The Big Suey: Roy's Smoldering Blaze Alibi

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Big Suey: Roy's Smoldering Blaze Alibi

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
• Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Billy Gil, Chris Whittingham, Greg Cody, Roy Bellamy
• Episode: The Big Suey: Roy's Smoldering Blaze Alibi
• Release Date: May 9, 2025
• Description: From the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their team delve into sports, pop culture, and local South Florida happenings. This episode features the daily “Local Hour,” discussions on the Miami Heat’s management, NFL draft critiques, UFC updates, and a memorable incident involving host Roy Bellamy.

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1. Introduction and Setting the Stage

The episode kicks off shortly after a series of advertisement segments, with Dan LeBatard welcoming listeners to "The Big Suey" segment sponsored by DraftKings (00:58–01:07). The hosts, including Mike Ryan, Billy Gil, Chris Whittingham, Greg Cody, and Roy Bellamy, engage in light-hearted banter about the podcast's similarities to other Dan LeBatard shows, setting an informal and humorous tone for the episode.

2. Miami Heat and Pat Riley’s Postseason Presser

A significant portion of the episode centers on the Miami Heat's recent performance and the highly anticipated postseason presser by President Pat Riley (04:03–08:20). The hosts express deep concern and frustration over Riley's management strategies and the team's performance, especially in relation to star player Jimmy Butler.

• Critical Analysis: Mike Ryan initiates a critical discussion, stating, "There is a certain special specter hanging over this one that hasn't hung over a Pat Riley postseason presser before" (04:03). He elaborates on the perceived failure of the franchise's architectural strategies, despite reaching two NBA Finals with an improbable team run.

• Call for Accountability: The conversation intensifies as Mike Ryan demands accountability from Pat Riley, saying, "I want to hear you say, I'm sorry. This one's on me" (06:56). He argues that Riley's decisions, including not trading Jimmy Butler, have adversely affected the team's performance and future prospects.

• Legacy and Future: The hosts debate Riley's legacy, emphasizing his pivotal role in establishing the Miami Heat's culture and success. Mike Ryan asserts, "There is no Miami Heat franchise. There is no legacy. There is no culture. There are no banners without Pat Riley" (08:20). However, he also questions how Riley can salvage his legacy amidst the current challenges.

3. NFL Draft and Cleveland Browns’ Quarterback Dilemma

Transitioning from basketball, the discussion shifts to the NFL, specifically focusing on the Cleveland Browns' quarterback decisions and draft strategies (11:03–30:55).

• Shador Sanders’ Situation: The hosts dissect the Cleveland Browns' acquisition of quarterback Shador Sanders, debating his draft status and potential impact. Chris Whittingham theorizes, "Shador Sanders is a good quarterback and I'm not just saying this" (23:14), highlighting his skills while acknowledging the organizational instability that may hinder his success.

• Player Critiques: Gabe Davis is criticized for his performance, with Mike Ryan declaring, "Gabe Davis is a bad football player. He's a bad football player" (17:54). Additionally, Jadavian Clowney's recent release by the Panthers is discussed, questioning the team's strategic decisions.

• Draft Strategy and Legacy: Greg Cody and the hosts delve into historical draft decisions, comparing past picks like Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley, and questioning current strategies. They explore the implications of these decisions on team dynamics and future performance, emphasizing the importance of stable quarterback leadership for the Browns.

4. UFC Updates and Fighter Performances

The episode also touches on updates from the UFC, discussing canceled fights and upcoming events (01:32–03:56).

• Fight Cancellations: Mike Ryan expresses disappointment over the cancellation of the Gilbert Burns versus Morales fight, while Greg Cody provides insights into future UFC events, including UFC 316 and UFC International Fight Week.

• Fighter Analysis: The hosts analyze fighters like Jose Aldo and Balaam Muhammad, debating their prospects and potential matchups. Greg Cody remarks, "Aldo, dude. Aldo's held his own. Like, he's probably one of the legends of the sport in his division" (02:37), acknowledging Aldo's legacy while discussing broader UFC dynamics.

5. Pop Culture and Personal Anecdotes

Interspersed with sports discussions, the hosts share personal stories and engage in humorous exchanges, adding a layer of relatability and entertainment to the episode (29:29–35:56).

• Streaming Series Endorsement: Mike Ryan endorses the Netflix series "NASCAR Full Speed Season 2," sharing his enthusiasm and encouraging listeners to watch, highlighting the show's engaging portrayal of motorsports (32:36–33:18).

• House Fire Incident: Roy Bellamy narrates an incident where his neighbor's house caught fire, detailing the chaotic scene with multiple fire trucks and the urgency to evacuate (34:45–36:34). This segment, titled "Roy's Smoldering Blaze Alibi," provides a dramatic and humorous anecdote that underscores the unpredictability of daily life.

  • Notable Quote: Roy explains, "I love a good slide where I have to go into, like, teases once. The next. It's like Jackie Chan announces when he will retire. And I was like, oh, I gotta go to slide two to figure out the announcement" (05:09).

6. Marketing and Advertisements

Throughout the episode, the hosts seamlessly integrate advertisements into their discussions, maintaining an engaging flow while promoting sponsors like DraftKings, Lowes, Kinsta, Miller Lite, and Smirnoff.

• Notable Advertisement Integration: Greg Cody promotes Kinsta's managed WordPress hosting, humorously linking it to podcast operations: "Kinsta takes the stress out of tech stuff so you can actually focus on your business. Or in our case, more time watching games, arguing nonsense, and delivering the hottest take possible" (13:18).

7. Conclusion and Final Remarks

As the episode winds down, the hosts continue their lively discussions, touching upon various sports topics and personal updates. The blend of critical sports analysis, personal anecdotes, and humor ensures a comprehensive and engaging episode for listeners.

