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Mike Ryan
A superhero remake. Not exactly what we'd expect from an Oscar winning director.
TV Show Promoter
Action Simon Williams audition for Wonder Man.
Dan Le Batard
I'm gonna need you to sign this. Assuming you don't have superpowers,
Mike Ryan
I'll never work again.
Dan Le Batard
If anyone found out monolips are sealed.
TV Show Promoter
Marvel Television's Wonder Man. All eight episodes now streaming only on Disney.
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Sports Promo Announcer
Football, Football, Football is back Jack the beautiful game is on a roll and we'll have an eye on every goal Shouting magisterial no need to back down just park the bus Stop the attack Will the hand of God put your header back on track? Football is back, Jack Mbappe's flying through the air Ronaldo's here for one last
Dan Le Batard
prayer
Sports Promo Announcer
Will Messi come out to play? Or is it victory for the usa it's corner kicks when the box is packed that's how you know that football is back Jack Let me hear you say football, Football, football. Football is back, Jack the time is here, open the gates the long wait is over so we'll yell let's go, States no need to back down Just strike the ball, start the attack if you say this game's the best, I'll say zag Football is backjacked Football is
Mike Ryan
back,
Sports Promo Announcer
Football is back, Football is back, Jack.
Dan Le Batard
All right, we did it. Everyone give it up for Friday. Everybody give it up for Friday. Good job. Come on now. How about that? We made it through the week. Look at this crew. We got Roy and we got Chris and we have Mike and Tony and out on The west coast is our pal, Dave Damaschek. Hello, Dave. How are you this morning?
Dave Damaschek
No hands. It's soccer season, everybody. I'm doing great. How are you?
Dan Le Batard
How about that? They play the World cup games out there on the west coast, too. You're into it.
Dave Damaschek
That's right. I believe if my sources are correct, there's a soccer game this evening in Sofi Stadium involving these United States.
Mike Ryan
It's Los Angeles Stadium.
Dan Le Batard
Is that what they're calling important? Correction.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, you can't. You can't call any of the stadiums by their unapproved sponsors.
Dan Le Batard
Is that true?
Mike Ryan
Yes, that's true. Like MetLife is New York, New Jersey Stadium. Hard Rock is Miami Stadium.
Dan Le Batard
Really? Yeah. You didn't know that?
Chime Advertiser
They covered up everything.
Louis (Video Guy)
All the sponsors.
Mike Ryan
All the sponsors have to be covered up. Mercedes Benz. There's just a big banner that covers the Mercedes Benz logo, and it just says World Cup. You know how Hard Rock Stadium has the Hard Rock signage in each end zone? You have to put a sign over that.
Dan Le Batard
Why is that exclusively a World cup thing? Like when the national championship is here, they don't cover up Hard Rock Stadium.
Mike Ryan
No, because FIFA is its own government. Pablo did a fascinating episode of Pablo Torre finds out, and they get into that specific detail. Zaz, it's not just, you know, the window dressing of covering up the signage on the stadiums. Internally, your local governments have to refer to that stadium and as Miami Stadium.
Dan Le Batard
So you're telling me on the broadcast when I'm watching the game, you know, whenever the first game on television is here at Hard Rock Stadium, they're going to call it Miami Stadium.
Mike Ryan
That's correct. In fact, if you live in an area that has road signs that point to the corporate sponsor that don't just say stadium, but say, you know, hard Rock Stadium, it'll have to be changed to Miami Stadium.
Dan Le Batard
Like on the Turnpike. I drive here. I take the turnpike every morning. Driving here, I pass Hard Rock Stadium every single morning. You're telling me that on Monday because I didn't look today. When I look at the signs, it's not going to say Hard Rock Stadium.
Mike Ryan
It's going to say Miami Stadium.
Dan Le Batard
That's so stupid.
Mike Ryan
Everybody in internal comms, your local government has to. This was a ridiculous detail because I knew about the stadium itself and the stadium grounds and how FIFA takes over and how they are with sponsorships. I didn't know written into the contract that your local government has to fully assimilate and give itself over to them.
Louis (Video Guy)
And if the announcer slips up and Says.
Dan Le Batard
Says the Hard Rock. Yeah, they just get killed, right? No trial, no jury on the spot.
Mike Ryan
And then Grace Whittingham gets tagged in.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, all right. Says something to Root for, says, brilliant, I'm here now.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, yeah, he's on the sidelines. He's been.
Dave Damaschek
He.
Mike Ryan
He signed an agreement that when they execute. Because it will happen when they execute. Ian Dark, he just gets.
Dan Le Batard
That's exciting. What if he slips?
Mike Ryan
Then he's dead.
Dan Le Batard
Then we watch the game in silence, and no one will make a mistake. Speaking of mistakes. Chris, Cody, what. What happened with Louis this morning?
Louis (Video Guy)
Oh, my God. It was last night. Louis, our video guy. Shout out to Lewis, by the way, for everything he does around here.
Dan Le Batard
Just love Louis.
