Why Did Lionel Messi Admonish His Own Fans? | Local Hour

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

LOCAL HOUR – "Why Did Lionel Messi Admonish His Own Fans?"

Date: May 18, 2026
From the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

This Local Hour dives deep into a uniquely South Floridian sports story: Inter Miami and its unusually fervent fan base are feuding with the club’s star-studded roster, including Lionel Messi, after a perceived slight. The panel—Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Chris Cody, Mike, Tony, and Roy—explores fan entitlement, soccer culture, and the immense disconnect that can develop between global superstars and those who support them most ardently. Other discussions branch into Troy Aikman’s surprising dual roles in football, Miami Dolphins' prospects with Malik Willis, and the quirks of sports traditions.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Hat Bit, Bald Jokes, and Setting the Tone

• [01:26–04:34] The show opens with Dan feeling slighted by a morning comment about his missing hat, touching on his sty and his hatless look. The panel riffs on bald jokes and societal double standards in making fun of baldness.
  • Quote – Dan Le Batard:
    "Why is it okay for everyone to make fun of people who are bald? And it’s a big deal when you make fun of other stuff everyone’s good with." [04:11]

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2. Troy Aikman and Broadcasting “Conflicts”

• [04:42–08:55] The discussion turns to Troy Aikman's curious side gig with the Dolphins. Is there a real conflict of interest when an NFL broadcaster helps a team while working for the league’s top announcing crew?
  • Quote – Troy Aikman:
    "I don’t feel there’s a conflict, but I will say I’m pulling for the Dolphins because now I have something at stake..." [07:02]
• The crew is skeptical, especially Dan, who points out the privileged access Aikman has in production meetings with teams — access regular Dolphins staff wouldn’t get.
  • Quote – Dan Le Batard:
    "It's a conflict... I'm a Dolphin fan, but it's a conflict." [08:49]

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3. Miami Dolphins’ Hope and Quarterback Legacy

• [10:52–15:49] Dan, Stugotz, and Tony dig into the Dolphins’ quarterback past as they look ahead to a "rebuild" with Malik Willis.
  • The lack of mobile/running QB history in Miami: Jay Fiedler is highlighted as the all-time leading rushing QB. The group marvels at just how un-mobile their QBs have been historically (e.g., Dan Marino).
  • Quote – Tony:
    "Best rushing quarterback in the history of the Miami Dolphins… Jay Fiedler." [15:25]
• They empathize with Willis, discussing the appeal of stability and relationships in choosing Miami for his shot as a starter.

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4. Inter Miami, Messi, and the Fan Feud

Soccer’s Supporter Section Culture

• [24:27–26:47] Transition to Inter Miami, where the supporter section “La Familia” is upset their post-match energy isn’t being acknowledged by players. Dan lauds their passion:
  • Quote – Dan Le Batard:
    "What they do during games, the celebration and their allegiance to the team, makes them feel like they are absolutely a part of the success of Inter Miami… I don’t know what to compare it to." [23:21]

What Happened?

• [26:49–27:47] Following a humiliating defeat to Orlando City, players didn’t make their customary gesture to the supporter section. The group “protested” in the next match with eerie silence, leaving their drums and trumpets at home, making their absence noticed.

Messi’s Reaction

• [27:47–29:48] Messi didn’t acknowledge the fans afterward; instead, he stood at midfield, appearing to disapprove of their protest. This finger-wagging and disengaged demeanor is dissected by the group:
  • Quote – Stugotz (paraphrasing La Familia):
    "...the players have shown no respect to la familia, have not come to our stands after the games... Not cool." [28:24]
  • Stugotz notes:
    "Player admonishing that support group is something that is not normal." [29:48]

Is This a Soccer Thing?

• [29:49–32:24] They clarify that, in soccer culture, players acknowledging support sections is expected—especially in Latin-American–style fandoms.
  • Quote – Chris Cody:
    "If you’re in that section, your duty... You are required to be singing. You are required to be active at all times. Our supporter section does a great job. One of MLS's best." [25:40]

Interpretations and Petty Protest

• [32:59–37:33] The group debates whether this was an isolated incident or part of a pattern and psychoanalyzes Messi’s possible mindset—does he feel underappreciated, or just above this “small” ask?
  • Quote – Mike:
    "I've given you guys a lot here and you better cut me a little slack... after one game of not coming over, that's what you're doing?" [35:05]
• Stugotz and Tony gently mock the protest as “dorky” yet acknowledge the emotional investment of the fans.
  • Quote – Stugotz:
    "As far as protests go, we can agree there has rarely been a protest for something smaller and less important." [42:19]

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5. The Disconnect: Superstars vs. Ultra-fans

• [37:45–44:13] They highlight the awkwardness: while Messi is delivering magic on the pitch, supporters feel snubbed over a “small gesture.” Is the ask that trivial? What does it say about fan entitlement and the transactional nature of modern sports, especially with superstars like Messi, who may be “above” these rituals?
  • Quote – Dan Le Batard:
    "I want to entertain what Chris Cody is saying though... You're not going to believe how crazy this is... and then you get there, and there's just a silent protest..." [38:43]

Cultural and Generational Divide

• The whole incident is a collision of South American supporter culture and the American pro sports model.
  • Quote – Chris Cody:
    "It's more of like a South American feel. So it’s like even more insulting because it's part of legitimately their culture." [38:30]

