The Big Suey: Apple Time, Apple Time (feat. David Samson)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Big Suey: Apple Time, Apple Time (feat. David Samson)
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Release Date: May 15, 2025

---

Introduction

In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz engage in a dynamic conversation centered around the ongoing NBA playoffs, with special insights from guest David Samson. The discussion delves into player performances, team strategies, and broader business implications within the sports industry, particularly focusing on the intersection of Major League Baseball (MLB) and ESPN’s streaming deals. The hosts interweave personal anecdotes and spirited banter, providing listeners with a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of current sports topics.

---

NBA Playoffs Analysis

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Jimmy Butler’s performance in the playoffs and its impact on the Miami Heat’s prospects.

• Performance Critique:
  Greg Cody initiates a critical analysis of Butler’s recent playoff performances, highlighting inefficiencies in his shooting.

  Greg Cody [02:46]: "Jimmy is 3 for 8 in his last 11 elimination games. Racks up seven rebounds per game and six assists per game, but regularly plays passively and scores inefficiently."

• Adjustments and Team Dynamics:
  Mike Ryan discusses how the Golden State Warriors’ reliance on Steph Curry affects the overall team performance, especially when Curry is injured.

  Mike Ryan [07:02]: "Golden State, probably more than any offense in the league, is so dependent on the attention that Steph Curry draws that it changes the entire complexion of that series if he's not out there."

• Jimmy Butler’s Role:
  The conversation touches on Butler’s evolving role from being a primary scorer to a more strategic player, questioning his adaptation to team needs.

  Greg Cody [05:03]: "Jimmy Butler can be there, not be there. It's up to me. I decide what I'm going to do."

Impact of Player Injuries

The discussion extends to the broader implications of player injuries on team performance and playoff outcomes.

• Steph Curry’s Injury:
  The hosts analyze how Curry’s absence disrupts the Warriors’ gameplay, leading to a reassessment of player responsibilities and strategies.

  Greg Cody [05:36]: "The warriors have him signed for two more years. They did what Pat Riley wouldn't do. Who's the genius now?"

• Steve Kerr’s Comments on Player Health:
  Steve Kerr’s stance on player fitness during the playoffs is examined, emphasizing the importance of managing player health to maximize performance.

Team Strategies and Player Efficiency

The panel debates the strategic decisions made by teams during the playoffs, focusing on player efficiency and adaptability.

• Shot Efficiency:
  Concerns are raised about Butler taking excessive shots without proportionate returns, impacting the team’s chances in elimination games.

  David Sampson [07:47]: "Jimmy took 26 shots in game three and in games four and five, he took a combined 20."

Championship Rings Discussion

A lively segment unfolds around the significance and distribution of championship rings among players and staff.

• Types of Rings:
  The hosts humorously categorize championship rings into A, B, and C rings based on their material quality and worth.

  Stugotz [12:15]: "There’s an A ring, a B ring, and a C ring. The A ring is diamonds. The B and C rings are cubic zirconia."

• Authenticity and Value:
  The authenticity and perceived value of rings among staff members spark a playful debate, highlighting discrepancies in how different roles within a team are rewarded.

  Greg Cody [23:12]: "It's a jewel with value. Less if the Marlins are giving it to you, more if the Heat are."

---

Business of Sports: MLB and ESPN’s Streaming Deals

Transitioning from on-court performances to the business side of sports, the hosts delve into the ramifications of MLB’s streaming agreements and ESPN’s strategic positioning.

MLB’s Streaming Strategy

Stugotz provides an informed perspective on MLB’s early adoption of streaming deals with Apple and the subsequent challenges faced.

• Premature Deal Execution:
  The decision to partner with Apple for exclusive streaming was deemed premature, as MLS (Major League Soccer) was not yet mature enough to sustain such agreements.

  Stugotz [33:55]: "The Apple MLS deal was probably done three to five years too early. They thought that with Messi as the guardrail it would explode with popularity."

• Erosion of Paywall Barriers:
  MLB’s approach to gradually reducing paywall restrictions is discussed as a strategy to increase accessibility and viewership.

  Stugotz [35:45]: "They’ve slowly eroded that wall. They’re like chipping away. You can get a game here, you can get a game there, you can get a game everywhere."

ESPN’s Struggle with MLB

The hosts examine ESPN’s efforts to maintain relevance in the evolving sports broadcasting landscape, particularly in light of MLB’s changing distribution strategies.

• Competitive Deal Structures:
  Contrary to some reports, Stugotz defends Apple’s streaming deal with MLB as more financially beneficial per game compared to ESPN’s offerings.

  Stugotz [35:24]: "The deal with Roku and Apple actually provide more money per game than what ESPN is paying per game."

• ESPN’s DTC Challenges:
  ESPN’s Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) service struggles due to the lack of exclusive MLB content, prompting the network to seek alternative strategies.

  Stugotz [35:45]: "ESPN is finishing off the last year of a deal where MLB has walked away and opted out, as did ESPN."

• Public Perception and Industry Impact:
  The panel critiques negative narratives spun by ESPN regarding MLB’s streaming moves, suggesting it’s part of a broader PR battle.

  Stugotz [35:45]: "The article that gets so much attention that impugns MLB's ability to sell their game...reeks of all of the ESPN talking points."

---

Personal Stories and Banter

Amidst the analytical discussions, the hosts and guests share personal anecdotes and engage in lighthearted banter, enhancing the episode’s relatability and entertainment value.

Family Memories and Personal Anecdotes

• Amin Elhassan’s Family Stories:
  Amin shares heartfelt memories of his family, recounting how his uncle and aunt enjoyed singing Robert Goulet songs in French, weaving personal nostalgia into the conversation.

  Amin Elhassan [27:08]: "It's a sweet memory. They would duet together and neither one of them were trained singers, but it was sweet."

• Humorous Exchanges on Championship Rings:
  The playful debate over the existence and quality of championship rings among the hosts underscores their camaraderie and adds humor to the episode.

  Greg Cody [23:00]: "No, wait a minute. That means you don't actually have a ring. It's a ring in your personal record."

---

Closing Thoughts

As the episode progresses, the conversation circles back to the complexities of sports journalism and personal biases within the sports media landscape.

Journalism and Media Credibility

The hosts scrutinize the role of sports journalists like Jeff Passon, questioning their objectivity and the authenticity of their reporting.

• Disparagement of Sports Journalists:
  Greg Cody challenges the credibility of certain sports journalists, arguing that they lack true journalistic integrity and are more aligned with specific agendas.

  Stugotz [40:25]: "He is carrying water for ESPN... I don’t view him as a journalist. I view Jason Stark, Ken Rosenthal, other such people."