Louis (Video Guy)
All right, but last night at 7:45, I get a panic text. Well, I get a missed call, and I'm like, oh, my God, why is Lewis calling me right now? And then I see a text of him saying, dude, I'm running late. I. I missed my alarm. I'm so sorry. And I'm like, at what time is this? 7:45pm last night. I'm like, oh, my God, we have a nighttime recording. Like, I'm late for something. I start freaking out, and then I like right back. I'm like, what meeting?
Dan Le Batard
What alarm that is, by the way? It's. I think I've told you guys this. I have recurring dreams. I have, like three or four recurring dreams, and that is one of my newer. Well, no, it's not even newer, but that is one of my recurring dreams that I am late to work and just this panic that washes over me. You may continue.
Louis (Video Guy)
So he realizes that he. He thought he Woke up at 7:45 last night from a nap, thinking it was 7:45 in the morning and that
Chime Advertiser
he was absurdly late for work.
Louis (Video Guy)
He went downstairs. He's mad at his wife for not waking him up.
Sports Promo Announcer
He.
Louis (Video Guy)
His wife sitting there feeding their kids dinner, just in awe.
Dan Le Batard
What? He thought she was feeding them breakfast.
Louis (Video Guy)
He thought it was breakfast. He said that it was 7:45pm so
Chime Advertiser
it was like that.
Louis (Video Guy)
That time of day where it looked similar to early morning twilight. And I was honestly cracking up at my house at the idea of Lou. He said he brushed his teeth.
Mike Ryan
That's happened to me once before when I was in high school.
Dave Damaschek
I got.
Mike Ryan
I put on my uniform, I started having breakfast, and I was like, why the hell is PTI on that?
Dan Le Batard
Brushed his teeth. That happened to me once in high school as well, where I went to sleep, you know, probably like, I don't know. 10:30, 11:00pm and I woke up thinking it was morning. I gathered my clothes, I went upstairs, I showered, I put my clothes on, I brushed my teeth, I did everything. I went through my entire morning routine. And then I went into the kitchen like maybe to grab some orange juice or something. And I saw the time on the kitchen microwave and it said like 12:20am Brother. And I realized what happened. You know what happened here? I realized what happened. At some point during that day, the power must have went down in my house and my alarm is on. And what happens with those electronic alarms when the power goes out, it resets to midnight to 12am so my alarm was now set. Instead of 5:30 in the morning, was set at midnight. I was probably asleep for an hour. My alarm went off, I went up, I showered, I brushed my teeth. I'm fully clothed and I'm like, what the.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, mine was just a really good nap. And I was like halfway through my breakfast of two Entenmann's rich frosted chocolate donuts and a tall glass of milk and I was like, why are Wilbon and Kornheiser on? Dave, that's never happened to you? By the look of your face, I can tell it hasn't.
Dan Le Batard
No.
Dave Damaschek
That's bizarre. I mean the closest thing I've had to that was once I was sitting in an airport at the gate waiting to get to board the flight and I was on my laptop and, and doing it and waiting and waiting. When are we gonna board? And eventually I, you know, I got immersed in whatever I was looking at online and eventually I picked my head up, I'm like, what are we boarding this and where is everybody else? And then I went up to the gate agent and they said that thing boarded like 20 minutes ago and everybody is on there and the flight took off. I said, how? What?
Sports Promo Announcer
What?
Dave Damaschek
What the hell? How, how did I completely miss the entire process of get of calling? It's, it's now your turn to get on the flight. And the entire 45 minute long process somehow eluded me while I was sitting right there. That's as close as I have to what you guys are talking about. Sounds like all of you have issues with booze or otherwise.
Sports Promo Announcer
So.
Mike Ryan
I was in high school.
Dan Le Batard
I was in high school also.
Mike Ryan
Why is Jesus sitting on your microphone?
Dave Damaschek
It's my. He's my co pilot. Always.
Dan Le Batard
He's explained that to us.
Dave Damaschek
Before I found him, he was. I went to an amusement park with the ca and there he was just sitting on the bench waiting for Me, you know. And so I took him. It was a sign from above or otherwise. So I figured I better bring him home with me or sitting on. I'm sorry.
Louis (Video Guy)
Yeah.
Dan Le Batard
Could just have been a toy set.
Mike Ryan
He's gone.
Dave Damaschek
Good. Goodbye. Jesus.
Dan Le Batard
So we got a lot to get to. We got the Stanley cup from last night. Really the first game of this series that wasn't like a banger, you know, we. We got the NBA Finals which continue tomorrow. That's right, all the games now. Game 5, 6, 7, extra day in between because they're allowing for extra travel day, which is fine because you get to late in the series, you want to make sure the games are as well played as possible. So no NHL tonight, no NBA tonight. But thank, thank the Lord we have World cup tonight which includes, includes the United States who are playing this evening. What do I need to know tonight, Mike?
Mike Ryan
As far as Los Angeles Stadium?
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, that.
Mike Ryan
Don't want to make that address that. And it's a big game for the U.S. now, qualification for the knockout stages is a little different for this.
