The Big Suey: Sports Are Stupid (feat. Dianna Russini)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – The Big Suey: Sports Are Stupid (feat. Dianna Russini)

Date: January 20, 2026

Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew (including Diana Russini) dive into the emotional whiplash of sports fandom, college football’s rapidly evolving postseason structure, and the latest NFL coaching carousel drama. With trademark irreverence, they question the logic of expanding playoffs, poke fun at coaching hires and job interviews, and get vulnerable about the Miami Hurricanes’ heart-wrenching loss. The tone is raucous, self-aware, and peppered with both existential angst and hilarious asides.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Football Playoff: Expansion, Legitimacy, and Emotional Fallout

A. Miami’s Season in Review and the Pain of Near Victory

• The group debates whether Miami's great season is being unfairly overshadowed by losing the championship, as Mike Ryan laments the familiar cycle of media doubt and disrespect.
• Mike Ryan passionately contends that the Hurricanes have proven themselves, despite falling short:
  • "Ran into one of the greatest seasons of all time and had an opportunity to win the game at the end...this was a great season for Miami." [01:50 – 02:12]
• Dan Le Batard observes the pain of coming so close and how “winning the moment” matters as much as the final outcome:
  • "To be that close is the part that's crushing...maybe you're at the one yard line and you fumble or something, but it's about as close as you can be." [37:11 – 37:19]

B. Playoff Structure: How Many Is Too Many?

• Zaz and others are skeptical about the 12-team playoff format’s necessity:
  • "We do not have a big enough sample size for them to keep adding teams… I never thought we should go to 12. I thought we should go to six." [04:13–04:33]
• Debate on whether Alabama and other elites are being unfairly protected at the expense of more deserving programs.
• The dubious performance of SEC teams in bowl games fuels frustration about reputation trumping results.
• Mike Ryan: "I just hope we don't repeat the same mistakes when there's a situation like Oklahoma and Alabama reputationally just getting in." [03:29–04:13]

C. The Emotional Toll of Sports Fandom

• Mike Ryan is raw and vulnerable about the impact of Miami's loss, revealing he cried after the game:
  • "Yeah, dude, I spend all my free time, all my free money, all my free effort on trying to get to where Indiana got last night. And it was devastating. And I cried, and I'm really sad about it, and I hope to never feel that pain again." [33:50–34:38]
• Stugotz reflects on chasing lasting “moments” in sports over just wins:
  • "I just want moments. I want individual moments that make me feel good." [37:53–38:08]
• Existential humor re-emerges, with Chris Cody declaring, "Who cares about anything? Sports is stupid. Like, what are we?" [38:51–38:53]

---

2. NFL Coaching Carousel & Hiring Logic

A. Miami Dolphins Hire Jeff Hafley

• Dan Le Batard & Greg Cody are underwhelmed, questioning hiring a coach based on Zoom skills and presentation rather than experience:
  • "Being good on Zoom has to me next to nothing to do with winning football. And also all these guys are kind of salesmen in disguise." [15:34]
• Dianna Russini defends the process, citing Hafley’s ability to command respect and set culture:
  • "All the feedback I got on him is just he's going to be able to start this thing from day one, no questions asked." [16:16–17:31]

B. The Head Coach Interview as Sales Pitch

• Dianna shares that presentation—down to how a coach looks—matters more than people want to admit:
  • "Of course, if you are looking polished, walking into a room with a female owner...absolutely. Look your best. Who's going to hire a slob?" [25:27–26:02]
• Dan calls out the absurdity, pointing to winning legends:
  • "Andy Reid and Bill Belichick slob up the interview...This stuff of killing the interview is just a grand stupidity from people who don't know what leadership actually requires." [26:09–26:22]

C. Robert Saleh & the Tennessee Titans, Tomlin Rumors, and the Value of GMs

• Dianna unpacks puzzling front-office dynamics in Tennessee and the trend of hiring “culture” coaches. Titans’ ownership did not want Mike Vrabel to have too much power, leading to a winding path of hiring less experienced candidates.
  • "They promoted Chad Brinker. They've been a disaster...But Mike Vrabel in one year, has shown you he was never the issue." [22:20–23:45]
• She discusses Mike Tomlin’s fatigue and rumors of a break rather than a move.
  • "Every time I see Mike Tomlin...he says...I'm tired. You know, if that's how you’re leading conversations...you're probably tired." [17:54–18:36]
• On why GMs tend to outlast coaches in the NFL:
  • "There's something about general managers that just lasts longer. Sometimes it's as simple as just you spend more time with the owner." [20:51–22:09]

D. Rapid Fire NFL Notes

• Robert Saleh to Titans is compared unfavorably to Mike Vrabel.
• Ownership dynamics and lack of offensive plan in Tennessee baffle the panel.

---

3. Sports, Culture, and the Absurd

A. The ‘Giant Baseball Hat’ Moment

• A viral sideline moment prompts an extended, tongue-in-cheek riff on the ridiculousness of oversized hats.
• Dan Le Batard: "Who popularized this? This was several years ago...I literally haven't seen one in several years." [31:09–31:44]
• Greg Cody: "You can't have a serious conversation with anybody wearing that hat. I'm sorry." [33:11–33:15]

B. Camaraderie, Loss, and Why We Keep Coming Back

• Despite the existential questioning of sports fandom, the hosts and guests agree the joy is in “the moments”—even when those moments end in heartbreak.
• Encouragement for Miami fans that while Indiana’s night was, in Dan’s words, “the hard part,” Miami’s foundation is set for more title runs as the sport keeps evolving.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• “Y’all should be embarrassed.” — Mike Ryan [00:41]
• "Maybe I'm owed an apology by everyone. I think I'm entitled to one." — Mike Ryan [01:43]
• "We do not have a big enough sample size for them to keep adding teams...I never thought we should go to 12. I thought we should go to six." — Zaz [04:13]
• "The SEC, all their great teams that made it so Alabama got in, lost in their bowl games to teams that shouldn't have been that good." — Zaz [05:03]
• "The best two teams in college football played last night. The two best teams." — Chris Cody [05:49]
• "You can't have a serious conversation with anybody wearing that hat. I'm sorry." — Greg Cody [33:11]
• "I cried, and I'm really sad about it, and I hope to never feel that pain again." — Mike Ryan [34:38]
• "I just want moments. I want individual moments that make me feel good." — Stugotz [38:07]
• “Sports is stupid. Like, what are we?” — Chris Cody [38:51]
• "I care big. I love big. And when it happens— and it will happen— it's going to be the greatest day of my sports fandom." — Mike Ryan [39:08]

