]

Look, Zaslo can. Can mock me, although I don't care if behind my back he gives you a snarky call about a column I've just written that he didn't like. Could care less. It's a grain of sand on the beachhead. That is me.

[Jessica]

Okay?

[Mike Ryan]

What a bar. Look, look, I love you, Greg.

[Dan Le Batard]

The part you guys say that I'm shit stirring here, okay? But the part that is unsaid. And I can swear to you, Greg's never said to me anything about Zaslo that is negative. But I know that Greg doesn't respect Zaslow as a journalist because the print guys don't love the way the radio guys do business. And this is a print guy. So without even asking Greg, I know how he feels about the entity that is Sports radios.

[Mike Ryan]

As understood. But you did ask him.

[Greg Cody]

I will say this. If you're looking at me saying, yeah, I'm a journalist, while you're wearing a Panthers jersey, doesn't necessarily fly.

[Mike Ryan]

I do think. And Dan's guilty of this, I think everybody is. Like, people tend to confuse journalists and insiders or personalities like Even though I own, for example. Excuse me, I own A Cane's Media Company. We do a fair amount.

[Dan Le Batard]

Come on. Today, 1:00.

[Mike Ryan]

Peter Rees. Check it out. Official Keynes Insight. Subscribe. We do a fair amount of journalism. Really good journalism. I don't think there's anybody that covers the Miami Hurricanes top to bottom better than us. But I myself am not a journalist. I vet things through journalism means, especially like when I get involved in some of that story. But I never pretended I didn't go to journalism school. I don't have the bonafides. I'm an insider, I guess.

[Greg Cody]

Sure.

[Mike Ryan]

And I apply those rules. But I think all too often we lump people into journalists and also into journalism. And also, people are way too comfortable calling themselves journalists when they're not. I think that is an earned title. It's like calling myself a doctor just because, you know, I bandaged somebody up one time. I think that there's a procedure that you go through.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, no, you're right. It's a gray area now where it didn't used to be. You are absolutely a Keynes insider. Zaslow may be an expert on the Panthers. I'm just saying if. If you tout your expertise while wearing a Panthers jersey, what you are is not impartial. That's what you are.

[Dan Le Batard]

And you don't respect that.

[Greg Cody]

I respect it less from a journalism standpoint. Right.

[Mike Ryan]

He went to school. He went to school. He's a columnist in this market for a long time. I get that it might be a bygone era.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, look. But speaking of journalists, Jessica, I wanted to ask you about this because I'm.

[Chris Cote]

Not a journalist either.

[Dan Le Batard]

I. Well, you've done.

[Chris Cote]

But I do know who Edward R. Murrow is. Unlike your son, Greg.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Jessica]

Wow.

[Dan Le Batard]

Did you know that your son didn't know and still doesn't know. I'm sure he didn't look it up when he got home either. That your son doesn't know who Edward R. Murrow.

[Greg Cody]

I know. Edward R. Murrow was the mentor of Walter Cronkite. My son.

[Dan Le Batard]

He doesn't know who that is either.

[Mike Ryan]

He also knows Walter. Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

He doesn't know who's Walter Cronkite.

[Jessica]

Cronkite is.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Jessica]

We are all like, isn't that Mikey?

[Greg Cody]

That's Richard Nixon.

[Chris Cote]

Tom Brokaw.

[Jessica]

Brokaw. That's who I thought.

[Dan Le Batard]

He has no idea.

[Jessica]

In that same vein, he's. That he's the same thing. Journalist.

[Mike Ryan]

Terrible news today, as you confused me with Walter Cronkite.

[Jessica]

Those Guys are close. No, I'm from the greatest generation.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, Jessica, I do think you have both studied and worked as a journalist. But the thing that I wanted to ask you guys, because Kevin Clark, it has been great delight to go from speaking at Michelle Kaufman's University of Miami class where Kevin Clark is to watching Kevin Clark today get to be on Paul Feinbaum. And he's going to enrage all of Paul Feinbaum's audience because he's going to be aggressively Miami. And that has never happened on the Feinbaum show. And Kevin Clark, you know what of him, Jessica? Like, are you guys friendly away from work?

[Chris Cote]

Yes, we're friends. I these Photoshops of Kevin Clark as Paul Feinbaum that I'm seeing neither look like Kevin Clark nor Paul.

[Jessica]

Fine Alarming.

[Chris Cote]

And I would like maybe like we need more journalists. We need more people proficient in Photoshop to be working in this field because these are very poorly done.

[Dan Le Batard]

Greg cody, that's a $5 fine. Your phone is not functioning correctly. Please pay the fine bucket.