Dan Le Batard
Does US have a tough group? Paraguay, Australia?
Mike Ryan
No, no, it's not a tough group because being a host nation, they get put in pot A with the global elites, which means they get to avoid the likes of Spain and England. So it's favorable to those teams that essentially get the highest seed imaginable. But Paraguay is a difficult team. They counterattack, they've got some good players. If you're familiar with mls, a former Inter Miami player in Diego Gomez Almiron has been back and forth between the MLS and Europe. They play this counter attacking style and the US has changed its identity in recent years. They want to take advantage of what was labeled a golden generation, more skilled attacking players and they want to control and dictate the game. But as we've seen in CONCACAF in particular, you run into these gritty, hard nosed teams that are very organized and want to make the most of their opportunities. The US has really struggled in breaking those teams down. Now I think the US ultimately wins this game, but this is a tough opponent that does things that I think the United States struggles against. However, if you're looking for hope in this entire tournament, the last two matches that the US have had in this warm up for the World Cup, Senegal is a very good team. The United States pretty much bossed that game and got a lot of what they wanted on the attack in the Germany game. I'm really optimistic after the Germany game because for long stretches of that game, the United States controlled that game. And that is a top tier opponent. So I do think this is going to be a little cagey, especially early on, and I think we're going to be a little nervy. But even if the United States, hell, even if they lose, the tournament format allows for a third place finisher in the group to advance even to the knockout stages. They're taking eight teams that finish third, so it's not dead the way that it would be in previous tournaments, but a big one if you want to get an easier draw in the knockout stages, which is why you want the US to win this group.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Mike, I'm having a tough time like really getting into this USA team. Right. Like the generation prior, the Clint Dempsey generation, Tim Howard, Landon Donovan, all those guys I knew. I feel like I don't know anybody on this team outside of Pulisic.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, Pulisic is the. Well, they also miss a golden opportunity in missing a World Cup. This is only Pulisic's second World cup and he seems to have been a name that we've all been familiar with for damn near a decade. Yeah, there's a bit of a transition here, but Baligun is a good player over in France.
Dan Le Batard
So it's been eight years since the US has been. Since I've watched us in the World Cup.
Mike Ryan
No, no, no, they were in the last World cup, but this is only Pulisic second because they missed the one in Russia because they lost to Trinidad and Tobago.
Dan Le Batard
So that was eight years ago. That was eight years ago.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, but Pulisic is now, I think, 27 years old. This isn't about. This isn't a story of promise. Christian Pulisic has won the Champions League with Chelsea. For long stretches of times he was the best player on AC Milan. However, this season was really disappointing. Struggled with injury, which is always the case with them. However, he's gotten going here very recently. Finally scored again for that national team. And it seems as Pochettino, our manager, is going to do what favors his skill set, which is get Christian Pulisic in space. We have some really good players on the wing. Tim Waya has been a good player. Wesley McKinney on form has probably been the best club player. He was the best player for juventus. Now if McKinney is your best player, you have a ceiling as Juventus found out. For the US to get where we all hope that they go, which is a deep run in the knockout stages, it's going to have to be Pulisic because when he's on, when he's in form, he can prove against global elites that he is fully, fully capable of being the best player on the pitch.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
So those are the three guys that I'm looking for. Pulisic, I'm looking at Waya, and I'm looking at McKinney.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, McKinney is going to be good and Tyler Adams is going to do all the dirty work in that midfield. In terms of your defensive mid, in terms of being like a state, we
Dan Le Batard
have a good keeper.
Mike Ryan
No, that, that is a big change from. I'm not even sure who starts today. It'll be curious. I think Matt Turner is going to get the nod who you're a little familiar with. He's. He's repped the US before in big time international competition. Freese kind of had the inside track again based on form, having the strongest season. But Pochettino is a bit of a wild card because the US did not have to go through a qualifying stage. Pochettino took the opportunity to get in like close to 80 players in rotation in this squad to figure out what he wants. And we're here on the day of their first match and I really can't tell you the formation we're going to play with. I have a good idea. But it seems as though Pochettino is favoring versatility.
Dan Le Batard
I'm a four three, three guy.
Mike Ryan
That's. That's what you like?
Dan Le Batard
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
Prepare to be disappointed.
Dan Le Batard
So I want to get to a local story here. Thank you for all the soccer there, Mike. We're going to do actually a lot of World cup stuff coming up later on in today's show.
Dave Damaschek
But Zaz, you are going to be watching, right?
Dan Le Batard
Oh, no, I'm, I'm, I'm going to watch every game. Like, obviously I will watch every US game for sure and every other game as, like, as long as I'm. I'm not out doing something, I will watch every other game. Like this afternoon. I know Canada is playing at 3pm I'm going to watch that game this afternoon and I'm 100% going to watch the US game. So no, I'm, I'm dialed into it. I like it. I love soccer. I just, it's not like I know the players or what have you, but
Dave Damaschek
I love like, Jim. Oh, you do?
Dan Le Batard
Okay. Yeah.