---

Important Segments and Timestamps

• [00:41 – 02:27] Mike Ryan and Dan debate Hurricanes’ season, respect, and narratives.
• [04:13 – 05:49] Playoff structure, SEC/Big Ten reputation, and who really belongs.
• [15:34 – 17:31] Diana Russini on coaching hires, Zoom charisma, and what owners want.
• [22:20 – 25:19] Tennessee Titans’ FO drama, Saleh’s hire, and the perils of “culture.”
• [26:09 – 26:22] Dan on the absurdity of overvaluing interviews.
• [31:09 – 33:15] Giant baseball hats and sports memeification.
• [33:50 – 34:38] Mike Ryan’s heartbreak—what it means to lose so close.
• [37:53 – 39:08] Existential sports fandom: “I just want moments.”
• [39:35 – 40:58] Mark Fletcher altercation, character debate.

---

Tone and Style

True to the show’s DNA, the episode is a riotous, self-deprecating blend of authentic pain, sharp sports critique, and meta-humor about why we care so much about games.

• Dan Le Batard is both the inquisitor and comic straight man, guiding discussions and lampooning sports culture.
• Mike Ryan personifies the wounded, passionate fan—a reminder that outcomes have real stakes for believers.
• Diana Russini gives a journalist’s insight, providing clarity amid chaos.
• Stugotz, Chris Cody, and Greg Cody interject with absurd takes, dad jokes, and existential (and literal) burps.

---

Conclusion

This episode is a case study in why sports are both “stupid” and essential. The crew laments the pain of heartbreak, debates the ever-shifting lines of legitimacy in college football, and roasts the culture of interviews and headwear. For fans seeking both laughs and a real emotional reckoning with why we keep caring, "Sports Are Stupid" is a quintessential Dan Le Batard Show experience.

For the complete emotional arc, listen from [00:41] onward and don’t miss the closing existential riffs at [38:51] and beyond.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

Welcome to the Big Sui, presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show.

[Stugats]

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

[Greg Cody]

I'm sorry.

[Mike Ryan]

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.

[Dave]

I've done it.

[Stugats]

And now here's the marching man to.

[Dan Le Batard]

Nowhere, Fat Face and the Habitual Liar.

[Stugats]

This episode of the Dan Lebatard show is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The Crown is yours.

[Mike Ryan]

I actually don't think there's been a proper reckoning because everything's been moving so fast. Y' all should be embarrassed.

[Dan Le Batard]

They're physically superior and the last two games have fooled America.

[Mike Ryan]

Take a lesson from very recent history. Y' all have been saying the same thing for three weeks. It's the exact same thing. I've heard about the four picks against Louisville and the SMU game going into College Station. I heard the exact same thing going into the Cotton Bowl. They better clean it up if they want to play Indiana. Okay, all right. Anybody at all in media want to say, hey, I'm done doubting this team.

[Dave]

Spot the ball.

[Mike Ryan]

Let's see what's going to happen.

[Dan Le Batard]

Their worst game was Louisville because he threw four interceptions and he wouldn't stop throwing deep. That quarterback looked like this quarterback to you. What world am I living in where Miami at home is a touchdown underdog against Indiana? Like, what? I don't care about your nil money. It's still Indiana. There is not a thing in the sport that stands up to what they have on the offensive and defensive line.

[Stugats]

I think they're gonna maul them on the lines. I really do.

[Mike Ryan]

I just think, like, maybe I'm owed an apology by everyone. I think I'm entitled to one.

[Dan Le Batard]

You think I owe you an apology?

[Mike Ryan]

Yes. I stand by all of that. Like, great season. Be Florida, be Florida, State, beat Notre Dame, beat Ohio State, proved Texas A and M proved a lot of the haters wrong. Like, ran into one of the greatest seasons of all time and had an opportunity to win the game at the end. Like, I know we do this thing where everyone just dunks on the team that lost, but this was a great season for Miami. And I think one thing is very evident is this coach takes his lessons from his adversity, and Miami's going to be around for a long time, and that pisses Everyone off.

[Dave]

What's the big takeaway? More globally as we go forward, all the complaints over the last six, eight weeks about the structure of the 12 team tournament. I think the committee ultimately got it right, except for. And I wonder how different the tournament goes if you replace Alabama, who had no business being there, as it turns out with Notre Dame, I do think ultimately it's pretty interesting. How are we supposed to assess college football teams going forward? Because I traditionally said, well, you have two losses. If you're the U, you don't control any claim to being in the tournament. You lost two games along the way, you may or may not sneak in. I wonder what that means.

[Dan Le Batard]

There are 12 playoff teams and six that could actually win the championship. Like, there were all sorts of teams in the playoff that can't and shouldn't be in a playoff to win a championship.

[Mike Ryan]

I just don't like talking about that sport with the certainty because a lot of people shared that opinion. And Miami wasn't in that group of six teams.

[Dave]

No, but.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, but James Madison, Tulane, Alabama, Oklahoma, those are not teams that could have won the championship.

[Dave]

I get it.

[Mike Ryan]

I hope that this postseason season, its legacy is like this big 10 sec bull comes to an end because like Notre Dame, I'm sorry, like I took out Ohio State along the way and was right there with, with Indiana and everyone said this was a team that lost smu, you know, like, I, I think that a lot of that stuff is bogus. We were touting it all season long and I just hope we don't repeat the same mistakes when there's a situation like Oklahoma and Alabama reputationally just getting in. I think Notre Dame, probably the conversation was just so driven by Notre Dame vs. Miami that Notre Dame was asleep at the wheel and didn't get to like propagandize their own case against those lesser teams.

