Dan Le Batard (2:12)

Was The Illinois game UCLA 56 to 6.

Chris Cody (2:15)

Maryland 58. 10.

Dan Le Batard (2:16)

Like they'll put up 50 plus on you. Oh, on a bad team.

Zaslow (2:19)

It's getting more.

Dan Le Batard (2:20)

Look, it's getting more Cuban in here. We've got Purdue.

Chris Cody (2:23)

They beat 56.3Zaz.

Dan Le Batard (2:24)

We've got another college football expert.

Zaslow (2:26)

I know.

Dan Le Batard (2:27)

Poppy, crystal, ally and friend. And more Cuban than most of us. Jorge Sedano. Is this indeed Jorge Sedano Miami style, or is this Hollywood joke? Oh, the city has gotten electric here early Tuesday. You can't have the loud Cubans in town this early. George, stay there for a second because Diana's on the phone, okay? She's very busy this time of year. She's a senior NFL insider for the athletics, the host of the Scoop City podcast, and we have 15 minutes of her precious time. It is very valuable. Football is lunacy. It is. Is crazed. It is not overreaction to say right. Last night's game stunk none. Not surprising. The end for Aaron Rodgers will be interesting to people, I suppose. Best I've ever seen. Four time MVP collapses. Wheels fall off at the end. Tomlin hasn't won a playoff game in eight years. Bored by that team. Bored by everything happening there. Eight years. You are exactly the same team. I'm really happy that Mike Tomlin is great as he is. It's an amazing tribute to his stability. But they are the same team every single year. They've had three coaches their entire history. That team is not good enough. And their season ended the way you figured it would with a defense that is championship worthy. We. We. We understand. Thank you for being with us. But Denver, Denver and Houston have defenses. Which is the better defense?

Darren Rovell (3:48)

All of that to ask me what's the better defense? No. First of all, hello. Joey says hello. Thank you so much for last week being patient with us while he was fighting that little stomach bug that he lovingly gave to his mother, which I received yesterday. So we had a fun day here in our household.

Dan Le Batard (4:08)

So it's too much information, Diana, but thank you for bringing it back up. Greg Cody's stomach did make that noise in the last segment. He was too embarrassed to tell it. It would have been comedically perfect. He's had only coffee this morning and probably too much of it. The sound came from his bel. Now that's where we are, right?

Mike Ryan (4:26)

I'm flying on caffeine, Diana. They call it dancing swords in my house. That means when you've got that sound in your stomach, you're gonna repair quickly to another room in the house. I'm Just saying that. I'm not gonna get into any details.

Darren Rovell (4:40)

Yes, yes. You paint a beautiful picture of what I was doing all day yesterday, except it was more from this part of my body. Wow. All right, well, which was crazy because I was at that Eagles Niners game on Sunday. And in the post game, obviously, you can imagine there was so much to gather because there was so much excitement for the Niners after such a great win. And then, of course, the demise of this Philadelphia Eagles team. And I. I was fine. I was completely fine. And I do regret one thing. I did eat a hot dog, which I have not. I haven't had a hot dog in probably five years, but that's all the Philly press box had. And I was like, I need to eat something because I've got a long night ahead. And I drove home and it was like a two hour ride. And the whole ride I'm like, something's not right. Something is not good here.

Mike Ryan (5:30)

Dancing swords.

Diana Rossini (5:31)

You never want a stomach bug, but if you're gonna pick a time to have a stomach bug, we all agree post holidays. Yeah, you're kind of rooting for that.

Dan Le Batard (5:39)

Not a terrible.

Diana Rossini (5:40)

Take it easy.

Darren Rovell (5:41)

Do you think it's worse to have the stomach bug as the driver or the passenger? Cause I kept thinking, I wish I was in an Uber right now, because I could open the window, I could breathe. I mean, I guess I could do that while I was driving, but I would pull over like, I don't know, every 15, 20 miles and just like on the New Jersey Turnpike and just be like, okay, we got this. And like, the self talk is. Is incredible because you just don't want to. Just because I knew if I lost it, what was I going to do? Just stay on the side of the highway at, you know, midnight, one in the morning. But I was able to toughen it up and I got all the way home.

Diana Rossini (6:17)

This is great stuff. Only here can you hear Dian Rossini talking about pinching a loop.

Dan Le Batard (6:21)

Thank you. That's the exclusive domain of everything we're building here. There was plenty of football to talk about. I want to talk about the Eagles in a second, but you will forgive me video. Can you please put the center of that room on camera just real quick? Not my parents. No, please. In the center of the room, there's. There's a person in there who seems to be dressed like a wrestler. And. And I don't know who that person is. I can't see from here.

Diana Rossini (6:47)

That's the host of the game show that I Just cooked up. It's called Domino, and that is former CCW Southeastern heavyweight champion. Domino who? Domino is the most Cuban person I have ever met in my entire life.

Dan Le Batard (7:01)

More Cuban than Sedano.

Diana Rossini (7:02)

Yeah, more Cuban than Sedanos. All right. Like this guy.

Dan Le Batard (7:08)

Spoiler alert.

Diana Rossini (7:08)

Yeah, this dude is aggressively Cuban.

Zaslow (7:12)

I watched him in a street fight last week, and he was bleeding.

Darren Rovell (7:15)

What?

