John Amaechi
Appearances
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: You Bet Your Sweet Bippy
You're listening to DraftKings Network.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: You Bet Your Sweet Bippy
Okay. I had a follow-up, but now I have like 10 more follow-ups. I guess I first want to start with when you rehearsed it, did you have like an actor with fake vomit that would fake vomit everywhere? And then you do like a whole cleanup thing?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: You Bet Your Sweet Bippy
But then how is your staff ready if it doesn't smell bad or if it's not like a biohazard? I feel like you're going to take different steps there to clean it up than if you just have fake water. I don't think you're doing your staff a service by having just water.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: Thank You, Tony Reali
You're listening to DraftKings Network.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: Thank You, Tony Reali
Earnestly, I want to say I grew up on the show and have been a huge fan. It's one of the reasons why I wanted to work in sports was because I watched this in PT. We met once in the street. I remember this. And that was when I was like four or five years ago. I think it was before.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: Thank You, Tony Reali
maybe right after I started working here, and I remember thinking, like, oh, my God, that was the coolest thing ever, that Tony Reale knew who I was just walking down the street in the Seaport. But earnestly, like, thank you. It's been incredible to watch, and I'm really grateful that the show existed when I was growing up, becoming a sports fan and then working in sports media.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: Thank You, Tony Reali
But on a less earnest note, Stugatz's spleen costume, one of the laziest costumes that I've ever seen. We have a picture of it here. He's just wearing, like, a red sheet over his head.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: Thank You, Tony Reali
No, but we need to talk about it. He's apparently in the running to be the next pope.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: Thank You, Tony Reali
How important was that part of the show to you, showing reporters from around the country, giving a point of view that might not be found on the other ESPN shows?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
So you know what, guys? My belief system is always this. If you don't have it right at QB1, what does it really matter? But by the same token, at the number two pick, to me, Abdul Carter is such an overwhelmingly talented player that it's hard for me to pass him by. When at number two... There are real questions then about the value of Shador in that slot in the draft.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
If they go and get him, I'm good with it, guys, because I got to get that position right. And let's face it, I'm not saying that he is this, but a year ago we didn't have Jaden Daniels doing what he's doing. Yeah. And you can go right down the line of other cases in the National Football League. So I'm good with either route.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
You know what, Dominic? My thing is, when I look at this lineup of teams, this is historic because the last time that we had it happen was 2008. And that's the only other time it's occurred. That being Memphis, Carolina, UCLA, and Kansas. Think about this. These four teams have a higher efficiency rating than 21 of the last 22 national champions. So I want to see the Clash of the Titans.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
I want to see the best teams play each other. And it's going to be fascinating to see this weekend in San Antonio where you have Duke, the most efficient offensive team in the country, against Houston, the best defensive team in the country. Where you have Auburn in Florida, and for the better part of the year, Auburn was the number one team in the country.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
They've been the number one the most weeks. But they lost the last time they met Florida, the only time they've met Florida this year. And it came at home inside Neville Arena. So there's a bunch of storylines. I truly believe this. We had it so good in the Cinderella Con the last couple of years. And while college sports is nuts and college basketball is wild, it's basketball, guys.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
This is not like football in the trenches where the comparable to a Cinderella meets the heavyweight and gets blasted at the line of scrimmage, and it's not a game. I think that Cinderella's carriage has stopped at the BP or the Shell. They're getting the gas tank up. And in 2026, we're going to see that carriage run right back through. I do believe that. But let's not –
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
Deny that sometimes when Cinderella has made it this deep in the dance, at some point, they even turn back into a pumpkin in the tournament. These four teams make for quite the weekend in San Ant.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
What do you mean? I didn't know if he did one. Does Maury read paternity test results? Oh, you're speaking my language. I love Maury. Do cows get milked? I mean, come on now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
Well, I had three of the final four. I wasn't going to go chalk, chalk, chalk, chalk. You know, I thought I did think it was funny that the people who did and everybody ripped them on. Look, you can't just go all chalk. But I did think the top of the country was overwhelmingly good. I thought Michigan State could end up making the magic happen and Izzo in his 30th year could get there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
I did okay. I thought UC San Diego was going to make a run in this tournament. You know, I talked with Dusty May about this. He's the head coach of Michigan. And he's like, when people say that the Cinderella thing is dead, he's like, UC San Diego was a possession away from beating us. Right. He's like, it's basketball, man.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
Like, wait, I've been on the other side of that at Florida Atlantic when we made the improbable run. You just simply never know what can happen in this thing. And that's why, like, think about this, fellas. Shouldn't Texas Tech be in the Final Four? They were up by nine with 251 to go in the game. Up by nine with 251. You wonder how the hell they lose that. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
A couple of guys who are willing to adapt and accept the fact that their team's on the clock from 2 to 5 every day and the other 21 hours of the day they're not because that's our world now. It just is. It's different. Different time, different place. And I think for a guy like Bruce Pearl, he figured out, you know what? My football program's one of the best things I got going.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
We're going to make money off that. We're going to have cash. I'm going to do my very best to energize the sport of basketball. We're in this climate right now where some of these basketball coaches, some of these football coaches like to get in some sort of a match where who's better, who's this, who's that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
I think Bruce has done a brilliant job of kind of just making it a celebration of Auburn sports. And he has adapted. And he's so open to doing media. He's willing to talk to people. These kids want to play for him. There's an energy around that. As for Kelvin Sampson, guys, I got to tell you, I'm amazed by the building job he has done. And I don't think anybody could have predicted this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
The last five years, they owned 15 NCAA tournament wins. That's two more than anybody else. They're staggeringly strong. I mean, multiple Final Four trips, two Final Fours, four Sweet 16s, three Elite 8s. This is at Houston, and they move into the Big 12. They only take one loss the entire Big 12. What do I credit for that?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
Kelvin, being an older coach, can say things and do things with his players that I don't know if coaches under 40 can do because I don't think it resonates and I don't think it comes through the way. It's a different generation. But it is interesting in college basketball where Tom Izzo –
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
a rick patino a kelvin sampson can do and say things that maybe the todd golden right can't or john shire aren't aren't saying in their practices but also there are many coaches who have quit because i think they thought that message would get lost in today's times and really the older generation still certain guys are still able to do it so it is a fascinating dichotomy
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
But I do think, fellas, we're in a world where we're going to continue to see the younger coaches step up and thrive because they want to be in this pro model, relate to the kids model.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
They recruit the families. They recruit the families. They tell the parents, here's what you're in for.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
It's a great question. Yeah, and I can give you an extra. I'll add an extra minute because you two have been fantastic. Oh, yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
It's Calvin Sampson because he's never won a national championship. I think when you haven't won a title, we're in this world, we're like, you have to back up your success with a ring. And it's like, well, it's six one-game tournaments, not one six-game. You've got to win six games in a row. He's preached his culture of toughness. People have given him flack at times for being limited offensively.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
It'd be an amazing story. I think it's his best chance to get that elusive title.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
Well, I think that it's an interesting tournament because it's coming during a week when a lot of people are still starving for basketball and are also starving to, you know, to get in on the action, if you will, watch these games and check out. Exactly, exactly. So I think in that respect, it's got some upside there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