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Key Takeaways:

• Pat Riley’s Leadership: The episode provides a critical lens on Pat Riley's recent management of the Miami Heat, emphasizing the need for accountability and strategic reassessment to restore the franchise's legacy.

• NFL Draft Strategies: Insightful analysis of the Cleveland Browns' draft choices and quarterback selections highlights broader themes of team stability and long-term planning in professional sports.

• UFC and Player Performances: Updates and discussions on UFC events and fighter performances offer listeners a nuanced understanding of the current state of mixed martial arts.

• Personal Stories: Anecdotes like Roy Bellamy's neighbor's house fire add a personal and humorous touch, making the podcast relatable and entertaining.

• Seamless Advertising Integration: The hosts effectively blend advertisements into their conversations, ensuring promotional segments feel natural and engaging.

Notable Quotes:

• Mike Ryan on Pat Riley: "I want to hear you say, I'm sorry. This one's on me" (06:56).
• Chris Whittingham on Shador Sanders: "Shador Sanders is a good quarterback and I'm not just saying this" (23:14).
• Roy Bellamy on the house fire: "It felt like a smoldering blaze, but there were like five ladder trucks outside trying to put that thing out" (34:51).

Conclusion: This episode of "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" offers a rich blend of sports analysis, personal stories, and humor, providing listeners with comprehensive insights into current sports dynamics and engaging content that resonates beyond the realm of sports enthusiasts.

Transcript

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[Dan LeBatard]

Welcome to the Big Sui presented by DraftKings.

[Mike Ryan]

Why are you listening to this show?

[Dan LeBatard]

The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBatard podcast?

[Billy Gil]

I'm sorry, I'm not going to apologize for that.

[Dan LeBatard]

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

[Mike Ryan]

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.

[Chris Whittingham]

I've done it.

[Dan LeBatard]

And now here's the marching man to Nowhere, Fat Face and the Habitual Liar.

[Billy Gil]

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

[Mike Ryan]

It's a good sports weekend. High stakes playoff games on the ice, on the court. And there was a really good UFC card. However, there have been some fights that have been dropping off this card. I was excited to watch Gilbert Burns versus Morales. That fight has apparently been canceled, but Jose Aldo is on this card. Tony, are you excited about this? This seems like a sicko's delight, this UFC card.

[Greg Cody]

Very good card, Mike. There's also been something else that's dropped off the MMA hangout. Unfortuitously. Not doing a stream tonight. Just this one on Saturday. Just this one.

[Mike Ryan]

Fortuitous.

[Greg Cody]

It's unfortuitous.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. That closer to it. Is that a word?

[Chris Whittingham]

I think refortuitous.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, I don't know about that.

[Chris Whittingham]

Ill fortuitous.

[Greg Cody]

That one for sure. Yeah, that one for sure. But no MA hangout for UFC 315. We'll be back doubling up on in the month of June. We've got two cards. We've got UFC 316 and we've got 317 UFC International fight Week at the end of June. We've got Sean O' Malley versus Murab Dawalishvili in Newark on the 7th of June. So we got a pack June, but, you know, we're going to take this one off to recalibrate and retool for June.

[Mike Ryan]

Are they feeding Aldo to Zabi or what's the deal here?

[Greg Cody]

Aldo, dude. Aldo's held his own. Like, he's probably one of the legends of the sport in his division, but. But he's still kind of fighting well. Right? So what I'm more interested to see is Balaam Muhammad beat Leon Edwards in London at like a 4 o' clock AM card. Now the question is, is he good enough to win this fight against Jack Della Maddalena? And then what he wants to do?

[Mike Ryan]

One of the great names to say.

[Greg Cody]

Jdm. Yeah. Jack Della.

[Chris Whittingham]

So say it one more time.

[Greg Cody]

Jack Della Madeleine.

[Chris Whittingham]

Jack Della Melena.

[Billy Gil]

Yeah.

[Chris Whittingham]

From down under, Jack Della Maralina.

[Greg Cody]

Jdm.

[Mike Ryan]

It's a fun one.

[Chris Whittingham]

That is fun.

[Greg Cody]

So if Islam, who's the owner of the pound for pound, best fighter on the planet, Islam Makhachev, he's the 155 champ, he's looking at 170, which is the next division up, and saying, if Balal Muhammad beats jdm, I'm gonna go fight Bala Muhammad, who I know I can beat to take the 170 crown, be two division champ for 155 and 170. So there's a lot of things happening in the next couple of months where Ilia Topuria might have who he's fighting now that he's moved up to lightweight from featherweight. So a lot of exciting things happening in UFC 315. Unfortunately, MMA hangout will not be streaming live, but we will be streaming live on the 7th for UF, June 7th. Excuse me. For UFC 316, and then June 28th for UFC 317. International Fight Week.

[Mike Ryan]

Fortuitously, actually, the sports weekend gets going at one o' clock here because there's a time honor tradition that starts at 1pm Eastern today.

[Greg Cody]

You think Hawk knows what it is?

[Mike Ryan]

The end of season. Pat Riley presser. And Billy, I know you're charged up about this. Look, there is a certain special specter hanging over this one that hasn't hung over a Pat Riley postseason presser before.

[Chris Whittingham]

Pat Riley postseason presser. That's a.

[Mike Ryan]

That's another one.

[Chris Whittingham]

That's a good one.

[Greg Cody]

Jack Della Madeleine.

[Billy Gil]

I feel like he doesn't. I think what you're hinting at is. Is he going to announce that he's stepping down or aside in any regard? I feel like they would. That would be built up more. That would be a video they would release. Like, I feel like that's just not just going to be Pat walking up to a stand. Hey, I'm done. Like, Like, I think we're going to get something bigger than that. And Mike's giving me a look.