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6. The Broader Commentary

• Is this petty or profound? The episode continually contrasts the depth of fan emotion with the seeming indifference or irritation of world-class athletes, probing both the humanity and silliness in the expectations and rituals of sports.
  • Quote – Stugotz (summarizing both sides):
    "Let's think about though, what it is that we're talking about here, okay?... They want me to point at them, or they're going to withhold their song? Did you see the pass I just made here?" [40:32]
  • Quote – Tony:
    "They care more than any fan base I've ever seen in South Florida... they want their care acknowledged. Who cares? They care is the answer." [43:23]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan on bald jokes:
  "Why is it okay for everyone to make fun of people who are bald?" [04:11]

• Troy Aikman on “no conflict”:
  "I don’t feel there’s a conflict, but I will say I’m pulling for the Dolphins..." [07:02]

• Chris Cody on supporter culture:
  "If you're in that section, your duty pamphlets are required. You are required to be singing." [25:40]

• On Messi and the conflict:
  "He looked like he was showing displeasure at their protest... This is a small ask." [28:24–29:48]

• Mike on Messi's view:
  "I've given you guys a lot here and you better cut me a little slack..." [35:05]

• Dan on the absurdity:
  "All they did was take away their song... As far as protests go, I can't think of a limper one." [37:05]

• Tony on perspective:
  "Who cares? They care is the answer." [43:23]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Hat/Baldness Discussion: [01:26–04:34]
• Troy Aikman Broadcasting Conflict: [04:42–08:55]
• Dolphins QB History / Malik Willis: [10:52–15:49]
• Inter Miami/Supporter Section Feud Intro: [24:27–29:48]
• Messi’s Reaction & the “Silent” Protest: [27:47–29:48]
• Soccer vs. American Sports Culture: [29:49–32:24]
• Fan Entitlement vs. Player Responsibility: [32:59–37:33]
• Debating the “Petty Protest”: [37:45–44:13]

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Flow & Takeaways

The episode delivers classic Local Hour energy: irreverent banter, hyper-local color, and deeper meditations hiding behind jokes. It takes a uniquely Miami scuffle—superstar soccer team vs. the ultras who love them to the point of exhaustion—and spins it into a thoughtful, funny discussion about what fans want from athletes, what athletes owe, and how those gaps grow wider as money, stardom, and culture change the relationship between the stands and the field.

Ultimately, the group appreciates both perspectives—the irrational passion of dedicated fans and the human quirks of even the greatest in sport.

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This summary provides both the play-by-play and the spirit of the episode, capturing the nuances of soccer culture, sports fandom, and superstar detachment as dissected by the uniquely local and unfiltered Le Batard crew.

Transcript

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[Dan Le Batard]

I was insulted when I walked in today, Dan, because. So I'm a little bit off today. All right? Number one, I have a sty in my eye. It's throwing my whole game off. That's number one.

[Stugotz]

And you were wrong about everything that you thought was going to happen in sports over the weekend.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, now the gig is up. All right? I don't know anything about basketball, so we could talk about that in a moment if you want. But that's not what was in sports.

[Tony]

Finally, you say it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, insulting was. I'm in a different car this morning, all right? I got to take my car in because my, my car has no battery. So I brought my wife's car. But that also means it's missing some things that I need, you know, like my hats. All my hats are in my car. I arrived, I'm like, damn it, I don't have any hats. And so I walked in here, I walked. I got no hat on. I sit down to start my work, and Louis, the first thing he says to me goes, you have your hat today, right? Kind of way to greet me is that.

[Stugotz]

But why is he greeting you like that.

[Chris Cody]

Because he looks bad without a hat.

[Mike]

What.

[Dan Le Batard]

What else can I deduce? Yeah, comment.

[Chris Cody]

That's clearly what is meant by that.

[Dan Le Batard]

I didn't get a good morning. It was, oh, but I have your hat.

[Stugotz]

I thought. I thought he was asking you, do you have your hat? Right? Because there was some sort of bit he was trying to execute that required you to have a hat.

[Chris Cody]

No, he was just shocked at how Zaz looks like without a hat on.

[Dan Le Batard]

How else could I possibly take that?

[Mike]

And when you said, yes, I do have the hat, he was, like, relieved.

[Dan Le Batard]

It was like, who Good appeared that way.

[Stugotz]

So that's the interaction that you had with him where instead of saying good morning to you, he's saying sort of passive aggressively, before, hello. Before, did you have a nice weekend? You have a hat, right?

[Dan Le Batard]

I walk in, I put my stuff down the table, I say, good morning. A collective good morning to the three people who are sitting at the table. And Louis just goes, you have your hat today, right?

[Tony]

Zaz, a question. Because obviously you're the only bald one here. I have. I've. You know when we're doing makeup and stuff, like, if you weren't to wear the hat, would they put makeup on your head and just go all the way up?

[Dan Le Batard]

Did Roy all of a sudden grow hair?

[Tony]

Roy's got hair. Roy's not bald. You're bald. Bald. Capital B, hard B.

[Stugotz]

Why is he coming after you, Roy? What did you do to deserve. What? That attack from Zaslo, who clearly is projecting and amazing that Louis wouldn't ask you about the sty that you. That you have before. That feeling like a hat, a baseball cap, would somehow cover up the sty?

[Roy]

I don't know, man. I didn't do anything, man. Like, what's the matter with you, Zazzler? Just because you're bald doesn't mean you can take it out on other people.

[Dan Le Batard]

You're bald.

[Roy]

I chose to be bald.

[Stugotz]

Again with this. Where are we on this? I think Roy has hair. Roy is often wearing a cap.

[Tony]

Roy's got hair.

[Stugotz]

Roy's got hair. I don't know why you're accusing Roy of being bald when you're the only bald one here, and you're so bald that people are comfortable telling you upon greeting you that you need to do something with your parents.

[Dan Le Batard]

Understand? Like, why is it okay for everyone to make fun of people who are bald? And it's a big deal when you make fun of other stuff everyone's good with.