Zaslow (7:16)

He won.

Mike Ryan (7:17)

That's all the matter.

Diana Rossini (7:18)

Spoiler alert.

Dan Le Batard (7:19)

Okay, so that game show is coming up, but the Philadelphia Eagles, that punctuation make it in fiction, out of your imagination. A worse ending than the one we've got for A.J. brown in Philadelphia and just what that city is going to feel about him at what should be a time in Philadelphia. To be really grateful for the team that you had that ran physically roughshod over everyone and then this season sort of ground to an halt. Three and outs. Because however constipated they are with the football.

Darren Rovell (7:50)

Yeah. Well, to steal Domino's name, it really was a domino effect going back to probably October, when it was really apparent that AJ Brown was not happy. And I feel like nobody wanted to hear it. Everyone was in denial that how could a team with so much talent not figure it out? And it was obvious that this offense didn't feel like they could be. They weren't playing up to their potential. And everyone is just blaming everybody. Right? Jalen Hurts appeared to be blaming the offensive coordinator. A.J. brown was blaming Jalen Hurts. There wasn't a lot of pointing back at themselves. That. That was something I noticed throughout the whole season. No one ever came up to the podium or spoke to reporters and said, I need to be better. I have to do a better job. Everyone just kind of just sat in the. In the. In the muck, in the yuck of. This isn't good. Because here's the thing that's the truth. I think now everyone knows. You should not be surprised that the Philadelphia Eagles lost in the first round of the playoffs. That should not be surprising. What did they show us this year? At what point did this offense ever put together a performance that made you go, this team is going back to the Super Bowl. They never did. The only times they looked decent were against, like, the Giants, right?

Dan Le Batard (9:03)

And that was the back end of the Rams game. Look, the Rams. This sport is weird, man. It's weird and it's crazy. So let me just step back from what you witnessed this weekend. Okay?

Chris Cody (9:13)

Okay.

Dan Le Batard (9:14)

The Dogs, okay? All of the underdogs, the Chargers, end up collapsing at their end because their offensive line shouldn't have been in the playoffs, all the other underdogs, either one or covered. The league is that close. And one of the games has in the Rams what I believe to be the best team in the league. Only lose if they have three turnovers going to beat Seattle. Except they could have used that rest and that game needs to be at home. And oh, they might have thrown away their season because they're a five seed because they left five of these close games. They played Carolina worst point differential history of the league. Fighting for their life in the first road game because of how hard all this shit is after an extra game and all these bodies are broken.

Darren Rovell (9:56)

Yeah. On the Niners, the most.

Dan Le Batard (10:00)

The most one pick one thing. The most interesting thing from this weekend is a football. I really care about this history and perspective wise. Crazy week. The most interesting thing in it was.

Darren Rovell (10:12)

What to me it was the San Francisco 49ers figuring out a way to win. I know we just spent a few minutes talking about that. The Eagles stank. But Dan, I had. I had the card in front of me in the press box, you know, with the roster and I was playing a game with myself of can I name the starting linebackers of the San Francisco 49ers without looking like. I didn't know who these dudes were and were in the playoffs here because they've been able to just piecemeal. Yes. Kyle Shanahan has been brilliant. Robert Sala was brilliant. The Philadelphia Eagles were out coached on Sunday. So I just. I've always thought the Niners story was. Was kind of cute. Like, look at these guys. They're playing with passion. They're playing with heart. They're finding ways to win. But I didn't think they'd be able to make it this far. So to me, that is. That's been one of the best stories in football. This is a team that's been decimated.

Dan Le Batard (11:04)

It's interesting to hear you say that because empirically that sounds right in the value of things. Right. How does. How does San Francisco, even though all of its best players are hurt, how do they go and dethrone the most physical team and the defending champion and they lose kittle during the game? How year after year do they physically get to this point when they should have broken three times this season? How are they with Seattle as an organization and with the Rams when physically this whole thing should have been ground to dust? You would agree. And yet still somehow win? And it's a mystery. And like it's a mystery.

Darren Rovell (11:43)

I don't know if it's a mystery. I think it's actual actually pretty simple to understand. You have a really good head coach who knows how to scheme and puts the work in and has the pulse of this team and understands fans ways to win and how to take advantages of the things that they've been facing. But also just asking guys like Trent Williams and Christian McCaffrey after the game, like, give me just in one sentence why you are able to be here right now. And they're like, we got nothing to lose. Like we, we're not supposed to be here. And I think that's a dangerous place for a team to be in, at least for the opponents. Right. Like this is a good spot because they're playing loose. It's just they don't have to.

Dan Le Batard (12:22)

It's. It's. I'm sorry to interrupt you, Danny. It's just crazy to me that the San San Francisco 49ers are in this position again because you're saying that. That they're playing loose and Seattle and the Rams have looked better than them all season. They carried part of their season with Mac Jones, Darnold and Darnold and Stafford don't miss games. San Francisco got to hear fighting with these two teams with Mac Jones in the middle. That's if you're basically telling me empirically that they have a coaching advantage that is seismic between whatever number one and number two is in this, that it's not small. It's like people don't understand the difference in value there.

Stugotz (13:03)

Yeah.