[Chris Whittingham]

Giving you a look about, you know, something.

[Billy Gil]

You know, something.

[Mike Ryan]

I. I don't think Pat would, I mean, ever retire.

[Chris Whittingham]

Who retires first? LeBron or Pat Riley?

[Mike Ryan]

Wow. LeBron, LeBron.

[Billy Gil]

LeBron.

[Mike Ryan]

LeBron retires first. I don't think Pat capable.

[Chris Whittingham]

You don't think it's possible?

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know, man. I think Billy. Billy nailed it.

[Roy Bellamy]

I saw. I saw like an Instagram post. It was a slide thing.

[Greg Cody]

And I love.

[Roy Bellamy]

I love a good slide where I have to go into, like, teases once. The next. It's like Jackie Chan announces when he will retire. And I was like, oh, I gotta go to slide two to figure out the announcement. And I go to slide two. And she says, never.

[Mike Ryan]

Of course I will say, though, when. When Pat stepped aside as head coach, that was a shock. And now he did come back, but.

[Chris Whittingham]

It was a shock to him as well. What the hell did I just do?

[Mike Ryan]

He did come back, but it did. He didn't have this big hullabaloo surrounding his stepping down.

[Chris Whittingham]

Hullabaloo. That's a good one.

[Mike Ryan]

It kind of caught people by surprise. So what is different about this Pat Riley postseason presser is vibes. I don't think have ever been this down around this franchise has become evident that. That he failed. You know, it wasn't just the players, coaches. There was an architectural flaw around this team. And this season gave credence to the fact that. Yeah, I know at the end of the day, you made it to two finals. One is an eight seed, one in the bubble, one. You went on an improbable run. No one's ever going to take that away from you. But also, it worked against the best interest of this franchise over the last two seasons because it tricked you into thinking that that team was championship caliber and they just got hot. They were fluky. It pains me to say that there were so many great memories beating Boston's ass. I love it. It's great, great memories. But that team was not going to get over the hump as it was built. They needed a player better than Jimmy Butler. This. This president failed the franchise.

[Billy Gil]

So what do we want here an apology.

[Mike Ryan]

I do. I do. I don't want to hear, good luck with that. I don't. I'm not one of those people that's pushing Pat Riley out the door. I'm one of those people that have been holding him accountable and apologizing to the audience for all the water that I carried for him.

[Billy Gil]

Acknowledge how bad it is.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. I want to hear you say, I'm sorry. This one's on me. I shouldn't have put out that press release. I shouldn't have put one of the game's most volatile players. I shouldn't have backed him into a corner and nuked my season by having him hold it hostage because I misread that because of my own ego and pride. That's what I want to hear from Pat Riley, an acknowledgement that it wasn't just on Jimmy Butler, it was you and Jimmy Butler clashing heads, having this power struggle that was beyond stupid for a team that finished 10th in the Eastern Conference, that would be incredible.

[Greg Cody]

It's not going to happen.

[Billy Gil]

I think we will get. I think there will be an acknowledgment of this hasn't been our best year.

[Roy Bellamy]

We're moving forward with people who want to be here.

[Billy Gil]

No, you have to be.

[Roy Bellamy]

I mean, there will be limited, very limited accountability.

[Billy Gil]

There will be a line or two.

[Roy Bellamy]

Whale hunting.

[Billy Gil]

It's not good right now. I know.

[Chris Whittingham]

We need to fix what comes first, an apology or a retirement for Pat Riley?

[Mike Ryan]

A retiring retirement, trying to get a gauge.

[Roy Bellamy]

I think that.

[Chris Whittingham]

I think breaking the system.

[Roy Bellamy]

I think LeBron retires.

[Mike Ryan]

You don't think this one got to him? You don't think that, like, you don't think that this season in particular was a thudding acknowledgment that they had it wrong?

[Billy Gil]

He's had to have heard the noise. Like, you have to acknowledge.

[Mike Ryan]

No, he has. He has. Like, the stuff that he's leaked out, like the one south beach sessions, like the Amwash thing that he did with Dan. Like, he's heard the chatter. He knows. He knows he's. He knows he lost me over the course of the season. I know that he knows that he's got to pay Terry Rozier 26 and a half million dollars next year.

[Billy Gil]

The rosier thing, can he just be.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, yeah, my bad, my bad. It's already been leaked out to beat writers. Like, they know. They know with finality, they botched that one. And he'll probably acknowledge that today, but there's huge obstacles here. What are you going to give the fan base to excite them. Pat Riley is always good about that. But I think what I want more than anything is a pound of flesh. I want an acknowledgment that your ego, your pride got in the way, that you failed in putting a right roster for one of the greatest head coaches ever together, but also because of bs you kind of interfered with the season and you made it worse than it should have been by not trading Jimmy over the summer, by backing him into a corner, by upping the ante. And if you believe what Jimmy's leaked out to the Athletic, by having a ridiculous meeting with Jimmy Butler that he turned around and used against you. Like, we need to acknowledge that we failed here. And you don't have much time, Pat, like, you're getting up there. I want. I want Pat to ride off in the sunset with the ultimate glory of a championship, because that guy, One of the greatest head coaches of all time, certainly one of the greatest executives of all time, one of the greatest motivators of all time, one of the great personalities in that sport, certainly a South Florida hero. I have always maintained this team could go winless next year. Pat Riley gets to decide how he wants to go out. There is no Miami Heat franchise. There is no legacy. There is no culture. There are no banners without Pat Riley. If there is one. This was a nothing franchise before Pat Riley got here. If there is anybody in this town that deserves to write their way out, it's Pat Riley. Just don't be delusional. Don't, don't. Don't pee on my shoe and tell me it's raining. Don't, like, get me excited for next year, but acknowledge that you kind of let me down.