You know, you get a game like Villanova UFC is a quarterfinal game in this tournament. Just going to be real with you guys. That's better than any game that we've had in the NIT from the brand perspective. So I think for them, between the games, between some of the star players, they're giving out NIL money. I think that NIL is only going to rise up, which is everything in college hoops.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
I think it's going to have staying power, and it's in Vegas.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
Yeah, that's crazy. That's crazy talking to me. It's SEC, ACC, and Big Ten coaches expressing and Big 12 coaches expressing this heavy concern because Big East programs are going to be able to dedicate more money from rev sharing. Okay, I'm sorry. SEC coaches have never made under-the-table deals. Yeah. Never pay cash? Come on now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
The Big East is set for success. The Big East has always had a spot on the table. But whether they have, come on, three, four final, that's not going to happen to that degree. The conference is in a good place because it values basketball. And in college basketball, it's going to continue. They've got big personalities, big-time coaches with Patino, with Hurley, and so on.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
That's what keeps the league going on top of its prioritizing of hoops. The SEC, the Big Ten, these other leagues, the concept, the idea, the thing put in the press that they're not going to have dollars, get the hell out of here. Let's go.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 1: An Extra Minute With John Fanta
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh. Come on now. We're the Cleveland Browns fan guy. Come on now. I'm waiting on my next quarterback here. I got the number two pick in the draft. Now, I don't know what we're going to do. I don't think Cam Ward's not going to be on the table for me, but hope springs eternal.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
Thanks for participating, Jess. Do you do the play-in games, Greg, when you do? You do the first four, or do you start, like, your bracket starts with, like, the winners are just plugged in? Yes.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
Jimmy Johns wouldn't love that, but I'm glad that you're taking a stand on that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
You can go Jay Williams and have all ones and two seeds in the Elite Eight.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
Listen to the underdogs. They gave us five sleepers that you could pick.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
I don't want Ethan to be happy. Ethan Badowski's Gators. If you were to kind of do like a scale, Your sports fandom, like what percentage is love and what percentage is based off of hate? That's a good question.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
Wow, look at that. Toast that right there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
I think I'm in a position where the teams I love are not succeeding. So right now my sports fandom is largely driven by hate.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
Oh, wow. That is such a great question.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Postgame Show: Let's Get Toasty
Hmm. Yeah. It's a good question. Let me think about this one. Miami.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Block M
Dallas. Dallas or analysis? See, I think it's Dallas, but that's too simple. Analysis? That's what I would have guessed. Wow, spot on. That would have been my guess. Formula. It's either formula, but having said that, I can't imagine a context in which Stugatz would have to say that word. Formidable.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Block M
Oh, no. Come on now. I've absolutely got nothing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Block M
Hermaphrodite? Yes, of course. Oh, there we go. Of course.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Block M
Is it most or is it, that's not my final answer. I'm going to go with missed. It's most.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Block M
You made your own decisions. I'm sorry. That was robbed.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
This is the Don Levitard Show with the Stugatz.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
You have not won. Debatable. Maybe a couple. This is the problem. Anyway, I've won many times.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
Is this the easy one that we're starting off with? This is the easy one.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
That's not fair to go this hard. One more time, one more time, one more time.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
Plumber? No, I've got nothing. I think Plumer, but that's all I can hear. Plumber?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
Roy got it right. Hey!
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
No, it just sounds like a frog.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
Everything's fine. Pizzit. Pizzit. Pizzit. Pieces? Is it one word or two words? One word. Pizzit. Pizzit.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
This is the same swamp scene. The frog is outside. That is a mosquito hitting one of those electrical things.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
He's got his nuts in a vice or something.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
You're going to lose. Thank you for this word. Thank you for being my friend.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
That's because I've won many times. He's very competitive. Listen, I'm fine. All right, number three. Dot. Dot. Dot. Dot. This isn't fair. That's not a full word. Is that one word or two? It's one word. How is that going to be two words? No, no, no. Don't do that. Don't gaslight me about this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
We've had many times where there's been an utterance that sounds like he's been shocked, and it's ended up being a complete sentence. Dot. Dot.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
And then just occasionally a mosquito getting hit in the background.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
That's exactly right. That's exactly right. You got a guess here? Down to business. Dot, dot, dot.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
That's not fair. No, but listen to what he's saying. Even when you give me the sentence, I didn't know that was doctor.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
I don't understand how he can make the noise. That's the piece that's odd because it's almost like I need to see his lips moving to know. How do you make that? What happens to you?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
It's bouncing around on the ground. It's just a very happy frog.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
What two words did you say? Is a. Oh, no. The is is not in there. Danism is a more relaxed person. In the small sound he played, is is not in there. Danism is a more relaxed person. You've missed a piece of it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
He absolutely does not. I would have been on the bench. He would have been on scoring and I would have been on the bench.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
I think I may have been last year in Orlando.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
One of the two of us talking has a statue, and the other one does not.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
That's why I beat his ass. I noticed that Tony is not brave enough to suggest he could beat you in one-to-one.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
This is the Dan Levitar Show with the Stugatz Podcast.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
I feel like that's a pretty indicative matchup.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Dirk Nowitzki And Stump The Meech
What's amazing about that is that that 2.3 points, that must be almost higher than my actual average. It is.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
I mean, it's not about who's right. Almost everything this man is talking about is the gaps in his knowledge. He's reading papers. He's not there in medical rooms with him. And I don't know whether... Joel is kind of phoning it in or not. I can't tell.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
But when anybody utters a sentence, well, you know, we can talk about his injuries, but and then they want to talk about the way he holds his face as if that ameliorates whether he's actually injured or not. It's just ridiculous to me. Plus, the thing I just find distasteful about this man is the fact that he replaces reason with volume.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
Any time he thinks his argument is lacking, he just gets louder. And to me, that is the sign of the belligerent drunk at the end of the bar, not a kind of seasoned reporter on this type of stuff. So you're saying he had a dry take? Okay, that's got to be one of those buzzers. It's got to be. What are you talking about? I wasn't even talking about alcohol. Instantly. Instantly, it's got to be.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
The penalty starts.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
He's a good broadcaster, I'll grant you that. He's the greatest. The GOAT. The GOAT. Okay, I wouldn't know what to compare him with. He's uncomparable. Yeah. Okay, good. No comparison. No comp. Again, he can be really good at something. Most of my Twitter feed at the moment is me arguing that people who are very good at what they do are also terrible people.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
So you can be both things at the same time. And to me, I'm always amused by tiny people who like to say that seven-footers are soft, but only when the seven-footer is a continent away. He's in Philly, though. I'll tell John to be into his face. See, everybody says that until they're in the room. So it's interesting to me.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
The closest we've got here is the gentleman here who wanted to challenge me to a basketball game and insisted I wouldn't be able to back him down. We've got the court upstairs, by the way. He still wants it. He still wants it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