[Stugotz]

Put it on the poll, please. At Lebatard Show. Are you okay? In a progressive woke America still making fun of bald people.

[Chris Cody]

This is the Dan Levator show with the Stugach podcast.

[Stugotz]

I think it's a pretty rare story to have a defending champion basically feuding with its most ardent customers. I don't think that that's the most normal thing in the world. So we'll get to that inter Miami story in a second. But another thing that I don't think is normal is Troy Aikman working with the Dolphins while broadcasting games as the biggest announcing team. That is the biggest announcing team there is in football. Tom Brady's not there yet. Corre the biggest announcing team there is in football. Is Buck and Aikman correct or incorrect? Or is it Collinsworth and Tirico? Who is the what is the biggest announcing team in football?

[Chris Cody]

The NFL made a made Sunday nights its primary primetime focus. That is where the best game goes. And if we're going by that logic, then it's the announced team that broadcasts that game.

[Stugotz]

All right, so put that on the poll, please. The biggest announcing team in football is blank. And then your choices would be only Collinsworth and Tariq and Buck and Aikman. I guess you could go Nance Romo

[Chris Cody]

would probably get a lot of bucks.

[Stugotz]

All right, so go Nance Romo as well. And I guess go Burkhead and Brady as well. So that's your four big ones. But here is Troy Aikman who works with the Dolphins and is clearly hurt that he's not allowed to do this job for the Cowboys where he'd like to be doing it, but he's never been asked to do it. Here's Aikman both tooting his own horn and in a sentence saying a really funny thing that he is not self aware about at all.

[Troy Aikman]

I think the Dolphins were wise in understanding my relationships around the league and knowing that I have information that they don't have or can't get. And I think they were smart in taking advantage of that, whether it was through me or through somebody else. The Cowboys have never elected to do that, at least with me. You know, maybe they have with others. But. But no, I don't. I don't feel there's a conflict. But I will say I'm pulling for the Dolphins because now I have something at stake and I think they hired two really talented, wonderful people and I think that's going to prove itself out. Now 26 is going to be a tough season because of the cap that took a big hit when they let you go. But you know, time will tell. But, yeah, I'm pulling for him. I want to see him do well because I feel like my fingerprints are on it as well.

[Stugotz]

Zaslow, do you think Colbert's last show is. This week is the number one late night show in America. Do you believe that I can replace him successfully simply by playing this sentence from Aikman over and over again?

[Troy Aikman]

I don't feel there's a conflict, but I will say I'm pulling for the Dolphins.

[Dan Le Batard]

I like it.

[Tony]

What's his conflict?

[Stugotz]

Right.

[Tony]

He's calling Monday night games. They don't have any sort of primetime games, so it's like, root for him.

[Stugotz]

The Dolphins are among five teams that don't have any primetime games. They're all the worst team. Does anyone care? Does anyone care at all? Because you seem to care on Brady. Brady, for some reason, did cause a lot of consternation, Zaz, because he's doing multiple jobs and he has conflicts, and people were complaining about that part. But I don't hear a whole lot of people complaining about Aikman. And I don't think it's because they know that on Sunday they are. Over the weekend, they released a schedule, I guess they did on Friday that shows that the Dolphins don't have any Aikman games.

[Dan Le Batard]

Forgive me for not remembering. Is Brady allowed in the production meetings? Like, what? Where are we on that? Didn't they remove him?

[Chris Cody]

They initially softened it, and then he was shown in a booth wearing headsets. And then they came back and corrected that correction and said it's not allowed.

[Dan Le Batard]

Ok, because. Because like Aikman, Aikman can say there's no conflict, but I'm rooting for the Dolphins. I mean, there is a conflict because it doesn't matter that the Dolphins aren't on Monday Night Football. It matters that he gets to talk to teams in production meetings who the Dolphins are going to play throughout the entire year and use that information to give, you know, the team that he works for and that he's rooting for. Because, in his words, he has a lot at stake.

[Troy Aikman]

I don't feel there's a conflict.

[Dan Le Batard]

It's a conflict.

[Troy Aikman]

I don't feel there's a conflict.

[Dan Le Batard]

Now, I like the conflict. I'm a Dolphin fan, but it's a conflict.

[Troy Aikman]

I don't feel it's a conflict, but I will say I'm pulling for the Dolphins.

[Stugotz]

All right, do you guys believe what he's saying there? That he has access to information that others don't have that the Dolphins cannot get the information that Aikman. There's information unique to Aikman that the Dolphins don't have another way of getting. That's not through Aikman.

[Dan Le Batard]

For what I just said. Exactly what I just said. You have. You have coaches who are. Who are divulging information that regular media members would not get because these guys are in a room asking about details that they could use during the game broadcast. No one else in the Dolphins building gets that information.

[Chris Cody]

Stands to reason that a broadcaster of the stature of Troy Aikman would have a pretty good idea because of his stellar relationships throughout the league. Who is well respected, who is and who are the bright up and coming minds. I'm sure he hears about all that stuff.