[Zaz]

Look, we have had two years of this expanded playoff. We do not have a big enough sample size for them to keep adding teams. Like, I, I watched all the bowl games and there was not a set of teams that I was like, yeah, I really wish I got to see them in the College Football Playoff. I never thought we should go to 12. I thought we should go to six.

[Stugats]

Or eight, but 12, like how many more. How many more would you add? I mean, obviously you can't make.

[Zaz]

I don't want to add.

[Stugats]

No, but I'm saying, like, how many teams?

[Zaz]

16, 24. And it is. And it's my conference who's campaigning for that.

[Stugats]

Right. That's not what I'M saying like how many teams didn't get a shot at the playoff that you think like should have been a playoff team, it would.

[Zaz]

Have been Notre Dame.

[Diana Rossini]

What I said 1.

[Zaz]

So I know like the sort of big 10 sec conversation, it's. Everyone is having it, they're talking about a lot. But I do think it's important in the sense that the SEC got so many teams in the playoff and the sec, all their great teams that were all these wins that made it so Alabama got in, lost in their bowl games to teams that shouldn't have been that good. Tennessee lost to Illinois. Mizzou lost to Virginia. Both Tennessee and Mizzou did not have a win over a team with a record above.500. So I do think it's important to have these conversations of like, hey, is this conference really as good as you think it is? Because Greg Sankey is the most active hand in college football. And if he's out here trying to convince you that seven teams belong in the College Football Playoff from the SEC and you can look at the SEC sample size in front of you and see, you know what? I will outplayed Vanderbilt that entire game. Yeah, maybe this isn't the best conference in college football. And next year we can avoid an Alabama or an Oklahoma getting in over a like a Notre Dame team that was much better than both of them.

[Chris Cody]

I think we can all agree the best two teams in college football played last night. Right. Like we have, we have a lot of times in these playoffs where you look at a team, you're like, TCU probably shouldn't have been there or like Washington a couple years ago was okay, but like they kind of got run out of the building. These two teams deserve to be there. The two best teams in college football.

[Stugats]

I think the only other team that you would make a case would be Ole Miss. And Miami beat him, Miami beat them.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'd make a case for Ohio State and Notre Dame can watch what happened and be like, oh my God, how close were we to winning the championship? We are as good as anybody.

[Mike Ryan]

Texas A&M2.

[Dave]

My, my concern is replacing the James Madison's in two lanes with elites protecting elites. I think that's where it's going to track is ultimately. You see that James Madison took up a slot that, that we should have had. We're Notre Dame. Right. Alabama. Right. Miami. That is my concern. As, as a man of the people.

[Zaz]

I believe James Madison played Oregon better than Texas Tech did.

[Dave]

So I believe James Madison won a.

[Mike Ryan]

National championship last night.

[Zaz]

Like the Issue with Tulane and James Madison both being in the tur in the College Football Playoff doesn't really have that much to do with the College Football Playoff. It has more to do with the way that the ACC structured their. Because, like, Miami played in the national championship last night, but they were not ACC champs. That was the Duke Blue Devils, which is just a little bit funny. And so, like, that was more an ACC problem, which should get fixed. Obviously, they're doing, like, weird. Some teams have eight conference games, some teams have nine conference games. We'll just let them figure it out on their own. Let's give them a year just to, like, get it together, go to college football rehab, and just, like, collectively decide. But the group of five argument, which I know is an argument that's also been had a lot. That Indiana team was made out of so many group of five transfers. So, like, James Madison literally did play Oregon closer than Texas Tech did. So, like, that is not the issue. It is simply just the way that the ACC structured their championship game, which made everything go crazy.

[Mike Ryan]

Anybody else have a problem with what's in the news cycle? Which is, like, the Big Ten and SEC can't come to an agreement about how the College Football Playoff expansion would go. Like, wait, they're in charge? Okay.

[Zaz]

They literally are.

[Mike Ryan]

Right? But Miami runs through a whole lot of them, and we're. We're just, like, waiting for those other conferences to tell us, like, what this is going to look like going forward.

[Stugats]

This Big Ten wants 24 teams out of such.

[Mike Ryan]

It's. It's crazy. Like, all right, like, I guess, like, you want to put more teams in the tournament.

[Stugats]

I guess that's when the regular season will officially be watered down.

[Mike Ryan]

We'll see. I think that a way to mitigate that would be, like, get rid of these bowl games, like, as part of the playoff, like, have home field matter in the postseason, and then you can start arguing that, you know, the regular season matters again. But I'm a little uneasy with the SEC and their dying reputation. Still calling the shots.

[Chris Cody]

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.

[Mike Ryan]

Smirnoff.

[Chris Cody]

Wow. You're on the money with Smirnoff.

[Mike Ryan]

Smirnoff.

[Dave]

Chris, do you know what goes great with Smirnoff?

[Mike Ryan]

Smirnoff, yes.

[Chris Cody]

But I'm really talking about game day. Fit. The style's gotta match the vibe. All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything, and that's exactly why your fit has to match the occasion. Starting this December, Smirnoff is giving fans 21 and over the chance to score limited edition Smirnoff Commission merchandise from some of today's top creators, including Kayla Jones, Gavin Matthew and Ali May.

[Dave]

Smirnoff.

[Chris Cody]

Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the offseason. Plus, one fan will win a lay Maze one of one game day jacket.

[Mike Ryan]

Wow.

[Chris Cody]

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, NY please do not share with anybody under legal drinking aid. No purchase necessary. Must be legal. US resident 21 or older sweepstake starts 12152025 at 12:00am Eastern and ends 1232026 at 11:59:59pm Eastern. See official rules at program website.