There's a slight. There's a W. It seems like you're spelling it with. It's a speech impediment. It's temporary. It'll go away. Leave the poor man.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
He didn't interrupt. It's just we're so cavalier about, you know, if you sit out to protect yourself and get injured, why don't you just get in and get injured? That's an incredibly cavalier approach to somebody whose entire career and life and livelihood depends on his ability to prolong this. No job should have a body count. No job should leave you unable to function in your old age.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
And we've no idea what the impact of these repeated injuries will be on him. I pulled my back playing paddle the other day. It's six weeks ago. And even now, I'm on 2,000 milligrams of some ungodly anti-inflammatory just so I can walk and sit. MARK BLYTH, And you think you can back me down? MARK BLYTH, We've got Tony now. MARK BLYTH, There are difficult jobs, and then there are lightweights.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
And you are in that latter category.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
It's just annoying. I agree with you. I am on the front end. I've never watched him. I haven't watched him play, frankly. Oh, you'd be so annoyed with him, dude. That thing about if he is flopping on the floor, then there's a legitimate target for the irritation that people have in that action and saying, why haven't you changed that?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
But the targeting of the fragility or not of his body as if we can all understand what it is to carry the amount of weight. Have you noticed the number of big guys who just don't make it that long? The number of league players, people I played with who popped their clogs, far earlier than you can imagine. And so...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
I'm not that cavalier about the health of people who I know already have shortened blood.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
I was definitely considered soft, but it was for all the wrong reasons, right? It was because of the way I talked. The only reason I have a goatee is because my team said, if I'm going to talk this way, I need to have something that at least shows something. I agree. This is part of the problem with, I mean, I'm listening to this and I don't understand the context, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
I don't watch very much of football, of your football, or my football, actually. But it's just, the language, it seems like it's being chosen because it's purposefully denigrating of the masculinity of the people on the teams. When you could just, if what you mean is,
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
you think their effort level is lower than it should be for someone who is not injured and paid that much, then let's target that because I think that's really legitimate. The idea that you would have people who are paying a disproportionate amount of their salary to either pay to watch ridiculously priced cable or to be in a stand and watch you and you're not giving everything, no, unacceptable.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
But to me, the idea that soft is the language we use for when we mean something different, say what we mean, and then you can actually get to the heart of the problem.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
i am here with what looks like a truly horrified john amici uh you don't understand what just happened there with my father and 50 shades of poppy right no that was madness it that was madness who thinks of this that's the part that's amazing to me who thinks of this and says that's what we'll do that combination of things and the visuals the exploding watermelon Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
It's a hugely bad choice. Thank you. What's wrong with Fridays? That's a great question. What's wrong with a Friday? I was wondering the same thing. I thought today was Friday until right now. Let's just do this knowing that the pain on... I mean, I've seen some colleagues in here. It is not a fun day for some people right now. Low energy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
Low energy and also just that face that says, I'm like a millimeter from vomiting in a bucket. That type of thing. That's fine for me.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
See right through me. I'm a vegan now. Sorry, you were dry again? Yes. Okay, good. Good to know. This is one of those vegan things. I have to tell you. God damn it. Minor penalty, two minutes for boring.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
Or just people take it for granted that you can't bring a plus one.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
Well, what's right is having a decision that you make that everybody knows, right? So either everybody knows it's plus ones or everybody knows it's not plus ones. I think no plus ones. We just had our holiday party on a Friday, by the way. On a Friday. Novel.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
So that people can be pained on their own time. Right. Which I think is better.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
That does seem a bit convenient. Why don't you just make a rule about this? Well, there is a rule.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
Except for Dan.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Local Hour: Are The Titans Soft? Feat. John Amaechi
No plus ones. No plus ones. It's the work family together. Chance to let your hair down. That's it. Hear that, Izzy?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
The Dan Levitard Show with Stu Gatz is sponsored by BetterHelp. Who's in your support system and how have they changed your life? Think about your favorite leaders, mentors, idols. They don't all have the answers, but they do know when to ask for help. In a world that glorifies hyper independence, we sometimes forget that we thrive with support.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
We're stronger, healthier, and more resilient when we have people to lean on. Therapy is one of the best ways to build that support system. It helps with positive coping skills, setting boundaries, and becoming the best version of yourself. Here's the thing, therapy isn't just for those who've experienced major trauma. It's for everybody.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
Whether you're facing a big life transition, feeling overwhelmed, or just want to grow, therapy can help. That's where BetterHelp comes in. With over 30,000 credentialed therapists, you can find somebody who truly understands you. It's fully online, making therapy accessible, affordable, and convenient. No waiting rooms, no long commutes, just the support you need.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
whenever and wherever you need it. And by the way, if you ever feel like switching therapists, it's no cost to you whatsoever. Build your support system with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash D-L-B today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash D-L-B.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
Close enough for this conversation. So you don't like pepperonis, Chris? I'm colorblind. Ooh, pepperonis. Pepperonis are obviously red. Have we talked about that? No.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
The Dan Levitard Show with Stu Gatz is sponsored by BetterHelp. Who's in your support system and how have they changed your life? Think about your favorite leaders, mentors, idols. They don't all have the answers, but they do know when to ask for help. In a world that glorifies hyper independence, we sometimes forget that we thrive with support.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
We're stronger, healthier, and more resilient when we have people to lean on. Therapy is one of the best ways to build that support system. It helps with positive coping skills, setting boundaries, and becoming the best version of yourself. Here's the thing, therapy isn't just for those who've experienced major trauma. It's for everybody.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
Whether you're facing a big life transition, feeling overwhelmed, or just want to grow, therapy can help. That's where BetterHelp comes in. With over 30,000 credentialed therapists, you can find somebody who truly understands you. It's fully online, making therapy accessible, affordable, and convenient. No waiting rooms, no long commutes, just the support you need.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
whenever and wherever you need it. And by the way, if you ever feel like switching therapists, it's no cost to you whatsoever. Build your support system with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com slash D-L-B today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp, H-E-L-P dot com slash D-L-B.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
There's levels to it. It's not like, hey, I was highly ranked. I didn't make the All-American game. It was like, no, no, no. I was him. Nobody was better than I was.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
I was the best player at Duke.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
And another one. Extra million for you, Niall.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
I don't know if we're ready to have the conversation. DK Metcalf's really athletic, but not that good.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
You could have answered at least. You would have gotten this question answered.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
I mean, being a media member, being a podcaster, obviously the last thing that J.J. Reddick did was podcasting. If you were given the keys to a kingdom in an NBA setting and being the head coach, how would you be? Would you be the flippin' asshole that you hate? Would you morph into something different? I'd be J.J. Reddick.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
Oh, finally, Dan. We'll get to that another day. Oh, my goodness. I do want to get to that. Red Foods are killing us, by the way. Yeah.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Iffen He Gets Plagarized...