Darren Rovell (13:03)

And look, he is definitely going to be up there for coach of the year. We, we turned in our nominations last week. I think it's going to be neck and neck with Rabil. I'm interested to see what the voting is going to wind up being because obviously you can give Mike also tons of credit for what they're doing with this Patriots team. But look, and the reason why I leaned towards Rabel when, when I was discussing this with some people, I think just when you look at what they've done, how they've bounced back from what they saw, what they were last year. And it's not like Drake May's got these incredible pieces around him either.

Stugotz (13:35)

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.

Diana Rossini (13:44)

Ha ha.

Stugotz (13:45)

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, Bomber's 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.com dkn code dkn at checkout.

Dan Le Batard (14:48)

One of.

Chris Cody (14:48)

My big goals for 2026 is just less money stress. How about that? I've got a kid now and I want to start a real travel fund, knock down some debt and not feel like every surprise expense is a mini heart attack, which I've had about 11 now since the holidays. Managing your money doesn't have to be a struggle this year. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool designed to make your life easier. It brings your entire financial life, budgeting, accounts and investments, net worth and future planning together into one dashboard on your laptop or phone. Start the new year on the right foot financially. After the chaos of the holidays, Monarch has been my full financial reset. I can actually see what I'm spending, set realistic budgets and track goals. I'll stick with past February. It even tells me what goals are doable based on our real numbers, which I desperately need. The weekly recaps alone keep me honest even when I'm sleep deprived. Like the last three days, the baby has been absolutely insane, but Monarch helps me know that I'm financially okay. Monarch help users save over 200 bucks per month on average after joining this new year. Achieve your financial goals for good. Monarch is the all in one tool that makes proactive money management simple all year long. Use code dan@monarch.com for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with code dan.

Crystal Ball (15:56)

Hello listeners. You know that I live in Miami, which means my idea of quote unquote Winter is just putting on a hoodie or a cardigan and acting like I've suffered. But every time that I travel somewhere that's actually cold, I'm reminded that my wardrobe is completely and utterly unprepared. But that right there is where Quince comes in. I also realize that if I'm going to be on camera for broadcast gigs, I probably shouldn't look like I just grabbed whatever was closest to the door. Quince makes clothes that deliver premium materials, thoughtful design and pieces that hold up season after season after season after season. And particularly with quints. Their outerwear has been the thing that's especially impressed me. Those down jackets, wool coats, Italian leather. And folks, that cashmere sweater, ridiculously soft, looks great and somehow doesn't cost what you'd expect. Trust me, I am the only one on this show who actually dresses to impress. And quints is what's now helping me do it. Refresh your winter wardrobe with quince. Go to quince.com dan for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q U I n c e.com dan free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com dan don lebatard daddy says you're.

Darren Rovell (17:14)

Doing a live show on the draft. Rick, is it channel 7 stugats. Those girls on Eyewitness News. They look good. They're mothers. They look good, though.

Stugotz (17:25)

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats.

Dan Le Batard (17:32)

I. I just really am. When the body count Warner Bosa Trent Williams is not himself anymore. Like, no, physically, it's obvious that he's just. He, of course the game is going to physically break all of them. Kittle goes down. P's Mr. Irrelevant last in the draft. PE's been shot. Like, and he missed less games and played with a bullet.

Darren Rovell (17:56)

Like, play with a bullet immediately. You know, I embrace my stupidity pretty comfortable comfortably at this point. And so I've known Trent for years. I covered him in Washington and so we kind of like came up together. So he's one of the very few players that when I see it's just like a really genuine conversation of catching up. And so I see him and I'm my brain's going 100 miles an hour because I got a million things I want to do and see and talk to people I want to talk to. And I'm like, hey, man, what's up? I'm like, how you doing? You guys are great. I'm like, how you feeling? And he Just, like, in the, like, coldest look was, like, not good at all. And I was like, what's up? He's like, my hamstring. I'm like, yeah, but you're active. He's like, I'm active because I have to be. It's the playoffs. So I saw him after the game. I was like, how's that hamstring? He's like, not great.

Dan Le Batard (18:40)

Okay, Diana, but you're sitting here, you're grinning maniacally at the toughness of this human being. Can we just for a moment examine these incredibly strong people? Human beings are breaking each other every week. Trent Williams has been the best and the strongest among them for many years. He's part of why San Francisco is so good. And while Shanahan can look that good, he's been physically dominant forever. Of course that's going to break his body. It's going to be totally broken. And now he can't play anymore, but he's on the field. Warner and Bosa are in the box, and they don't have anyone out there except Mr. Irrelevant. Ayuk's not out there. Like, they don't have players.

Darren Rovell (19:21)

Fred Warner's trying to get back. They're not gonna open the practice window this week, but if they can get past Seattle.

Dan Le Batard (19:26)

Oh, he's not gonna get back with a bro. He's. Oh, the buzz, the buzzes.