[Jessica]

When you hold it below the table, none of us know what you're doing.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, sure will.

[Dan Le Batard]

So sloppy work by you. I expect this to continue to get worse. What are you guys expecting from Kevin Clark on Fine Bomb? He's gonna represent Miami, Correct?

[Mike Ryan]

Oh yeah. I know parts of the audience get annoyed when I hijack this show with Kane's takes. Buckle up. Because Kevin is going to espouse all sorts of like anti sec things too. Like he's. He's gonna take advantage of his audience there. I'm so excited to watch Kevin do this. And I know like Kevin relishes this opportunity. This is like a holy grail assignment for Kevin Clark.

[Dan Le Batard]

Is he gonna be able to from inside the machine troll Fine Bomb's audience by being a professional wrestling heel in costume as an actual journalist slash insider. Cuz he's Kevin Clark.

[Mike Ryan]

He's gonna give his takes which are very pro Miami. But the way that he does things, it's so matter of fact that and dry that I'm going to really enjoy him doing that to an sec heavy audience.

[Greg Cody]

But here again, getting back to what we were talking about a minute ago. If he's going on there for the express purpose of cheerleading the Miami Hurricanes, yet you just referred to him as a journalist.

[Dan Le Batard]

Kevin Clark is a journalist.

[Mike Ryan]

I go in there for that purpose.

[Greg Cody]

So a journalist by however you define journalist.

[Dan Le Batard]

Kevin Clark is a journalist.

[Greg Cody]

Okay, so he's allowed to just blatantly cheerlead.

[Mike Ryan]

Do you not watch Mike Greenberg giving speeches to Northwestern Football. Or Mike Wilbon giving speeches to Northwestern football. Or J A Adande giving speeches to Northwestern football.

[Greg Cody]

Okay. It's one thing, though, for Wilbon to be a Chicagoan who's a Bulls fan. Okay. I grew up a Dolphins fan, but today in my journalism clothes, I don't cheerlead the Dolphins. I try to be fair.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're a homer.

[Mike Ryan]

Whoa.

[Greg Cody]

Come on.

[Mike Ryan]

I think it's part of what's baked in. As a local columnist, you're supposed to give an impartial view, a fair view, but you do kind of. It's all through the prism of, like, we're in this together, we're rooting for this. When FAU makes it to the Final Four, people know that you have a relationship with that school, you wear it. I think school ties. Even though, I mean, Stephen A. Smith is the biggest Knicks fan on television, when it comes to university pride, like, that stuff is long since been accepted. Like, we understand this bias.

[Chris Cote]

It hasn't. I mean, there is a lot of journalists that I've worked with that would tell you that that's not true at all. And if you have any sort of allegiance to your alma mater anywhere, like, that's super unprofessional. And I don't necessarily disagree, but I think there's context for it. Like, if you're someone hosting an entertainment show, that's different than if you're writing an investigative piece or if you're working in a market where you're supposed to have impartiality, then that's not what a lot of our jobs are anymore. I think that's really how sports media has changed a lot in the last 10 years. And now if you're following a reporter, you probably follow them on social media. You might know more about them than you did 20, 30 years ago. And it's harder to hide when you do have those biases. So, personally, I think that it's better to just wear it because, you know, your audience knows a lot about you now, and there are very few jobs left where you can be just someone who writes for a living and is not part of social media and is not someone that. That becomes a public figure. And I think that that's really a huge flaw in media now. But unfortunately, that's kind of where we are.

[Dan Le Batard]

I feel like I have the exact crossroads for you on where all of these things intersected, because Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon were doing print journalism on television for several years. But it became clear that as they did shows every day, oh, Wilbon's in love with Michael Jordan, and Wilbon's just in the tank for all things Chicago. And then I think it all came crumbling down when Wil Bond went to throw out the first pitch in a Cubs jersey with the jersey tucked into his jeans. And we all said, that's where journalism died right there. The local sports columnist went national, became an entertainer, is singing Take Me out to the Ball game, and next thing you know I'm banging on a drum and a Panthers game, cuz all these guys did was lead.

[Chris Cote]

I'd also say, like, opinion columnists are sort of a separate category. Greg, people read your column because they want to hear your opinion. And your opinion is informed by your feelings about the Dolphins that you can't really separate from the, you know, the reporting that you do before you write your column. So I think that there's a little bit of a different situation there for opinion columns.