[Dave]

You know, people keep asking me about my 2026 resolutions and yeah, I got the usual stuff. You know, watch more games, complain about the power play and pretend like my team's actually going to stay healthy. But this year, the one at the top of my list is simple. Get comfy. That's where Bombas comes in. They bring serious comfort to my everyday essentials. Bombers just dropped their all new sports socks engineered for running, golf, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, basically whatever you're pretending you're about to be really into. And I'm trying to stay active this year by playing hockey. I need these socks. It has cushioning where you need it. It's sweat wicking, solid support. No distractions, just comfort. And for the everyday stuff, Bombers Footwear has you covered. Sunday slippers for staying in, Friday sandals for quick errands, and the new Saturday suede slip ons for when you want comfort but still need to leave the house. Premium everyday go tos I don't really think about, which is kind of the point. And for every item you buy, Bombas donates one to someone facing housing insecurity. One bought one donated over 150 million items so far. Head over to bombas.com dkn and use code dkn for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O-M-B-A-S dot com. Dkn code dkn at checkout.

[Mike Ryan]

Happy new year, 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 Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces. Don LeBatard, you owe me everything.

[Dan Le Batard]

You owe me everything.

[Greg Cody]

You have added 10 years to my career.

[Diana Rossini]

Yes, I have.

[Greg Cody]

This man has. You haven't.

[Dave]

That man.

[Greg Cody]

Who the hell are you?

[Mike Ryan]

Stugats. I am. Who the banking bullshit?

[Dave]

Me.

[Greg Cody]

You're a rude young man.

[Mike Ryan]

You're a fool.

[Diana Rossini]

You're a fool.

[Greg Cody]

I already called you a fool.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right.

[Greg Cody]

You can't call me.

[Mike Ryan]

You're an idiot again. It's a fool. You're an idiot for dismissing how much I've helped you.

[Dave]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right, we've got Diana Rossini here waiting patiently for us. She's the senior NFL insider for the athletics. She's the host of the School Scoop City podcast. I don't believe that ever in my lifetime I have seen a Miami Dolphin head coaching hired, dwarfed by a football game. You've got the Dolphins getting Jeff Halfley. I cannot confidently comment on this beyond being bored by it. Last eight coaches the Dolphins have hired don't have any head coaching experience. If I was going defensive coach, I would have gone Chris Shula. Diana, welcome. What are your thoughts here? This is just the Green Bay guy hiring the Green Bay guy, correct?

[Diana Rossini]

No, it's not. Because I thought the same thing as well when this started, and I. And I got word that Miami was really all in on on Jeff Halfley pretty early after that first interview with him. And that that wasn't because the GM is doing a hard sell job behind the scenes. He apparently really blew away everyone that's been part of this head coach search. So with that in mind, Halfley interviewed at other jobs as well. And it was pretty overwhelming how much feedback I received on how good he was in a room, how good he was even on Zoom, which is really hard to do, I think. And it's almost every opening had interest in him. And when you talk to people in Green Bay about him and you talk to players, it's all this like ability to lead, ability to connect, he's good at calling defenses and all right, let's put that to the side that that's part of this. And then there's just this other thing going on right now with all these head coaching openings and it's. There's a lot of openings and really not a lot of superstars in terms of these coaches. So I think what you're seeing now is coaches that are at least showing that potential to live up to some of those big name guys that we're seeing right now. Because you know, owners are sitting back and they're watching the playoffs, right? And they're seeing Ben Johnson do what he does. He saw Liam Cohen doing a fantastic first year job. Kyle Shanahan, I don't know what that was, but he was able to figure it out and get them this far. And of course Mike Vrabel in New England. And I think they think that maybe one of these guys has it. And I think that's how we got here. But I actually think it's a good thing, Dan, that the GM has an understanding of who this head coach is. Because with that ability to understand what he can bring, at least you have some confidence because sometimes you just don't know. I've had owners tell me it's one of the hardest things to do is find the right head coach based on just what he says in a meeting. Because some of these guys are exceptional at presenting and selling and showing their leaders. But what happens when things go wrong? What happens when the Bears are picking apart your defense in the second quarter and the self inflicted wounds are mount are mounting? What was Jeff Halfley doing on the sideline? And obviously this GM thinks what he was doing was enough for him to be the new head coach the Miami Dolphins.

[Dan Le Batard]

Cody, what are your thoughts here? Because being good on Zoom has to me next to nothing to do with winning football. And also all these guys are kind of salesmen in disguise.

[Dave]

Right.

[Greg Cody]

Diana, I am curious. The Dolphins last hire with previous NFL head coaching experience was Dave Wonstadt in 2000, who also was the last Dolphins head coach to win a postseason game. Now they're hiring a guy whose Green Bay team didn't have a particularly good season on defense and epically caved in the fourth quarter against the Bears to be eliminated. What about Jeff Halfley is so good. What about him makes you optimistic that the Dolphins maybe have hit. Hit a home run this time?

[Diana Rossini]

Yeah. So I think for Miami during the search process, which Troy Aikman, as we know, has had a very big hand in all of this, they've really been looking for a personality that's going to instantly set a culture and hold players accountable. I think that was some of the problems that were rubbing people the wrong way in the, in the previous regime. Right. Like, you obviously see Mike McDaniel now doing the tour and he is getting a lot of opportunities. I can tell you that, like every team wants Mike right now. But, but putting that aside for Miami, some of those things were not working for Steve Ross. And he believes that Halfley here is going to be the guy that the players are going to respect immediately. He's first time head coach. We obviously saw him at Boston College. He's been in the NFL before. But I will say, like all I can go by myself as a reporter is just what everyone around him is telling me. And it's, it's really hard to find anyone take shots at him, especially now at a time where it's so competitive, everyone's so nasty, everyone's gossiping, gossiping about everybody because everyone wants the edge. But all the feedback I got on him is just he's going to be able to start this thing from day one, no questions asked.

[Dave]

Hey there, Diana. Curious about how confident what percentage you would put on the chances that the Steelers actually would trade Mike Tomlin? They control him obviously through the next year, but I mean, if you're Buffalo or Cleveland even, wouldn't you at least kick the tires and check the likelihood of that happening? The possibility?