Darren Rovell (19:31)

They're trying to get Fred back. So then you have this. Then you have. In the second quarter, George Kittle goes down, and, I mean, everyone concede on camera what happened. And so the Athletic had sent, like, eight reporters there to the game. So I was sitting next to Mike Silver, my colleague. I'm like, I'm gonna go to the tunnel and see if, like, anything happens, because it's George Kittle. Like, he's incredibly magnetic, and he's got such a big personality, and he doesn't strike me as a guy that's gonna get injured and just, like, put a towel over his head. So I went down to the tunnel, and I see his. His. His wonderful wife Claire and Jed York, the owner, just walk in there, and they, you know, they look miserable for obvious reasons. And so I'm just about to walk off, and I see a guy that I had seen on the field that worked for the Niners, and he had a tequila bottle under his arm, and he went into the locker room. And I didn't want to make assumptions, but it was pretty obvious that that. That tequila bottle was for George Kittle. And it turns out that they Took shots. And they basically just drank their heads off at halftime or at least through the game, because he was so miserable. And Jed York had walked in there and like, hey, man, can I do anything for you? And George is like, yeah, can I get some tequila? So after the game, all the players went in there and they see George and he's, like, hammered, and he's like, let's go. And everyone started taking shots. And that bottle was. Was on the floor empty, obviously. So it was. It was quite a celebration in a locker room that, you know, from a team that wasn't probably expected to knock out the super bowl champs, slay that.

Dan Le Batard (21:01)

Giant on the road. Mac Jones and Mr. Irrelevant Again without their receivers, now without their tight end. It's lunacy. It doesn't Philadelphia like. To me, wherever it is, I understand that Philadelphia gets emotional about these things. But there is no shame in being dethroned by that thing, which is representative.

Darren Rovell (21:22)

There is shame. I disagree. You are more talented. You are naturally more gifted on your field. Right. And that's credit to how they structured this team. You've had the luck of very few injuries outside Lane Johnson. Right. You are the better team on the field. Everybody knows that. Based on who's able to play. And you let that slip away. You let a team that wanted it more knock you out at home at the Link, coming off a Super bowl.

Mike Ryan (21:53)

That'S embarrassing against a San Francisco team that had just gotten its ass kicked by Seattle in a really meaningful game. What was it, 16 to 3? 19 to 3?

Dan Le Batard (22:04)

Well, the Seattle defense can ransack you in the spot this weekend, Diana. Every team that's ever had the kind of rest Seattle has wins this game. And the only reason people wouldn't believe that they'll win this game is Sam Darnold. It is. It is two words. And people won't make it about more than that. We've seen Seattle. Shanahan's brilliant. Seattle in the game for everything. Before the games for everything. Ransacked him like Shanahan's never looked that bad. Shanahan coaching genius.

Darren Rovell (22:31)

Yep.

Dan Le Batard (22:31)

Didn't matter that he'll beat you with Darnold McDonald to beat you. He'll be 15 and 2. And he'll beat you on the road with Darnold, and he'll beat you on the road with Geno Smith. That's what's happened twice. Correct.

Darren Rovell (22:42)

I am not going to sit up here and say The San Francisco 49ers are going to beat the Seattle Seahawks. I can just tell you if a team that has is going to continue this mentality that we've got nothing to lose with. Maybe the carrot of a return of Fred Warner in the corner with a motivated defensive coordinator who's trying to get a head coaching job is basically just putting on a display of his own talent and skill set as a coach. I don't know. And look, you're acting like Sam Darnold's had ultimate success of the playoffs. Like isn't his narrative, isn't the story that he's not able to get off, you know, and get to the other side here.

Dan Le Batard (23:22)

Get Sam Darnold seeing ghosts. The last Minnesota season that ended here when we dared to believe that Minnesota was what Seattle is this year. Zazzle, I want you to get in here and I also want to start going, speeding all of this up. Not because I mean to do this, Diana, but because there's so much to get to with you that I need to speed it up at 30 second bites on each because let's start with Mike Tomlin. That's eight straight years with no playoff victories and doomed in this purgatory of we're always going to win this many games. And should we bring Aaron Rodgers back? Oh, it's all over in Pittsburgh. That's what that. But it's not going to look any better than that. They're another team that needs a quarterback.

Darren Rovell (24:03)

I think it will look different. Look, we don't know what the future, you know, what the future is going to be. I know the Steelers want Aaron Rodgers back. We'll see if he continues to play. We'll see what Mike Tomlin decides to do. I think TV is a real thing. I think him stepping away is on the table. I don't think that's just a gossipy rumor thing. That's kind of one of those things that everyone around football kind of is like, wink, winking. Like, Tom is going to probably do this. He also has another year in his deal. He may want to return as well. So you have those options there. Then you've got, you know, their, their general managers got great relationships with a guy like Mike McCarthy. We'll see what happens. If Tomlin does step away, where are they going to go? Because guys, look at this coaching cycle right now. It's out of control. I can't even keep track of how many people are interviewing right now.

Dan Le Batard (24:47)

Okay, Diana, look, so I know there's a lot here and I'm going to, I am going to tighten you up. This is going to be right here. This, this game, 30 seconds on each thing. And then we got to hit her with a sound of some sort that tells her time's up. Because I know you can talk for 10 minutes on each of the subjects I'm about to give you.

Diana Rossini (25:06)

Just tell her to be quicker.

Dan Le Batard (25:08)

Thank you guys. You need to be quicker too.

Chris Cody (25:10)

Yeah, faster.

Darren Rovell (25:11)

I don't understand why you guys want to speed me up. If I have good information. You should slow down. What I'm giving you short like this is I'm not the person to speed up. If I'm a football fan, I'm the one you go, hey, stop talking and let her tell you everything she knows.