[Greg Cody]

The thing is, when you're talking about writing the storybook ending for Pat Riley, like, you look at the landscape of the NBA right now, and the Heat are so far away from winning a title. With the current roster construction and with the options that are coming out as far as free agents, as far as players you can trade for, there's so many teams that are so loaded and ready to take that next step as younger teams like the Houston Rockets. Like, there's teams out there that you're like, oh, they're so much closer. For the Heat to chase that championship, it's like, how many years can Pat chase and how many years can he try and build a championship roster that it's like, we're getting really up there.

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah. And how. How open can he be about all the failures that the he's perceived to have done, especially this season with that on the back burner, like basically you start to build your own case to get you out of there. I don't. I wouldn't self incriminate that way. But I get why you want, you know, that kind of accountability.

[Mike Ryan]

And look, Bam's still young. He's technically in the prime of his career. It feels like he's older than he actually is. But I don't know. It's not like when they had the down year, you knew that you, when they drafted Michael Beasley, didn't get lucky enough to get the top pick in Derrick Rose. You still had a player in the prime of his career that you knew could get you there in. Dwayne Wade is the superstar player that could be a piece on a championship team on this roster. We know that that's not the case because they were in the play in as a 10 seed and got in and got thoroughly dismantled by a team that is, by the way, down 02 to the Indiana team getting exposed. Yeah, hurt.

[Greg Cody]

Albeit still.

[Mike Ryan]

It's not just that the Cleveland Cavaliers are great. In fact, they're looking a little funny under the light. You were just really, really bad.

[Roy Bellamy]

It worked out better that they got Michael Beasley, right? Because had they gotten Derrick Rose, they never would have had a big three.

[Mike Ryan]

You never know how that shapes.

[Roy Bellamy]

He would not have had the big three. If you had Derrick Rose.

[Mike Ryan]

I think you have a big three with Derrick Rose.

[Roy Bellamy]

You know, if Derrick Rose is part of it. Do you have a big three?

[Greg Cody]

Do you get Bosch instead of Derrick.

[Mike Ryan]

Rose won an MVP dude, Derrick Rose.

[Greg Cody]

They took that one away from LeBron.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know. I don't know. If you have LeBron. You probably don't have. You probably don't have Chris Bosh and you have like three little guys. Well, two little guys on the perimeter in Dwyane Wade and LeBron and Derrick Rose. And maybe you revolutionized basketball before and you put LeBron at the four and there's just no Chris Bosh. But that. Come on, man.

[Greg Cody]

I'd rather have had a revolutionary at that point too.

[Roy Bellamy]

You'd rather have had Derrick Rose than.

[Greg Cody]

Michael Beasley than Bees? No, I would have taken Beasley.

[Chris Whittingham]

Bucky Hullabaloo is a great white saying.

[Mike Ryan]

It is.

[Chris Whittingham]

That's like a top tier that like why I oughta they snapped with that one. Over my dead body is a goat white phrase. That's a good one. And my favorite is I don't give a rat's ass Is like, for me.

[Mike Ryan]

They killed it with that one. Yeah.

[Chris Whittingham]

Hall of Fame White sand there is a good one. Like spitting right there.

[Mike Ryan]

We did a lot of, like, Cuervo rats over the last week.

[Chris Whittingham]

It's top tier.

[Mike Ryan]

I wore a backwards hat and in the comments, like, did that hat come with instructions? Top tier. Old man Band.

[Billy Gil]

That's a Greg Cody line.

[Mike Ryan]

Top tier, like, you got my ass. You're right. I don't know how to put hats on it. Didn't come with instructions. I didn't know what side was up front. You got me.

[Billy Gil]

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[Unknown Speaker]

I mean, on a cruise ship. In. In my backyard.

[Billy Gil]

At the beach. At the.

[Unknown Speaker]

At the beach is a good one.

[Billy Gil]

What do we always do? We hear that.

[Unknown Speaker]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Billy Gil]

And then what do we do?

[Unknown Speaker]

We toast.

[Billy Gil]

Nice little clink. The clink. Whether it's the can or the bottle, there's something about the clink of the Miller Light.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker]

And it's not just how much we love it, it's the whole ritual of it. You know, the popping the top, the sound of that. Yeah, it's great. Love it.

[Mike Ryan]

Love it.

[Billy Gil]

From game nights to parties with friends or a special anniversary celebrating important occasions means more with the coolest people in your life. Cheers to 50 years of Miller Lite, the great tasting light beer. For people who Love beer since 1975, now's a perfect time to celebrate legendary stories with friends, family and a great tasting light beer. It's Miller Time. The simple ingredients, that malted barley for rich balanced toffee note flavors and that iconic golden color.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yes, it's one. Everything about it is wonderful. I can't think of anything.

[Billy Gil]

You're smiling. Ever since we started doing this ad read, you have just been smiling the entire time.

[Unknown Speaker]

I'm a Miller Light guy, that kind of thing.

[Billy Gil]

Miller Lite great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

[Greg Cody]

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[Chris Whittingham]

DAN.

[Greg Cody]

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[Dan LeBatard]

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[Mike Ryan]

We have a photo right here. If you can see in this photo with my daughter there I am pointing exactly to the point on the Stanley cup where it says you suck ass Stugats right there. Engraved Juliet. Engraved. Yeah, they got it engraved right there. It says Chris Whittingham sucks ass.

[Chris Whittingham]

This is the D Ler show with the St.