There it is. It's actually his first name, DKlin. So it's like D-E, then K. So that's where the DK comes from.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Show With The Regional Legend
Okay, excellent. I'm trying to get the bit first. Are you looking? He's trying to look.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Show With The Regional Legend
Yeah, that's not good. Oh, damn it, Mike. This is not good. This is not good. My God. Well, I hate that take, Tony, so you can look at that, please.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Show With The Regional Legend
I think it's that.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Show With The Regional Legend
Pitbull Field, I thought.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: The Show With The Regional Legend
It is disgusting.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Yeah, we'll start yesterday, Roy. First of all, thanks for having me on the hockey show. I like your cute little cartoon caricatures with their hockey helmets. It's lovely. Thanks. Thank you. Love it. Love it. But yeah, Cornell yesterday with that big, shocking win. I thought Michigan State was the most dependable team to get to the Frozen Four. Play a pretty simple style. Really good goaltender.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Well coached. But, you know, Cornell was going at the right time. They have a little inspiration. Their coach announced his retirement before the season, Mike Schaefer. So every game could be his last. So sometimes that can carry a team emotionally. A little extra effort. Every inch of the ice is protected. And they got the job done. Western Michigan had a really good year this year, 30 wins.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I think Pat Firstweiler, their head coach, could be an NHL candidate for a few teams if they're looking for a fresh start and a good coach who's obviously can inspire people. He took over for Andy Murray. You remember that name for a long time, NHL head coach for the Kings. He went to Western Michigan. Pat took over for him. He's done a great job there. They squeaked by Minnesota State.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
So you have a really exciting day. And BU with an 8-3 win over Ohio State. Sometimes those hockey games go sideways. So that can happen, especially in the tournament when everyone's wired tightly and then things don't go your way and it just kind of collapses. And so that can happen. Today, looking forward to it. Beautiful day here in New Hampshire.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I have the number one overall seed, Boston College Eagles.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
ryan leonard washington capital fans are excited about him uh he was their eighth overall pick a couple of drafts to go will likely win the hobie baker for best college hockey player we'll get to see him in person today at a nice small intimate rink here in manchester playing bentley which is just located outside boston and waltham massachusetts first time they've ever been here bentley and so that's always a fun story to watch them and then you mentioned defending champs now the pioneers they play providence who hasn't been here since 2019 this is the 10th
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
year anniversary of them winning their first and only natty in 2015 against jack eichel and bu in 2015 providence finally back after a 2019 appearance that's when they lost in buffalo in the frozen four and so they're back so providence this is the eight nine matchup so mathematically it's the best closest matchup but i really like that penn state main game i think that's the best first round game we have that's in allentown the place will be packed obviously it's close to penn state big advantage
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
For Penn State, a little disadvantage for Maine. They're a number one seed. They've got to basically play a road game. But they travel well. They should have a couple thousand fans there themselves. So it won't be like a 95-5 or 90-10 crowd. But it still should be 80-20, 75-25. But that's a really exciting first-round matchup.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Maybe for them personally, but maybe not quite with the fan base. Obviously, Johnny hasn't been there for 12 years when he played Matthew 11. But, yeah, the last time they won the national championship was 2012. That was Johnny Goudreau's amazing year in Tampa, Florida, that amazing goal that he had late in the game that punctuated that win.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Obviously, he and his brother Matthew, just awful, just saddest hockey story imaginable this past summer. And they lost another member of the family as well, a 40-year-old died of a heart attack. So they have three – Three initials on their uniform. And it's been on the board there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
We did a really good, we did a nice hour-long feature, hour-long show on preceding the tournament and previewing the tournament with really good E60 features, beautifully done. Probably the best college hockey telecast that's ever been done because of the E60 strength behind it. And we did a beautiful feature on it. It's on ESPN+. I highly recommend college hockey fans and hockey fans to watch it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Feature on Jimmy Snuggerud, feature on Trey Augustine, feature on Denver's as well and its feature on the Gaudreau brothers and Tony Bosa and how they're honoring them this year. So yeah, that gives you an idea. There is a cause for sure for the players and they feel it. It's emotional. And don't forget, they lost last year in the national championship game 2-0 to Denver.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
If they win today and Denver wins today, that's our rematch here in Manchester on Sunday. So it's right there. The other problem facing a team like Boston College and other teams that have NHL prospects, do they have one foot out the door? As soon as Boston College loses, Ryan Leonard will be at Washington Capital two days later playing for them. And he's going to sign a contract.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
He's going to get his big rookie bonus. He's going to start making his $800,000 a year, although there's only a couple paychecks left this year. But so that's the problem when you have these teams like that. I get it when you're 19, 20 years old, how they always say, I'm not thinking about that. I'm compartmentalizing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
But I know I would have thought about it when I was 19 years old with zero money in my checking account. So so, you know, that's that's the big challenge with these hyper, you know, talented teams. You mentioned, you know, obviously, Leonard James Hagan is going to be a top five pick in the draft this summer. So he can't go anywhere. Gabriel Perot is a Ranger first-round pick.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
We'll see if he goes. I think he should come back one more. But, yeah, that's the issue. Same with Denver and Zeev Booyam, who will be in Minnesota's lineup as a big-time defenseman. So that's the issue with these young teams and why a team like Cornell, an older team, and Bentley even, an older team, this is it for them.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
This is the highlight of probably their hockey careers where these other prospects have the NHL to kind of get distracted by.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Leonard and Booyam. Leonard more so because he's a forward. Booyam, a defenseman. That's hard. An 18-year-old defenseman coming right into the league. You know, these guys are big, strong men in the corner. And now he's offensively dynamic. He's absolutely a sensational player to watch. He breaks people down like few hockey players do.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I always compare it to like Allen Iverson, you know, crossover dribble. He breaks people down like he's on a tennis shoes, you know, Rasmus style lane of Buffalo, you know, Quinn Hughes of Vancouver does it, you know, obviously kale McCarr that they can break people down one-on-one. He can, he can do that. And so he's in that kind of class offensively. Defensively, it'll be a little tougher.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
So I would say Ryan Leonard, to go to a good team, they can pick his spot, pick his slot where he can maybe be comfortable. And so he would be the one that we're going to see in Washington's lineup as a depth guy. We'll see how, you know, they might realize, you know what?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
He's kind of, you know, he plays a different game in college, gets a lot of breakaways, little Pavel Bure center ice logo hanging around to get those little cherry picking, you know, try to get those plays. Got to play a little more honest 200-foot game in the Stanley Cup playoffs for our Stanley Cup contenders. So he'll need to make that quick adjustment. I think he can. He's wired for this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
And I think he'll be the guy who makes the biggest impact right away. But over time, there's plenty of people who will make their presence felt in the NHL.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Yeah, I think the votes are due after this weekend's games. And there'll be a final three. So whoever gets the three highest vote totals become the final three. And then they go to the show on the Friday in St. Louis in between the Frozen Four games. and they'll have the half-hour show on NHL Network, and then they'll unveil the winner.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