Mike Ryan (25:26)

Slow down. If anything.

Dan Le Batard (25:29)

No, I'd say the 30 seconds.

Darren Rovell (25:31)

Fine.

Diana Rossini (25:33)

Let's not, let's not fight over this. It seems as though there was a report that teams are just going to ignore Marcus Freeman and still try to talk to him about these head coaching vacancies.

Darren Rovell (25:44)

Yeah, I think Marcus Freeman is still going to be a guy that people keep an eye on. They want him. I just don't get the idea or thoughts or information that Marcus is actually going to do it. I don't think this is the time he wants to do it. We'll see though.

Zaslow (25:56)

Diana, did the packers win or the Bear lose? Bears lose.

Darren Rovell (25:59)

The packers lost. That was like 15 self inflicted wounds. Credit to Caleb Williams who figures out how to win a fourth quarter.

Stugotz (26:07)

What a sucker.

Darren Rovell (26:07)

Four quarter wins. But I just think Green Bay collapsed.

Zaslow (26:11)

Man, embarrassment.

Chris Cody (26:13)

Diana is that little kid, right? Does Kevin Petula need to be flipping burgers?

Diana Rossini (26:16)

Brutal.

Mike Ryan (26:17)

That was really bad.

Dan Le Batard (26:18)

Brutal.

Darren Rovell (26:19)

That little kid, he was electric. Little kid is the symbol of Philadelphia. They need to make him the mayor. I, I think, I don't know if he's going to be flipping burgers but I think they're having serious conversations about the future of Kevin Petullo there. I do not think it would be surprising if they decide to move on from him.

Diana Rossini (26:36)

That was so bad. We're right that one in the post.

Dan Le Batard (26:41)

We're going to cover it as soon as she's off the no Bears lose.

Mike Ryan (26:44)

A mid segment meeting that replay several times.

Diana Rossini (26:48)

That was bad.

Darren Rovell (26:49)

He asks good questions. I always like when zaz because he always asks me real things.

Zaslow (26:55)

I just embarrass myself in front of Diana because my question. See Diana didn't even pick up on it.

Dan Le Batard (27:00)

No, but she's not playing the same game you are. We have expectations around here. Around you. You waited 10 minutes.

Darren Rovell (27:07)

I love that he's wondering if he's embarrassed by what he said.

Dan Le Batard (27:09)

I'll Explain the way he is so.

Diana Rossini (27:11)

That we don't explore that. Hey, so culture is my costume.

Dan Le Batard (27:15)

Exclude.

Zaslow (27:16)

This is my look now, Diana. This is how I dress.

Dan Le Batard (27:19)

Okay, I will tell you what happened there, Diana. I don't want to exclude the audience about what we're laughing there. What happened is Zaslo hadn't spoken for about 14 minutes. He really was the deal. He really was the TO at the party who doesn't speak and everyone just believes he's Cuban.

Diana Rossini (27:35)

I love rooting.

Dan Le Batard (27:36)

So the entire show turned to him and he was just going to hop in and out with a question that was two sentences, radio professional. And he stumbled over one of them and four of us noticed, but he saw that we noticed and the show fell apart right there. Mike enjoying that Zaslow had tripped over.

Zaslow (27:52)

The jump for a second. I was hoping no one noticed.

Dan Le Batard (27:55)

He's a radio professional. Been doing it for 20 years. Don't talk for 15 minutes. Here's your chance here. Six notes. Don't up one of them.

Darren Rovell (28:04)

And the pressure. He's Sam Darnold.

Diana Rossini (28:08)

So.

Dan Le Batard (28:08)

Okay, I'm sorry. Harbaugh. Either one of them. 30 seconds on each.

Darren Rovell (28:13)

John Harbaugh is going to have his choice. I think he really wants to stay in the nfc. I think the Titans are interesting because they've got Cam Ward, but I think for him, he wants to be in a division that's not in his brothers. And also the teams in the NFC like the Atlanta Falcons and the New York Giants are pushing hard, and I think those are going to wind up being the teams that he zeros in on over the next few days. As for Jim Harbaugh, look, I mean, when is he going to get Justin Herbert to a point where they're going to get further in the playoffs? I believe in his program. I know what he does is really well. I just. I just think it needs to be better with such a good quarterback.

Dan Le Batard (28:51)

Do you agree with me that the Chargers offensive line didn't belong in the playoffs and that Harbaugh should be prosecuted for criminal charges for close to manslaughter for the way he made Justin Herbert play the last six weeks of the season?

Darren Rovell (29:03)

Look, he had no choice. He had no choice. He had to do what he had to do to try to get this team to as far as they were able to. Justin is the reason why they're playing in this playoff team with absolutely no protection. They can't. Look, injuries happen. It's going to be part of it. But his brother. His brother's going to have a Pick of the litter, so to speak.

Dan Le Batard (29:18)

Can you give us the latest John Harbaugh situation? Because the Dolphins are not interviewing him. He's not. And why is that? And what do you make of the Dolphins hiring the gm? It's weird that the Dolphins would handle things the way they. That they've handled them and not feel.

Zaslow (29:34)

Like, is it actually weird they were.

Dan Le Batard (29:36)

Going to get in on Harbaugh? The Dolphins had to have planned to get in on Harbaugh.

