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Dan Le Batard
Welcome to the Big Sui presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show, the podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBatard podcast?
Greg Cody
I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that.
Dan Le Batard
In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries that if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys.
Mike Ryan
I've done it.
Dan Le Batard
And now here's the marching man to nowhere Fat Face and the Habitual Liar. Grateful for Nick Wright's time. He's very busy. He's got a very popular television show. And what is he smiling about?
Nick Wright
Because what do you're just always. The intros are always so kind and then I leave the interview, you know, usually mad at you. And so it's just a nice emotional roller coaster. But thank you for having me on, Dan. Happy New Year. I just got some chocolates from you guys and a hamper. I literally just got it this morning. It was a New Year's presence January 14, but I appreciate it all the same. Thank you.
Dan Le Batard
Let's speed him up. I want to get as much sports stuff from him because it's going crazy out there and he's the best going right now at Sports Opinion. Let's begin with the legacy of Aaron Rodgers. He has. Tom Brady has won a playoff game more recently than Aaron Rodgers.
Nick Wright
Yeah, listen, I think that when you are one of the foremost talented players in the history of your position and you end up, you know, around, I don't know, the 9th or 10th best player in the history of your position, it is a compliment to say you underachieved. And I think you saw on the back on enduring his final, what is likely his final game in the NFL, some of the stuff that made him not that guy in the biggest spots where he was making it clear to the entire world mistakes were made, but they were not my mistakes. Wearing his disgust on his face and and also DK Metcalf drops a pass so he ices him out of the game plan for a couple of hours. It's odd to be one of the 10 greatest players in the history of your sport at your position and still have underachieved, but I think that's what he did. Is that quick enough?
Dan Le Batard
Yes. It's a good start. It's a good start. No, I don't want. I want you to give me what you got. I don't think I'm going to have very many follow ups, but we want to bang through this as fast as we can here and give as much nutrients as we possibly can. So. Mike Tomlin's career Postseason record is 8 and 11, a.421 winning percentage. It's 23 out of 25 coaches with at least 15 playoff games since 2011. He's 3 and 10 in the playoffs and he's lost to Tebow and Blake Bortles. Tomlin, give me what you got.
Nick Wright
I, I would analogize it to if a bunch of people like left your show and then like you had a big coaching tree and then they all failed and then it was. People were like, sad Lerd, what's he doing? When in reality it's a compliment. It's. They only got that platform because of the, the high tide raising boats. I, I think Mike Tomlin got and I don't where they. Can you buy Emmys on ebay now. I think they got to the playoffs with less than playoff caliber teams because of Tomlin's inherent excellence at getting the most, you know, juice from the squeeze. And then once the playoffs begun and you played actual good teams, they got clocked repeatedly. With that said, he's not blameless because I do think over the last half decade the priority shifted from winning Super Bowl 7 to guaranteeing you had the best chance to not be below.500 in 2019. At the tail end of Big Ben, he got hurt. Three games into the year, they're.03 and they trade a first round pick for who? Miami's Minka Fitzpatrick. That year, not only was Burrow and Herbert at the top of the draft, but Jordan.
Mike Wilbon
We've lost your audio, Nick.
Dan Le Batard
We've. Yeah, we've lost your audio.
Mike Ryan
Never happened to me.
Gianna Sanchez
I blame Jeremy.
Nick Wright
That couldn't be me. That has to be on your guys end.
Dan Le Batard
Okay. We like accountability.
Gianna Sanchez
You're back.
Dan Le Batard
We just lost the last, the very last couple of sentences of what you said.
Nick Wright
All right, very quickly. Sorry. Don't count this against my time. 2019, they trade away their first round pick to add Minka Fitzpatrick even though Big Ben's out for the year because they want to find a way to get to eight wins. They do. They don't have a first round pick when Burrow Herbert at the top of the draft. Jordan Love at the tail end of round one, a team that had a quarterback but looked ahead. Jalen hurts the beginning of round two, a team that had just signed Carson Wentz and then even this past year when you sign a 41 year old quarterback, you know that's not a long term plan. Fine, so be it. But in the first round and I'm not a huge Jackson Dart or Tyler Schuck guy but they don't draft a quarterback there. Instead they draft a D lineman. It felt like near the end they were prioritizing high floor rather than high ceiling and I think that got in his way. But I think he is a great, great head coach and I also think he's likely going to be a colleague of mine at Fox. So welcome to the team.
Dan Le Batard
Mike, you use the phrase toward the end and I've gathered from your commentary, although I haven't heard you say it plainly, that you think Lamar Jack is toward the end. That whatever it is that is going on with Lamar Jackson, we've seen his best play and it's no longer prime Lamar Jackson that we're ever going to see again. Do I have you? Am I misrepresenting you?