• Host Reactions and Rulings:
  A humorous mock court session unfolds, where Greg officiates disputes over journalism integrity, highlighting the hosts' flair for dramatization.

  Greg Cody [41:43]: "I'm making a ruling. I rule that always with prejudice."

---

Conclusion

This episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz offers a multifaceted exploration of current sports dynamics, blending in-depth analysis with personal narratives and spirited interactions. From dissecting Jimmy Butler’s playoff performance and the strategic intricacies of NBA teams to unraveling the complexities of MLB’s streaming deals and ESPN’s media strategies, the hosts provide a rich, engaging discussion for sports enthusiasts. The inclusion of personal anecdotes and humorous exchanges further enriches the listening experience, making it both informative and entertaining for a broad audience.

---

Notable Quotes

• Jimmy Butler’s Playoff Performance:

  Greg Cody [02:46]: "Jimmy is 3 for 8 in his last 11 elimination games. Racks up seven rebounds per game and six assists per game, but regularly plays passively and scores inefficiently."

• Impact of Steph Curry’s Absence:

  Mike Ryan [07:02]: "Golden State, probably more than any offense in the league, is so dependent on the attention that Steph Curry draws that it changes the entire complexion of that series if he's not out there."

• Championship Rings Humor:

  Stugotz [12:15]: "There’s an A ring, a B ring, and a C ring. The A ring is diamonds. The B and C rings are cubic zirconia."

• ESPN vs. MLB Streaming Deals:

  Stugotz [35:45]: "The article that gets so much attention that impugns MLB's ability to sell their game...reeks of all of the ESPN talking points."

• Journalism Integrity:

  Stugotz [40:25]: "He is carrying water for ESPN... I don’t view him as a journalist. I view Jason Stark, Ken Rosenthal, other such people."

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the episode, ensuring that those who haven’t listened can grasp the key discussions and insights shared by Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their guest David Samson.

Transcript

[Dan LeBatard]

What does Zyn really give you? Not just smoke free nicotine satisfaction, but also real freedom to do more of what you love, when and where you want to do it.

[Stugotz]

Why bring Zyn along for the ride?

[Dan LeBatard]

Because America's number one nicotine pouch opens up all the possibilities of right now.

[Stugotz]

With Zyn, you don't just find freedom.

[Dan LeBatard]

You keep finding it.

[Stugotz]

Find your Zen. Learn [e-mail] WARNING this product contains nicotine.

[Dan LeBatard]

Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Mike Ryan]

Welcome to the Big Sui presented by DraftKings.

[Greg Cody]

Why are you listening to this show?

[Mike Ryan]

The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBatard podcast? I'm sorry.

[David Sampson]

I'm not going to apologize for that.

[Mike Ryan]

In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging.

[Greg Cody]

I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys. I've done it.

[Mike Ryan]

And now here's the marching man to nowhere, fat face and the habitual liar.

[Dan LeBatard]

This episode is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours.

[Greg Cody]

Zaslow. Why did you just squeal? Yesterday it was a snort. Right now it was a squeal. You pointed to the set of get up here in the upper left hand corner of the studio and you had a radiant smile on your face. You were just buoyant. And it wasn't Panthers and it wasn't the hatred of the.

[Mike Ryan]

The.

[Greg Cody]

Of the Celtics or the Knicks. What was happening?

[David Sampson]

First of all, this is a great morning because last night was a great sports night. I'm in a fantastic mood, all right? And yeah, it's just funny because the NFL schedule came out last night, which, God, do I not care? But the NFL schedule came out last night and they're going over the Jets. The New York jets schedule. That's a win. That's a loss.

[Dan LeBatard]

Best game.

[David Sampson]

That's a win. That's a win. 15 and 2. I have to assume it's Greenberg. I mean, great, huge jets fan. I have to assume those were greenies picks 15 and two for the Jets. I'm taking the under.

[Greg Cody]

David Sampson is here right now. Nothing personal is the name of his podcast. What are you laughing about, Sampson?

[Stugotz]

I'm laughing because I listen to Zaz and I see and hear Stu now. And it's just the. I'm taking the under. He's just got to do the Flemmy laugh and then there's really no discernible difference.

[Greg Cody]

What? They're not the same person. Zaz is so much stranger, so much Stranger. They're not the same person at all. How dare you. Zaz is a journalist.

[Amin Elhassan]

Who's being insulted by that comparison? I can't figure it out.

[Stugotz]

Oh, I think it's a tie. You know, I love both of them. I just was laughing very hard and Zaz, I apologize. I did not know. We throw the word journalist around so much. I thought that you were more of a talent.

[Greg Cody]

Let's move on. Let's move on. People are. People in here are chirping at me. Stop with the journalism stuff. Only you and Greg Cody care, so I. Finalists. Top five finalists. Are you ready to do it? I mean, top five finalists.

[Mike Ryan]

Olay. Mike Greenberg. Everyone knows he's a big jets fan. Whatever. Olay. Pat McAfee.

[Dan LeBatard]

Wherever game day is.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. He's up. Anything.

[Greg Cody]

It's a good move. I mean, if you're a wrestling character, it's a great move.

[Mike Ryan]

Oli. Jonathan Zaslo. Now we go to the top five. Number five, Mike Wilbon.

[Greg Cody]

He'd be so insulted by that.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Number four, Bill Simmons.

[Greg Cody]

Would he be insulted by that? Too low.

[David Sampson]

Way too low.

[Mike Ryan]

Number three, Stugotz. Number two, David Sampson. He's a fan of money. He's the biggest fan of money I know. And number one, how's this even a debate? Stephen A. Smith.

[Greg Cody]

Knicks fans want him near all of this, yes or no?

[Mike Ryan]

They don't. Yeah, they really don't. They don't like him around any of it. They look at him as a bad omen.

[Greg Cody]

I saw the stat the other day in the second round, the last three years on TNT, the Knicks are like 7 and 1 in postseason games. They're like, oh, and 9 on ESPN.

[Mike Ryan]

Everybody.

[Greg Cody]

Everybody in New York, there is a funny thing happening with fans. Do not want Stephen A. Proclaiming to be a Knicks fan.

[Mike Ryan]

Bad luck.

[Stugotz]

Who has the Eastern Conference finals this year?

[Mike Ryan]

Tnt.

[Stugotz]

Yes, sir. All you got to do is win one of the next two and you're going to the Finals.

[Greg Cody]

Ernie Johnson predicted the paper Pacers. He had it totally right.

[David Sampson]

I think we laughed at him.

[Greg Cody]

I don't. I don't think anybody laughed. And you don't Ernie Johnson. Not a lot of people laugh at Ernie Johnson.