[Stugotz]

One of the things that Aikman also said is he is conceding as many people are that the Dolphins will for sure be bad this year. They are four and a half. Last I checked is the total on wins this season. The over under is four and a half. Big week one. That. Yeah. One at the Raiders and then they're just going to stay in California and then get massacred by the 49ers the next weekend. But the teams that don't have primetime games are the jets, the Raiders, the Titans, the. The Cardinals, the Dolphins. In other words, the regional teams that nobody wants to watch. Cowboys have six primetime games alone. Aikman would have a conflict there, obviously. Right. An obvious conflict in that the Cowboy. Cowboy players get a disproportionate amount of the good broadcasting jobs just proportionally. It doesn't even make sense. How many Cowboys or former Cowboys are allowed to have some of the sweetest jobs in sports. Even when Jason Whitten's not in any way interesting, he's somehow elevated. His button hooks are put on Monday night television before they. Before they get rid of him. But the Dolphins are entering the season with something they've never had before. Zaz And I don't know how we make an accurate measurement on the quarterback when everyone's conceding this is going to be a disaster season. It's all rebuild. But they have as the sport has shifted to mobile quarterbacks and really as the running back has become disposable, the quarterback or the teams with quarterbacks that move around have an advantage that the other teams don't have because they can use their quarterback as a running back. The Dolphins. Who's the best running quarterback the Dolphins have ever had?

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, Tannehill was able to move. You know, he was a wide receiver. I don't know if you knew that at Texas A and M he was able to move, Fiedler was able to move, but they weren't fast. You know, those feeler could move.

[Chris Cody]

Oh God, could he move.

[Dan Le Batard]

I will accept no Jay Fiedler slander here.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, I think his biggest play as a Miami Dolphin that landed side cover against the Raiders was him scrambling

[Dan Le Batard]

to the end zone first game after 9 11. That was for America. Talking about couldn't run. They've never had a running quarterback, all right, like this guy. They've had quarterbacks who can move, this guy can run.

[Stugotz]

They're going to be a running team there. It's not just that Malik Willis can run, it's that the way that they accent the running of the ball, the Green Bay brain trust is they run the ball, run the ball with their quarterback. And then this quarterback is also very good throwing the deep ball. So he's very good at explosive plays because you have to guard against the run.

[Dan Le Batard]

There is obviously the thought, how are they going to be able to evaluate Malik Willis the next couple years when they're not good and they don't have a lot of weapons. But I do believe it's probably possible that because the guys in charge, the head coach, the general manager, having seen what they've seen from him the last couple of years, maybe Malik Willis doesn't even have to be. Doesn't even have to necessarily be great these next couple years where he's gonna have a really long leash because these guys feel they know who he is and they understand it's not a lot of talent around right now. It's going to take a little bit of time.

[Stugotz]

He's got as long a leash as they do. That's his leash. He's got two years of guarantees. He's got a three year contract, but basically he's tied to them. They will succeed and he will succeed. Based on what this partnership is, he could have gone a lot of places to get that amount of money. He could have gotten to a lot of places that have better chances next season for the same amount of money. Guess is that he chose Miami because of the relationship with these people and because he doesn't want to start someplace where he doesn't know the leadership. So he's willing to bank what is and what can possibly be his one opportunity. Right? These opportunities are hard to come by and it is possible that if he fails in this opportunity, there is not another one for him as a starter. Like that's. That is something that can happen. So what he chose was I want three years to prove myself, not a year. I want three years to prove myself with people who know me and people I trust will not lie to me about what it is that they're offering me because there's a built in relationship. There is something to be said for that. But I do think there's something more to be said for I want great skill position guys as Russell Wilson decided between backup quarterback of the jets and the broadcasting job because Steve Kerr just decided he didn't want the broadcasting. Steve Kerr could have made reportedly 7 million a year as a broadcaster without as quite as much travel, without the craziness of whatever his coaching Draymond Green is and he went back for two years. But Russell Wilson right now is weighing jets or broadcasting and I'm assuming broadcasting is tempting because he doesn't want to be the backup for that franchise. With that leadership. I'm guessing he hasn't made the choice yet. But I told you guys last year that I thought Russell Wilson to the Giants would be sad, that I was sad for everything that Russell Wilson has been and to see him go to the Giants made me sad to go as the backup of the jets to just hang on to the fringes of the league when you have no chances of any kind of success. 0% chance of success makes it awfully tempting to be in the broadcast booth and not get hit Quick update on

[Tony]

the Miami Dolphins best rushing quarterback of all time. It is Jay Fiedler who has the most rushing yards by a quarterback in Hell yeah Yeah. The history of the Miami Dolphins with 321 yards.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hell yeah.

[Tony]

Ryan Tannehill 311. David Woodley 272. Jay Fiedler again 267. And to round up the top five, Ryan Fitzpatrick with 243 Shabbat Man.

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[Roy]

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[Chris Cody]

Chris Cody when you come over to my house and we put on the games, I got basketball, I got baseball going on. But what do I lay out for you and the boys for entertainment and drinking?

[Mike]

Miller Lab.

[Chris Cody]

Uh huh. Those beautiful white cans or on draft or the bottle if you prefer.

[Mike]

Oh, when you open that with the can though and you one of the

[Chris Cody]

best sounds on the planet. You pair that with the ripe game. You take that first sip, we both look around. It's not a bit.

[Mike]

I have goosebumps thinking about the first sip.

[Chris Cody]

We take that first sip, we open it up and we're looking around. There's just that five seconds of almost eerie silence where you're just soaking it all in and you're like man, did we make the right call or what? That's why we reach for Miller Lite. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink, brewed for taste with simple ingredients.

[Stugotz]

Ah, that golden color.

[Chris Cody]

Just 96 calories and 3.2 carbs. The original light beer since 1975. And it still hits different I love you Miller Lite. Cheers to legendary moments 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. Don LeBatard.

[Dan Le Batard]

John, can you rate my Al Pacino from that billiard scene in Carlito's Way if I do it for you? I think it's pretty good.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay.

[Chris Cody]

Stugats.

[Dan Le Batard]

You think you're Big Tom when you're gonna die big time.

[Mike]

That is my infamous scale of 1 to 10.