Darren Rovell (29:42)

Yeah. So I actually, I'm with Zaz. They're like, it's not weird because they're very clear with how they want this to operate. We saw it with Chris Greer all those years. They. They were very transparent with their process. And it was, we are going to hire a general manager first. We don't care about anything else around it. And that's their choice. That's how they think they. They can build the correct structure. Obviously, Troy Aikman has had a big say in there, which is why the general manager that landed there is. Probably had the inside track from the start. Troy was a huge fan of his. Look, the conversations with John Harbaugh right now are. It's a lot of screening, we'll call it, where every team has talked to him. Like, I just. Because now nothing's been formal. Like, you haven't seen the tweet from the team account. Like, we have formally interviewed John. There's been so much back channeling and work done by John and his camp to try to get to know each of these teams, their ownership, the structure, how they want this to run. So don't freak out if you're a Dolphins fan and you have and you want John Harbaugh and you haven't seen anything formal. They've talked to him. They know what he's looking for and they know what they can get from him. So I just don't think that the Dolphins have the inside track on John in terms of his interest.

Dan Le Batard (30:56)

Do you guys have anything football related for Diana? Because I want to let her go. The Mike Ryan is distracting me. Diana, thank you for your time. I'm sorry that I interrupted you a couple of times. There's senior NFL insider for the athletic, host of the Scoop City podcast. She is great. Her information is exceptional.

Chris Cody (31:14)

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.

Stugotz (31:20)

Smirnoff.

Dan Le Batard (31:21)

Wow.

Chris Cody (31:21)

You're on the money with Smirnoff. Chris, you know what goes great with Smirnoff? Yes, 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, Andaly. Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the off season. Plus, one fan will win a Laylee May's one of one game day jacket.

Darren Rovell (31:56)

Wow.

Chris Cody (31:56)

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 age. No purchase necessary. Must be legal. US resident, 21 or older. Sweepstakes starts 12152025 at 12:00am Eastern and ends 1232026 at 11:59:59pm Eastern. See official rules at program website.

Diana Rossini (32:32)

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 and many special football memories this year. And hopefully we get to write a few more memories with Miller Lite. Some of my most legendary moments have started that exact same way. A buddy's house, a lobby bar, a game. No big plan. And then you crack open a Miller Lite, you take a sip and you look around and you immediately recognize that you made the right call. Legendary moments start with Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Co. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

Zaslow (33:31)

Don LeBatard are you on the fan right now.

Darren Rovell (33:34)

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?

Diana Rossini (33:45)

Stugats.

Darren Rovell (33:46)

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

Dan Le Batard (33:50)

What?

Darren Rovell (33:51)

You're on YouTube.

Stugotz (33:52)

This is the Dan Levatar show with the stug.

Dan Le Batard (34:11)

I was saying yesterday, there's just a handful of people doing it this way, like, really mastering some. Both information arts and walking through where all the conflicts are. Right. Because all of these information people are in conflict with each other. So she's walking a tightrope. But. But while she's doing this, Mike Ryan is staring at Zaslow and shaming him. Well, Zaslo won't look him in the eye.

Zaslow (34:34)

I embarrassed myself in front of Diana.

Dan Le Batard (34:36)

Zaslow will not look Mike Ryan in the eye. The Mike Ryan victory lap continues all week. He's burying people, and he's being Miami about it. He's being arrogant. He just saw Zaslo trip over. Zaslo just got offered a lob there. Yes.

Mike Ryan (34:52)

It was an alley oop. Zaslow had an alley oop, and instead it turns into a career low. What an embarrassment.

Zaslow (34:58)

All of a sudden, you got all.

Mike Ryan (34:59)

The friend Zaslo over here.

Stugotz (35:01)

Wow.

Mike Ryan (35:02)

I mean, I can only imagine.

Dan Le Batard (35:04)

Well, but so this just happened. We just all witnessed it. Zaz is a shame. So ashamed. He will not look Mike in the eye because they know 20 years of production for 20 years of production history between them, they're like, no, that's the lob that I dunk.

Zaslow (35:17)

The packers winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose. Oh, my God.

Dan Le Batard (35:20)

What a dork.

Mike Ryan (35:22)

That'll never go away either.

Darren Rovell (35:24)

It's.

Zaslow (35:24)

You heard, like, I stumbled the Bears part, because middle sentence, I realized I had it backwards. The packers winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose.

Mike Ryan (35:34)

Bears was plural.

Dan Le Batard (35:39)

Yeah, I think it's a pretty good. I think it's a pretty good explanation for what happened at the end of that Packers Bears game.

Zaslow (35:46)

The packers win or the Bear lose. Bears lose.

Dan Le Batard (35:48)

Okay, so look. That is what happened. That is the correct. That is.

Diana Rossini (35:52)

Is.

Dan Le Batard (35:55)

That is the correct analysis on that Packers Bears game. You know what allows Ben Johnson to run off the field saying, yeah, I'm not apologizing for that Bleep. The packers this.

Zaslow (36:04)

Packers win or the Bear lose. Bears lose.

Dan Le Batard (36:06)

And the answer to that is people say I knee jerk yesterday. Don't you remember, Dan? The Falcons were up 28. Three in the playoffs. Yes, but As a statistical probability. The time left in that Packers Bears game to lose it again when you were in the position that you were in. It's an insanity that the packers threw away another season in a more bizarre way than they did a couple of weeks ago to a Bears team that has the cruelest lost right in the middle of that.