Dave Damaschek
So for me it's a little bit like, you know how Jim Carrey has to dip it. Had to dip his toes into the drama waters he had mastered. I feel a little bit like I'm pretty steeped in every sport except for the most Popular one, which is soccer. And I really do. It's a ramp up for me. And so. So the words of Mike Ryan are useful.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, I love it.
Dave Damaschek
I really do feel like a complete casual like Super Bowl. Who are these two teams and how did they get here? Tell me about what I need to know. I'm exactly like, like Tony. I don't really know. I know the name Pulisic and that's about the extent of it.
Mike Ryan
I think he prefers it pronounced Pulisic,
Dan Le Batard
you know, the right way.
Mike Ryan
But. No, no, no, it's. I mean it. He's not pronouncing it the right.
Dave Damaschek
Tony and Mike just mispronounced. They had two different pronunciations.
Dan Le Batard
Tony's not the guy to follow.
Mike Ryan
I said it the right way.
Dave Damaschek
I said it the right way.
Mike Ryan
I say it. I used to work with Chelsea, so. And interviewed Christian quite a few times and I had to like nail down like how do you prefer to say it? And it seems like I'm the only one that says it the way that he told me. But there is an NFL thread. Dave, are you aware that there is a son of a pretty damn good NFL player that is projected to start for the US Men's national team? Did you know that?
Dave Damaschek
Yes. One of the three most unrepeatable catches in the history of people. Antonio Freeman, the one that went off.
Dan Le Batard
Is that right?
Dave Damaschek
Went off the Viking. Yeah, that's right. You could never go out there. You could go try a million times to repeat the Monday Night Football and Antonio Freeman touchdown in overtime. That hits off the Vikings defender's butt into his hand. You know the catch I'm talking about, right? Yeah, that one. The Curse catch in the super bowl. Super Bowl 49 that precedes the interception. The Russell Wilson, Malcolm Butler. That's unrepeatable. And the Julian Edelman catch. Those are the three most. You could go out there and try to do it infinitely and you would never get the exact same bounces to repeat themselves.
Mike Ryan
What about the. The dude from Seattle? Oh my God, what was his name? Curse.
Dave Damaschek
I said curse.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, yeah, Curse.
Dave Damaschek
Yeah, Curse. That was incredible, right?
Mike Ryan
That one.
Dave Damaschek
Yeah, the one up the sideline.
Mike Ryan
Alex Freeman is Antonio Freeman's son.
Dan Le Batard
I didn't know that.
Mike Ryan
And he. I'm a big fan of his. I think he's got four dolphin. I. I think he's got potential to make it four in Europe right now. He plays for a semi decent sized club in Spain. And Villarreal, he can get frisky in the attack too. 6 foot 2. I like him to show up in the score sheet at some point in this tournament.
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Mike Ryan
a big game starts stacking up. Now you've got finals games on every other night, baseball's rolling all week, racing on the weekends, and suddenly everybody's looking for an excuse to get together. The other night a buddy texted me, we've got the game on come through. I figured I'd stop by for maybe an hour. That was optimistic. Next thing you know, everybody's locked into the game and we're all part of the coaching staff. Somebody's yelling at the ref, somebody else is suddenly an expert on pitch strategy, and nobody's even pretending they're leaving early anymore. It's one of those nights where you take a sip of Miller Lite, look around and realize, yeah, this is exactly what summer is supposed to be. That's why Miller Lite is always part of these nights for me. It's clean, refreshing, easy to drink when it's hot outside and perfect for long nights hanging with friends, watching games. An all American summer starts with an all American beer Miller lite. 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.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
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Dan Le Batard
Don LeBatard witty.
Mike Ryan
We have a photo right here. If you can see in this photo with my daughter there, I am pointing exactly to the point on the Stanley cup where it says you suck ass stugats right there.
Listener/Caller
Engraved.
Home Depot Advertiser
Really?
Mike Ryan
It's like, yeah, they got an engraved right there. It says Chris Whittingham sucks ass.
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levatar show with the St. Gods. We'll get back to a lot of World cup stuff coming up in the show today, but I do want to talk about something local here and that is, you know, the, the NBA finals could end tomorrow. All right, I, I think, I think the series still has, I think it's gonna go at least six. Still has a shot to go seven, probably ends in six. But I do think San Antonio wins tomorrow. But that means that we could get some, some Giannis news once the Finals end. All right, The NBA draft is on the 23rd, so it certainly seems at some point between the finals ending maybe tomorrow and June 23rd that Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to wind up being traded now, it feels like there's a lot of smoke out there right now in regards to Miami, and we have talked about that. But see, I think you guys know where I stand with this kind of stuff. I don't believe anyone. I don't think anyone knows anything. And, and, and that only proves the. My points only proven when a few days ago, Boston not interested, not interested in Giannis. They're not in on Giannis. And now a day or so later, Boston's in. Boston's going hard after Giannis. Well, you couldn't have not been in. And now you're like. Like you're out on Giannis and now you're making calls and you're trying to quiet. Well, that. Then you were never out on him.
Dave Damaschek
All right?