[Chris Cody]

That's a.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's a 7.6 solid.

[Chris Cody]

That's a suey nominee right there. This is the Dan levitar show with the stugats.

[Stugotz]

How many career yards did Jay Fiedler have rushing the football? And how many career yards did Dan Marino have rushing the football?

[Dan Le Batard]

Oh, I want to guess Marino.

[Stugotz]

It's going to be. It'll probably be negative yardage for his career.

[Dan Le Batard]

I don't think. I don't think it'll be negative. I'm going to go with 18.

[Stugotz]

You. You think? Let's. Let's see if we take some guesses here on career rushing yards for Dan Marino. Do you go over or under on zaz's guess of 18 yards for his career? Also put that on the poll as well at LeBatard show Dan Marino rushing yards for his career over. Under 18 yards.

[Tony]

Can I get a hook on that? 18 and a half or not?

[Stugotz]

Basically a yard.

[Mike]

Yeah, we got go half. Make it a half.

[Stugotz]

He averaged one yard per season.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think my guess is good.

[Stugotz]

It's a good guess in terms of setting the number in a place that's going to get. Betting on, going to get action on both.

[Mike]

I think you're selling him short, dude. I think he's got like, 64 rushing yards.

[Stugotz]

So. So the sacks aren't going to be held against him. But I do think scrambles. Well, those are all sacks. Right. So I guess it's got to be.

[Dan Le Batard]

No, they differentiate, you know, but they.

[Stugotz]

I don't think that. I think anything behind the line of scrimmage is a sack.

[Dan Le Batard]

Correct.

[Stugotz]

It's not like he's going to be doing a lot of rp.

[Chris Cody]

I got stuck.

[Dan Le Batard]

But if you're running away and you run out of bounds, you don't get a sack for that.

[Stugotz]

Okay. But go ahead and find the number for me on what is the career yardage? Rushing yardage. It's going to end up being.

[Tony]

So I have the number. But before I say it and you want to put your guesses. In 12 of his 17 seasons, he had negative rushing yards.

[Dan Le Batard]

I might be too high.

[Stugotz]

Oh, you are then. No, if they're Saying what you think in those five seasons he had a thousand yards rushing.

[Mike]

That's his career high.

[Stugotz]

I also like Tony doing. Not since he impersonated Fernando Mendoza. In our lives, in our livestream, because we couldn't get the B roll to any any live game action have I seen Tony do a better pantomime impersonation than Marino in the open field shuffling his hips. I don't want to guess anymore, Jeremy. Just give us the number.

[Mike]

87 career rushing yards.

[Dan Le Batard]

Whoa.

[Chris Cody]

How about this?

[Stugotz]

This 1992, 66 rushing yards on 20 carries.

[Mike]

That is career high.

[Stugotz]

That's his career high. Look at the mathematician over there.

[Dan Le Batard]

Way off.

[Tony]

Jay Fiedler. In his career, 854 yards and a per 17 game average, he would have averaged 191 yards a game.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hell yeah. You know about them athletic Jews, Dan. Come on now.

[Chris Cody]

Hell yeah.

[Mike]

Or should I say, hell yeah.

[Stugotz]

Do I want to put on the poll? Do you know about those athletic Jews at Levitard show? Let's get to this Inter Miami story. And I haven't mentioned, by the way, that the coach of the University of Miami football team is going to testify in a murder trial. We'll get to that in a second. Inter Miami is feuding with its fans. Zaslow's out on Inter Miami. Zaslow checked out on Inter Miami before they won the championship. Thinks it's an unlikable team even though they've got the best player in the world on their team. That supporting section that Inter Miami has, I can argue, is as passionate a fan base as you will find anywhere in our sports history. What they do during games, the celebration and their allegiance to the. To the team, makes them feel like they are absolutely a part of the success of Inter Miami. And to my way of understanding, and you guys, please correct me if I have any details wrong here. All they want from their team is an acknowledgment after the game, a wave and a little bit of applause from the players that say, hey, we noticed you. Thank you for coming and spending the entire game jumping up and down and making noise and singing and exhausting yourself like I have not seen from just about any corner of any fan base in the history of South Florida. What? I don't even know what to compare it to in terms of the most supportive, loyal group of people that the people travel with. The University of Miami football team are pretty strong. So I put that in the conversation, but I don't know what else I'd choose in terms of connection between customer and players that is Bigger or more fervent than this one. And they're hurt and insulted by the way that their players didn't acknowledge their support.

[Dan Le Batard]

So I used to go to the games. I was inaugural season ticket holder Dan, and directly to my right in, in the, you know, Lockhart Stadium was the supporter section. And I remember the first game that I went like, hold on. So like when the other team scores, they. They don't even stop. They keep dancing and singing and chanting and celebrating. Like that's, that's incredible effort they put into this, you know, like those people. It's non stop, man. And I don't know, when you describe it the way that you're describing it right now, it doesn't seem unreasonable for them to just want to be acknowledged.

[Stugotz]

Well, this is the thing though, that is always happening here in sports as the athlet gets wealthier and wealthier and more and more disconnected from the people paying the salaries. They're not paying the salaries anymore. Television is. And so in the corrosiveness of where money gets involved and your athletes become too big, many times they don't make the fans feel the way that the paying customer wants to feel. It is an effort to do what it is that they're doing and not just because the ticket prices are high. Just getting to their games for two seasons has been hard. And furthermore, what they do during games looks exhausting.