Nick Wright
You're not misrepresenting me. I don't. Toward the end is maybe further than I would go. But do I think Lamar Jackson is likely to ever reach the peaks he has already reached? No. Do I think that a Lamar Jackson I know he has these gaudy passing numbers and the numbers are the numbers. But do I, do I believe having watched the NFL that some of Lamar Jackson's efficiency and excellence passing the ball is a byproduct of teams being so afraid correctly what he can, what he can do running the ball and therefore if moving forward he's more like he was this year than in previous years where where he's simply not a real threat as a runner. He's going to be see he's going to see more complex, more difficult passing game looks and that could hurt his productivity. You also add to the fact that he has missed at least a quarter of the season three of the last five years. You also add to the fact that he was that he wants a understandable a top of market brand new fully guaranteed 60 plus million dollar a year deal. I think their bet their best chance to win a Super bowl was January of 2024 hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. And they might have done it, but Justin Tucker demanded to get warmed up in Kelsey and Mahomes practice area and it's all been downhill from there.
Greg Cody
Hey Nick, this is a bit off subject, but I'm wondering how hard you're working behind the scenes to finagle an invitation to Travis and Taylor's wedding.
Nick Wright
Not working behind the scenes on that at all. Our mu. I would imagine our mutual friend Adam Lefkoe will be invited. I've always been tried to be very clear about this. I am friendly with Travis. I love Travis as a football player and I also think he's the greatest tight end ever. But Travis and I do not have the extent of our personal relationship is in the past we had had an annual meeting in mid February in Kansas City at a parade that was always held and then we'd go get drunk afterwards. That's the extent of it. So I don't think I'm in the wedding party circle now. If Patrick were getting married, I think maybe I'd get invitation. But Patrick has been married for a long time as a beautiful family, wonderful wife and children.
Dan Le Batard
Put it on the poll please. Best tight end ever. Kelsey or Gronk at Lebatard Show Explain to me what's going on with OKC and the Spurs.
Nick Wright
Well, I listen, I think that it would have been a five alarm fire for OKC had they lost last night. They didn't and Shea stabilized and I think that, that they that is a unique matchup for OKC because OKC has a lot of inherent advantages over most of the excellent teams in the league. But one of them is because of their youth and their depth. They can just send wave after wave of excellent defender at you. That's going to wear you down. And by midway through the third quarter most teams are like ah, next game's probably going to be easier because of the the Wimby chat rivalry that Wimy has created out of thin air. There can only be one super tall skinny guy that they play with an edge and they have the youth and the depth to where they are not going to wear down. I I need to see Wimby play, you know, 50 games ish in a row where I have confidence that they are a real contender. But that is a, that is the first tough matchup that OKC has. But I just remind everyone five of the last six champions midway through or early on in the year they were defending their title. Everyone thought that team's obviously repeating and not only did no none repeat, none got back to the finals, none got back to the conference finals. And the only one that's even been back to a conference finals, forget the year after at any point post championship run is of course the championship. We don't count LeBron James is in the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers.
Dan Le Batard
We'll get to LeBron in a second. But what do you have for Nick Wright says the packers winner the Bear.
Adrian Wojnarowski
Lose Bears lo oh, okay.
Nick Wright
Sorry I didn't understand great questions as you had six words, you stumbled over two of them. But I translated it the packers lost Caleb sensational and special. But that is an unfathomable loss for the packers and it's on a long list of really tough ones.
Dan Le Batard
I thought that that was the most improbable playoff loss ever given the time and situation. Obviously the patriots being down 28 to three in a Super bowl is a bigger thing, but just be to to have golden score his first touchdown of the season that way to go up 11 to have the Bears in fourth and nine late in that game I really did think it was almost impossible to lose that game.
Nick Wright
So I have never seen a game lost like that. So to go back a few years when everyone's golden boy, look at the arm talent Justin Herbert had his first of what ended up being a trilogy of truly awful playoff games. And by the way, this is one where the first was the worst, meaning it was the least much of a meltdown for Herbert. All he did was blow a 27 nothing lead and make zero plays. He's who knew the sequel. He'd throw more picks in a game than he did in his whole season and in the trilogy one he would simply just be like I'm not throwing the ball and score three points. But I'm remiss in part of that comeback. The Jags had four second half possessions, scored four touchdowns. The Jags had to be perfect every possession. The bears were down 21 3, threw a pick, had a possession where they gained 2 yards and allowed a touchdown and still came back and the packers never turned it over. The packers had the ball eight times after going up 21 3, never turned it over and lost. I it is. I've never seen a comeback like that and I don't think this is year over year sustainable. But as far as for the rest of this postseason, there is something to the fact that trailing by double digits with five minutes left this season, every team but The Bears has three wins and 159 losses and the Bears, trailing by double digits with five minutes or left, have three wins and three losses. For everyone else in the sport, it's a 2% chance of victory. For the Bears, it's a 5050 shot. They're the only team that can trail by 10 entering the fourth quarter this weekend and feel okay about it.
Gianna Sanchez
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Smirnoff Announcer
All right, kicking things off with Smirnoff, the official vodka sponsor of the NFL and the number one vodka in the world. Chris Cody, you're here.