[Mike Ryan]

Hey, an American Pope in American. Don't look now but there is an American.

[Chris Whittingham]

Whoa, whoa.

[Billy Gil]

Da Poco.

[Greg Cody]

Don't look now.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, it became don't look now what? I'm in the host chair. I don't have to do the flippy thing like don't look now is not. Do we have it? Don't, don't.

[Greg Cody]

Hold on. We're looking. You're looking. That's the problem. You got to close your eyes. And that. There it is.

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Time for a new game.

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not getting up for this one.

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Don't look now.

[Billy Gil]

Don't look Now. Presented by Smirnoff, the world's number one vodka. Please drink responsibly.

[Greg Cody]

Finally, don't look Now. Presented by Smirnoff. Guys, don't look now, but Hawk, one of your wide receiver brethren. The Jags released Gabe Davis.

[Chris Whittingham]

Oh, welcome to Buffalo 12.

[Mike Ryan]

That dude sucks. That dude's a terrible football player. Gabe Davis is a bad football player. He's a bad football player. Has been for several years.

[Greg Cody]

You haven't needed to look for that one. But they gave him a 3 for 39 deal, which I thought was interesting. And then they cut him after 14 months.

[Mike Ryan]

Look, he played in a really weird AFC championship game and I know he went.

[Greg Cody]

He was incredible.

[Mike Ryan]

He was great. But. So it was Josh Allen. Come on, man. Gabe Davis is bad.

[Chris Whittingham]

He's going to go back to Buffalo and he's going to resurge. Like, what prompted the Jaguars to give him that contract in the first place? Because he has Josh Allen.

[Mike Ryan]

Did the Bills get Elijah Moore?

[Chris Whittingham]

I believe they did.

[Billy Gil]

I think that was last week's stolen.

[Mike Ryan]

That was. What do you think about that?

[Chris Whittingham]

I like Elijah Moore, man.

[Mike Ryan]

I like him.

[Chris Whittingham]

There he is. I think he's a really good slot. I think he needs to be with a quarterback like Josh Allen who can give him the time to get open. His key is separation, but that takes time. You don't get a lot of time in Cleveland, unfortunately.

[Greg Cody]

The next news, Panthers cut Jadavian Clowney.

[Chris Whittingham]

Wow.

[Mike Ryan]

He was on the roster.

[Chris Whittingham]

Shout out to Jadavian Clown for a year.

[Mike Ryan]

I was not looking then.

[Greg Cody]

Now you're not looking again.

[Mike Ryan]

Did you know that Jadavian Clowney was a Carolina Panther?

[Billy Gil]

You guys look like stars.

[Chris Whittingham]

I already know that. The fact that he's still playing is. Give a round of applause. Kudos is what that means.

[Mike Ryan]

Why would he sign with. Why would he sign with Carolina?

[Chris Whittingham]

Money, one year deals. That's what he does.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, but he's mercenary. But isn't he a mercenary with teams that like got a chance.

[Chris Whittingham]

Got a chance to. Those didn't direct deposits.

[Greg Cody]

Exactly.

[Mike Ryan]

Or is that like an I'm coming home type of Deal. Yeah.

[Chris Whittingham]

Maybe that's it.

[Greg Cody]

It's like, hey, you're offering me how much? Yeah, I'll take that.

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

All right, last one here. The legend. The goat. Tom Brady. Who? His mentee is Shudder. Sanders says use the slide as motivation. Shedeur.

[Chris Whittingham]

Chip. Chip on the shoulder.

[Mike Ryan]

I would love to talk about the Cleveland Brown situation with the noted Browns luminary Andrew Hobby.

[Chris Whittingham]

Let's do it.

[Mike Ryan]

But I don't know if I can look.

[Greg Cody]

We can look. We can look. Yeah, we can look.

[Mike Ryan]

We're good. Yeah. I haven't had an opportunity to talk to you about this craziness. Now, the came award, the Cam award thing never happened for Cleveland. That means I'm back to.

[Chris Whittingham]

I know. That was the worst part. We didn't get Mike back. I have that down as my point here. The Cleveland Browns fan base did not bring Mike Ryan back into the fold because we didn't get Cam Ward.

[Billy Gil]

Are you a Titans guy now? Not. Sorry to jump in, but you said you were going to kind of follow him, so. Are you?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Billy Gil]

I'll support your squad.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, I. I support Baker, and Lord knows I love Cam Ward. I'm going to be rooting for Cam Ward there. I might become a Titans guy. We'll see how that plays out organically. One thing that I'm not is I'm not a Browns guy.

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

That should have been the Godfather offer. And honestly, it should have been talked about in the holes like they should have talked about. Is it Berea or Berea? Berea. I think I made it a taco.

[Chris Whittingham]

Berea.

[Mike Ryan]

Berea.

[Roy Bellamy]

JJ Delicious.

[Chris Whittingham]

It's Nylander place in la. Nylander. Berea.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. So they don't get the quarterback that's going to turn their franchise around. Instead, they get two of them.

[Chris Whittingham]

Get two of them.

[Mike Ryan]

What their needs. I know that Hard Knocks is up in the air. In fact, they were going to go to college and then Jordan got in the way. Can we just do Netflix quarterback. But just stay in Cleveland and just like, I just want to see the battle. I want to see. I want to see the first. The first position meeting of the off season at Cleveland. Now, to me, knowing how Jimmy Haslam operates over there, the Shador thing, and just watching Andrew Barry, like, go be on camera and have to, like Stefanski's fake clap. This was a Jimmy Haslam call, was it not?

[Chris Whittingham]

I do not have that information.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't think we need it.