Dan Le Batard
So there. Apparently, if you believe what people are saying, they're all in on Giannis now. They're trying to get him. I will say, though, I like. I like trying to. To figure out where the tea leaves are going. And Jaylen Brown, all right, who, like Jaylen Brown's Kyrie Irving 2.0. We could all admit that, right? He played with Kyrie for a little bit in Boston, like Jaylen Brown's new Kyrie Irving, where it's like he's. He's smartest guy in the room. Jaylen Brown walks through him. He. He's going to say things you're not going to understand because he's too wise, you know? And so Jaylen Brown tweeted out yesterday amidst all of the Giannis and Boston rumors, the neighbor's rice always smells better.
Mike Ryan
Now swinging like a wide receiver.
Dan Le Batard
I don't know what the hell that means.
Louis (Video Guy)
I think he's going for. The grass is always greener.
Dan Le Batard
The neighbor's rice always smells better.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, Dave, you speak diva wide receiver. What does he mean by this?
Dave Damaschek
I'm lost by it. Because. Because Rice famously has no smell to where it was. Smell rice. That's a characteristic.
Dan Le Batard
You don't understand it because he's too wise for you. I already told you, when he talks, if you're not on his level, you don't. You can't possibly understand the things that he's saying or thinking. He's too wise.
Dave Damaschek
I see. I see. He's like Confucius, in other words.
Dan Le Batard
So it feels like. Because if the Celtics are going to trade for Giannis, like they're going to trade Jaylen Brown. Are we worried now that, that. And I told you yesterday, I don't think that these trades happen, and then all of a sudden that's when everybody finds out. Like, I don't think the player is finding out anymore by seeing the scroll on ESPN television. Oh my God, I got traded. I think these trades happen days before any of us find out, you know, that's why like a couple days ago, right, Tyler Hero puts out the post and Tyler Hero's brother responds with a picture, a gif of a, of a buck, you know, and oh, he, he must know the trade's done. The trade happened. Oh, he stopped following the Miami Heat on Instagram like the trade's done. And then you get stuff like this as well. Are we nervous that Boston is going to take our sick about it?
Mike Ryan
I'm absolutely sick about it. Yeah, I am nervous about it too. I've heard from someone that's pretty plugged in. That said, Miami's starting to reach out to other teams about Tyler Hero to try to get more for Hero because he doesn't necessarily work in the package. And Boston surging now.
Dan Le Batard
I mean, that Milwaukee would not want
Mike Ryan
Tyler, right, that, that Miami's making overtures to other teams in regards to Hero to try to get more to make their package a little bit more appealing. Again, not my deal, but the person that I heard from, it heard from on this matter, I do kind of trust. He's pretty plugged in the Heat. Notoriously quiet on this front. So I don't think it's coming from the Miami Heat side.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Barry had tweeted a bunch of stuff yesterday. Barry Jackson talking about the possibility of a three team trade where Portland would send all of the assets of Milwaukee wants back.
Dan Le Batard
You know, I saw this where Barry Jackson tweeted out over to Portland. It was something to the effect of, you know, if you want to think about like the doom and gloom situation, this is what could happen. They could do this and they could do this and they do this. That would trump Miami's offer. And I'm reading this and I'm thinking myself, why are you giving them ideas how to make like the better off? Like we all. I know. You know, if you're a reporter, you're supposed to be. We all want Giannis to come here. Why are you giving out all the ways that other teams can do things so that he don't get Giannis?
Mike Ryan
This is an inside information, though. I think we can all concede that if Boston is indeed willing to part with Jaylen Brown and if he is indeed on the table for the Milwaukee Bucks as a legitimate option, we're so well there.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Well, they wouldn't even get him, they would send Jaylen Brown.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. I don't think Milwaukee would want Jaylen Brown, even.
Mike Ryan
Even. Even that being so, if Jaylen Brown is a part of this package, we don't have a leg to stand.
Dan Le Batard
Right, right, right.
Dave Damaschek
Zaz, go back. Why does Milwaukee not want Jaylen Brown?
Dan Le Batard
Well, I'm just assuming there and my assumption there is. All right, if you're trading Giannis, you're clearly in a rebuild. Okay. And if you're going to rebuild being. Being. Being attacked with a $300 million contract, you can't rebuild like that.
Mike Ryan
Also, if you get the value for Jaylen Brown, you get what is tantamount to his talent in terms of trades. Like, you get that haul, and Jaylen Brown, you help facilitate it. Because Jaylen Brown probably doesn't want to be in Milwaukee where that franchise is, so he'd rather go. Let's say it's Portland, at least. I know. I know what you're thinking, but Portland was in the playoffs. Portland does have some nice little pieces there. So it would certainly be more appealing to Jaylen Brown to go to Portland than Milwaukee. Just from a competitive standpoint and also from a town standpoint, too. That's just an example. But if Jaylen Brown is a. Is a part of this for Boston, the Miami Heat are not going to get back into that trade conversation unless bam. Is on the table.