Zaslow (36:33)

The packers winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose. Yo, tell Mike stop staring me.

Mike Ryan (36:36)

That's a two time champion broadcaster who just made that football.

Diana Rossini (36:40)

Get his ass, Greg.

Mike Ryan (36:41)

I mean, it's undeniable. You got to live up to the.

Zaslow (36:45)

Standard for you, Greg. You've been waiting for two years for this.

Mike Ryan (36:47)

Thank you.

Zaslow (36:48)

Winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose.

Diana Rossini (36:50)

Nice hat, asshole.

Stugotz (36:52)

Both of you.

Dan Le Batard (36:56)

It is mean how much delight you are getting from Zaslo tripping over that jump rope right there. It's just. It's absolutely cruel. Do you know the.

Diana Rossini (37:06)

Also the coffee.

Dan Le Batard (37:06)

Do you know the hellscape that the next eight days are going to be as we build up to a live stream on Monday night. And it began on Tuesday with Rebecca. And a career error from Zaslow. A career. A career stain for Zaslog as he ascends in the media industry trying to keep up with metal arc media standards.

Zaslow (37:29)

The packers win or the Bear lose.

Dan Le Batard (37:30)

That's the best analysis of that game I've heard anywhere.

Zaslow (37:33)

The packers winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose.

Chris Cody (37:37)

Joaquin said dominate.

Stugotz (37:38)

Guess what you did.

Dan Le Batard (37:39)

Please put that in time capsule as representing Zaz for accurately describing this play during this historic time.

Zaslow (37:47)

The packers winner. The Bear losers.

Dan Le Batard (37:49)

That's exactly what happened. Happened?

Diana Rossini (37:50)

Yes.

Zaslow (37:50)

How can anyone take me serious now?

Mike Ryan (37:53)

Exactly.

Chris Cody (37:54)

To be honest, if he was a Cuban deal, that's how he would have asked a question. Yeah, because he takes the S off the end of Bear. Let's play one more time.

Diana Rossini (38:00)

That's right.

Zaslow (38:00)

Packers winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose.

Diana Rossini (38:02)

Did the bear loose? I think anybody ever took you seriously.

Zaslow (38:05)

I mean, neither of those things happen. The packers didn't win and the Bears didn't lose either. Dumbest question.

Diana Rossini (38:10)

But at least it was smooth delivery, pal.

Zaslow (38:13)

And you heard Diana said she likes when I ask her questions. And now it's like I'm a bumbling idiot. The packers win or the Bear lose. Bears lose. I've lost all my credibility with Diana. The packers winner. The Bear loser.

Dan Le Batard (38:24)

Just Diana. You think just Diane is where you lost your credibility?

Zaslow (38:28)

That shit's important to me.

Dan Le Batard (38:29)

Look, do you know how hard it is for me to throw you the alley?

Diana Rossini (38:32)

Ooh.

Dan Le Batard (38:32)

But oh no. Cody's dunking on you, Mercago.

Zaslow (38:35)

And this.

Chris Cody (38:38)

Good.

Dan Le Batard (38:40)

Bobby. Bobby, did you hear what Zaslo just said? What do you mean, Melon? Tres.

Chris Cody (38:46)

That's a yes for me.

Dan Le Batard (38:47)

What do you mean? Hold on. Hold on. My father's here. I saw my father somewhere. I saw that there's a wrestler in there.

Crystal Ball (38:54)

Papa's getting ready for Cuban trivia.

Dan Le Batard (38:57)

Me, gago and tres. My mother's back there. Mom, do we want. Oh, listen to this. Nope. My mom is waving off the camera. Okay, I want you to zone in on my mom there and go ahead. I. I override her. Wanting to hide from the camera. No, because I need to shame. I need to shame this woman. No, I need to shame her. I'm gonna put publicly outheard.

Crystal Ball (39:15)

Don't do it.

Chris Cody (39:16)

Don't do it.

Dan Le Batard (39:17)

No, no. I have to.

Diana Rossini (39:17)

Don't do it, Tony.

Stugotz (39:19)

We care about you, Tony.

Dan Le Batard (39:21)

I have what I believe, Tony. I believe I have traitorous news within the Lebatard family.

Mike Ryan (39:31)

Whoa.

Dan Le Batard (39:33)

And when my mother said this to me, I was legitimately offended as Schoolboy Dan. All of a sudden, School spirit guy. My mom's like, yeah, rooting for Mendoza.

Diana Rossini (39:44)

No.

Crystal Ball (39:45)

As she should be.

Dan Le Batard (39:46)

And I'm like, mom, we paid for that school. Mom. What do you mean? What do you mean you're rooting for Mendoza and I want her out. She's traitorous back there. Look, she's hiding behind my father. Tony. You say I should be respectful, but no, that is not. That's no respect of Miami history.

Chris Cody (40:05)

You're right. You're right.

Dan Le Batard (40:05)

I'm not sure it's respect of Cuban history. You're right to root for Mendoza.

Crystal Ball (40:10)

A sweet young man like that who represents the Cuban heritage.