[Diana Rossini]

Yeah. No, no, for sure. There's definitely some back channeling going on right now in terms of those conversations. But the word in the league right now is is Mike. Mike needs a break. Like he, he. It's. It was never even about Pittsburgh. It was needing to just step aside and just be away from it. I kind of, I always tell a story that every time I see Mike Tomlin the first thing he says to me every time I'm like, hey, what's up? I'm tired. I'm tired. You know, and, like, if that's how you're leading conversations with people you haven't seen in, like, six months, you're probably tired. You know, we're talking about these zooms. Why. What. What is up with. What is with your shots today? Why. Why do I look weird? What's going on there?

[Dan Le Batard]

You don't look weird. You look lovely.

[Diana Rossini]

No, I don't think I look. Maybe. You know what it is? I was up until 2:30 last night because the Tennessee Titans made a hire at 11:30 because everyone loves to hire at weird hours. Just collecting information. So this is probably me just being tired. So, yeah. 10 Tennessee. By the way, that. That's an interesting one. You hire Robert Sala in hopes of what Miami just did, right? That you're bringing in the culture guy. You're bringing the man of the people, the leader. And they did it without an offensive coordinator in place yet. You've got the number one overall pick at quarterback here who obviously needs coaching and he needs the right offensive mind around him. And they hired Salah without that. Like, that's something, you know, I don't know where he'll land, right? Because you've got a bunch of OCs out there right now. You've got Brian Dable, who's meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles at this moment. You've got Arthur Smith, who was just in Pittsburgh, who's available, Perhaps maybe some 49ers guy. You got Clay Kubiak, Mike McDaniel. You got. You got Mike McDaniel, but Mike's getting some other opportunity. He could get a head coaching job in all this. You got Tampa all over Mike McDaniel right now.

[Dan Le Batard]

So I'd hire him if I were Buffalo.

[Diana Rossini]

Okay? Buffalo is a whole nother thing, which we're working on now because they were in meetings all day yesterday. While I can tell you ownership and even some of those decision makers in the front office had a sense that if they weren't going to win this game against the Broncos, that they were going to make moves like that wasn't the biggest surprise. I didn't really get a sense that they had a plan in terms of who was going to replace Sean. Because they're obviously late, right? Because here we are, what is it? January 20th, Tuesday. Most teams are deep in the second visits with these head coaches, so they've got a lot of work to do yet. That is the most Coveted job right now. Like, if you're Kevin Stefanski, aren't you sitting there, like, why didn't I just wait? Like, why didn't someone tell me this? Because I would have loved to coach Josh Allen.

[Stugats]

Well, Diana, how does it McDermott get fired, but Brandon Bean gets promoted?

[Dave]

It's the.

[Diana Rossini]

It's. It's the best narrative in football right now. You should hear head coaches talking about this. Just from a. It's like, for whatever reason, I don't know if it's relationships that are built. I don't know if there's just trust from what a general manager brings in terms of knowledge that supersedes a head coach, but there's something about general managers that just lasts longer. Look at Chris Greer in Miami, right? Like, every head coach will point this out. There's something about general, that position where you're just given more wiggle room. And sometimes it's as simple as just you spend more time with the owner. I don't know a lot of head coaches that hang out with the owner that are on the phone with him or her a lot. Most are just grinding coaching, you know, dealing with the players, dealing with all that. So I think that's a benefit. You get a personal relationship and some real personal where they become almost family. Look at New York, right? The Giants seemed like they were related to Joe Sheen at some points, and they're not. And now Joe Shane appears safe, right? As he's gonna become the general. Well, as he remains the general manager. With John Harbaugh informally introduced today as the head coach. Dan, are you. Dan, you have not interrupted me once. And this is. I just want to say thank you. This is lovely.

[Mike Ryan]

Wow.

[Dan Le Batard]

Robert Sala and Liam Cohen twice a year.

[Mike Ryan]

Duvall.

[Chris Cody]

Now we're talking. Dan. I didn't even think about that.

[Diana Rossini]

That's a good one.

[Mike Ryan]

Rob Sala, find defensive coordinator. If there was a front office that you trusted a little bit more, maybe you can make sense of this. I think everyone's a little puzzled by the hire, given what they need on offense. And they have the number one overall pick. How does Chad Brinker look at himself in the mirror? This guy is so bad at his job. All you need to do is look at the New England Patriots. This is an organization for those that don't know. Ran Carthon was a former GM of Tennessee. He brought in Chad Brinker. They fired Ran Carth on. They promoted Chad Brinker. They've been a disaster. I don't know what kind of fairy dust this guy has over the organization. But Mike Vrabel was fired by these front office people. Mike Vrabel in one year, has shown you he was never the issue. What is this reputation that they have over there in Tennessee around the league? This is a puzzling hire to me.

[Diana Rossini]

Well, first of all, you missed probably the most important piece of the timeline, which it was good. But remember when John Robinson, the general manager who was with Mike Vrabel, was fired? They went through a general manager search, and Vrabel was asked his opinion about these candidates. And when he met Rand, he liked him a lot. He just didn't think he was ready for the GM job. He recommended assistant general manager, and the owner said, no, I like him. And the reason why she said that is because she didn't want Mike to have ultimate power.

[Dan Le Batard]

Right.

[Diana Rossini]

And that is always a worry for some owners. They want to make sure they've got a balance. And Rand was not ready. I think that's pretty obvious. And Chad Brinker was then brought in to fix the fact that he showed in a very few, in a very short period of time, he was not ready. And then they completely went the other way and fired Mike Vrabel because in their mind, the ego of him. And that's them not. Not the reality, I believe was gonna hurt the franchise. And now here they are, and they're back in the business of trying to find identity, find culture. And I get the Robert Sala draw, but, I mean, I don't even know if you could call it a diet Mike Ray ball. Like, I don't. I don't even know if it's a Mike Raba light.

[Mike Ryan]

It's.

[Diana Rossini]

It's got some good characteristics. Salah is a leader. He's energetic. He loves this game. But if they were trying to look for something like Mike without the ego, that's. They didn't get that either. So, yeah, look, I think this is an organization that is really trying to lean into Mike Briganzi and hope that he brings something here. And there seems to be a lot of belief and confidence because Mike, remember to Matt Nagy had the inside track on this yesterday. I was. I wrote a piece already that Nagy had the job. Like it was. It. This thing was moving. And then Salah walked in and he blew the doors off in the interview. And he's got great presence. And, like, I get why Robert Sala probably won that room over so much.