[Tony]

When he speaks, I listen. Especially when I don't actually watch basketball all that much. So I was like, oh, this is pretty good. Let me take the way Julius ran on another great game last night.

[Greg Cody]

I don't know if you're watching, buddy.

[Amin Elhassan]

Fine.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, okay.

[Mike Ryan]

I filled out one of those apology forms online.

[Greg Cody]

Can we talk about what happened with.

[Stugotz]

Golden State, they disintegrated.

[Amin Elhassan]

Steph got injured.

[Stugotz]

Jimmy Butler is not playoff Jimmy. He is. I'm old and done Jimmy. When he gave the interview post game and he said, hey, I try to get my teammates involved and he can playoff Jimmy can be there, not be there. It's up to me. I decide what I'm going to do. And then in an elimination game, he takes 11 shots. That is not quite acceptable. And now the warriors have him signed for two more years. They did what Pat Riley wouldn't do. Who's the genius now?

[David Sampson]

Just say they're suckers, David. Just say the warriors are suckers.

[Amin Elhassan]

Say it.

[Stugotz]

It's hard to call a dynasty ending. I wouldn't call them suckers. They've got more rings. I assume they have more rings than. Oh, no. Are they tied with the Heat, starting with Wade and Shaq and LeBron? It may be for all.

[Mike Ryan]

Maybe no. 4 3, 4, 3, 4 3.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, but Butler was pretty good when Curry was healthy. I mean, you got to admit that he was well, but that.

[Greg Cody]

Can we examine for a second? I need to get to the text from last night because I think you guys will find it interesting, and I also find interesting how often we can reframe the Jimmy Butler story from game to game, series to series. How loud noise in public relations can be around teams. When I just said to you the most horrible thing I can say about non injured NBA player, where they are in the state of their career. Barkley knows it. Wade knows it. They knew it at the end. Pump fake Jimmy is not 40 points a game. Playoff Jimmy and pump fake Jimmy. What he knows is, holy shit. These guys, they. These young people, I've toughed them out for 15 years, but here come the young people. They've got fingers down to their, you know, ankles, and they're hanging on the rim, and they're bigger than me. And now I got a pump fake. And it's not going to be playoff Jimmy. It's pump fake Jimmy because my time's done. My. My time's over. Minnesota's big man. What am I going to do? They're really big and I can't get 40 foul shots.

[Mike Ryan]

Me. I think to Greg's point, though, Golden State, probably more than any offense in the league, is so dependent on the attention that Steph Curry draws that it changes the entire complexion of that series if he's not out there. And so Jimmy might have looked a lot better had there been the Steph Curry element. Because the other thing you got to understand is Jimmy Butler. This is not an offense that's built around him. That's not even an offense that was built with him in mind. They had to adjust on the fly during this stretch of, you know, since early February. So when you take Steph off the board, more so than just, oh, they lost their best player, it changes the way they play in a way that, for instance, Boston losing Jayson Tatum does not change the way they play. They're still playing the same offensive system in the same scheme. That's not.

[Greg Cody]

That's one of the reasons I think they're legitimately dangerous.

[David Sampson]

Okay, so hold on a second to Jimmy real quick. Obviously, the entire offense changes, okay? And, you know, to change your entire offense mid series, you're really asking for a lot. All right? But Jimmy took 26 shots in game three. And in game four and five, he took a combined 20.

[Mike Ryan]

What do you. What do you think that's about?

[David Sampson]

I don't know.

[Greg Cody]

Let me explain some of it to you, okay, if I can, please. Because Jimmy is 3 for 8 in his last 11 elimination games. Okay? So it's been a minute since you saw whatever it is that you remember. Kevin o' Connor says, quote, he hasn't dominated a game since the end of the Heat Buck series over two years ago. Racks up seven rebounds per game and six assists per game, but regularly plays passively and scores inefficiently. And then this quote from Steve Kerr, and here's a cutter. Okay, because it's where the argument was for the Heat.

[Mike Ryan]

Jimmy gotta.

[Greg Cody]

Once Steph went out, it changed everything for our whole team, but especially for Jimmy.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

And. Okay. And. And yes, you can tell me. You can say to me, dan, and they'll come back next year and they'll build it more around Jimmy. And I'm like. I mean, you and I have been talking for about two or three years. You really respect this process. You know that Golden State is dangerous because they know how to be a champion. And I kept telling you, they're old.

[Mike Ryan]

They'Re old, they're old.

[Greg Cody]

And you're telling everything you're saying.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm gonna stop you right there. Everything you're saying is irrelevant because Steph Curry didn't play if he. And they lost. Now you get to do this. You don't get to do this speech about, oh, they're coming for their stuff. The guy was not playing. He wasn't out there. There's no stuff that they came for.

[Greg Cody]

My point is that you got Jimmy to be a number two. You got. You got Jimmy to be a number two because you're recognizing that he's aging. My point is in the argument about where it is. These people argued about money with Jimmy Butler. Five years of LeBron James in Miami birthed that. The ego of that. The business of that. Five years of Jimmy Butler in Jimmy, in. In Miami birthed someone who had the ego of I'm playoff Jimmy. Everyone else bows to me. I am the things that I believe. And when I get to the text I got last night is, how many conference finals has Jimmy been to without Tyler Herro and bam. How many. How many conference finals has he gotten to? He took the five years of Miami. LeBron made it. What? He made it. Jimmy made it this. And now the bet is next year, next year that that thing's done in Golden State. That ended last night.

[Tony]

This does sound pretty petty to the neutral. I w. I must point that out. Which is what I'm sure your text message was reeking with petty. But I would say what is Jimmy Butler's biggest moment outside of a Heat uniform? It's irrefutable to me.

[Mike Ryan]

His biggest moment.

[David Sampson]

It's the practice in Minnesota.

[Tony]

It's a practice beating. Beating the first team Minnesota Timberwolves, who had just got eliminated by. By the way, and said, they're not winning anything with me. So all that banter came back around beating them while wearing a Rolex.

[Mike Ryan]

Let's see. All of these things are number one. Yeah. He was talking about story reported by a meme. He was talking about the them willing and desirous to pay Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns, but reticent to pay him. Neither of those guys were on that Minnesota Timberwolves team last night. I'm just saying, like. Like this is the kind of. Like this is the. Where we're just making petty arguments. But it's not like. Right. In terms of his biggest moment, that's probably his most famous moment. His biggest moment, I would say, is Game 7 against the Sixers when he was the only one on the six. Game seven, excuse me, against the Raptors when he was the only one doing anything. And if Quiet Leonard doesn't hit that shot, we're talking about Jimmy Butler being a hero in that game. Probably.

[Greg Cody]

It is fair to say what this sport does this time of year to the body should not be underestimated. It gets ruined by Steph getting injured. And Jimmy was also hurt, incidentally.