And I'm pretty sure the top three is going to be Leonard, William, and Howard. It might be Snuggerud. It would be close. You know, Hobie Baker likes when people come back for their third year like Snuggerud did, obviously heartbreakingly lost last night in overtime, a game they should have won against UMass. The grandfather played for the Gophers. The dad played for the Gophers.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
And one of the stories that we did on that East 60 show on ESPN plus was, you know, just trying to, they, they also had heartbreaking losses in the tournament. He was hoping to be the first Snugger to finally get it done. And this team is stacked. Minnesota has the most NHL players on it who future NHL players.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
We might see six next week, you know, Renzel with the Blackhawks Snugger with the blues will probably play. Now Oliver Moore might be playing for the Chicago Blackhawks as well. So, They are loaded up and down the lineup, but Snugroot couldn't get it done. So it might be Snugroot, Howard, but I really do think it'll be Howard, Leonard, and Booyam.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
And I do think that Leonard in the end will win the Hobie Baker. Hobie likes goals. He has 29 to lead the league. And all these stats keep counting. So, you know, he's the current leader. And so these stats count right to the end of the tournament. So I think Leonard will win it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
um friday which made me interesting like if bc doesn't make it he goes to the capitals like he might not be able to be at the ceremony which kind of stinks i get it you know but maybe they're off that day i didn't check their schedule um but maybe they can zip them in zip them out uh to you know to get that picture next to the hobie big it's a cool trophy you know the names who are starting to win it recently are like nhl guys too you know carol mccard jack eichel it's a it's a cool trophy to win again much like heisman trophy it's a
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
It's a cool one to have forever. So I think Leonard will win it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Ohio. Ohio in the house. Ohio. That team was loaded. What a game it was to tie the game on a shootout and then win it. What a game. That legendary performance by Mark Johnson. And who wants it when he called it? Who wants the penalty shot? Raise the hand. Go out and score. That was great television as well.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Yeah, he was the best player in that team. Had a really good career, too, in the NHL. Almost a point-for-game guy. I did a column on ESPN.com a few years ago, and I gave my top 20 all-time American-born players. And at the time, I had him like 19 because of the Miracle on Ice, because of his success in college, and a solid NHL career, almost point-for-game.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I had Mark Johnson in my top 20 all-time born USA players.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Big one. He had the big one late in the period, right? He was their best player throughout the tournament and now amazing women's coach at Wisconsin, just piling up the national championships.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
She can fire the puck. Unbelievable how she can fire. She's going to play defense on that team, Roy. She's normally a forward for Wisconsin, but they're – They're going to put her as a defenseman, so she's pretty versatile.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
You make a bunch of them, and then you just go with one.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
We have cleared this up. I wrote my original ESPN.com column saying, I think Alex Levesque can break this record in February of 2010. He came to ESPN to shoot one of those Vista Sports Center commercials, the Russian spy one.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Great spot. And so at the time, I was writing my hockey column for .com once a week. I did it from 01 to 2017, about 16 years. A lot of work. Paid me like 500 bucks a week. I was so underpaid. So I figured, you know what, I can ask him a few questions. I'll kind of piggyback on this little shoot.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I heard he was coming, and I brought it up, and he looked at me like I had 10 heads because he's 24 years old at the time. He's been in the league for four years. But my point was he had such a big –
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
broad you know foundation got off to a great start uh for goals and he just looks like the kind of guy who was going to get hurt like lebron never got hurt and then here we are so and then yeah then 2015 i um so i kind of i think that's when david amber first mentioned it to elliot freeman hey ask ob about the record maybe and so yeah we've texted me and ray farrell have texted elliot to clear up because it's right on the interwebs
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
And, you know, Butcher Grasso, Ovechkin, Gretzky, it'll come up there. And I kind of forecasted each age from 24 on when he could break the record. I was very reasonable in my projections, you know, like when he was 36. Well, Brett Hall had like a 39 goal season. So why can't he? Age 37, Phil Esposito had like 38. Well, he could do that then.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I was kind of historical comparisons all the way to age 40. And I actually reached the point where like, holy crap, this guy's going to score like a thousand goals.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
forget the record the record was never a question to me i thought it was more less likely um you know it was more likely he would score a thousand that he would not break the record you know and i'm still going to stick with that if he decides to play you know three more years he's going to get a thousand goals so yeah 2010 was the original column and then yeah then i made a few predictions about when and i yeah i think i've deleted all those tweets that were wrong and saved the one that was closest
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
I've always thought he's done a good job really assimilating himself right from his rookie year to the NHL, even America, even the culture, even like he would do in local ads as soon as he became a capital. He was goofy. When the Russians first came into the league, actually going back to Miracle on Ice, you mentioned Mark Johnson, how dour they were. Of course, their lives were terrible.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Hockey Show: Talkin Cawlidge Hawkey With Bucci
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
And he's not afraid to make fun of himself. And so for me, I remember early on, like, yeah, there's a lot of potential with this guy here. As long as he allows us to make fun of him.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
It's funny you say that because you and I didn't know each other when we started doing the show. But Dan and I, and I told people this a lot, we took the time to get to know each other. Dan and I really took some time, as did Mike. Mike and I spent some time getting to know each other as well. That's important because you're right. These successful shows are relationship shows.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Dan, we did a lot of growing on air together, but we did take some time and have some conversations that allowed the show to be better because we got to know each other a lot.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
They don't realize, listeners, how important the hard network out is to ESPN.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I just want to give you a sample of what Greg Cody sounded like, which set us all off in a panic, everyone except for Greg Cody, because he's old and he's stubborn and refuses to go to the doctor. So that's what you sounded like for the better half of a month. Now, me, Dan, everyone, we told you repeatedly to go to the doctor. You ignored us.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
You finally went to the doctor and the results of your visit to the doctor were, were what?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
It was the hard network out. But now that I'm thinking about it and, you know, feeding Greg Cody's vanities and his ego and all that stuff. And Greg, you know, he likes it to be about Greg. The Vegas show we did at the Circa. Oh, wow. Just to see him sing on stage and perform in front of Wu-Tang, in front of Wayne Newton, for Greg, yeah, the Hee-Haw 3.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
That's as happy as I've seen Greg Cody in as many years as he's been doing this. You know what?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Wait a second. This is a good idea because how much would Greg Cody love his own episode?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
And he has no idea that you paid him.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I mean, I was taking care of booking guests at this time in the show's history. You were helping out, yeah. High-end accounts. Yes, yes. Top-line accounts. Listen, you give me Dan Levitard, I'll get some good guests. You give me a Stan Van Gundy, and forget about it. We'll get Greg Popovich. We'll have Coach K on whenever we want.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Yeah, but you know what I found? Is that we were getting different coaches. Relax. Like a different Greg Popovich. Not because he was talking to Dan and me. Because he was talking to Stan. Stan gave him license. It's like Stan knighted us. If Stan thinks these guys are cool, then they're good with me. Remember the Tom Thibodeau we got?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
But this is not your normal head coach. This is a head coach who has opinions on other sports, on things inside of sports, outside of sports, politics. So many political opinions. And just a warm and gentle man. I love that man so much.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Am I wrong, Stan? Abaka seems a lot better this year than he was last year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