Nick Wright
Smirnoff.
Gianna Sanchez
Wow.
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Nick Wright
Smear enough. Here's the kicker.
Smirnoff Announcer
One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the offseason. Plus, one fan will win a layli May's one of one game day jacket.
Nick Wright
Wow.
Smirnoff Announcer
The merch will be dropped on select dates from December to January 21st. And it's all courtesy of what brand? That's right, Chris. Fans 21 and over can head to Smirnoff Socials to learn how to sign up. And don't forget to grab a bottle of Smirnoff vodka number 21 at your local retail. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21, vodka distilled from grain, 40% alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Company, New York, New York. Please do not share with anybody under legal drinking.
Nick Wright
Hate Smirnoff.
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No purchase necessary. Must be legal. US resident, 21 or older. Sweepstake starts 12 15, 2025 at 12:00am Eastern and ends 1232026 at 11:59:59pm Eastern. See official rules at program website.
Dan Le Batard
Don LeBatard Football.
Mike Wilbon
Football, football.
Nick Wright
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.
Mike Wilbon
Who you got in the natty?
Nick Wright
You guys. I'm going. You guys. I got.
Smirnoff Announcer
I had.
Nick Wright
You guys. Overall, miss, there was part of. I was very conflicted and I actually said this on the TV show. I have personal relationships to Miami, most notably this show, but really Mike Ryan, specifically, because I know he lives and dies with it. Levitard, I think used to care about the canes. And then he was like, I'm a big J journalist. I can't care about anything. And then he's like, wait, all the money is in doing Miami Heat rants. So maybe I should lean back into the fact that my football Team's good. Did I get the timeline right? I'm not sure. Regardless, so I was rude and a couple of the producers on our TV show are Miami grads including the world's greatest social media producer, Gianna Sanchez who really lives and dies with it. I also wanted Lane Kiffin it really to stick to him. I really liked the idea of Ole Miss. He leaves Ole Miss because you can't win a championship there and then they win the championship. So in that game I was conflicted but I like your guys chances. In this game I'm not conflicted at all. I like Kurt Signetti and his amazing amazing coaching job and his squad of super senior 27 year olds. However, I like when the U is rolling. I like when Michael Irvin accidentally reveals he has Washburn board 8 pack abs. I like Ibis. I've never done cocaine but I imagine I'd like that. So I I'm going for the canes.
Dan Le Batard
Greg, what do you have for Nick Wright?
Greg Cody
Hey Nick. America is under threat of a Denver, Seattle Super Bowl. I wonder if you see a super team this year. Is there anybody in the NFL that's an extraordinary all round team?
Nick Wright
No, listen, the super team decided they'd, you know, take the season off sadly and not make their fourth straight Super Bowl. I think Seattle's the best team but when, when literally every single person it involved in watching or covering the NFL, their biggest concern about your team is is your quarterback going to melt in a big spot. It feels like that team's never going to be the consensus favorite. Denver. I, I give Denver Credit. They won 14 games. I don't fully believe in them. I think Buffalo has the superhero. The Rams are the best team but have had some odd, you know, end of games losses. And that Panther game they weren't actually all that impressive. But no, much like 2007 to I, I've told this before but I'll do it very quickly. 2007 Tom Brady takes the field trying to become the greatest single season team ever. The 07 Patriots go for his fourth Super Bowl. They don't win that game. He tears his ACL in 2008, 2024, 25 the exact same scenario for Patrick Mahomes. The 2008 postseason was a weird one. We got the nine win Arizona Cardinals playing a Steelers team that nobody thought was really exceptional. I wonder if 2025 is going to be similar in its weirdness. I with that said, my super bowl pick is not a weird one. It's Rams, Bills, it's the two best Quarterbacks in the tournament.
Dan Le Batard
Wow. You have Josh Allen going on the road and doing that.
Mike Wilbon
Yeah.
Dan Le Batard
That's a lot of faith in the.
Nick Wright
Best player in the tournament. Agree something about that. You didn't even ask me. I want to say something.
Dan Le Batard
Nor do you care whether I say yes or no. You can say something about that. You're going to say it. Yeah, go ahead.