Listener/Caller
The neighbor's rice always smells better. As a Cantonese idiom, a way of saying the grass is always green on the other side. Jalen Brown was in China this past week.
Dan Le Batard
Okay. All right. There you go.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Zaza would make sense, but rice doesn't
Dave Damaschek
have a smell to it.
Mike Ryan
No, but Cantonese rice does. They fry their rice.
Dave Damaschek
Was it like a fried rice? Yes, Like, I might get a Benihana. Now. That's very good, because they put that butter in there. Butter? Yeah. Very good. Yeah, it's a garlic butter.
Louis (Video Guy)
I love that butter.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
We also have a Rocco Pollo that has a beautiful smell to it. When you're cooking in a Hispanic home,
Mike Ryan
too, white rice can't smell, but all the ethnic rices, they smell.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. I mean, I walk into Benihana, I could smell that fried rice. Come on, now.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Smell like it for days.
Dave Damaschek
The ethnic rice. I don't know what you mean by that.
Mike Ryan
Well, don't take shots at me. We were talking about Cantonese rice, and you took it all the way over to Japan.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah, it's all right.
Mike Ryan
I forgot that you mentioned Jermaine curse
Dave Damaschek
before, so we're even gentrified rice. All right.
Dan Le Batard
So last night was really like the first game of the Stanley cup final that wasn't a total banger. Like, it wasn't, oh, my God, this is cocaine hockey.
Mike Ryan
And it was still a comeback.
Home Depot Advertiser
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
It still scored the first goal, which appears to be a bad idea in
Dan Le Batard
this series, but it wasn't cocaine hockey. Like, last night was a regular good hockey game. And Carolina won 4, 2. So they now have a chance to win the Stanley cup tomorrow night. I know Sunday they're taking extra day, too. So Sunday they have a chance to win it in Vegas as they've gone up now three games to two. But I want to give you a little bit of Tortorella. Okay. John Tortorella, head coach of the Vegas Knights, and you bet. So Carter Hart, his goalie, has now set a record. If I could, if I have the stat off the top of my head. Correct. Carter Hart has set a record for first goalie ever in the Stanley cup final to go five consecutive games, giving up four or more goals, which makes sense that that would be a record because normally if you're in the Stanley cup finals because your goalie is awesome and your goalie has been awesome. So to go five straight games giving up at least four goals. Yeah, that makes sense. That's a record. So here's John Tortorella. He was asked after the game about the. The idea of. Of maybe changing goalies for game six.
Louis (Video Guy)
Far right side.
Mike Ryan
Elliot. John, you watched the end of the basketball game last night. I did. Okay. So I just wanted to ask you about.
Dan Le Batard
Wow. Let's go to the other. Wow.
Mike Ryan
Ron Rossing in the house.
Dan Le Batard
Not different. Stop.
Mike Ryan
Stop it.
Dave Damaschek
Stop.
Dan Le Batard
Hold. Queue up.
Mike Ryan
New.
Dan Le Batard
Let's queue up. Tortorella, the short one of him being asked about the goalie.
Mike Ryan
John, did you consider at all going
Dan Le Batard
to Aiden Hill in the third period or was there any conversation.
Mike Ryan
That could be the stupidest question I've heard.
Dan Le Batard
Why is it so stupid? Brandon Bussey, like, Carolina changed their goalie and they've won two games in a row with the new goalie. Why is it such a stupid question, Roy?
Louis (Video Guy)
I don't.
Listener/Caller
I don't know. But the Freddie Anderson thing that, that leads to a question is he's been healthy, scratched.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah.
Listener/Caller
Past two games.
Dan Le Batard
Right. And Brenda was like, oh, he needs the time off. He needs the rest. Like, Emily Kaplan did a really good job in the middle of the game. She did a really good job at that, like, first period bench interview and asked about him not even being the backup. And Brindamore gave some kind of answer. Like, he's better when he just has the time off.
Listener/Caller
Like, all right, well, keep in mind his agent was Claude Lemieux, and he had just recently could very well be protecting Freddie Anderson.
Dan Le Batard
Oh, good job, Roy. Okay.
Mike Ryan
And the dialogue around Carter Hart is ever present. It's a weird bit of feedback that you guys don't talk about Carter Hart. And I'm like, you want me to shoehorn sexual assault?
Dan Le Batard
People upset that we're not, like, all over that.
Mike Ryan
So for those that don't know, Carter Hart was, along with others, found not guilty for a sexual assault in London and Ontario. But, you know, there is evidence that suggests something. Something happened there. And he's been extremely controversial. You have the crowd in Carolina chanting no means no now when it comes to his performance, it's been really solid for Vegas right now. And Tortorella just, you know, bucked up against the notion of Bullingham. Aiden Hill is a Stanley cup winner. We know from our time in the Stanley cup playing Vegas. Aiden Hill was really terrific there. It's a normal question to be asked, but Tortorella is particularly spicy.
Dan Le Batard
So are we, like, you know, people are upset that Carter Hart was even allowed back in the league, that Vegas even signed him. So, like, are we happy that he's getting crushed here? Because, like I said, first goalie ever, five straight games in the Stanley cup finals, allowed four goals.