[David Sampson]

Not played 55 games.

[Greg Cody]

No, but. But hurt. And Steve Kerr has said that if this were the regular season, Jimmy probably would have still been out from what happen earlier in the series.

[Amin Elhassan]

Like, this is my kind of David Sampson segment, by the way. He's on, but we don't hear him. That's perfect.

[Stugotz]

Thank you, Greg. David, it's so good to see you.

[Amin Elhassan]

I didn't know you really. I forgot you were still here.

[Stugotz]

You put the t in team.

[Amin Elhassan]

Greg, can I ask you a quick question? I don't mean to derail the show because you know this firsthand. Okay. What are the levels of championship rings? Obviously, the players and executives get the. The top of the line. If you're giving out a championship ring to, say, a broadcaster or, you know, an assistant trainer or something like that, how much lower does it go in terms of the value of that ring? If you're willing to be that honest.

[Stugotz]

There'S an A ring, a B ring, and a c ring. The a ring is diamonds. The b and c ring are cubic sar. Sarconium.

[Amin Elhassan]

Thank you, your honor. I rest my case.

[Greg Cody]

Oh, we got the judge to the judge. Judge in the face of the judge. I rest my case. Judge.

[David Sampson]

Courts. You think you could just walk into my. My courtroom and all of a sudden.

[Amin Elhassan]

Witness has just testified.

[David Sampson]

This was not a courtroom. We're not in session right now. None of this is admissible.

[Stugotz]

If you're in the traveling party, you get the a ring. So there are some broadcasters who would get the a ring, but then there's some crew members who would get the b ring. Some players even got a b ring, and then some staff get a c ring. And so the value, let's say it's $50,000 for the A ring. It goes down to like 5,000 for the B ring and about a thousand for the C ring. But don't get me wrong, they're all super cool.

[David Sampson]

Hell yeah, David.

[Amin Elhassan]

The c rings made out of tin foil, but still, it looks fantastic.

[Greg Cody]

Okay, put it on the poll. At le batard show is zaza's ring made out of tinfoil. At lebitard show. I also think, though, I think one of the things happening here, David, I don't think I have this wrong USC ring, but I may have this wrong y. Can you guys find for me the goat one?

[David Sampson]

I don't like the goat one. I told you that put the go on of screen.

[Greg Cody]

The rings of the Miami heat. I believe the low end ring of the Miami heat would be not cubic zirconia. I believe the marlins would do that to their employees. I don't believe the heat would do that to its employees. So can I find Out. I'm going to try and find out because I don't think the lowest ring for the Miami heat would be $1,000. I would assume it'd be about $5,000.

[Stugotz]

So just retext where the person who texted you last night about Tyler and bam and ask.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, call your source, see if Pat picks up.

[Greg Cody]

It was not.

[Tony]

Oh, it would have been text from.

[Greg Cody]

A source that anyone knows.

[Tony]

It would have been 1000. But then Beano Udrid did that thing for them. So that was widely. Man, we were carrying so much water. Remember when we were like, yeah, Bino, that's what you do. Thank you for helping us avoid the apron.

[Mike Ryan]

I still. I still don't know how that worked. Like, to this day, I asked Andy Ellisberg straight up, the guy, the general manager, probably the smartest cowboys in all the NBA. I said, how did you get him to agree not to take money that was owed to him? And he just kind of smiled and he walked away from me.

[Tony]

So bought and paid for. We were retiring Bino Udre's number for avoiding the apron.

[Greg Cody]

David, did you know that Amin reported the story of Jimmy Butler and he, too, is now a journalist? Because the myth of Jimmy Butler. The moment. Amin's making fun of me for talking about moments. I've been talking about moments a lot.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know what that means.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, you do know what it means. Okay, what is the moment that Kawhi Leonard of his career that you remember? Is it winning the championships or is it what he did at Philadelphia?

[Mike Ryan]

It's winning championships.

[Greg Cody]

Okay. For me, it's at Philadelphia. First thing I think of when a moment, when I think of Kawhi Leonard is I think at Philadelphia.

[Tony]

I kind of also think of LeBron saying, yes, you know that curse word when he saw Kawhi checking in.

[Greg Cody]

So the difference between champion and moments.

[Mike Ryan]

Yes, but, like, you seem to value moments over championships. To me, it's like it's irrelevant. What's relevant is how much hardware.

[Greg Cody]

No, but it's how. It's how you remembered in the story. When we write the history, it's like for people to remember the story. Go ahead. Says.

[David Sampson]

I think. I mean, the moment. To me, I think of Kawhi missing the free throws in game six, which led to Ray Allen hitting the three.

[Tony]

Also, there's a fictional moment that I've kind of made real. It's kind of like in that Richard Gere territory, but where the legend becomes the truth. Apple time. Apple time.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, my God, dude. You know, anytime I'm doing Radio and the callers. You have calls, the callers say, hey, how you guys doing? I always just say, apple time. Apple time. And no one ever picks up on it. I love that story so much. I'm with you, Mike. That thing is real. I don't give a shit.

[Tony]

It's a real story.

[Mike Ryan]

It's a real story.

[Stugotz]

It's very effective to do something that no one picks up on.

[Mike Ryan]

I like that, Samson. It's called world building. You should try it sometimes.

[Greg Cody]

Real ballers know Stu got a ring for selling Marlins tickets in 1997. That was a previous administration to David Sampson. But I believe that would be the cubic zirconia ring. I don't believe Zaz's ring is cubic zarconia. And I do believe that makes a difference if it's diamonds or if it's not.

[David Sampson]

I mean, I have the same ring that the other Heat broadcasters. Like, you think Eric Reed is wearing a, you know, cubic strikonia ring?

[Amin Elhassan]

I would say. I would think Eric Reed would get a big time ring.

[Greg Cody]

It's the same ring.

[Mike Ryan]

Same ring he's not getting.

[Amin Elhassan]

Do you know that?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[David Sampson]

I used to work side by side with these guys. How dare you, David?

[Stugotz]

So the Heat may not have done any levels of rings, Dan. They may have done just one class.

[Greg Cody]

No, there was a difference between the players. There's the players and then there's the. The top team employees. But they're not giving the tinfoil ones to Zaz.

[Amin Elhassan]

Well.

[Stugotz]

Well, I don't know what his role was.

[Amin Elhassan]

The guy who broadcast the game is naturally going to get a better ring than the guy who does the pregame show or something like that. I would think.

[Greg Cody]

But he's just told you. How would you think that if he's just. He's.

[David Sampson]

Yeah, I'm the source. Like, I'm the guy. I'm telling you what it is.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. Do you have a. Did you take it to a jeweler with the thing on his eye? No, because you're right, that's.