[Chris Cody]

It is exhausting. And a lot of work goes into it. I would say, Dan, you're right. In most major sports, the TV contracts pay for everything. In mls, the gate is still a huge part of their business plan. It's one of the things that actually goes right for mls. Their fan base may be small. The TV numbers aren't great. That's because everybody who cares about this sport in America goes to these games. And if you're a supporter. I've played soccer in Doral one time and there was a staging area for the supporters that were just there practicing. They would have a barbecue and they would practice all their chants. I sat in the supporters section one time in Seattle and I was held accountable. I didn't know that, like, they would hand out pamphlets of what the chants are. If you're in that section, your duty pamphlets are required. You, you are required to be singing. You are required to be active at all times. Our supporter section does a great job. One of MLS's best. What they wanted was after they got embarrassed by their rivals, Orlando City, the players just walked off the field trying time for Inter Miami club in transition. It was ugly. And they didn't come over and acknowledge the fans. And you acknowledge the fans in soccer culture, you acknowledge the supporters.

[Dan Le Batard]

That was the only time they did it. Just happened once.

[Chris Cody]

Just happened once. Apparently now I understand why most of the fans, mainstream fans, were like, well, stop having this main character syndrome. So what? They got their brains bashed in by their rival. They were embarrassed. They weren't in the mood to give you the cursory wave and point to the crest. But what Inter Miami supporters did in protest this week was if you've ever seen their supporter section, there's instruments, there's drums, there's trumpets, whole bunch of fanfare. They decided to leave all that stuff at home and silent protest so you could actually really feel their presence and their protest being removed from the game because it's such a festive thing. So this, we actually have this eerie video of their supporter section. You can go ahead and play while I talk it. And you know, that sounds. The ambient hum that is not a lively soccer.

[Mike]

Sounds like a Marlins game.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, it's normal.

[Stugotz]

It normally sounds like the World Baseball Classic. It's. It's not just loud, it's super loud.

[Mike]

And this is right before kickoff.

[Chris Cody]

And Messi seemed a little bothered by this. It took 85 minutes for the. The protests to stop. And what it took was Rodrigo DePaul went over during a corner kick, acknowledged the supporters, pointed to his crest, tried to pump them up, and the fans responded to that. And then they started singing individual players names. It seemed as though Messi was out on the entire thing. After the game, a couple of players, Noah Allen once again trotted out there, went over and acknowledged the players. But noticeably missing was Messi and Suarez.

[Dan Le Batard]

I wish I knew how Messi felt about it.

[Stugotz]

It seems clear from the Miami Herald one section of La Familia. They chanted in Spanish, players, salute your fans. Acknowledge your people who ask nothing else of you. And Messi stood at midfield with his hands on his hips. He was listening, but it seemed like he was looking on disapprovingly. He seemed to scold them with a finger wag. It seemed like he was showing dis displeasure at their protest. And this is an interesting conflict to have that player admonishing that support group is something that is not normal. As rabid and weird as soccer can get overseas, and the relationships with the players are weird, and the fans feel entitled to certain things. This is a small ask. And the Southern Legion supporter group that is, I guess, led by J.C. avila Said, said, quote, the players have Shown no respect to la familia, have not come to our stands after the games. When we have guys come in as early as 11am to set up our tailgate and set up our flags inside the stadium. Not to mention we sing our hearts out for 90 plus minutes. The only player that came to say hi was Noah Allen. And everyone else goes straight to the locker room. Not cool. And I imagine most people listening to this, if their fandom was not acknowledged, they'd be hurt. But they also might think that this is baby behavior from the fan base, that the fan base isn't entitled.

[Dan Le Batard]

This is a soccer. This is a soccer thing.

[Stugotz]

It is a soccer thing. This is the soccer players in the biggest leagues in the world tip their cap to their supporters and it is the smallest gesture you can make that's being asked for there for 90 minutes of singing. But what he's saying, it's. It's part of their identity. This group of people singing and showing up at 11am to tailgate with flags that, like winning matters to them the way it matters to the players. Like they care more deeply than the average person, than the average fan. They're not there for what many Miamians are always there for, the spectacle. They're there after all the celebrities have left. After everything that happened as soon as Messi got here, where you had celebrities from all over flying in to just see Messi, what's left now is a champion. And just the soccer and their support, I understand why they're hurt by it. I also understand why it is that Messi's better off not doing anything than doing what he did.

[Chris Cody]

I think it comes off even more disrespectful when it's the big players because they're kind of looking down on you. That's not something that they would do over in Europe. And I think that's where a lot of these feelings. And Dan's right, like for many of those supporters, their primary social circle is supporting the climate. That's where it's a year round thing for them. And part of the deal is you sing your heart out and the players appreciate you through thick and thin. And for them to not go over there, I understand, as ridiculous as it may sound to fans of other more transactional sports, no, this is a soccer thing. It's a bigger thing. Yeah. Tony, you know that moment at a party or at a tailgate where everything just sort of clicks?

[Stugotz]

I know it well.

[Tony]

It's usually when I show up, everybody goes crazy.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah. You usually take all the credit for It. But. But it's because Tony usually walks in with Cuervo. Walking like this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cuervo is a thing that turns hanging out into this is the night.

[Tony]

It has that effect on people.

[Chris Cody]

It does. You usually take the credit for it, but again, it's the Cuervo effect. It's like that moment in a big game where everyone in the crowd just starts standing up hootin and hollering, keep it Cuervo.

[Stugotz]

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[Stugotz]

I feel liberated. We're gonna take this city back over

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[Stugotz]

I can work with that.

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[Stugotz]

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[Chris Cody]

Don Lerd.

[Stugotz]

But it's just his titties are sitting on the shelf. That is his belly.

[Chris Cody]

Sts. He said titties, like, shocked me a little bit. Wasn't quite prepared for cities. This is the Dan lebatar show with the St. GS.