Listener/Caller
People kind of.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, yeah. People were unhappy that he even got the opportunity.
Sports Promo Announcer
Right.
Mike Ryan
So he's been highly controversial.
Louis (Video Guy)
Yeah.
Dave Damaschek
Very easy to root against these Gold Knights for many reasons. Carter Hart, the presence just of, if you, like, merit of the regular season. You want to root against the Golden Knights here. It's weird that they've wound up in the final. It kind of invalidates the regular season of hockey, which is a bad look for a borderline kind of fringe sport. John Tortorello is a jackass to beat all jackasses. That's another reason to root against them. But the other thing is, if you're trying to look at this hockey final in the final days, maybe just 60 minutes less than this season, all the conversation about fungibility of running backs in the NFL applies to NHL goaltenders now. Roy, it's super weird. I mean, that's a big distinction from now versus a decade or so ago, the names used to resonate. The guy between the pipes was everything. Now a guy is good one season, and then the next season, he's the reason your team isn't making the playoffs. I don't have to tell people in Florida that too much. Bob kind of blew up this season after being the linchpin to those cup runs the last couple of springtimes, right?
Listener/Caller
Yeah, exactly. It's been a bad week, by the way, for the NHL as far as giving people second and third chances. Considering that Mike Babcock might. Might be the head coach of the Edmonton Warriors.
Mike Ryan
The NHL, not exactly leaders in that department. Still got a ways to go there, but the sport has changed. Typically, if you made it to a Stan cup final, it's because your goalie got really, really hot. And that can still happen, but you don't need this incredible goaltender to win a Stanley cup anymore. These guys kind of come and go now, which is a change for the league. Also, additionally to Carter Hart, why he's even more controversial is within Canada, he wore a free Alberta shirt, which is separatist. Well, it's a separatist movement inside conservative pockets in Canada. And so he's, you know, he's. He's a pariah, and he's.
Dan Le Batard
Alberta wants to, like, leave Canada.
Listener/Caller
Yeah, the Texas of Canada.
Mike Ryan
We're used to the separatist movement being the French Canadian thing. That was.
Dan Le Batard
That's how my family got here, was. That's literally how. Because my family is Canadian. They're from Montreal. That's how my family came here in the late 70s was. Because of the. Because of the French separatist movement.
Mike Ryan
Yeah. When I was growing up, there was always talk that Quebec was going to secede and form its own independent country. Now Alberta has really shifted that conversation.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Kind of like the Conch Republic with Key West.
Dave Damaschek
Right.
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Where they're like, hey, we're going to do our own thing over here.
Mike Ryan
Yeah, we're doing our own thing. Wait, you're not picking up our garbage. All right, we're back.
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I really.
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Dan Le Batard
Don Lebatar Mike Ryan's in there and he's the one with a baby. He's the one who's got to, like, worry about what the future is. And Mike Ryan bet on DraftKings because Mike Ryan bet on us. This is the bet you're afraid of doubling down on, putting up a billboard in Edmonton.
Mike Ryan
Stugats. I care more about Matthew Tkachuk than I do my daughter.
Dan Le Batard
This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats. I do want to. I want to. I want to mention something from the game the other night from Game 4 of the NBA Finals. And I talked a lot about this on Zazlow Show 2.0 yesterday. You know, everyone's got the same talking points, essentially, after game four, we all saw the finish to the game, and. And I took a little bit of a. Of a different tact on Zaslow Show 2.0 yesterday, which was. I. I just. I wanted to talk about the experience as a fan in these kind of moments, and it really is because I'm not supposed to like the New York Knicks. We're not supposed to like the Knicks. I'm not supposed to feel good for the Knicks fan. And I even said, if this was Boston, all this was happening in Boston, I would not feel good for the Celtic fans. I would not. Okay, I. I would be treating it different. But still, it is New York and it's the Knicks. So it is still surprising that I'm even, you know, happy for them in any sense. All right? But. But I. But I really am.
Dave Damaschek
And.
Dan Le Batard
And I really. I've really enjoyed people that I know, friends of mine who are experiencing this joy. And it just reminds me how I felt about the Panthers a few years ago, because it's the same type of misery that you've lived for decades now. And. And I'm also at a point in my life where that really is what I appreciate about sports. And so my favorite story, though, from a couple of nights ago is Mariska Hargitay, who I think is the star of these NBA Finals. Now, based on what has happened, what happened in Game 4 at the end of Game 4, with her being a huge Knicks fan and running on the floor, and she hugs all the players and. And celebrate the best night of her life. She proclaims it at the end, like, this is a legitimate, hardcore New York Knicks fan. And. And I love all the little tidbits I can get about Mariska Hargitay, because my wife. My wife and I are big fans, all right? We, obviously, we love Law and Order svu, and my she is my wife's favorite. And so my wife and I, we were in New York City last weekend, right? We went to New York to see Mariska Hargitay. That's why we went, you know, we went for the weekend to go see this play that she just a one woman play that she just started doing a few weeks ago called Every Brilliant Thing. And once we saw, because she doesn't do anything outside of Law and Order. Nothing. What are the movies seen her in?