[David Sampson]

No, because it's not. It's worth what it's worth to me. I don't care what the dollar value is. I would never sell it.

[Stugotz]

We would send an appraisal. Did you not get that for insurance purposes?

[David Sampson]

I didn't know.

[Stugotz]

Get a document from the Heat.

[David Sampson]

Should I.

[Amin Elhassan]

That speaks?

[Stugotz]

Well, yeah, we would. We gave that to all the A ring holders.

[David Sampson]

No, I'm definitely not an A ring holder. I'm not an A ring holder.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not Goat ring holder.

[David Sampson]

No, I don't like that goat ring, dog rings.

[Stugotz]

A ring. I don't think we should be quibbling about what level of rings he's got. A ring.

[David Sampson]

Correct.

[Stugotz]

That is the impressive part because my guess is he's the only one in the room who has a ring.

[Mike Ryan]

False.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, that's not true. I just don't wear mine. Sunset 24 time champion columnist Greg, can you listen to.

[Greg Cody]

Means trying to talk in the other room.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Two time WNBA champion.

[Tony]

Oh, that's right.

[Mike Ryan]

You guys don't. You guys don't respect women's sports and that's the problem.

[Tony]

No, it's not that I don't respect women's sports. I had no idea that you worked in women's sports.

[Mike Ryan]

Of course I was on the Mercury staff.

[Tony]

I did not know that. Congrats.

[Mike Ryan]

Video coordinator for the first championship. And I was doing analytics on the.

[Tony]

Second one a tier.

[Amin Elhassan]

Wow.

[Mike Ryan]

No ring because Robert Sarver's a cheap.

[Unknown]

Well, you guys have listened to oral history and you know that the origins of this show were once just a dream for Dan and for Stugats. And that dream turned into the show and now the business of metal arc media and the show that you're listening to today. But starting your own business is a dream that lots of us share. Too many of us let it remain just a dream. So don't hold yourself back thinking, what if I don't have the skills? What if I can't do it alone? Turn those what ifs into why nots. With Shopify by your side, Shopify powers millions of businesses worldwide, including 10% of all U.S. e commerce. Whether you're Mattel or you're just getting started, Shopify's got your back. Not a web designer. No problem at all. Shopify has beautiful ready to go templates. Need help with the details? Their AI tools can enhance product images, write descriptions and even generate discount codes. Worried about finding customers? Shopify makes marketing easy with email and social media tools. And if I ever get stuck, Shopify's award winning 24. 7 support is always there. Turn those dreams into and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com but go to shopify.com but shopify.com but.

I'm just trying to live up to the version of me my dogs think I am. You know what I mean? I mean Dopey and Izzy, they think I've got it all figured out. Meanwhile, I'm googling can dogs eat watermelon Midnight? Because I fed them some and now I'm panicked. And guess what? We're out of food. Flea, meds, treats, everything. Enter Chewy Lifesaver. Got everything delivered in likely a day.

[Mike Ryan]

Food?

[Amin Elhassan]

Check.

[Unknown]

Flea stuff?

[Greg Cody]

Check.

[Mike Ryan]

Toys?

[Unknown]

I'll ignore in 10 minutes, but I'll keep buying anyway.

[Greg Cody]

Yep.

[Amin Elhassan]

Check.

[Unknown]

Chewy has over 100,000 products. Food, meds, toys, fish stuff, bird stuff. I mean, if it's got a tail or scales, Chewy's got it. They've got vet visits, insurance, and all of it. Plus, I'm on auto ship now. I don't have to remember anything. And here's the best part about autoship. This is one of those months where dopey and Izzy got a little hungrier in their tum tums and food was going quicker than I anticipated. I can go onto auto ship and change the date and it'll come sooner. Chewy has everything you need to keep your pet happy and healthy. And right now, you can save $20 on your first order and get free shipping by going to chewy.comdan that's chewy.comdan to save $20 on your first order with free shipping. Chewy.comdan minimum purchase required. New customers only. Terms and conditions apply. See site for complete details. By the way, dogs can eat watermelon, just not the seeds or the rind. I'm learning.

The Dan Lebatard show with Stu Gotz is sponsored by BetterHelp. Mental health awareness is growing, and that's a good thing. But there's still work to do. In a recent survey, 26% of Americans said they've avoided seeking support out of fear of being judged. And that hesitation, it doesn't just affect the individual. It ripples out to families, workplaces, entire communities. This is Mental Health Awareness Month. Let's break the stigma together. Because when people are healthy and happy, we all thrive. Therapy isn't just for major trauma. It can help with setting boundaries, learning positive coping skills, and simply becoming the best version of you. BetterHelp has over a decade of experience connecting people with licensed therapists who fit their needs. With over 30,000 professionals and 5 million users worldwide, it's therapy that fits your life. It's completely online, flexible, and you can switch therapists at any time at no extra cost. We're all better with help. Visit betterhelp.com DLB to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp.

[Stugotz]

H-E-L-P.com/DLB Don LeBatard David Sampson Weirdo because.

[Mike Ryan]

He was not he was not the fun substitute teacher who'd wheel out a TV and play a VHS tape of Armageddon in science class. He was the weird one who would eat an egg salad sandwich while clipping his toenails into the trash can and ranting about Ronald Reagan stugats. The guy kept talking about how his ass was smooth, smoother than a newborn's cheek. He wouldn't stop bragging about his bare buttocks to.

[Unknown]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

[Stugotz]

So you don't have rings?

[Mike Ryan]

I have. I have two championships, but I don't. I don't have any physical rings.

[Greg Cody]

No, wait a minute.

[Tony]

That.

[Greg Cody]

That means you don't. Wait, you don't have a ring? Hold on. That means you don't actually have a ring. It's a ring in your personal record.

[Tony]

It's a revelation.

[Greg Cody]

It's not a ring. It's. The whole thing was stunning. The whole thing was stunning. But most stunning of all is that Amin is claiming to have a ring he doesn't have.

[Tony]

That's crazy.

[Mike Ryan]

I have two championships.

[Greg Cody]

No, you don't, because you don't have the ring.

[Tony]

We have a championship with Cyclones. We don't have a ring. We don't go around saying that we got a ring.

[Mike Ryan]

Nope, you do.

[Greg Cody]

There's got to be a ring.

[Mike Ryan]

Rings is just like a metaphor for championship.

[Stugotz]

Not a metaphor to me.

[David Sampson]

It's a physical thing.

[Greg Cody]

It's a jewel. It's a jewel with value. Less if the Marlins are giving it to you, more if the Heat are.

[Mike Ryan]

The value is in my mind.

[David Sampson]

All right.

[Stugotz]

No pendant?