Nick Wright
This is. And I. This is. This is not a shot as at others as much as it is a compliment to myself. These folks that wanted to preemptively lower the stakes for Josh Allen in the wild card game as a way to either ingratiate themselves to the ball knowers or to be or to make it clear that no the, you know, the only a Neanderthal would think that an all time great quarterback has pressure on him when he's in the wild card round in Jacksonville. They actually were doing Josh Allen a disservice. And those of us that said he has to find a way to win in this spot, even though the Jags are really good, were doing him a service. You know why? Because the stakes were high. That 40 yard seed to Brandon Cooks trailing in the fourth quarter with two minutes left become an iconic moment in his career. If it doesn't matter if you win or lose, if it's like, well, we all know he's great, so who cares then that play is meaningless. The fact that three postseasons in a row Josh Allen had the ball in his hands down either three or four points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and two years ago didn't come through, team got zero points. Last year didn't come through, team got 17 yards and this year did come through, team got a touchdown and it was such a fait accompli that the analysis was they should have stopped trying to score briefly to give Jacksonville less time. That's the way you become a legend is doing legendary moments when the stakes are high. So I say all that say this, you're welcome Josh Allen for the pressure. It is an. It is a privilege and this is how you become an all time great. Not because someone's like their run defense. I gotta listen to my guy Dominique and others be like, have you seen the Bills run defense guys? They've got the rushing champ, the best offensive line in football and a top five pass defense. And oh yeah, by the way, Josh Allen, they should be awesome.
Mike Wilbon
I completely agree. I love watching him in these moments too because you know exactly what's coming. They're calling players. You got to keep it in his hands. And I think, you know, I know you're a Chiefs guy and. And maybe some of the knock will be, well, he had to wait till guys like Lamar and Burrow and Mahomes were out of the playoffs to do it. But the point was brought up on on CBS that he actually is the reason a lot of those guys aren't in the postseason right now, because he beat them in the regular season in huge games in retrospect.
Nick Wright
Well, so listen, I also think this whole the pressures on Josh because that trio is out is bullshit. The pressure's on Josh because Mahomes is out. Joe Burrow, everyone acting like, oh, man, gotta take advantage of Joe Burrow not being in the playoffs. He's never in the playoffs. He's been in the playoffs twice ever. Like Joe. We should be it. The story should be, wow, Joe Burrow's in the playoffs. Not wow, Joe Burrow's not good point.
Greg Cody
And.
Nick Wright
And Lamar is the one prior to the win against Jacksonville. Lamar's the one at current starting quarterback in the league Josh had beaten in the playoffs and he was 2. 0 against him. Josh was not worried about the Ravens showing up to the playoffs and the Bengals showing up to the playoffs is a surprise to everyone. It is an opportunity because why are we showing robots kicking people? Why would there an opportunity?
Dan Le Batard
It's in the nuts. Because why wouldn't we do that? Why wouldn't.
Nick Wright
Okay, I don't even know what I'm watching. Oh, a guy. The robot has to do what the guy does, controlling the robot.
Adrian Wojnarowski
How did he get it right away? I was so confused.
Gianna Sanchez
And then the robot mimics his reaction to getting kicked.
Dan Le Batard
I'm sorry, the video team interrupted you with their nonsense. You were saying.
Nick Wright
No, I'm just saying there. Listen it. There will be no. I. I also thought that CBS broadcast. I thought they. When they're like, now, don't you go say you're no, you're good, buddy. You're my guy. Don't you go say that there's an asterisk on this because the cheat nobody is. Nobody puts an asterisk on championships unless LeBron wins them. We all know that there is no NFL champion * since the strikes season. And I don't even know if that's an asterisk because if I asked this Emmy winning crew, when were the strike seasons in the NFL, they're gonna go over a hundred. And so when was it? When was it? Tashay, this is not an Emmy winning.
Mike Ryan
Crew. I'm an Emmy win.
Nick Wright
Okay? When was it? When was the.
Mike Ryan
Strike? The last three years for.
Mike Wilbon
Me.
Nick Wright
Okay. Well.
Dan Le Batard
Done. He's the host of FS1's First Things First. He's got to get out of here. And what's right with Nick Wright, the podcast. Thank you, sir. Appreciate the.
Nick Wright
Arrogance. Hold on, hold.
Dan Le Batard
On. As.
Nick Wright
Always. 90 seconds. I know I have a heart out, but you said we were going to get to something. We didn't get to throw Mike Ryan on the mic. No pun intended. Hey, Mike Ryan. LeBron James all star at 50. Have you seen him since he let that streak.
Mike Wilbon
Go? He's been really.
Nick Wright
Good. Jazz was on to something. He's been streak was holding him down. Since then he's been a top 10 player in the league. See you.
Mike Wilbon
Guys. What's going on.
Dan Le Batard
There? He's got the heart out. He tells me he's got the heart out. We try and get him out in the heart out. Then he yells, but I got the.
Nick Wright
Guy. The guy at 31. 10 and 9 last night he turned 41. He's been great. You guys out here. Robin slandering his.
Mike Wilbon
Name.
Dan Le Batard
Robin. Mike thinks it's the worst take that you've ever.
Mike Wilbon
Had. He's not gonna be an ulcer at 50.
Nick Wright
Dude. Okay, well, here's the thing. It will much like the last time I was on this show or the second to last time, there is a real tough argument strategy of trying to prove hypotheticals incorrect. I think you we can check the archives to see how that goes.
Gianna Sanchez
For.
Nick Wright
Others there is there if LeBron is an all Star every game of his career, I guess we'll never know if he'd be an All.
Greg Cody
Star. We have to.