[Dan Le Batard]

I hate it so much.

[Diana Rossini]

I know.

[Mike Ryan]

But everybody, everybody relax. It's Chad Brinker's doors that he's blowing down.

[Diana Rossini]

Okay.

[Greg Cody]

No, no.

[Diana Rossini]

Dan, I want to ask you this. Did have a head coach ask me this the other day. I swear. He's like, how important do you think it is that I, like, look really good in the interview? Like, do you think I do the suit? Like, do you, like, I make. Obviously you get the haircut. Whatever. He's like, do you think that matters? I said, yes. This is business. Of course, if you are looking polished, walking into a room with a female owner, right. For this example, let's say, like, absolutely. Look your best. Like, who. Who's going to hire a slob? So I know we joke.

[Dan Le Batard]

The Kansas. The Kansas City Chiefs and. And Bob Kraft.

[Mike Ryan]

It's crazy that Tom Moore asked you your opinion on the matter.

[Dan Le Batard]

Andy Reid and Bill Belichick slob up the interview. They're Neither one of them is great on zoom. Like, I really do think this stuff of killing the interview is just a grand stupidity from people who don't know what leadership actually requires.

[Chris Cody]

Dan, hold on a second. There was that one time where Cliff Kingsbury was in that modern house on draft day, and we were like, that.

[Dave]

Knows what he's doing.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know what it is, but.

[Diana Rossini]

He gets it exactly like that. That. I think that's part of this. And look, Salah. Sal's a big dude. Like, he. And he has a plan. He does. Like, he wanted this job badly. And while I'm sure, you know, Jed York and Kyle Shanahan probably hated the fact that Salah was, I'm sure, prepping. Prepping a lot for this interview while they're in the playoffs, I think that. That, you know, for him. Look, a year ago, he got fired. We were writing pieces about how he lost the team and all the cultural issues they had in New York. So now he's got a second shot here. But we could probably have another conversation, too. Did he pick the right place for him to have this rebirth to get back in the game? I don't know. Is this good ownership? He just went from Woody Johnson. So, you know, we're. We'll see how this plays. But right now, we still got the Pittsburgh Steelers looking for a head coach. The Cleveland Br. Browns, the Buffalo Bills, the Las Vegas Raiders. You guys obviously saw Tom Brady there last night and that whole force. And the Arizona Cardinals.

[Stugats]

What are you reaching for? If you're a smoker or dipper, you could be reaching for so much more with Zen nicotine pouches. When you reach for Zen, you're reaching for 10 satisfying varieties and two strengths for a Smoke free and spit free experience that lets you lean in for chances to break free from your routine and a unique nationwide community. Whatever you're reaching for, reach for it with America's number one nicotine pouch brand. Find yours in wherever nicotine products are sold near you. Warning, this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

[Dave]

New year, same extra value meals at McDonald's.

[Mike Ryan]

So now get two snack wraps plus fries and a medium soft drink for.

[Chris Cody]

Just $8 for a limited time only.

[Mike Ryan]

Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska and California. And for delivery.

[Stugats]

Don LeBatard, are you on the fan right now?

[Diana Rossini]

Did Mike Greenberg call you yet? Are you ever gonna go back to espn? People think it's so weird you're a writer now. All those years on tv, all those years, and now you write. Who reads that?

[Mike Ryan]

Stugats.

[Diana Rossini]

Why did you take a job at the Atlantic? Mom, I work at the Athletic.

[Stugats]

What?

[Diana Rossini]

You're on YouTube.

[Dave]

This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugach.

[Dan Le Batard]

Greg Cody on two and a half hours sleep. Just stifled a burp in order to get you this question.

[Greg Cody]

I did. Did I?

[Diana Rossini]

Excuse you.

[Greg Cody]

Wow. Yeah. Seriously, Diana, I want. I want to detour from coaching for a second. So Bo Nix is suddenly erased. It's your team. Jared Stidham. Can Denver, with that defense, still beat the Patriots and have a chance to win the Super Bowl?

[Diana Rossini]

Yes. No. Let me answer AFC first. Yes. I think there is no human being on this planet more insane than Sean Payton in these situations. He. I don't think. I don't. Look, he wants Bo Nix out there, but it's not like this building fell apart once Bo Nix went down and they don't think they can win. I remember the summer they were telling me about Stidham, and I remembered his day is obviously New England. And I'm like, what? Like, I'm glad that you like him, but whatever, you know, And New England, if you guys. I don't know if you recall, but during free agency, New England was trying to get Jared Stidham back to New England. So there was like a little bit of a war going back and forth in negotiations to try to get him and Stidham pick Denver. So I do think a little bit of. I love this matchup from a. From even just starting at the top here. You've got two head coaches who. Who are lunatics when it comes to tapping into what their team needs and what motivates them. So I think if anything, this works in the favor of Denver. They are looking at this as we're, we're going to have to overcome this. And that's how they like it. And look at Sean Payton's history. Look at the times when Drew Brees wasn't in when he was in New Orleans. Teddy Brusky, right. I think Sean won almost every single game with backup quarterbacks. Taysom Hill, another one. He knows how to prepare them. And I do believe he does a good job of making sure that everyone steps up. Knowing that Jared Stidham doesn't have a lot of experience as a starter and in an AFC championship game against a hungry Patriots team that has a vibe about them. I was with them on Sunday night. That's kind of like, holy crap, we're here. Why not? Let's just go for it all.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're underestimating that when you say he doesn't have a lot of experience. It's four starts, none of them in the last 748 days. She's the senior NFL insider for the Athletics. She's the host of the Scoop City podcast. Always a delight. Thank you, Diana. Thank you for being on with us.

[Diana Rossini]

Thanks, guys.