[Mike Ryan]

No.

[Stugotz]

Did you get a certificate?

[Mike Ryan]

David Sampson. I'd like to introduce you to Rich. Rich. Robert Sarver. I don't know if you're familiar with his exploits. An owner? Not exactly. Mr. Moneybags.

[Stugotz]

Well, you do know that MLB and I and. And I don't know about the NBA, but maybe we have a source. There is a pool of money that is given to each World Series champion that goes toward the cost of the rings. Now, every team spends more, including we spent more. Because you get more rings than what is allocated. And you spend more per ring than what's allocated, but you get a nice little head start. I don't know whether the NBA does that for the wnba.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know. And I would venture probably not, or whatever that pool of money is, is significantly smaller than what would go to an NBA team or an MLB team. Either way, when presented with the opportunity to present rings to people, the essential staff, I would Say essential staff. He neglected.

[Tony]

He said, did the players get rings?

[Mike Ryan]

Players. Players got rings.

[David Sampson]

Did you believe you were going to get one until you did not?

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. I kept asking, like, hey, what's happening here?

[Greg Cody]

Wow, this is pathetic. The whole thing is amazing. The whole thing's.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, by the way, also, I have an Olympic gold medal. Well, I was on the staff for the 2008 redeemed team didn't actually get a medal because only players get medals, but that's three championships in my record book.

[Stugotz]

Time out. I mean, yes, you cannot say that you are a gold medalist. You can say that you worked with a team that won the gold medal or you worked with a team that won the WNBA Championship, but you can't say you have a ring and a medal.

[Mike Ryan]

Hold on. Do you guys love the Redeem team? Do you guys love America?

[Greg Cody]

Yes.

[Tony]

Yes, of course.

[Mike Ryan]

You're welcome.

[Tony]

USA all the way.

[Dan LeBatard]

I'm with David, though. You gotta have a metal.

[Mike Ryan]

Put him back on the top.

[Dan LeBatard]

But you gotta have the medal, though, to call yourself a gold medal winner.

[Mike Ryan]

So.

[Greg Cody]

Hold on.

[Mike Ryan]

So. So, by the way, Coach K and his staff did not receive medals because they're the coaching staff. Are they not gold medalists?

[David Sampson]

I think he has to say, we won the gold medal.

[Mike Ryan]

We won the gold medal. There you go. How about that?

[David Sampson]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

No way better. No ruling. Look, I'm making a ruling. I'm making a ruling. Is that a ruling from Judge Laszlo or is it because I'd like to just put one more thing in, one more thing in front of the.

[David Sampson]

Your Honor, Coach K and his staff at the Olympics, they won a gold medal. I rule that always with prejudice.

[Mike Ryan]

Okay, so I'm part of the staff now.

[Stugotz]

Are you on the bench?

[Greg Cody]

Hold on, hold on. Because I'm going to find out how far down the bench do I have to go here? He does not have the actual gold medal. He does not have any of the rings. He's not.

[Mike Ryan]

That was Coach K. He.

[Greg Cody]

He's saying he's a decorated champion. We've lost the decorations. We've lost the decorations. No, the decorations can't be in your mind. Decorations are right in here. Decorations are a tallable thing. And value is. Money is a tangible thing.

[Mike Ryan]

I. I get it. I love this country. You maybe not so much. I. We just have, like, a different opinion. All right. Wow. I did everything I could to put this country back on top and succeeded.

[Amin Elhassan]

Congrats.

[Mike Ryan]

You're welcome. Thanks.

[Amin Elhassan]

Good work on that.

[Mike Ryan]

Thank you, Greg.

[Tony]

Greg, can I ask you a question that's Been bothering me for like 25 minutes. Longer how? Yeah, longer than that. How is. I used to sing Robert Goulet songs in French. A Boston bona fide.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, we were wondering about that.

[Greg Cody]

So he came in here angry and we should have ridden it into the sky. No one should have gotten into the way. We could have ridden that for a week.

[Stugotz]

Week.

[Greg Cody]

He's delirious. He's 10 minutes late. He had no idea what was going on in life. And he's coming in combative because he wants to fight me, because he's mad at me for two days because I was an to his son.

[Amin Elhassan]

Right. And to me. But I'm used to it.

[Tony]

But I used to sing Robert Goulet.

[Greg Cody]

Songs and friends, that's what happens.

[Tony]

I don't understand.

[Greg Cody]

It's been happening since I've known him. He'll just go into non sequiturs about Robert Goulet.

[Amin Elhassan]

No, it's a memory of mine, my Auntie Arlene and my Uncle George. Particularly my Uncle George, now that I think about it. Used to sing Robert Goulet songs in French. I can't name a single one of the songs. I was never a Goulet fan, but he was popular in his day. G O U L E T. Robert Goulet. He was a bilingual, obviously. Sang beautifully in French.

[Stugotz]

You don't.

[Amin Elhassan]

It's just a memory, David. You know Robert Goulette, guys.

[Tony]

He was a Beetlejuice.

[Greg Cody]

Guys. Thanks, guys. Guys, we need to get. We need to get our chemistry down. Okay? We've got David on remote and we've got. Got Greg Cody here. And when we play the WDEI music, we need everyone to get out of the way so Tony could do his mixed martial arts.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, I get it now. Yeah. Good producing.

[Greg Cody]

To hear that you were late to the show, you would have known.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, I was late with cause.

[Greg Cody]

So is that the same as judging with prejudice? Late with cause.

[Amin Elhassan]

Late with cause is the. The overall.

[David Sampson]

Overruled.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, please.

[Greg Cody]

I don't know if David Sampson can hear us. He has gone out on sound. You guys can put him down and talk to him off air. We'll bring him back in a second. That is Robert Goulet.

[Tony]

Look at those eyes. The only connection point I have to Robert Goulet is Will Ferrell doing Robert Goulet on snl.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oh, yeah. That was great.

[Tony]

That's the only idea I have of Robert.

[Greg Cody]

You know, I will tell you the only thing you need to know about the illustrious beefcake that is Robert Goulet. There is Something about the pronouncing of his last name with that flourish that makes him a little more of a sexual icon. And Goulet is Cody's wheelhouse.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

And it's how it is that we're doing back in my day again. And we're doing it live around here.

[David Sampson]

I've never been here for that.

[Greg Cody]

Well, it's not Tuesday, so he's not doing it today. But the way that we're doing it now is he just opines on the pass in a way that's florid. And he's coming in here and he wants to talk about Sam Jones's bank shot, which we learned goes off of the side of the back corner and then.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, of course. Yeah. I mean, everybody remembers Sam Jones, but. But, you know, the older you get, the more you cherish distant memories, in my opinion. And one of mine is to hear my uncle and my aunt singing Robert Gallet in the kitchen in French. It was so exotic, you know, like.