Nick Wright
Wrap. Five, four. See you.
Dan Le Batard
Guys. All right, see you later. See you later, Nick. Now, he is a bit of a content machine. So he's allowed us. There are a number of things that I want to get to that he spoke about, but I first want to go to Greg Cody and how poorly at this point in his career he wants to do the things that we have asked him to do. Now this is an incredibly poor recreation of The Don Bailey Jr. Famous iconic billboard that I believe outside of the Coppertone ad is the second most famous billboard in.
Greg Cody
The. Yeah, there you.
Gianna Sanchez
Go. So this is what we're trying to.
Greg Cody
Recreate. Look at those.
Gianna Sanchez
Abs. And this is what we have. Let's take my dad.
TurboTax Announcer
Now. He's not even on a carpet.
Mike Wilbon
Now. I don't know what you're genuinely had no idea what Greg was trying to.
Dan Le Batard
Do. Greg, you're supposed to Be on a carpet. And you're supposed to be a little bit looking new. You just look like you're in repost. Like, what are you doing? You didn't. You got shoes.
Gianna Sanchez
On. You might be nude under that. That's what I think we're going.
Dan Le Batard
For. You got shoes on. You didn't recreate the waist.
Mike Wilbon
Down. Keep the shoes on a rug. I don't know what he's.
Dan Le Batard
Doing. We don't know what you're.
Greg Cody
Doing. Greg, we're advertising a flooring company on a couch. Cody Flooring. We sell retrograde flooring, mostly linoleum and.
Dan Le Batard
Chattahoochee.
Mike Wilbon
Greg. Greg, you saved it with chattahoochee. Linoleum is a tough word. Don't you try it, then. I'll stop.
Dan Le Batard
You. Thank. You're supposed to be on the carpet, though. You're supposed to be selling. I'm on a carpet talking to the mic even There. He does.
Greg Cody
It. All right, I'm on a.
Dan Le Batard
Carpet. Greg, can you do.
Mike Wilbon
This? Back to.
Dan Le Batard
It. Can you do this a little better, please? I'd like to go to you at the end of the segment and have the recreation be a little better than this, if you don't.
Gianna Sanchez
Mind. Get.
Greg Cody
Nude. What if I do.
Dan Le Batard
Mind? Well.
Mike Wilbon
Gotcha. If you want Cane's talk, I'll be on Cane's insight.
Dan Le Batard
Then. All right. Well, speaking of which. Thank.
Mike Wilbon
You. So there's another talk about Josh Pate and Brooks Austin. I believe we'll go live at 145. Mike started.
Dan Le Batard
Yatusabe. That was a joke you were supposed to make 20 minutes.
Gianna Sanchez
Ago. Yatusabe must be in the tone of that kind of.
Mike Wilbon
Thing. Yatu sabe I'm saying, You know.
Gianna Sanchez
It. I thought it was that kind of.
Greg Cody
Thing. Oh.
Mike Wilbon
Whatever. You guys are really ruining this whole week for.
TurboTax Announcer
Me. Sorry.
Mike Ryan
Mike. Oh, sorry. We haven't done.
Mike Wilbon
Enough. Um, we.
Mike Ryan
Haven'T. Hello, listeners. You know that I live in Miami, which means my idea of quote, unquote, winter is just putting on a hoodie or a cardigan and acting like I've suffered. But every time that I travel somewhere that's actually cold, I'm reminded that my wardrobe is completely and utterly unprepared. But that right there is where Quince comes in. I also realize that if I'm going to be on camera for broadcast gigs or I probably shouldn't look like I just grabbed whatever was closest to the door. Quince makes clothes that deliver premium materials, thoughtful design, and pieces that hold up season after season after season after season. And particularly with quince. Their outerwear has been the thing that's especially impressed me. Those down jackets, wool coats, Italian leather and folks, that cashmere sweater, ridiculously soft, looks great and somehow doesn't cost what you'd expect. Trust me, I am the only one on this this show who actually dresses to impress and quince is what's now helping me do it. Refresh your winter wardrobe with quints. Go to quince.com dan for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com dan free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dan happy new year.
Mike Wilbon
Everybody. 2026 is already getting off to an incredible start. Because you want to know how I rang in the new year? It was with a bunch of friends in a Dallas hotel lobby bar ordering a bunch of Miller Lights. Because that's how you do it. That's how you make special memories. Miller Lite has been by my side at many special football memories this year, and hopefully we get to write a few more memories with Miller Lite. Some of my most legendary moments have started that exact same way. A buddy's house, a lobby bar, a game. No big plan. And then you crack open a Miller Lite, you take a sip and you look around and you immediately recognize that you made the right call. Legendary moments Start with 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. Six calories and 3.2 carbs per 12.
Adrian Wojnarowski
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Dan Le Batard
Everything. You owe me.
Greg Cody
Everything. You have added 10 years to my.
Nick Wright
Career. Yes, I.
Greg Cody
Have. This man has. You.