[Dan Le Batard]

Okay, So I. I still have a couple questions I'm gonna ask again. Like, I know I asked you and Mike and you said it's only this just happened the last game, the game against Rock Orlando City, which is very embarrassing. But the quote you just read there, Dan, from the guy who's, you know, the head of that supporter group said it. Plural said it's been games up that this has happened. I think that's an important distinction. I don't know which one it is. Like if it. If it's just the last game and the players were upset because it was embarrassing, okay. But he seems to think that it's been multiple games that this is happening. So I'd like to know that. I don't know if we.

[Stugotz]

I'm more interested actually in the disconnect between fans and someone of Messi's level. We were talking last week about the either pettiness or simple humanity in LeBron James being bothered. Reportedly that after he had done so many things for the Lakers, JJ Redick was celebrated after they won a playoff series against Houston. And he wasn't celebrated. I know many people listening to this will say, that's childish, that's petty. It just seems superhuman to me as well. Do you think that Messi feels underappreciated in any way when he feels like he has been the most important thing in that sport. His contract has been both excessive and worth every penny. Given what it is that he has delivered, do you think that he's gotten so much support for so long that he feels totally comfortable standing at midfield and admonishing his customers from on high? Do you feel. Feel like it is possible that Messi feels like he's not appreciated enough?

[Chris Cody]

I mean this in the most respectful way. I don't know what thoughts he has. He's, you know, he's about football and that's what Messi does.

[Stugotz]

But he was comfortable standing in midfield and admonished. Admonishing the customers. Unless. Unless we're reading the situation wrong, because he's not. Zaz is right when he complains. We don't. And you're right when you complain. We don't know what this guy's thinking because he doesn't actually tell us what he's thinking.

[Mike]

I feel like he. It's not underappreciated. I think he looks that. I've given you guys a lot here and you better cut me a little slack like this after one game of not coming over you, that's what you're doing. I've never seen a team do this anywhere. I've given you a lot here. Not underappreciated, but just, I've given you a lot.

[Stugotz]

If he feels comfortable enough to admonish them, he clearly doesn't think he's in the wrong. He thinks they're in the wrong for not supporting him all the time with their song. What a ridiculous sentence.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, they sing his name constantly. If I were to psychoanalyze what's happening there, the. The hand wave kind of seems like, what are we doing this mls? I just. We're winning our first game at home. I just bossed this game again. I'm messing up pretty awesome.

[Mike]

Sickest passes I've ever seen.

[Chris Cody]

This is pretty sweet, right? Like, we're doing all right over here. Let's settle down. You're not the main character here. And that's where. If I'm an Inter Miami supporter, I'm like, look, I've been here before you. I'll be here after you. I commit like year round to this thing. The least you can do is just stroll over here, give me a little clap and a little point to the crest and be on your way. When that fan mentioned that it's been several matches, it's probably been several matches for certain key players, and that's what they're seizing on because what we saw in this protest against Portland really stemmed just from the Orlando City game, which had a lot of issues with it. And that was just one of those things.

[Dan Le Batard]

I want to hear more about them serenading him in song.

[Stugotz]

The part that I want to laugh at a little bit with you guys is the singular absurdity in. Yeah. I'm used to guys feuding with their fan bases because their fan bases are booing. I'm used to guys feuding with their fan bases because their fan bases don't show up. I'm not used to the people sitting there paying, and they're just silent. They're not actually. All they did was take away their song. Like, they're not saying bad things. They're not booing you. They're not being actually disrespectful. They just remove their song. And Zaz is calling it a protest. As far as protests go, I can't think of a limper one. Then I'm not going to sing for you anymore.

[Mike]

I wonder how many other supporters were just like, like, this is nice. We should do this more often.

[Dan Le Batard]

I actually see it the other way around. I imagine it being at some point, the supporters, they turn like, can we start yet?

[Mike]

Like, one guy singing, it's like, oh, hey.

[Stugotz]

They probably feel like they were hurting the team while they were actually just hurting themselves. They left the experience feeling less full even after a victory because they weren't allowed to serenade their favorite.

[Mike]

Somebody had to. Who doesn't follow the news of, like, hey, you want to go to this game on Saturday? Let's check out the supporters section. I heard it's really fun, and you just, like, have no idea any of the drama. And you walk in there, you're like, quiet. I don't know what's going on today.

[Chris Cody]

It's weird because you look at the surface of it all. This was their first home win. Didn't kind of need you. Right. Like, it worked out fine for the players there, and. And they capitulated immediately once Rodrigo DePaul went over there and gave them the slightest gesture.

[Stugotz]

That's all it's required, really.

[Mike]

It's just all that want for the people confused here. All they want is to look in their direction, give the little above the head.

[Dan Le Batard]

Golf seems easy.

[Mike]

That's all they're looking for here.

[Stugotz]

A point. Just point.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, you guys appreciate you for singing and what, do you explain it that way? Then you go back on the fan side and it's. It's not much, right?

[Roy]

It.

[Chris Cody]

It is very easy. And Expected.

[Dan Le Batard]

And apparently it's a, it's a soccer thing.

[Chris Cody]

It is in all levels of soccer.

[Mike]

See it after every game.

[Chris Cody]

Now I know Inter Miami's fan base, especially their, their most ardent supporters that belong to sections. It's more of like a South American feel. So it's like even more insulting because it's part of legitimately their culture.