Dan Le Batard (40:13)

You can't root over that. Over Cristobal. When she married Cristobal, she. She didn't marry Mendoza, but she raised Mendoza. Birth Mendoza. Yes.

Chris Cody (40:22)

Well, Crystal Ball could be your brother, right? It could be, like, one of your family members, like, rooting on your brother, like, same age.

Dan Le Batard (40:28)

I believe. Bigger news than Zaslow saying, finally, the Heat should trade. Bam. Adebayo is my mother.

Crystal Ball (40:35)

Respect that guy.

Dan Le Batard (40:36)

The Lebatard family. A member of the Lebatard family is rooting for Fernando Mendoza in a Miami Orange Bowl. Like you guys have never seen or looked at my mother this way.

Diana Rossini (40:46)

It's not surprising. That whole generation loves Mendoza. I'm telling you right now, Mendoza could run for president.

Zaslow (40:54)

His.

Crystal Ball (40:54)

Which party?

Diana Rossini (40:56)

Look, he went to Columbus, the right one, but he also went to Berkeley. We know that he can work across the aisle.

Dan Le Batard (41:03)

It's offensive to me. It's Offensive that my mother's looking me in the face. I'm like, what do you mean? You're not, like, torn about it or anything? No, she didn't. Mendoza. And I'm like. But I went to school there.

Diana Rossini (41:13)

My dad downloaded ChatGPT just to send me Mendoza photos.

Dan Le Batard (41:20)

Wait a minute. The Abuelos are rude. Oh, so, okay, wait. So this is Abuelo's. This is Abuelo's quarterback. Abuelo's quarterback?

Diana Rossini (41:27)

Yeah. I'm telling you right now, if Miami was not in this game and it was in another location, my dad, who barely watches college football, might fly into that city to root on Fernando Mendoza. You have no idea what this guy has meant to the older Cubans.

Chris Cody (41:39)

I mean, I would be wearing a Mendoza jersey if the canes weren't in it.

Diana Rossini (41:41)

Yeah, Sedano.

Dan Le Batard (41:42)

You.

Diana Rossini (41:43)

You should speak to this, because, like, Mendoza is an archetype of a good Cuban boy that. That has made the most of himself in this country. Like, Mendoza is a dream scenario for the older Cuban heads.

Dan Le Batard (41:55)

So let me tell you something. I met Fernando Mendoza last season, okay? I did four of his games at Cal. And the minute I met him in a production meeting, he came into the room after the coaches to talk to us. We looked around. We're like, wow, I love that kid, dude. Holy moly.

Diana Rossini (42:14)

You put it in the group chat. And you were like, one of the older Cubans because you met him, and you're like, this Mendoza guy's amazing.

Dan Le Batard (42:20)

He's incredible. And, like, this was after the Miami game. I had him shortly thereafter, and I had him four other times the rest of the season. And he's the sweetest kid ever. And, you know, we were talking about Miami and Cuban life and this. That during the production meeting. And then eventually we got to football, so I fell in love with him, and I do love him. But not on Monday. Not on Monday. Not on Monday. Not on Monday. I love him. I love him on Tuesday. That is win or lose. But I don't love him Monday. So I'm willing to say publicly, put her back up on the screen. My mother comunita. How? You can't.

Diana Rossini (42:56)

Dan.

Dan Le Batard (42:57)

No, I'm good with it, Dan. I'm good with it.

Diana Rossini (42:58)

Be careful. That is disrespectful. Walk it back.

Chris Cody (43:02)

You can't say that.

Diana Rossini (43:03)

Don't. That. That is third rail, not seal.

Zaslow (43:05)

Maybe even a fourth one.

Diana Rossini (43:07)

Perhaps a fifth rail, not the sixth rail.

Dan Le Batard (43:09)

I know what you said, but tell Zaz.

Mike Ryan (43:10)

Sixth rail.

Dan Le Batard (43:10)

You can't be pro, Mendoza. You can't. You can't be my mother and be not. Not pro men. You can be pro Mendoza. Not more pro Mendoza. You can be very happy for Mendoza in the pros. You could wish him a great deal of wealth. You can't root against the school that made your son. When your son's entire career is born on the back of this school's program.

Mike Ryan (43:29)

I think you can do both. I think you can root for a narrow Miami victory despite six touchdown passes from heroic Fernando Mendoza. That's what you root for right there.

Dan Le Batard (43:40)

Did you see Zaslow's mistakes? Adano, here. You can come laugh at Zaslow as well. Look at what happened here. He analyzed the end of the Bears packers game.

Crystal Ball (43:48)

Game.

Zaslow (43:48)

The packers winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose.

Mike Ryan (43:51)

Wow. Two time champion, bro.

Dan Le Batard (43:53)

He asked Diana Rossini this question.

Zaslow (43:54)

Packers winner. The Bear lose. Bears lose. Literally. Neither of those things happen.

Mike Ryan (44:01)

All from Grace.

Dan Le Batard (44:02)

You all right there, pal? So do you have a stroke? So you're gonna do a game show? Better than the game show that I was gonna do the Hungry off the who's Hungrier Mike, you're gonna make.

Diana Rossini (44:11)

I'm not sure it's gonna be better. It might be a mess, but that's what this show does.

Chris Cody (44:16)

Got a better name, though.

Diana Rossini (44:17)

Domino Better name. Next.