Dan Le Batard
Haven'T. That.
Greg Cody
Man. Who the hell are.
Mike Wilbon
You?
Nick Wright
Stugats. I.
Dan Le Batard
Am. Who.
Mike Wilbon
The.
Greg Cody
Bullshit. You're a rude young.
Mike Wilbon
Man. You're a fool. You're a.
Greg Cody
Fool. I already called you a.
Mike Wilbon
Fool. You can't call me a rude idiot again. It's a fool. You're an idiot for dismissing how much I've helped.
Nick Wright
You. This is the Dan Levatar show with the St.
Dan Le Batard
GS. Slow everything down for just a second. Josh Allen has the most playoff wins, eight without a Super bowl appearance in NFL.
Adrian Wojnarowski
History. That's.
Dan Le Batard
Amazing. Yes, that is amazing. It's why I said it. I would also. Please execute for me by the end of this segment. I'd like to go to the visual of Greg doing that a little bit better than. He.
Gianna Sanchez
Just. He doesn't want.
Dan Le Batard
To. I got it. And I don't.
Greg Cody
Care. How about you do it.
Dan Le Batard
LeBatard? Not a bad idea. Actually, you know what? Not a. Not a bad idea. I'm. I'm. Let's start the next segment. You know what? I'll allow you to boss me around here.
Greg Cody
Okay. Thank.
Dan Le Batard
You. And I will show.
Gianna Sanchez
You. You love a.
Dan Le Batard
Costume. I will. No, it's not a costume. I'm gonna be nude. And that you would think that that would be embarrassing to me, and it will be. But I will do it in the name of leadership to show Greg Cody how it is to help the show. Because the show should come first, not Greg Cody. He doesn't understand that. He thinks Greg Cody should always come.
Greg Cody
First. Damn.
Dan Le Batard
Right. So Mike posted this on Threads. Okay. Mike Ryan is gonna do. I hope Mike Ryan is doing hours and hours of Cain's exclusive content on his platform with D Money and an assortment of others. Tell people, Mike, where it is, that if they want more stuff, there's not enough Cain stuff here. You have said here on the show this week, and it's early. You've said, bleep Billy Corbin. You've said that this show is not viewed as pro. Miami. You've said you're not emotional. This is what you posted on.
Mike Wilbon
Threads. I didn't think anybody would see it because it was on.
Dan Le Batard
Threads. That's immediate defensiveness right there from Mike, because I. Yeah.
Mike Wilbon
Yeah. This was like about four TSL's.
Dan Le Batard
Deep. All right, so this is the quote that Mike Ryan, who says he's not emotional. This is what he put on threads. Didn't think anyone would see it on the public platform of threads. Threads quote, you haven't been tested. Our minds, bodies and spirits have been in hell since Halloween. You're walking into an asylum. The same folks picking you have been pouring dirt on our grave for two and a half months. We're still standing. We're forged in fire and been fighting for our lives longer than you've mattered. See you in a week. Spot the goddamn.
TurboTax Announcer
Ball. All.
Mike Wilbon
Right. I stand by it. Wasn't as drunk sounding as I.
Dan Le Batard
Feared. You're threatening.
Mike Wilbon
Indiana. That's.
Dan Le Batard
Right. You're telling them. Spot the. Spot the.
Mike Wilbon
Ball. Spot the ball.
Greg Cody
Please.
Mike Wilbon
Inspirational. Spot the ball, please. I think it's being discounted how Miami's had to fight for its life, has had to fight to prove that they deserve to be in this tournament. And they've been living on that edge and playing with that edge for damn near half a football season. I think it matters. And you want to play against an Alabama team that didn't really belong being there, that lost FSU, and a lame duck Oregon coaching staff that internally is probably pretty mad at the coaches that are leaving because that game plan was shit. Let's go to Miami Garden. Spot the goddamn.
Dan Le Batard
Ball. So in the name of game analysis, and there are a couple of other things that I want to get to here, this is a bit of an oversimplification, but not exactly okay. I actually think the hardest games Miami had, and this seems asinine given that they were a 9 1/2 point favorite against Ohio State. But because of playing style and circumstance and playing on the road, I actually think that Texas A and M and Ole Miss were more difficult games in terms of style matchups than Ohio State because Ohio State was going to try and out physical Miami, and I don't believe Miami can be out physical Now. Miami did play its best game of the season against Ohio State. It's what was required and it's what they summoned. The game they played against Ole Miss after that was a letdown game. They played really, really poorly against Ole Miss. But the only way they lose against Indiana is with turnovers. If they play the game they play against Ohio State, they will drag Indiana. If they play now, it's their best game of the season, but it's what I'm measuring them against. I'm expecting their best game. And admittedly, that's a dangerous thing to expect when Mario Cristobal is your coach. Reputationally. Reputationally expecting Mario crystal balls team to play the best game in the biggest moment that doesn't have any of the undisciplined sloppiness in.