[Chris Whittingham]

I think I was thinking very similar things during the time. I think it was a great pick. My son has been on cloud nine since then. And I don't. My son is 13. What generation is he? Gen Alpha or is that Gen Z? Yeah, man. Anyway, Shador, to the. You're a Brown fan and you're a Gen Alpha kid. I mean, he. When I say he's had a newfound swagger since the NFL draft, just because Shadora is on the roster, I. It's. It's going to do a lot there.

[Mike Ryan]

Has anyone ever been done dirtier than Dylan Gabriel?

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah, that was a. That was a. That was a dirty situation.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, but RG3 was so very clearly the guy and got the basics sided. Like, he wasn't sweating.

[Billy Gil]

Kirk Cousins, the bigger name, was picked first there.

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah.

[Billy Gil]

You know what I mean?

[Mike Ryan]

Like, this is a way different situation. Dylan Gabriel is not a bigger name than Shadora Sanders. Not even remotely Close. That's another thing. They shouldn't have taken Dylan Gabriel in the third round. That was a ridiculous pick. Dumb pick.

[Chris Whittingham]

Do you think it was too high?

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, way too high.

[Billy Gil]

He's high in that video we played.

[Mike Ryan]

A few weeks ago.

[Chris Whittingham]

Oh, really? Yeah, I think Kirk was a fourth rounder.

[Greg Cody]

Okay, still close enough for you.

[Chris Whittingham]

The history is the Shanahans were like, they weren't big on RG3 and they're like, we need somebody else just in case that could have been a career that, like, had the whole situation and how it's gone down historically.

[Mike Ryan]

You remember when RG3 at the time was like, looking around at the greatest coaching staff ever assembled and been like, you don't know what you're talking about. And then you fast forward like eight years and he's still like, they didn't know what they're talking about. And there's like, it's Kyle Shaw, Sean McVay, like, Daniel Kirk. What are we doing here, Rob?

[Chris Whittingham]

I think Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders is so interesting because Shador really does have first round tape. Like, I feel like through the draft process, and I know this has been talked about at, you know, ad nauseam, but like, it was a tanked process from the very beginning. But it's like when you're watching somebody like him because it's. It doesn't stand out as a rocket arm. It doesn't stand out as any of these, like, specific qualities were like, oh, yeah, no, this is top 10 status. Everything outside of that is now what you're judging them on. And I'm sure hindsight is 2020 and they could go back, they would go through the process differently. But there is a list of People who have, like, tanked his draft status. First it was Deion. Right. For a lot of reasons, but mostly because he had Shador, last of his three children.

[Mike Ryan]

Can you please do me the favor, though, and say Shador tanked his draft status the most?

[Chris Whittingham]

Well, he's on the list, so we're going to start with Deion because I have a theory that if Shiloh Sanders and Shador Sanders swapped personalities, they both would have been drafted in the first two rounds. Because Shador has a defensive backs personality, and you can't have that at the quarterback position. But he is the closest thing to his father in personality of, hey, I don't care about what's going on. If it ain't for me, then it ain't for me. I'm going to go out there and play. And when you're looking for a CEO of a team and of a locker room, that's a tough personality to have because there's so many other factors that need to also be at their best for you to be at your best. Whereas at a DB on an island, my job, we could be down 50, nothing. And if I stop this guy from catching the ball, I'm him and I'm getting a big contract for it. Not really how the quarterback position works. And I think that demeanor is one thing that hurt Shador. To your point about how he's gone through the process or answered some of the questions the same way that you would expect Dion to answer him.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. The further away you get from the ball in the NFL, the more boisterous a personality.

[Chris Whittingham]

Historically, you can have it that way. That's what we want out of my DBs. Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

And we've seen it, like, with guys with certain talent levels fall under the weight of that. Johnny Manziel, never that good. But. But, you know, it was something that they said about Baker and they, they. They wrote Baker off and he's so, like, even Tom Brady still has an issue with it. Baker's still kind of beefing with Tom Brady because he has a different way to do it, but he has a special arm. I'm not sure Shadora has a special arm. What I do see when I look at Shador's tape is I see a team that had the most wide receivers in the NFL draft drafted.

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Like, there was a lot of weapons there. An NFL mind. Say what you will about him, Lord knows I have my feelings. But Pat Shermer, like that has NFL experience from high school working with the best coaches. You mentioned it yourself. He was learning at the knee of Tom Brady. Everything around Shadora Sanders was kind of built for him to excel and I.

[Chris Whittingham]

Think that hurt him. I think Shador Sanders is a good quarterback and I'm not just saying this. I think he is better than people are giving him credit for. Because I think all those factors, when you look at what is sports nepotism, basically a version of it, you're thinking, oh, everything has set the stage for you, whereas the only real test we have is when you throw it through the fire. So yes, your dad coaching you from Little League all the way through your college career, no matter how good you are, is going to make people question. And when it feels like everything is built for your success, it's going to make people question your ability. But I will say when you look on camera, on film, he is doing things that a lot of quarterbacks can't do. He has a feel, he has a timing. He doesn't get rattled in the pocket, he doesn't get rattled with pressure. He makes big time throws and getting punched in the face. And even when you draft the quarterback top 10, that is still a question mark. Like are you going to stand in there, make the right throw when you have NFL caliber linebackers with that speed moving at the speed of Mack trucks coming to hit you. And Chador does that really well. But I think all the other factors to your point make give people the out of saying, well this Matt is great in this and yeah, he does have really great receivers. But most good quarterbacks make receivers look good as well.

[Mike Ryan]

Here's where I'm most concerned though. We all acknowledge that he was put in a situation in Colorado and from pretty much since birth to have him excel. Yeah, I was going to Cleveland.

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

A franchise that doesn't do that for.