[Dan Le Batard]

So getting back to the topic du jour, I will try to soothe some Hurricane fans here and Malachi Tony as well. Malachi by putting up a photo of Malachi Tony being consoled by Ed Reed in a giant baseball cap. Who popularized this? This was several years ago. Yeah, several years ago. This was popularized. And I haven't seen them. They, they sold for a while, these giant hats. And Ed Reed is trying to bring it back. But I literally haven't seen one of these hats in about three years.

[Zaz]

They're still popular, but the best part about traveling to these things is a lot of people will go to the game and wear them, but they're too big to fit in their luggage. So you will see people in the airport with those hats on, like sitting on their plane with those hats on.

[Dan Le Batard]

I legitimately haven't seen one in several years. I laughed out loud when I saw that Ed Reid was wearing one during the ESPN interview with Clinton Portis where I'm like, God, I those. There was somebody who was selling them who was making a lot of money with the, with the copyright of them. I don't remember who it was because you just mentioned is that, is that the origin? Is that ground zero on it?

[Chris Cody]

I remember us seeing be like, this is a really, really huge hat. Why does Brian Robinson have this?

[Stugats]

It's so stupid looking.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's a baseball cap. That's what what would we say? 10 times the size, 5 times the.

[Mike Ryan]

Size of a normal baseball, 25 times.

[Stugats]

The size, like 600 times.

[Dave]

It's enormous.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, it's not.

[Chris Cody]

We should get ZAZ.

[Dan Le Batard]

600 times is a hot air balloon. You're wearing a hot air balloon on you?

[Dave]

Yeah. I love how he probably had it.

[Chris Cody]

On forward at one point, but for.

[Mike Ryan]

This big speech, he's like, you know what this is?

[Chris Cody]

Got to get closer to him. The problem is the brim is so big that he's gonna flip the ridiculous.

[Dave]

Hat around and have a real talk.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let me. Let me see again. Let me see Malachi Tony Malaki walking down the. The tunnel here. Malachi, Tony was great in that second half, and he did have to flip it backwards and it.

[Mike Ryan]

Look, the river is like six feet long.

[Chris Cody]

Still got a sticker across the way for the hall.

[Dan Le Batard]

I can't talk to him.

[Greg Cody]

You can't have a serious conversation with anybody wearing that hat. I'm sorry.

[Dan Le Batard]

All right. I can't get Mike to laugh today. There will be getting no Mike laughter today. Mike, how did you sleep? Greg Cody comes in complaining. Two and a half hours of sleep that night. Right. I'm assuming you turn off all your televisions. You're not consuming any of the coverage, right?

[Mike Ryan]

I'm not really watching anything. I wanted to hang out with my friends, my hurricanes friends. Like, we went out a little bit afterwards and you watched the Heat. I honestly, like, the last thing that I saw before I went to sleep was a news item that Jimmy Butler tore his acl. So, you know, not a lost night, but.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, no.

[Mike Ryan]

Oh, what? You're not. What am I doing? I'm super pumped about it.

[Dave]

What about the Bob fight?

[Mike Ryan]

You had to have seen that. Oh, I saw. I saw.

[Diana Rossini]

That was.

[Mike Ryan]

I saw a video of the Bob fight. Yeah, that's. That sucks about Jimmy Butler. Who could have thought that his body would wear down? Yeah, I'm not really consuming it. I, you know, I was trying to put on a brave face and be the energy guy. And that's usually not my. Not my forte when I have a devastating loss. But it was very evident that I was faking it, because when I came home, it all. It all came out. And, yeah, dude, I spend all my free time, all my free money, all my free effort on trying to get to where Indiana got last night. And it was devastating. And I cried, and I'm really sad about it, and I hope to never feel that pain again.

[Dan Le Batard]

You cried when? Upon the interview.

[Mike Ryan]

No, I mean, I did, like, Sit in my chair. I was rocked. I couldn't get up. I had. Next thing I know, there was confetti everywhere. And you know, it was brutal. I shook it off. There were some Canes fans on the way out doing Cane's chants. And, you know, this was a great season for like to. You got to keep in mind, like, this was like a three and a half month thing of like trying to prove that we were worthy. You proved it. Yeah. And that's what I was trying to tell myself. And we went through some teams that I properly hate. But yeah, you were that close. Like, we allowed of a bunch punt block on when Indiana's in punt, safe coverage. Like, what the, man. That's why. God damn it, you know, we were right there. And I care about the Miami Hurricanes athletic program more than I care about anything that isn't related to me. And yeah, it really sucked. I cannot really articulate how painful that was. And it sucks. When you finish second, you feel like a big time loser because the eyes of the world are on you and everyone's teeing off on you, making fun of you, and you're trying to have the right perspective and that you had a good season. The vision is working. All your time and effort is working. I had a lot of people while I was like crestfallen in my seat, not really knowing where I was at the time, thanking me for, you know, hey, thanks for fighting for us. Thanks for what you do for the program and that, that did like, soften the blow. But yeah, man, I am wrecked inside. I want to die.

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, do you think this will make it feel any better, seeing your father? This five yards, they just went down the field. And here is Mike Ryan's dad to celebrate the touchdown that he celebrated prematurely before with the bongos.

[Dave]

One more time here.

[Mike Ryan]

Mike Ryan is going to be mad.

[Dave]

Might murder him and you for letting it happen.

[Mike Ryan]

Can't wait to call him junior.

[Dan Le Batard]

Mike, what is. What is second place for you on most devastating loss of your life? Because what you're describing, I imagine there's a gulf between getting home and crying and whatever finishes second place here. Because to be that close is the part that's crushing. Right. You lose to Ole Miss and it doesn't feel quite the way this does. You lose to Ohio State, it doesn't.

[Dave]

There.

[Dan Le Batard]

There's very little that can feel quite this way. Maybe you're at the one yard line and you fumble or something, but it's about as close as you can be.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. I guess the only thing that's close. Is. Is Battle Court Spring Final 2024 losing to the Robote Renegades.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. Memorable.

[Dave]

What about your favorite pro football team signing DeSean Watson on purpose?