[Dan LeBatard]

Swaying side to side, like in Catch Me if youf Can.

[Amin Elhassan]

It was just they. They would duet together and neither one of them were trained singers, but it was sweet. It's a sweet memory. You know, they're both long gone. My uncle was extremely overweight. That side of the family has had.

[David Sampson]

What does that have to do with anything?

[Amin Elhassan]

Well, you know, painted a picture, man. Look, The Cody's are blessed.

[Greg Cody]

Get out of the way. He's the writer. You're not gonna say you're a writer. You're not gonna say you're.

[Tony]

When the music plays, you clear out.

[Amin Elhassan]

The Cody's are blessed. My brother and I. Uncle Dick, talk about this all the time. Both of my folks live to be very long. I'm filled with gratitude. The other side of the family, my Auntie Arlene and Uncle George. Although my aunt did live into her early 90s. I almost had low 90s. Like golf. I wish I could shoot low.

[Greg Cody]

Are the Cody's overweight people?

[Amin Elhassan]

No. My other side of the family tended.

[Greg Cody]

The Levitards are.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. We all know that.

[Tony]

Must be a French thing.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. I mean, it's obvious, you know, you're on the air, everybody sees it. I'm kidding. Look at that. Look. Yeah. You know. Come on, it's self evident.

[Tony]

Greg, who had sugar diabetes.

[Unknown]

Is that Wild Bill?

[Amin Elhassan]

That was my nana. My mother's. Yeah, Nana.

[Dan LeBatard]

Do she die of undercooked pork or something?

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, that's right. Wow. Others in my distant relatives did. Yeah. By the way, no.

[Tony]

No laughing matter.

[Amin Elhassan]

I mean, back then, Undercooked, like pork. Sugar diabetes killed people back then, it kills people now. And nobody just called it diabetes though. It was always sugar diabetes. So to this day I tend to say sugar diabetes, you know. But pork poisoning was also a big thing back then and unfortunately it affected a couple of people in my family. Not my aunt, not my grandmother, Nana, you know, she cooked in hundred year old oil. I think I've talked to you about that before. So she lived.

[Stugotz]

Can't be true as well.

[Amin Elhassan]

She died of sugar 100 year old. Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

It can't be. She didn't have in the kitchen 100 year oil that she just kept in a cupboard. What bit was.

[Mike Ryan]

She got it from the Rockefellers.

[Amin Elhassan]

Oil lasts forever as long as you.

[Greg Cody]

Strain it, put it on the pole. Does oil last forever as long as you strain it.

[Amin Elhassan]

Right. It does.

[Greg Cody]

I just. A hundred year. You're claiming Jack, Greg, Cody. Are you claiming.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

As truth. The same way you claimed as truth that you had seen Wilt Chamberlain's fired final game or 100 point game on video even though no video exists.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah. That we know of.

[Mike Ryan]

Greg knows of it.

[Greg Cody]

Are you claiming that there is verify verifiable proof or even oral history proof in your household that would confirm that you are the descendant of an oil that was in the home for 100 years before your arrival?

[Amin Elhassan]

Yes, that's the family legend.

[Greg Cody]

There's no way that's true. There's no way. The family just kept passing down oil and moving trucks and wagons and however it is that the overweight Cody's were.

[Mike Ryan]

Traveling, Dan, it was a depression. You couldn't just go out and buy more oil. You had to preserve all your resources. This oil is perfectly good. All we have to do is strain it and we can hand it down generation after generation.

[Amin Elhassan]

We don't realize how close the depression is. My father's father used to drive around in a horse drawn cart selling blocks of ice. Big giant blocks of ice that he would carry in steel, black steel tongs.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Amin Elhassan]

And that's the way you earn money back then.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm in a depression right now and.

[Greg Cody]

That'S how it was back in their day.

[Amin Elhassan]

Yeah, not my day. Thank God. Times have changed. Wow.

[Tony]

David, I have a business question for you because I saw some think pieces online. Did the the streaming exclusive deals that MLB signed a few years ago, did that really hurt the sport? And a lot of people theorized this about mls. A league that did not have the history that Major League Baseball had. Apple does not release the numbers when it comes to Subscriptions, which is pretty telling. And now it was just announced by MLS Public Relations that Xfinity customers can get MLS season pass for free. Now, while that's exciting in terms of accessibility because a lot of people have Xfinity, that's also a really bad sign for this league that tried to go exclusively behind a paywall. How do we read into this news?

[Stugotz]

Well, two things have happened, Mike, is that the reality is that the Apple MLS deal was probably done three to five years too early. It was Don Garber with the right idea at the wrong time. And they thought that with Messi really as the guardrail to it that it would explode with popularity. And indeed, Messi even gets a piece of the business that Apple would have done with mls. The problem is MLS wasn't mature enough as a league to garner being behind a paywall the way it was. So what Garber's done since then is they've slowly eroded that wall. They're like chipping away. You can get a game here, you can get a game there, you can get a game everywhere. Now Xfinity joins and having the cable companies as a part of this is fascinating to me because they're trying to hold on as they're going to upfronts and announcing their streamers and all their direct to consumer stuff they're doing because they can't hold on. They're trying to bundle MLS now, which the other sports really would not never allow, only because they're more mature in that way. And Mike, I just want to add on mlb, that was an article that came out two days ago that was just wrong. It was full of ESPN and Jeff Passon and full of people who were leaking stuff who don't understand anything. The deal with Roku and Apple actually provide more money per game than what ESPN is paying per game. The Apple deal for baseball is a good deal. It's a side by side, non exclusive window deal. And ESPN is really going after MLB because they are hurt that MLB does not love them, want them, and is going to move on without them, which could hurt their new ESPN flagship dtc. So there's a lot going on in that regard and that's why you saw that article.

[Tony]

Wow. Yeah, that was curious. I never really thought about it like that. It could just be ESPN spinning MLB here because one Major League Baseball game, one random regular season game on a streamer, how does that hurt a sport that has so many games? Whereas with mls, one game is a sizable piece of your regular season, depending on what competition you're in. So that was just all a countermeasure to win the public relations battle for espn.

[Stugotz]

That's. That's what's happening. There is a major war going on right now between MLB and ESPN as ESPN finishes off the last year of a deal where MLB has walked away and opted out, as did ESPN. But MLB is going to match the 550 million. We talked about it on the Sporting Class with John Skipper. I've talked about it with nothing personal that MLB will sell that package. But when you read an article that gets so much attention that impugns MLB's ability to sell their game, you know that CSPN, it just reeked of all of the ESPN talking points. So people in the industry, both the buyers and the sellers, viewed all of that as noise and stupidity.