[Chris Whittingham]

Its quarterback, that is not historically has not.

[Mike Ryan]

It's not a place where. What about the Cleveland Browns organization and the lack of stability makes you think that Chador, who's who, max out as a 5th round draft pick?

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

Despite all that stuff that was positive around him, that was built for him to succeed, now all of a sudden he gets to Cleveland, he's not going to have that. I just don't think it's going to work because it never works for this franchise.

[Chris Whittingham]

I mean that sounds like you're setting the stage for the Hallmark movie of a Cleveland Brown Super Bowl. Man, that's like that's what he needs.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, but it might be for Kenny.

[Greg Cody]

Pickett, maybe Tillman wide receiver one but.

[Chris Whittingham]

It is the, it is how football Works like, you got to go through some, some hard times to give yourself the motivation. So yeah, Tom Brady, giving him that advice is sound advice, but also it's needed. Like you got to go through hard things in order to figure out how you process this. So the chips are stacked against him for the first time in his career, no matter what he says in a press conference of like, yeah, you know, I've been through hard times. No, you've, you've grown up. I'm sure things are hard. Things are hard for everybody. But comparatively to some of the other stories we've seen, like, this is his first real bit of football adversity.

[Greg Cody]

He's not ab.

[Chris Whittingham]

People are turning their backs on you now. Now is that going to drive you? And this is going to tell us who you are and if you come out on the other side, you've now practiced the process that actually push you to maximize what the talent is that you have.

[Mike Ryan]

I just don't even understand like the setup though. Like, can he even get off to a good start given what's in that quarterback room? Because like Joe Flacco is going to be getting reps. Because you look at the quarterback room and I guess you assume Joe will enter their off season training program as QB1.

[Chris Whittingham]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

You don't think so?

[Chris Whittingham]

I mean, right now.

[Mike Ryan]

But they have too many, they have too many quarterbacks for a quarterback battle right now. Like, how do you even.

[Chris Whittingham]

Like, you need to get rid of one.

[Mike Ryan]

They got to get rid of one.

[Chris Whittingham]

If I was to guess, I think they get rid of Kenny Pickett.

[Mike Ryan]

You think? I mean, how bonkers they just traded for him. They're going to trade Kenny Pickett before they even put him in a, in an orange helmet.

[Chris Whittingham]

I mean, what do they lose there, fifth rounder? Come on.

[Greg Cody]

DTR 2.

[Chris Whittingham]

You know, as, as a famous quote Jimmy Haslam told me when he was quoting me and when he was courting me for free agency, a famous quote was, I'm not trying to win the cap. He's okay with losing compensation if it means this team is better.

[Mike Ryan]

I mean, they've got Jerry Judy, they've got Njoku. They've got a running game that is proof of concept. And they just brought in Judkins, right? So I mean, they like Dylan.

[Chris Whittingham]

I think Shador is going to surprise him as well. I think it ends up being those two. Maybe they start with Joe Flacco and you know, they put themselves in a situation where they have some capital down the line, but I think, I think they got two really good quarterbacks in this draft. You know who tanked Shador's draft status the most, Mike?

[Mike Ryan]

Who?

[Chris Whittingham]

It was an inside job. It was Cam Ward. Think about every video you saw of them together.

[Mike Ryan]

Cam Ward would.

[Chris Whittingham]

And it's like the whole. They're friends, right? They're buddies. They've trained. And every time, it'd be like, yeah, all I care about is football. You can rap. Or, man, you don't like to work hard. That's weird, because I love to work hard. And every. As more and more came out.

[Mike Ryan]

This is insane. I was like, I am not blaming Cam Ward.

[Chris Whittingham]

I was like, whoa, hold on now.

[Mike Ryan]

Because everything that Cam Ward says, friends like that.

[Chris Whittingham]

Who needs enemies?

[Greg Cody]

He's got a point. He's got a point.

[Chris Whittingham]

Come on.

[Mike Ryan]

Is that Cam Ward accurately called out Shador?

[Chris Whittingham]

I'm just saying in front of the camera.

[Greg Cody]

You didn't have to put it on film.

[Chris Whittingham]

It feels like dry hating is what it. If you accumulate all the videos, dry hating, put it together, and it's like, if you're going, those are the two one and two quarterback. And it's like, well, let's see them together, and how they interact, how they train. And he keeps saying stuff like, yeah, I eat, sleep, and breathe football. Cause I ain't got nothing else. All I care about is winning. You got everything else. And Shador is not. He playing into it. He's not even aware. I'm wanting to be like, Shador, bro, catch the game, man.

[Mike Ryan]

You're not playing into it.

[Chris Whittingham]

Catch the game, dude.

[Mike Ryan]

You're not gonna win that mental battle. You're not gonna win that. First off, you're not gonna win that arm battle against Cam Ward. If you're Shadora Sanders and you're not winning the men battle because that dude ran the wing T in high school.

[Roy Bellamy]

I saw that video. I was like, man, Ken was a nerd.

[Chris Whittingham]

There's at least five. There's at least five videos of them together.

[Roy Bellamy]

Yeah. I was like, where?

[Chris Whittingham]

It has that same tone everything they talk about.

[Mike Ryan]

What was weird is, like, he turned.

[Chris Whittingham]

Genius by Cam Ward.

[Mike Ryan]

He turned that around on Shador because Shador was like, you were late to practice. It starts with Cam Ward was doing the unprofessional thing. Nobody pays attention. Ward dunks on him so hard, he's like, yeah, you were waiting on me. But when I got here, I was a frigging man. And you were just. You were the unprofessional one.

[Unknown Speaker]

How.

[Mike Ryan]

How did that happen to Shador Sanders?