[Mike Ryan]

Honestly, Dave, great shout. Great shout. Like, in terms of, like, my soul left my body. Like, who am I? What is my personality? You're absolutely right. The acquisition of deshaun Watson did end a chapter in my life that is absolutely the second most painful loss of my life. And also the Fiesta bowl because we got cheated out of number six.

[Stugats]

I've gotten to the point in my life where, as a sports fan, yes, the winning is obviously the most important thing, but I want the moments. Like, really everything about my life moving forward is. I just want moments. I want individual moments that make me feel good.

[Dave]

And.

[Stugats]

And that's the part for me that. That is the toughest to swallow last night. It's not that they lost, but. But you're envisioning it that, oh, my God, like, they have a real chance to score here at the end of the game, and it will be a forever moment. That's the part for me, that's the toughest as well. Not just that they lost, but we would have had that moment, that feeling for the rest of our life.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah.

[Stugats]

So close.

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know.

[Diana Rossini]

I didn't.

[Mike Ryan]

I didn't think the universe would afford me that kind of happiness and joy, did you?

[Stugats]

I thought they were gonna do it.

[Mike Ryan]

The dude that actually pulled down the interception is Glenn Sharp's nephew. Glenn Sharp was a corner that was on Chris Campbell in the Fiesta bowl when Terry Porter threw that flag.

[Dave]

Wow.

[Chris Cody]

Who cares about anything? Sports is stupid. Like, what are we?

[Mike Ryan]

Sports are dumb.

[Dave]

Like, why are we.

[Mike Ryan]

But also, Mike, you said it yesterday.

[Dave]

They're the best.

[Chris Cody]

No, they're the best. Sports are stupid. You said it yesterday. The.

[Greg Cody]

The.

[Chris Cody]

The universe died a trillion years ago. We're living in its echo. Like, who cares? Who cares about anything? We're all going to die, and I'm going to be on my deathbed. MF and Roy.

[Mike Ryan]

I care big. I love big. And when it happens. And it will happen. It will happen. It's going to be the greatest day of my sports fandom. I know. We're gonna. We're gonna figure this out, and we're gonna get there. And. I mean, how can you not feel great about this head coach and the trajectory of the program? I feel like this is the start of something. I'm not gonna put all the business out there. Mark Fletcher, who made news because he. He swung on.

[Stugats]

Yeah. What Happened there. That kid must have said something, right?

[Mike Ryan]

Anybody that knows Jeremy, you know Mark Fletcher from his time in high school. Mark Fletcher is a high character and individual as you meet in college. And moments before that, he was being super classy with Fernando Mendoza. They had a nice moment on the field.

[Dave]

I was wondering which of those came first because I was imagining him having an altercation and then like a minute.

[Stugats]

Later, like the most genuine.

[Chris Cody]

Nice.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah, good game. If Mark Fletcher is swinging on you, you're the problem. Because that is like, not who Mark Fletcher is. If. If you did something, you did something, like super disrespectful.

[Stugats]

You know about that with the U down warranty.

[Mike Ryan]

But maybe someone will put it out there, maybe some of those teammates. But Mark Fletcher, I caught word of, like the speech that he delivered to the team after that loss. Mark Fletcher is coming back next season. I told you the story. After Middle Tennessee State, Mario Crystal Ball took like a couple of boosters. And for whatever reason I was there, I had no business being there. And he said a couple of names and Ruben Bane and Mark Fletcher were guys that would turn this program around. And he's going to finish that story and I hope it's in Las Vegas next year. Mark Fletcher is a great guy. I know a lot of people are decontextualizing what happened. It's an ugly moment, obviously swinging on somebody. But that guy is his high character and individual, and he's a reason this season turned around that video.

[Dan Le Batard]

That moment and that uniform will camouflage for the country how high character and individual he is. And we will be accused of all manner of bias for just simply knowing a little more about him than you do. When Mike says it's the start of something at Miami, he's not wrong. But it's the start of something more at Indiana because they have a momentum now in the portal that's even better than Miami's and they have a stability now. That night wins a thousand recruiting wars. Obviously, you have to get money as well, but Indiana's no longer a doormat. This is the hard part. Getting to here and the momentum of here. They will do nothing but build on this.

[Dave]

Agree with that. But like I said to you last night, Dan and I think that listening to Zaz and the Mike and pretty much everybody in here, it. It would have. Sorry to paraphrase sec. It would have meant more, I feel like, for Miami fans than as much as it has MEANT Obviously to IU.

[Stugats]

You're 100% right.

[Dave]

There. There was. As I. As I kept Saying there was no downside if you lose. There was no precedent either way. Okay, so we, we had the Heisman winner. We went into this thing undefeated. We beat Oregon twice, we beat Ohio.

[Stugats]

Indiana fans don't speak Ohio State.

[Dave]

I mean, you know, for real, the vibes would have been very similar if you remove this reality. If they would have gone, you know, 9 and 3 and won the Rose.

[Mike Ryan]

Bowl, you would have thought, well, I.

[Dan Le Batard]

Mean, a once in a lifetime thing.

[Dave]

For the Hoosiers fans. But you guys have the downside, and I really do. As much as nationally. I kept saying, and I kind of stand by it. Dan touches on the fact that the U has maybe a negative rep, but largely, I think that football America looked at IU as having just beaten the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics and now just had to finish it by beating the Finns. And the U was the Finns. That was not supposed to be the challenge that it ended up being. But for you guys, clearly, for how you perceive yourselves as now a blue blood, it is striking to me. I don't think the nation senses it as much as you guys are feeling it.

[Greg Cody]

Well, Cristobal volunteered after the game, and rightly so, that there's absolutely no guarantee that just because they were great this year and reached the final, that that's a given next year. And reflecting that, you know, the immediate championship odds for next season are out already, and I was a little surprised to see Miami as low as tied for 10th in the betting odds. And that all depends on how they score in the portal with a new quarterback. So I think the U is back, but there's no guarantee that they're going to maintain this level just because they got there this year.

[Stugats]

Dave, would you give your championship to Mike Ryan right now?

[Dave]

I give him well wishes for 2026.

[Mike Ryan]

Happy New Year, 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 hope 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 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.