Mike Wilbon
It. What are you talking about? Yeah, but you're the ones making the reputation. Reputationally. Miami always gets up for the big games, right?
Dan Le Batard
Always. Mike.
Mike Wilbon
Cristobal. Mario Cristobal teams always get up for the big games. What are you talking about? What is the big game? No, no, no.
Dan Le Batard
Dan.
Mike Wilbon
No. Reputationally. Don't talk to me about something that's made up. What are the big games that Mario. I am mad.
Dan Le Batard
Now. What are the big name now? Name.
Mike Wilbon
Them. What are the big games that a Mario crystal ball team has not shown up for? I am.
Dan Le Batard
Waiting. Okay, now I am waiting. All right, Mike.
Mike Wilbon
Quit. I am.
Dan Le Batard
Waiting. Quit being an.
Mike Wilbon
Asshole. I am.
Dan Le Batard
Waiting.
Mike Wilbon
5. No, no, no, no. Quit being. Are you calling me an asshole? Because I'm calling you out on your bullsh the question Spot the goddamn.
Nick Wright
Ball.
Mike Wilbon
Name. Name a game. Name a big game that a Mario crystal ball team murdering the show with their bare hands and a dismemberment kit in cold block. Make it louder. This is bullshit. You can just lie on the microphone. He's had two months of big games and the team has shown up and you're talking to me about a reputation? Guess who's making the reputation up? Dan Lebatar. Tell me the big game that a Mario Cristobal coach team has not shown up for since he's been at Miami. I double dog dare.
Dan Le Batard
You. Leave. Leave. Because I'm not gonna be interrupted again. So just.
Mike Wilbon
Leave.
Mike Ryan
Childish. It is a good rhetorical.
Mike Wilbon
Trick. Aren't you supposed to be naked because you already showed your.
Mike Ryan
Ass? It's a good rhetorical trick, right? Because it's like until this year, they didn't earn their way into any big.
Dan Le Batard
Games. So just by the standards of this show, that has evidently made Mario crystal ball's reputation. Jonathan Zaslow proclaimed before a game this season that the Hurricanes were back, the expectations were back, that everything was fixed, and there would only be disappointment if they did not go undefeated. They lost their next big game against Louisville. It was the next game that they lost after Zaslow said this. Syracuse and Georgia Tech at the end of last season were big games for the conference.
Adrian Wojnarowski
Championship. That's what I would point.
Dan Le Batard
At. Like, I mean, and so they haven't played in that many big games. Beat Ohio State in the big.
Gianna Sanchez
Game that they played Notre Dame to.
Dan Le Batard
Start the season and Notre Dame and Texas A and M. Recently he has helped erase some of the reputation that he had that I did not give him. I was not the one who gave him that reputation. That's not me doing that. That's me being anti Miami. According to him. Who posts on threads this morning expecting no one to see it. Spot the goddamn ball. Bleep. Billy.
Mike Ryan
Corbin. What did he say about the minds, bodies and.
Dan Le Batard
Spirits? Yeah, well, I'll read it again because he says he's not.
Adrian Wojnarowski
Emotional. I mean, the reputation comes from before he got to Miami. He didn't get that reputation at.
Mike Ryan
Miami and then Georgia.
Dan Le Batard
Tech. He hasn't actually played in that many big games, but he had before. Man, Trista was here before the playoffs started and simply shrugging her shoulders and saying, cristobal always loses here. This is not something he's going to.
Gianna Sanchez
Win. One of the worst takes in the last few.
Dan Le Batard
Weeks. So quote from Threads this morning. You haven't been tested. Are you speaking directly to.
Mike Wilbon
Indiana?
Dan Le Batard
He. Or maybe he's speaking to Signetti or.
Adrian Wojnarowski
All. I think he's talking to defensive coordinator from.
Dan Le Batard
Indiana. I think he's talking to all the Indiana players who are older than Mike. You haven't been tested. Our minds and bodies and spirits have been in hell since Halloween. You're walking into an asylum. The same folks picking you have been pouring dirt on our grave for two and a half months. We're still standing. We're forged in fire and have been fighting for our lives longer than you've mattered. See you in a week. Spot the.
Gianna Sanchez
God. You get Ray Lewis to read that and I get goosebumps like I'm not gonna. Like I know maybe coming from Mike's threads that doesn't mean anything, that.
Dan Le Batard
He didn't want seen by.
Adrian Wojnarowski
Anybody. But man, that's a good.
Mike Ryan
Idea. Hell, since Halloween, who can we get to read.
Dan Le Batard
That? Well, Edrin James would have been good. Oh, let's just invite Keynes here and see who will read it. Just hurry up and invite some Hurry up and get me any kind. Get me any cane right now to read that and we'll see if we can do it better than Mike. We'll see how long it'll take us to.
Adrian Wojnarowski
Cane. It's like the lineup and usual suspects where they have to read what the witness said. Like they all try it. We see who sounds the.