So, Mike, mine is a weird one only because it was significant in that Stan, I realized right then and there, Stan understood the show and didn't have much of an ego when it came to doing media. Maybe he does as a coach.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
But when it came to doing media, Dan gave him the choice of listening to a mocked up graduation speech I did for the Connecticut School of Broadcasting or to talk about some serious NBA stuff. I think it was Stan's Nuggets. Dan gave him the choice. Stan did not let Dan finish the sentence before he said, you better go to that graduation speech.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
He knew what our audience wanted, which is pretty special considering what Stan Van Gundy has done with his life and his career. He wanted me. He didn't want him. He wanted me. And that was cool.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
With all these people, because I remember as each one came in, and I'm sorry to cut you off there, Mike, I remember thinking to myself, how am I going to be when this particular person is in every week? How do I have to change my game? And so it was kind of challenging from that regard with Stan Van Gundy.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Bomani, for me, I don't know if there's anyone who's better at this in the entire industry, but holy shit, was I intimidated. I was.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Not physically, his body.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I can make the argument that he's the James Baldwin of sports media. It was interesting because a lot of these guest co-hosts would come in and they were so excited to be part of the show. But, you know, to meet me, to meet Dan, to meet you, to meet the shipping container. But they were always hesitant in terms of how were they going to fit in. They didn't want to speak. Not Bomani.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
When Bomani came into our studio, it was his show for the day. I don't know if Dan liked that. It was how do we work around Bomani. Mina was working around us. We were from the first show working around Bomani Jones. I don't know how you experienced that, but it was definitely different than all the other co-hosts because Bomani is so confident.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
And he's like, hey, if I'm sitting in your studio, I got the best shit and I'm giving the best shit to your audience.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
They were vastly different.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I think of all the guest co-hosts, Bomani, in all the right ways, by the way, was the most challenging for us. The second Bomani started speaking on our show, I was like, yeah, your shit is better than my shit. And Bomani didn't care that I was trying to fit into a little window. If he had something to say, he was going to say it. So it was just an adjustment period. And Bomani understood.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I would talk to him a lot during the breaks just to kind of get our timing down. But he's He spoke so quickly and so intelligently and he filled so much time that it did give me and Mike time to kind of sharpen our sense of humors and how are we going to get out of this particular conversation. But Mike was so good with your character. And he was great with my character, yes.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Bomani got that. I think Dominique Foxworth was the first guest co-host to realize, hey, I don't need to be on Dan's side. I need to be on Stu's side. Like, that's the popular side to be on. I think Bomani figured that out. I think Bomani did too, yes. Yeah, Bomani figured that out.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
But Dan was always, and so I don't know if I've ever asked you this. I have wondered it before. You were always, usually are the smartest person in the room. And in walks Bomani, as you said earlier, younger, better, smarter. How did that impact you? Because those shows were tricky for you as well.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I'll make you a bigger star. That's right.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Correct me if I'm wrong. You didn't realize he was gay even after he told you to meet him at a gay bar. Is that... That is correct.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I just didn't have any knowledge. Mike, I remember dorking out when you told me Meech was coming on. I'm like, the guy who played at Penn State? We scored the first points. That guy's coming on our show.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
A gigantic human being. But I was so proud of the show from a production standpoint because I don't fit into that conversation. So how are we going to do something with me? And Mike, it was really your idea. You guys, you and Billy, I think. And it was fantastic. Like, how am I going to be a part of a conversation with Dan and John and Meech? Well, I'm not.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
John, I mean, listen, I take a flamethrower to the English language.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Speak it as spew it. It's a compliment. I mean, that's amazing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
She's one of the most confident people I have ever met in my entire life.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
What was amazing about Sarah, Mike is right, Dan is right. Like she came in, she sided with Dan. They were pounding me. That never feels good. It doesn't feel good for me. It doesn't feel good for the audience who was very protective. And I appreciate that. But Sarah learned and she got it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
So she showed her willingness to be produced, to let the guard down and to take on the role of commissioner, to do some things with me that were funny. And now we're teaming up and we're going to get Stan. She gets it. She gets this industry, but she is so good at it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
And I think in terms of all the guest co-hosts, Sarah came in and she was the one I think early on who got the most amount of criticism. She turned our audience completely around. She's beloved.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Mike, I'm glad you said that because we're doing this for our audience and they're very loyal and the audience should know that. Like Amin, there is no guest co-host we've ever had on that understood and got the show and listened to the show more than Amin had before he set foot into our studio. And then just to kind of elaborate on what it is you just said, when we left ESPN, Amin left ESPN.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Yeah. Amin has been a blessing to us. He has worked hard. He has been great. He's always been there for both me and Dan and for Mike as well and for the show and for the audience. He truly cares about this cast of characters and he cares about the people who listen to it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
What's the single most important thing the Eagles have to do to beat the Patriots?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
So get to Brady with four is what it sounded like.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I love her. She's fantastic. She is the first of all the co-hosts, the one who was most excited to meet me and the quickest to jump into the Stugatz world was Mina Kimes. And I will never forget that. Like from day one, she was like, this is the side I'm on. I want to be with this guy. I would work with her on hot takes. But we should also say this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Mina, had she never walked into our studio and never met any of us, Mina would still be at the same place that she is right now. We are not taking credit for her career.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Do I have to apologize to Barry now? Public.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I remember Mina telling me what she likes so much about coming down to South Beach and doing the show with us because TV is so rigid and you can't really show your personality and she said this is a place where my full personality can come out I am quirky I am a little bit dumb like in terms of street smarts but I'm very book smart she used to tell me it was so refreshing for her and I think that's a common theme through all of the guest co-hosts this was a space where if I'm acting the way I'm acting you're acting the way you're acting
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I just sent him two speeding tickets, though. He's defending me.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
This is a space where they could just be themselves.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
But he has a football to send him.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I think there are some guest co-hosts that Dan brought to us, and there are some that we brought to Dan. This is one that we brought to Dan, right? Mike and I were constantly telling him, Marty, Marty, this guy, he's always got a football on his hand. He's always throwing around a football. We had him on the White House lawn throwing a football to somebody. He got kicked off the White House lawn.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I want someone, rather than do like a 10 yard like in route, I want someone to go deep because there's a lawn behind you and there's a couple of trees and I want to see Marty fling the pill. Marty, I want him to go deep, like deep on the White House lawn. I want him going deep, like 40 yards out, like make those trees behind you. That's the end zone. That's where I want him to go. All right.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Nice, a skinny post. Yeah, go ahead. Skinny post. Marty's taking the jacket off.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