[Mike Ryan]

David, is that, is that just pure pettiness or is there a business reason behind why ESPN would do that?

[Stugotz]

Oh, ESPN has to negotiate with MLB because they've. Think about this, guys. They've got to get the rights to highlights. You. You're not allowed to show highlights of games without paying the league. And so if SportsCenter is going to do highlights during the summer when not much is going on, they need those rights, number one. Number two, for their DTC, which was just announced, announced, called ESPN at 2999amonth or 3599 if you don't get the deal, or you could pay it by year and get a little discount, whatever. They've got to have stuff on there. They're not going to show curling, they're not going to show Richard Simmons. They need stuff to push onto that app, that flagship, that streamer. And it's got to be baseball. And if they're not going to get games, which they're not, they need the highlights. And they should not be warring with MLB because they're going to lose. And if they lose, ESPN thinks that they can. But that shrinking platform as described by Rob and shrinking it is. And they're trying to go to the upfronts and pretend everything's all good with sports as sort of leading of the spear. And it's just not that way.

[Greg Cody]

He's a business assassin. He is not a creative genius. So when he programs a channel, do not listen to him. It is unwise. Do not do it with the late Richard Simmons. That would be a bad idea. You should be more entertaining and creative than that. I will tell you that his business information. I've told you this before, that move, Mike, that you just pointed out the Move of the information guy being used by the entity to spread news that the listener reader is not sophisticated enough to digest. David Sampson and John Skipper have discussed the business of that. It's a little bit dirty, the business of that in a way I haven't heard anywhere else. And David, what are you saying specifically to Jeff Passon, who it sounds like you're saying is doing someone's bidding as. As baseball's information guy?

[Stugotz]

Well, ESPN loses baseball and Jeff Passon is a baseball insider. I'm not sure why you would need someone at the salary he's at. So he's, you know, digging for his donuts. So of course you're going to be carrying the water for ESPN when you're trying to figure out when there's cuts going on everywhere other than the top, top level, which is not Jeff, obviously. The top, top level is getting the money and you're trying to sort of dance for your dinner. I get it. I'm not disparaging him for carrying their water.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, you are.

[Mike Ryan]

It seems like a smart move.

[Tony]

This is one of the few times for the listener that isn't aware. This is one of the few times that Dave's personal feelings have gotten in the way of true analysis. I think because there is a long standing beef between Jefferson.

[Greg Cody]

You're not disparaging.

[Stugotz]

I've never met him. There's no beef.

[Amin Elhassan]

Beef.

[Tony]

No, there is a beef.

[Stugotz]

There's literally. I've never met him. He never once was in the Marlins clubhouse. Never got.

[Mike Ryan]

Judge.

[Greg Cody]

Hold on a second.

[Stugotz]

Judge. Know him.

[Greg Cody]

Judge.

[David Sampson]

You can absolutely beef with someone you've never met. I rule there's a beef.

[Stugotz]

Beef.

[Greg Cody]

There's a beef.

[Amin Elhassan]

What are you beefing about?

[Greg Cody]

Beef. There's prejudice. You're not disparaging Jeff Pass. And while disparaging him, David, do you think. Think. Just out of curiosity, lawyer, do you think disparagement is when you decide it's disparagement?

[Stugotz]

Well, are you talking about the legal disparagement when we sign Non. Disparagement.

[Greg Cody]

No, I'm saying. I'm not saying.

[Stugotz]

This was not disparagement, Dan. This is me telling you the truth about Jeff Passon and his information and where he gets it and what he says and the value that he perceives.

[Greg Cody]

That's not journalism. That's not journal. You're alleging that. That you're alleging. And I don't know who gets to judge this.

[David Sampson]

Go on.

[Greg Cody]

That Jeff Passen isn't a journalist. He's not doing journalism there.

[Stugotz]

I am alleging that When Jeff Patson is carrying water for agenda laden things like talking to you about the Pittsburgh Pirates and that they don't deserve to have Paul Skenes, that there is a level of carrying water that bases his opinion. I don't view him as a journalist. I view Jason Stark, Ken Rosenthal, other such people. Buster, only Peter Gammons as people in that space. He is a quote unquote insider who gets information. Who gets information. That's how you are. An insider. Being an insider doesn't make you a journalist, Dan.

[Tony]

It's not business. It's just personal.

[Greg Cody]

Nothing personal is great. We ran out of time. I'm sorry, David. You've got to go. Are you going to make a ruling here?

[Stugotz]

Zach can hear you, so see you later.

[Greg Cody]

Are you more of a journalist than Amino Hassan because he reported the Timberwolves story of Jimmy Butler?

[David Sampson]

I don't have enough evidence because no one has presented to me whether or not Amin has a degree in journalism.

[Greg Cody]

All right, I need more. I need more time to make a ruling.

[Mike Ryan]

You don't need more time. I plead guilty. I'm not a journalist. I've never said I was a journalist. I never went to journalism school.

[Dan LeBatard]

All right, so here's something interesting. Did you know that sleep actually is really important to recovery? I mean, who knew, right? And everyone needs something different from their bed, which is why Sleep Number makes these smart beds that let you adjust each side to the firmness you want. Kind of perfect for couples that can't agree on anything. They've even partnered with the NFL since 2018, and 80% of NFL players sleep on a Sleep Number Smart bed. So, yeah, there's a reason these things are popular. They've got beds that cool you down up to 15 degrees cooler on either side to help you sleep better. Especially if you're someone who wakes up sweating like you just ran wind sprints in your dream. The bed also responds to your movements and adjusts as you sleep, which is wild. Why choose Sleep Number Smart Bed? So you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. And now it's the Sleep Number Everything Smart Bed sale. Every Smart Bed and Base are on sale during our Memorial Day event. Up to 50% off, limited time. Exclusively at a Sleep Number store near you. See store or sleepnumber.com for details.

[Tony]

Hey, everybody, it's Mike Ryan. You know, I'm a race fan. You know, I travel to races and I had a great experience a couple of weeks ago sitting outside the rv, toasting the good times with Miller Lights in hand with some of my best buddies. It was truly a memory that I'll remember forever and truly a time that was made better by making that time a Miller Time. Trust me when I say there just isn't a better feeling than hanging out with your boys, clanging those beautiful white cans of Miller Lite and realizing that you don't have to worry about the taste of your beer. Because the taste of your beer is designed for people who love the taste of beer. A taste that you know you can depend on. A great beer trusted by beer lovers for 50 years. From game night to race night to parties with friends or a special anniversary, celebrating important occasions means more moments with the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Light, the great tasting light beer for people who loved beer since 1975. Miller Light Great Taste 96 calories Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Light 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.