[Stugotz]

I want to entertain what Chris Cody is saying though, because I do. I know a lot of people who are going to their first Inter Miami games now that it's over here. And so there are people having their first experience. And so when you tell them, look, you're not going to believe what happens in this supporter section. Have you seen the World Baseball Classic? Like, this is got flavor, it's got noise. You're not going to understand the languages. They're allowing trumpets and all sorts of musical instruments into the stadium that are weapons in other stadiums that aren't even allowed in. You're not going to believe how crazy this is. And then you get there and there's just a silent protest and no one there is speaking English to explain it to your English friends, your English speaking friends that they're singing songs in Spanish. And now it's just not only, not only not song, it is protested indifference meant to be quiet on purpose. Quieter than they would normally be by miles, but quieter than any group of people would be even if they were at church.

[Mike]

Like, somebody had to miss the memo and came like walking into the section with a flag and they're like, yo,

[Chris Cody]

check your, check your email, you're embarrassing us.

[Mike]

It was a WhatsApp, like awkwardly put down this gigantic flag like below his feet. Like, what am I supposed to, like, walking back out to his car, like,

[Tony]

I brought it in.

[Mike]

I didn't see the slack.

[Chris Cody]

I don't think the supporters have slack. I don't think they have a slack channel.

[Stugotz]

My bad.

[Chris Cody]

I. Look, this one's easy for us, actually be on the right side of sports fandom just a little bit more. Just a little bit more dedication to those that come out there. Because it's. I've traveled the world, I've seen a lot of supporter sections. I've sat in several, especially in MLS less. And this is one of the best supporters section certainly in, in this country when it comes to soccer. And they deserve the absolute best.

[Stugotz]

Let's think about though, what it is that we're talking about here, okay? And I just want you guys to imagine Messi having breakfast with his family and being like, really? They want me to Point at them. I've got to. I've got to point at them or they're going to withhold their song. Did you see the pass I just made here? You want to hear Taylor Twelman? I'm 38 years old. I'm running around near the Miami airport. I'm the best soccer in the world, and I'm playing in this league against plumbers. And I'm sitting here, and there are too many lights near the airport here. I'm scared of planes flying overhead. And this is the goal that I provide for you, the excitement.

[Dan Le Batard]

38 years old, and yet he's still moving like this. Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness. The rest of the world better beware.

[Stugotz]

While he's been publicly indifferent on the World cup, if you've watched anything over

[Dan Le Batard]

the last three or four weeks, he's ready, and the world's ready for the greatest of all time to defend his World cup title.

[Stugotz]

Of you who see that he's dribbling among six players there and passing the ball. They're all afraid to. They're all afraid to trip him in the penalty box. So they're being a little too careful.

[Chris Cody]

I mean, they're. They're being. They're right on him. He's doing this in a phone booth. He took on. In that one clip, he took on five defenders, and in one moment in the box, he took on three with the ball glued to his foot. That is just insane.

[Dan Le Batard]

Skill just waves the supporters.

[Chris Cody]

Yeah, just do that. And, like, you can knock the. The talent that he's doing this against. Like, that is not enough space for a human to. To go through traffic with a soccer ball attached to their foot and make something out of it.

[Mike]

That's.

[Chris Cody]

That is skill. That will translate against elite clubs.

[Stugotz]

I understand that. We're fans, but do you guys not think that the fans listening to this are like, come on, la. Familiar? Yeah, like, really? You want. You want a thing? You're going to protest and withhold your song because he doesn't give you a finger point after the game? Like, I. I'm a fan. We're fans. We love these things that make us feel things and take us away from our daily lives. But as far as protests go, we can agree there has rarely been a protest for something smaller and less important. Important that would cost Messi or any of them. It couldn't cost them any less than the simple acknowledgment of, thank you for your support. I understand why they're insulted by it, but to withhold their Song. I imagine many people are listening to this and being like, what are you doing?

[Tony]

Yeah, it's like, kind of dorky. It's like, guys, we did all this work. We went to Tropical park and we sat in the bands and we did all this stuff and we sang songs like. And you guys didn't even point it. I was like, okay, dude, like, you paid the tickets, you saw the game. What else do you want?

[Mike]

They don't stop for the whole game.

[Tony]

Who cares?

[Mike]

What do you mean, who cares?

[Tony]

Who cares?

[Mike]

Try singing for 10 minutes straight.

[Stugotz]

Well, you said no, but when you say who cares? Like, they want their care acknowledged. Who cares? They care more than any fan base I've ever seen in South Florida. Like, they. I can absolutely feel like you guys aren't coming up with rebuttal. That fan base cares about what it's watching at least as much as any fan base I have ever seen. Traveling with the team and getting their identity from this. Who cares? They care is the answer. But no one cares cares the way they do. Like, no one. No one listening to this cares the way they do. Only they listening to this would say, yes. My feelings are being both heard and hurt, and I want them acknowledged by the greatest player in the world because I feel like I'm helping produce that result.

[Tony]

When I go to A Cane's game, am I upset if they don't walk over to my section and do the Alma mater? No, I'm the hell out of there.

[Chris Cody]

They acknowledge you before the game. They take that little kneel in the end zone and they is that for

[Tony]

me or is that for somebody else?

[Chris Cody]

It's a part of the tradition. And in this spot sport, the tradition is you show the slightest bit of respect to your supporters that are there with you throughout the entire journey. When you're getting your brains bashed in by Orlando city, embarrassing yourself at home, they're still there singing and chanting. So the least you can do is just give me a cursory way.

[Mike]

And the Canes players do that even after what it looks like against Bethune Cookman at noon.

[Chris Cody]

They have to do the Alma mater.

[Roy]

They always do it.

[Stugotz]

As far as probably protests go in the apocalyptic America that we presently live in. The fact that what we're talking about here is the conflict between, oh, you're gonna withhold your point, then I'm gonna withhold my song.

[Mike]

It's pretty petty on both sides.

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