That's amazing. Dimes. We're dropping dimes around here. Can someone else throw the ball to you? Can you go out for a pass on the lawn? I'd like to see you go out for a pass and have one of your guys and your staff throw you the ball. Is that possible?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
So I agree with you that he is funny. My criticism is not of Barry. It's for you bringing on Barry and putting him in a ridiculously difficult position. You're not making it up. I'm just trying to spin it. No, I know, but I'm trying.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Marty is such a genuine, kind man, and he loves our show so much.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Feedback on everything. Everything, right? Interpersonal feedback. Yeah, feedback on whether or not I'm being a good person or not. Fundamentally decent person, and you're right, rolled with anything that we would do. I know Dan has a special relationship with Izzy. Mine has really blossomed in the last four years. He is such a warm, introspective, caring person.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
He has been such a positive in my life. Not on the air. I'm doing fine on the air. Off the air, I needed it. I needed someone like Israel in my life, and I've gotten it. And his advice is always spot on. He's amazing.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
What I have found with Izzy is I'm upset because I haven't had Izzy in my life longer, to be quite honest with you. But, Mike, you would agree he's one of the few. He could sit in Dan's seat, and he could sit in my seat, correct?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Mike will laugh, though, because I dorked out the same way when I heard with Meech. I was like the guy who played at Penn State. Dominique, four-time Pro Bowler? Are you kidding, Mike? We're going to have him in studio? Broncos, Ravens? With a guest I can get for Dominique. I realized we didn't need guests with Dominique. I realized he was just so good on his own. But again, I said this earlier.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
He was the first one, and I think he kind of set the tone for the rest of the guest co-hosts that kind of sided with me. He perfected it. He perfected it. He can go toe-to-toe with Dan. Dan would acknowledge that. He's every bit as smart, if not smarter, than Dan is. What's so funny is when he knows he can and he checks out on that entirely and he'd rather do the foolishness with you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Until this day. And I will just get a text from Dominique that simply says, love you. It means so much to me to get that, and they usually come at the absolute best time as if he's eavesdropping on my entire life. I need it. He gives it to me. It's two words. It means so much to me. I send it back to him.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
He is so great and so talented, and he should be doing something more productive with his time than this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
They all owe me a big thank you. Maybe they are smart, but perhaps they're not as smart as we think they are. They were sitting next to me. You're welcome. It helps.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
people who are in commerce honest okay what did you do yesterday with jet blue what did you do it was a long day i flew up tuesday after the show and on jet blue and the flight was delayed by the way and that was the fourth consecutive flight i've taken on jet blue that has been delayed so i flew up last night then yesterday picked up my daughters from camp uh and then immediately from the bus we went back to jfk airport which is a very busy airport but we went back there
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
and we were getting ready for a 4.30 JetBlue flight. Well, flight was delayed, 518. That's the fifth consecutive flight that I've been on with JetBlue that has been delayed. So we finally board the flight at around 518, and then the pilot comes on and says, you're going to be sitting here. We can't even leave the dock until 6 o'clock.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Oh, I do this. I've done this. Yes. And Dan, it started with the at JetBlue experience. Always delayed, but we have TVs and a basket full of snacks. I'm with you 100%. Thank you.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
This is why you should do these things. This is why. Well, the net result for me, and Bomani's right, and I'm glad that you're on my side with this one, is JetBlue emailed me. I mean, we went back and forth for a while. And at one point, whoever's controlling JetBlue's Twitter feed, they said, hashtag, hang in there. And I responded, hashtag, you hang in there.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Well, no, because they gave me the option. We'll refund the flight here, or we'll give you future free flights. I'm trying to decide which one I want.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
And here's what else gets me. It's on the way to New York, the plane was actually there. It was ready to go. You know who wasn't there? The crew. Why? Because they were coming in from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Do me a favor. Have the same crew on the same flight all damn day.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I tell Dan, man, you just got to deliver it with confidence.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Listen, let's get away from this with my inability to speak. Yes. All right? Yes.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
But if he learns it, he'll be worse for the show. We want him to stay where he is right now.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Bad, but good. Good, bad, I guess. Which was our show. Yes, but it made Dan relax. Like having his presence, and I realized that pretty early on, and that was important for both of us, Mike, to have Dan as relaxed as he could be all the time, right? That was a big deal. Greg does that. He did it. He does it now, is a more relaxed person when Greg Cody He is in here.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
You got the hardware.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
And I am so thankful that Dan has brought Greg into my life in this environment over the last four years, which have been tricky both on and off the air for me personally. One of the great things that has happened is the relationship I've developed with Greg Cody. He is a wonderful man. He is a great guy. He is. But he made Dan comfortable. And that's noticeable even until today.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
On Tuesdays, Dan is a more relaxed person than he is any other day of the week.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
This might be it.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
So, Dan, how did you navigate that? Because that's interesting. Greg is one of your best friends and he comes in and your executive producer that you trust is saying, hey, this isn't very good. The only way to make this good is by highlighting just how bad he is, which not many people want to do. I'm OK with it or I have been OK with it for the most part. Greg sometimes isn't even super OK. Greg.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
So how did you navigate? Was there ever a discussion there with Greg about, hey, this is the way we need to do the show with you to work around you?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
Mm-hmm. How long did your son know about the gala? Like how long in weeks?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
I was talking out loud about this.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Oral History of the Dan Le Batard Show: Episode 9
But I remember thinking to myself, this works. And it works for two reasons. Dan's more relaxed. Dan's happier. That's obvious. But Greg fit in. Like our audience, they embrace that. They embrace mistakes. We're a bunch of wackos. I mean, all of us in our own different ways. And Greg kind of fit in. He loves sports. He takes it seriously. But Greg's got a great sense of humor.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
Oh, very alarming. Very alarming, because... You know, when you look at the weather enterprise in the US, everything the enterprise does, whether it's in academia or in the private sector, which includes newsrooms and broadcast meteorologists, or, of course, the government sector, everything hinges on the scaffolding that's been built around NOAA and the National Weather Service.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
So when you take a sledgehammer to that three-legged stool, the stool won't stand. It's going to fall. It is alarming and disconcerting to everybody in the profession. I don't know of a single meteorologist out there or hydrologist or climatologist, climate scientist, oceanographer, all the related sciences. I don't know of anyone who is not alarmed and appalled by this approach.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
uh which which has been anything but surgical it's the opposite uh you know just taking a sledgehammer to it and to the detriment of the american people uh because at the end of the day it's not just so i mean the the most important thing is the mission of saving lives and property right so that is being hindered and when you when you're talking about government services like you just did billy you know it's about the welfare of the people i mean if there's one job
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
That government has is the safety and welfare of the population and the education and so on and so forth. So these services are essential. But so that's being degraded by these moves. But on top of that...