Jaylen Brown Fan/Caller
Law and Order.
Mike Ryan
Money's good.
Dan Le Batard
She does nothing outside of Law and Order. This her Broadway debut and it's a one woman show. We went to New York City to see Mariska Hargitay. And so we went and we saw the show on Saturday night. We're sitting on the stage, we're up closer. She said hello to my wife. Like it was a thrill for her. It was really great. And she was phenomenal. So we love her anyway. And then to see this, you know, a couple days later and how happy she is.
Louis (Video Guy)
It's really cool.
Dan Le Batard
So I was wondering, how is she not, how is she at the game? Because does she, does she, when they do the dates for the show because the show's every night. Do. Does she say, okay, no show these nights because maybe the Knicks are going to be in the NBA Finals? Like, how does she not miss the game?
Louis (Video Guy)
I would imagine months in advance, she tells the scheduling people there, I'm going to be going to these playoff games. So when that schedule comes out, I'm out those nights.
Dan Le Batard
I would have thought so also, but that's not true. So here's this, this anecdote from a couple of nights ago. Mariska Hargitay is such a devoted Knicks fan, she decided to sprint to Madison Square garden after a two show day on Broadway to make it to the 8:30pm tip off. Quote, I took four minutes. It was. We saw the show the other day. It was a little less than two hours. The show. I took four minutes off the running time of my show and I knew the traffic would be crazy, so I sprinted from the Hudson Theater on 44th and 6th to MSG. But I knew everything was going to be all right because I was wearing my Jalen Brunson Kobe 5 protos that Jalen gave me a few months ago. I'm not going to lie. The 10 block sprint after a two show day was no joke. End quote. I mean, how cute is she?
Louis (Video Guy)
Fan of the year?
Dan Le Batard
How you know, she, you know what?
Louis (Video Guy)
Worth a toast.
Dan Le Batard
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right.
Louis (Video Guy)
Worth A toast presented by Cuervo. Keep it fun. Keep it Cuervo. Just shout out to you great fan.
Listener/Caller
Those 10 blocks, those are New York blocks. Those are big blocks.
Dan Le Batard
I. I love her so much. Like, she. And I love that story because she is. She is a legit, hardcore Knicks fan. And. And I love seeing people like her, just huge fans who are experiencing this kind of joy for the very first time. And. Yeah. So just wanted to make sure.
Dave Damaschek
I thought it was great, too, Zaz. And I was so glad she could enjoy it with her best pal, Taylor
Dan Le Batard
sw. Well, she is. Look, she doesn't come up with the seating chart, all right? MSG put Taylor Swift next to Ms. Gargit. They're like, hey, these two will have some fun. We'll put them together.
Mike Ryan
But she had one of the.
Dave Damaschek
Swifty brought her a T shirt. She got her another. She got her one of the matching T shirts that she and the other ladies were wearing.
Dan Le Batard
That's right.
Mike Ryan
Good look.
Dan Le Batard
That's right.
Dave Damaschek
Big, big Knicks fans.
Dan Le Batard
That's right. I saw, by the way, tickets for tomorrow night in San Antonio. 50% of the tickets being bought have come from the New York, New Jersey area. That building is going to be packed with Knicks fans. They're gonna take over the arena.
Dave Damaschek
9,000 people are going to fly down from the New York Tri state. That's the. That's the assertion here.
Dan Le Batard
50% of the tickets have been scooped up by New York, New Jersey.
Mike Ryan
Plenty will fly down, but a lot of people are from New York. I imagine San Antonio has a lot of people with New York roots or people that are just Knicks fans.
Dan Le Batard
They're.
Mike Ryan
They're. They're a big brand.
Dan Le Batard
I told you. We went over the prices the other day. San Antonio ticket in San Antonio. Hotel airfare still half the price of a ticket into Madison Square Garden. So, yeah, I think the building tomorrow night is going to be flooded with blue.
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Date: June 12, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
This Local Hour dives into the South Florida sports and pop-culture scene, exploring everything from World Cup soccer quirks and NBA trade rumors to local traditions and quirky personal anecdotes. The crew—Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Roy, Chris, Tony, and West Coast correspondent Dave Damaschek—bounces between in-depth soccer analysis, playful banter, the ongoing NBA Finals, and classic Le Batard Show tangents. The titular segment “Your Neighbor’s Rice Smells Better?” springs from a cryptic tweet, serving as a lens on perception, envy, and sports fandom.
[03:17 – 06:11]
[06:11 – 09:06]
[10:30 – 18:50]
[22:11 – 29:44]
[29:44 – 35:43]
[39:12 – 44:50]
The show maintains its signature blend of irreverence, local color, and sharp sports takes, punctuated with self-mockery, genuine fan joy, and seamless segues between the ridiculous and the insightful.
You’ll walk away with:
Skip the ads, enjoy the ride—the neighbor's rice always smells better on The Dan Le Batard Show.