[Greg Cody]

I agree with you. And to Mike's point, what he said earlier, I don't think I cheerlead any team. I don't think I'm a homer for the Dolphins or any team. But I root for my community. I write for readers, not for teams. Is it better for me? Is it better for business? Do my columns read more when I'm writing about a great team on a great run? Yes. Okay. Would I mind the Panthers being back in the Stanley Cup Final? Hell no. And a lot of it segues into performance art as well, particularly on. On my podcast and on this show. When I say, when I write and then say, and then make a whole big point of McDavid is overrated. Okay, am I for real? Am I serious about that or am I just joking? Is that performance art? I like the idea that people aren't quite sure. Okay, now me saying McDavid is overrated in the middle of all that probably came off as me being a Panthers homer. I live with that. You know, I'm not banging a drum at a game.

[Jessica]

It's a side effect. That doesn't mean that's what it is.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, you really enjoyed that attention, though, like as. As it's nice to dance along the nobility of journalism. And every once in a while you stick your beak in the final and just say, McDavid's overrated and make yourself the center of the story. Which isn't exactly journalism.

[Greg Cody]

Well, it's not all about nobility, though. It's about fun, too. Especially with me, more than I dare say most columnists.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yes, you're the most fun. Put it on the poll at Levittart show is Greg Cody, the most fun of the columnists.

[Roy Bellamy]

On second thought, you should have tucked in your shirt like the jersey. When you did the banging of the drum, you should have tucked it in.

[Stugatz]

You can't do that with a hockey.

[Jessica]

Jersey to show respect for Wilbur.

[Mike Ryan]

That's a nod. Homage.

[Stugatz]

Get out of here.

[Mike Ryan]

I want to track back to something that Jess said because it's such a bygone era here in the United States, but I was wrong. There are impartial journalists. I know Bruce Feldman went to Miami, but you can't tell, really, from his reporting all that much. He might have an inside scoop on Cristobal here and there, but it is disguised at the top line. But also, this is very American. When I think to following European football journalists or even, like, studio personalities, the player analysts, you understand that they have a pledge to their. To their badge because of who they played for. But the impartial analyst, you have to go. You have to do some serious digging to find out who they. Which clubs they support. And I actually appreciate that. And we have kind of lost our way here.

[Chris Cote]

I'd say it's sort of like outlet to outlet, though. Like, the New York Times has a really strict policy on any of the reporters commenting on politics. And. And the Washington Post is similar in that way. And, you know, that's different than the athletic. It's different, obviously, than, you know, ESPN for certain people. I think for some of their reporters, they probably do have some sort of policy in place where they don't want them to share what they, you know, what they like, what they root for, anything like that. They want them just to do, like, basic reporting. But I think the best of both worlds for us is like, if you can be entertaining while also have a little bit of a reporting thread, or at least not spread misinformation. And that's obviously a hard needle to thread, because the more serious reporting you want to do, sometimes the less fun it is. But I think you kind of are trying to strike a balance, and I think our show at least tries to do that.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, you in the audience, it's Mike. You've been a fan of this show, hopefully for a long time, and you know how much Miller Lite means to me, this partnership. It's real. It's documented. For almost 20 years, Miller Lite has been a partner of the Dan Lebatard show with Stugatz. And now Miller Lite is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I've had so many great moments with Miller Lite. So many great activations, so many great events presented by Miller Lite. A great partner. Cheers to them. Cheers to 50 incredible years. And for you at home, you know that Miller Time always means a good time. From game night to parties with friends or a special anniversary, celebrating important occasions means more moments for the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Light, the great tasting light beer. For people who Love beer since 1975. Now's a perfect time to celebrate legendary stories with friends, family and a great tasting light beer. It's Miller Time Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Hey folks, it's Mike Ryan here to remind you that Game Time is the official ticketing partner of the Dan LeBatard show with Stu Gotz. Now, if you're a legacy listener, you know all the great playoff memories that we've had down here on the ice and especially on the hardwood. Lot of deep runs for the Miami Heat down here. Lot of great memories. Look, I couldn't be in the bubble. Lord knows I tried that run that we made against Denver. It was an incredible time to be a basketball fan down here and there's nothing like playoff basketball live. So why don't you download the gametime app? Because gametime makes getting tickets faster and easier even for hard to get playoff seats. Prices on the gametime map actually go down the closer that it gets a tip off with killer last minute deals all in prices, views from your seat and their lowest price guarantee. GameTime takes the guesswork out of buying NBA playoff tickets. And don't forget your purchase is covered with the most flexible customer service policy in the ticketing industry. Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off. Your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account and redeem code Dan for $20 off. Off. Download the Gametime app today. Last minute tickets Lowest price guaranteed.