Mike Ryan
Best. And just going back for a second. Dan, just some clarification that I'm looking for so that I can make sure our HR people know we have watched one of our employees get changed and you are telling an employee to get naked. But if he doesn't get naked, you're gonna get.
Dan Le Batard
Naked. Yeah, I'll lead the way on this. I'll have to lead the.
Mike Ryan
Way. Just wanted to make sure Greg.
Dan Le Batard
You could come on in here cuz you didn't do what we asked you to out there. So you can come right back in here if you want. Now you're even less visually than you were before. Do you have anything for us here? What did you think about this exchange between me and Mike.
Greg Cody
Ryan? I tended to agree with Mike if I'm being perfectly honest. I think Mario gets a bad continuing rap based on the end of the Georgia Tech game two years ago. I don't know what we're focusing on. All that matters is that the Canes have played must win games for about the last couple of months and won all of them. And I think the then controversial CFP decision to put Miami in over Notre Dame has absolutely been justified with neon.
Adrian Wojnarowski
Flashing. I don't think it's in dispute that Criswell gets a bad.
Dan Le Batard
Rap.
Adrian Wojnarowski
But. But that is the reputation. It might be a bad rap but that is the.
Mike Wilbon
Reputation. One's making it up like he he he historically unless it's Kyle Whittingham. And sure I heard someone make Syracuse a big game that I guess that tracks. Georgia Tech wasn't. It was just a loss. But he went to Columbus with Oregon in big time matchups against marquee opponents. When people say that team has more talent than you, Miami teams show up even if they fall short. Miami teams show up. They don't get played off. The last time this team lost a game by more than seven points was 2023. What has he done to earn this reputation? Because I'm looking at the pro column of the wins and the games that his team show up in. He just won a Fiesta bowl in which you could actually accuse his team of coming out sloppy and flat. He wins these games and if he doesn't win the games he plays within the margins and it's a close one or two possession game at the very end. What is this reputation? Do we follow the sport? Is ESPN doing this? Is this a PTI Mike Wilbon.
Dan Le Batard
Special?
Mike Wilbon
Yes. What what what what is the reputation? It's just not rooted in fact. It's not. It's Baseless. If anything, his reputation should be the opposite of what is being.
Dan Le Batard
Said. I think that because you are protective of the program, you are not hearing, surprisingly to me, that Mario Cristobal's coaching has been questioned at every point except until the last three games. It's been consistently questioned until the last three games. And it's not me doing it, Mike, it's. It's me hearing it everywhere. Like I said, reputationally, purposefully there, thinking it might soften you some. How'd that go for.
Mike Ryan
Me? Look, it used to be that you had to go undefeated to make it to the College Football Playoff, like in the acc. And so when each of the last few years, you and everyone else around the program have been saying, look at this Miami team, they're more talented than everybody around them. Look at the recruiting, look at the recruiting, look at the.
Mike Wilbon
Recruiting. So did.
Mike Ryan
We. When you then don't go undefeated and you lose games to teams like Syracuse when you had an opportunity to potentially make the playoff or even your own conference championship game, that is something that could be considered not showing up for big games. They've won the last several in a row against great.
Mike Wilbon
Teams. Like, if you want to say Mario Cristobal will occasionally lose the dumb one, I agree. If you want to still poke holes in his game day management, sure. But the reputation of a Mario Cristobal coach team at Miami not showing up for a big game against a marquee opponent, that is not just. Oh, you, you wait, let me give you some other evidence that it is flatly, objectively false. And his reputation should be, this team always shows up for the big ones. You would say, that's why I took such offense. Because it's not just not the truth, it is the exact opposite of what is the truth. It is ignorant to say.
Dan Le Batard
That. What's funny about what you're saying there? And they did win the last one, but good Lord, if they'd lost the last one, like if they just. If it's a pass interference at the end and they lose, he'd have that reputation right now, right now if they'd lost that.
Gianna Sanchez
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Episode: The Big Suey: Nude In The Name Of Leadership (feat. Nick Wright)
Date: January 14, 2026
In this episode, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew are joined by Nick Wright (FS1’s "First Things First") for a rapid-fire, sports-heavy discussion live from Miami. The episode covers NFL playoff narratives, individual legacies, Miami sports, college football, and the value of leadership—both in and out of clothes. There is banter about sports media reputations, passionate debates over Miami’s football culture, and classic show nonsense, blending humor with substantial sports analysis.
Nick Wright’s Take on Leadership (and Humor):
Miami Football Fandom, Reputations & Overheated Debate:
This episode is a quintessential Dan Le Batard Show installment: sharp, funny, unpredictable, and full of inside jokes. Nick Wright fits right into the ecosystem, firing off takes with both bravado and self-awareness. The sports debate is intense and genuine—especially regarding legacy and pressure—while Miami bias, pettiness, and performative “leadership” antics provide a warm backdrop of humor and humanity.
For listeners new and old, this episode delivers both sports analysis and the zany sense of community that defines the show.