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
you know how much of the american economy is impacted by weather the vast majority of it so we're talking you know two-thirds or more of our gdp is impacted in one way shape or form by weather no wonder noah and the national weather service are inside the department of commerce right lies are being put at risk Property damage is likelier now because of these moves.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
And negative impacts to our GDP are likely to occur as well, simply because, again, you're taking a sledgehammer to this essential service of protecting the economy and protecting the American people.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
Well, let's start with the basics. Observing the weather. Right. So, you know, we can't predict the weather unless we observe it first. To observe the weather, you need satellites. Weather satellites fall under the NOAA umbrella. You need radars. Radars fall under the National Weather Service umbrella, NWS being an agency inside of NOAA. These things sometimes break down.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
Sometimes you need technicians, whether they are for IT or whether they are hands-on technicians like electricians, let's say, to repair some of these apparatus. And if we lose, think of a day with a severe thunderstorm outbreak or a potential tornado outbreak here in Florida with Hurricane, I think it was... Well, I'm blanking on which one. We had so many this last fall.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
We had a ton of tornadoes, is my point here. And when we had all these tornadoes, what do we need the most to be able to see where the tornadoes are, how they're evolving and where they're moving and how to properly warn people? We need radars. If the radars are broken down, we can no longer track tornadoes and can no longer warn people. You're subtracting people from this workforce.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
So those are two examples, satellites and radars within observations. Let's think about that. Now, what about modeling?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
Modeling is where we use the equations that define the behavior of the atmosphere, plug in everything that's going on right now in the atmosphere and what's going on in the past few days, plug it all in, let the equations work through it through computers, very powerful computers, and come up with a model of the atmosphere going forward. These models have improved so much
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
that our seven-day forecasts these days are as good as our three-day forecasts used to be just a couple or three decades ago. That's how good our forecasting has become. When these researchers are laid off, fired, you were losing the ability to continue to improve our models so that that type of improvement that we saw in the seven-day forecast can continue going forward.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
And that's the mundane, everyday, you know, see it on TV forecast. But think of what else models do. Models help define or forecast what the future track of a hurricane is going to be. How good have we gotten at that? Pretty darn good, I want to tell you. Just this last year, National Hurricane Center had the best year of forecasting the track of hurricanes.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
Intensity forecasts still have some challenges. We're still trying to get better there. But how else do we learn to better forecast the intensity of hurricanes? We send hurricane hunters into the hurricanes to gather all this scientific data that we need. You know who got fired? Some of the mission commanders, some of the mission scientists for NOAA's hurricane hunter aircraft are gone.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
right so that means potentially this very season less hurricane hunter aircraft going in to see what's going on with hurricanes less monitoring means worse forecasting so i mean that's just the observation side i haven't even talked about research haven't even talked about the actual issuing of the watches and the warnings which is done by national weather service folks who were already spread thin
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
These were offices that, you know, you had managers, the chief of the office, having to work, you know, midnight shifts because they don't have enough personnel to be able to carry the office going forward. So they were already thin-staffed. And now, even more so, the stress is increasing. And I think warnings... are going to be degraded in quality and timeliness.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
And the ability, again, to save life and property will be impacted. So the examples are numerous, Billy. I could go on and on and on.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
You know, Billy, so since you're talking hurricanes, let me go ahead then and dispel this belief that is out there, especially in some of the darker places of the web, like X, right? Stormfront 4chan? Right. So, you know, I've seen out there the piece, you know, some people are saying, well, you know, what do I need NOAA on the National Weather Service for? You know, I've
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
I've got John Morales or, you know, insert name here of whoever the local favorite broadcast meteorologist happens to be. Well, I can't do my job without Noah on the National Weather Service. I am oftentimes the voice of the National Weather Service. And fine. I mean, I know. Over the years, I've editorialized forecasts quite a bit.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
I've given my opinion, yay or nay, on a National Weather Service or a National Hurricane Center forecast. And I guess that's what makes me me. But they are my vocal cords. I mean, you know, I've got no voice without them.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
This whole scaffolding example that I spoke at the beginning, where everything depends on what NOAA and the National Weather Service provide the private sector in terms of observations, in terms of modeling, in terms of research. Not just not John Morales, you know, can't properly do his job. Neither can AccuWeather. Neither can the Weather Channel, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
And neither can those crap apps that people seem to like, which depend on... the modeling that NOAA and the National Weather Service provide. Granted, unfortunately, the reason the maps are so bad is because there is no human element in what you're looking at in an app.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
It's just going straight to a model, extracting a single point forecast and trying to give that to you seven days out at 1 p.m., which is ridiculous for you to think that you can get a forecast for a specific time of the day seven days out. But I would say it's User mistake is the way they apply these apps instead of realizing that there's better ways to get your weather.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
I'm going to give you an example, a real life example. because we can apply what goes on in the Eastern Pacific with hurricanes to what could go on this year in the Atlantic. So Hurricane Otis, a couple of years ago, went from a tropical storm to a cat five in a matter of hours. I wanna say 24 hours, might've been less, might've been 18.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
The National Hurricane Center massively missed that forecast. They did not call for it to intensify so rapidly. The people in Acapulco were shocked. They were expecting a tropical storm. They got a category five hurricane. There was loss of life. There was massive loss of property there. And they're still recovering from that. Again, that was a couple of years ago.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
Why did the National Hurricane Center miss that forecast? Because Hurricane Hunter missions are not flown in the Eastern Pacific. They're hardly ever flown in the Eastern Pacific. Well, you know what I worry about for this hurricane season? You know, these mission specialists from the Hurricane Hunter aircraft that were fired by Doge, right?
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
And I'm not saying they're not going to fly missions, but they're going to fly less missions. Well, what if we miss a couple of crucial observations that could help the National Hurricane Center call for rapid intensification, call for a potential disaster in time to save lives and property? So this is far from a hypothetical, Billy. This could happen this year.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
And again, lives are at stake, but apparently the regime doesn't care.
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
#BecauseMiami: The Miami of Yesterday is the America of Today
Indeed. Thanks, Billy.