[Chris Whittingham]

Diabolical dude.

[Mike Ryan]

That's the most. That's the most concerning part for Shador to lose that banter right there because Shador was there on time and everyone thinks that he's the clown. Everyone thought he got clown.

[Chris Whittingham]

He's the one that shows up late. He's the one that doesn't work hard, man. Genius by Cam Ward Man, I. I did something yesterday.

[Mike Ryan]

I was working from home and I did something that I quite frankly haven't done in my entire life. I binged an entire series in one day and it was only six episodes. But I'm a big NASCAR fan and.

[Roy Bellamy]

I caught sounds like you weren't working from home. If you watch an entire series.

[Chris Whittingham]

I mean, math will tell you that it's almost impossible put the work in.

[Mike Ryan]

I think if anybody can understand how crazy this job can be away from it, it might be you. So, yeah, I was working plenty. But I watched six 45 minute episodes beginning with the morning coffee and throughout the day until late at night. Not a crazy day in sports. Was able to follow them on the two TVs. And I watched NASCAR Full Speed Season 2 on Netflix and it was awesome, clearly, because I burned through it an entire day. Now, I know Formula one set the template for this stuff. Everybody wants a Formula one style Netflix show for their sport. Many have tried, many have failed, many have actually put up respectable efforts. But there's something about motorsports that really leans in and I really love this show. And I didn't feel alienated by it, by somebody as somebody that follows the sport week to week. I didn't feel like they were talking to me dumb. I appreciated the insight that they had in terms of context that they offered. I certainly appreciated the access. I don't think there's really many athletes like Denny Hamlin on the planet that talk so much shit, yet haven't won a championship like Denny Hamlin, like straight up, like they, they do a super cup of the stuff that he did. Denny Hamlin once went into Alex Bowman while Alex Bowman won a race doing his like, you know, spin out stuff. Denny Hamlin crashed into Bowman's car, gave him double middle fingers and just kept pushing on the gas. He's like the most insane person ever. And I really, really would give this show like the highest endorsement. I know Billy is our motorsports expert. I don't know if you plan on getting around to it. Our boy Blaney is heavily featured in this. Billy, if I could pay $10,000 to be on one shuttle, it would be his wife's shuttle to go to Homestead that looked fun.

[Roy Bellamy]

Really?

[Mike Ryan]

That looked fun. Yeah. He's kind of like a supermodel for fiance at the time.

[Greg Cody]

Cuervo Train was fun.

[Mike Ryan]

Cuervo Train was indeed. Yeah. But Talladega, they feature Talladega. It's really well done, so I would give that a really high endorsement. Roy, I don't know if you have time for watching many series at home, but I overheard you before the show talking about a house fire, and I was not up to speed. Was this your house that caught on fire?

[Unknown Speaker]

No, next door neighbor's house caught on fire.

[Chris Whittingham]

That's scary.

[Unknown Speaker]

It was interesting.

[Mike Ryan]

What kind of blaze?

[Unknown Speaker]

It felt like a smoldering blaze, but there were like five ladder trucks outside trying to put that thing out.

[Mike Ryan]

So that is a smoldering blaze.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah.

[Mike Ryan]

That is a small. If you got. I don't know what. I think more than two fire trucks is concerning. Yeah, yeah. Because one you're like, maybe somebody slipped and fell.

[Greg Cody]

Was it a situation you feels like.

[Chris Whittingham]

Protocol, like you gotta show up with two.

[Greg Cody]

Maybe one guy was next to him, like, oh, yeah, I'll go with you.

[Mike Ryan]

Five does feel like a smoldering situation.

[Billy Gil]

Was this you discovering it and, like making the call, or you just saw the trucks out there so you got there late kind of thing?

[Unknown Speaker]

No, I. I was in the middle of being a guest on a Panthers podcast when Anit came in and said, hey, house is on fire.

[Roy Bellamy]

Wait, there's the house right next door to you.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, right next to you.

[Roy Bellamy]

It's the one that you fight with them over the tree?

[Unknown Speaker]

Yes. Oh, yes.

[Chris Whittingham]

I apparently found out house crime suspect.

[Greg Cody]

Wait a second.

[Roy Bellamy]

Someone's been complaining about that tree for a long time. Did the tree make it again?

[Unknown Speaker]

I was in the middle of a podcast.

[Roy Bellamy]

Did the tree survive?

[Chris Whittingham]

Were you on camera? Is there video of the podcast or is it only audio timestamps?

[Unknown Speaker]

There is video.

[Billy Gil]

I love how quick he gave us his alibi. So, you know, no one even asked.

[Chris Whittingham]

You don't start with the alibi when you're telling a story about a house burning down.

[Unknown Speaker]

Well, the alibi is the funniest part because I had to leave in the middle of it because the fireman said, hey, you got to get out of the house.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, likely the fireman, your house been.

[Chris Whittingham]

Like, they got to get out of here.

[Billy Gil]

They were going to houses surrounding it, like, hey, you got to evac.

[Mike Ryan]

Wow.

[Chris Whittingham]

Because for sure I found out when the fireman told me I was in the office.

[Unknown Speaker]

I had no idea outside of my wife telling me.

[Roy Bellamy]

That's right.

[Unknown Speaker]

Yeah, I didn't treat it seriously because she didn't say it was the next door neighbor. I thought it was across the street, but it was the next door neighbor. Which, by the way, I found out the house has been vacant for two months.

[Chris Whittingham]

Wow.

[Billy Gil]

Did we find out what started?

[Roy Bellamy]

Well, you found out when you were inside the house lighting it on fire.

[Chris Whittingham]

No, I found out outside, and then I pulled my mask down and I thought, there's nobody in here, not a single person.