Transcript of Hour 1: Zaslow Cries At John Cena's Final Match
The Dan Le Batard Show with StugotzAll right, kicking things off with Smirnoff, the official vodka sponsor of the NFL and the number one vodka in the world. Chris Cody, you're here. Smirnoff. Wow, you're on the money with Smirnoff. Chris, you know what goes great with Smirnoff? Yes, but I'm really talking about the game day fit. The style has got to match the vibe. All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything. And that's exactly why your fit has to match the occasion. Starting this December, Smirnoff is giving fans 21 and over the chance to score limited edition Smirnoff commission. Merchandise from some of today's top creators, including Kayla Jones, Gavin Matthew, and Aleyla May. Smyrnaf. Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the offseason. Plus, one fan will win Aleyla May's one of one game day jacket. The merch will be dropped on select dates from December to January '21, and it's all courtesy of what brand? Smyrnaf. That's right, Chris. Fans, 21 and over, can head to Smyrnaf Socials to learn how to sign up. And don't forget to grab a bottle of Smyrnaf vodka, number 21, at your local retailer.
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Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right?
Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero.
Always drink your Jägermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.
Everything else?
Everything else.
Wearing clean underwear every day?
Well, that's just a personal decision.
Brushing your teeth?
Obviously smart, but not a rule.
Never PP on an electric fence.
Okay, maybe there are two rules, but the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Jägermeister must be drunk ice cold. Or don't drink it at all.
Damn, that's cold.
Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.
Drink responsibly. Jägermeister L'Core, 35% alcohol by volume, imported by Mass Jägermeister US, White Plains, New York.
This is the Dan Levatore Show with the Stugats podcast.
Welcome to another episode of Insights to Mediocrity. I'm Jeremy Tasche here with our expert, our superstar, Tony Kaladeut.
Good to be here, Jeremy.
Tony, tell me, Jordan or LeBron?
Jordan. Why?
Better shoes. That's a great answer. People talk about championships. People talk about LeBron's got more points. Jordan's got more championships, defensive, this, that. Who's got a bigger impact on the culture? Lebron has come out with some nice shoes. I've worn them, I've bought them, I have them. But the impact globally for the culture that Jordan has made from the shoe perspective, I think, outweighs anything that LeBron could do on the court, off the court. I think just that cements Jordan as the goat.
What motivates 10 Day Tony?
The next thing. The next thing. Yeah, we're here. We're doing this thing. You know what motivates me? The next thing. What are we doing now? We're doing this conversation. What am I going to do next? That's what motivates me to get to that point. We're going to be done with this. This will be filmed off somewhere. Somebody will edit it. They'll put it out on the show. They'll do whatever. What does that do?
It's the next challenge for you always.
It's the next thing. I don't even know what the next thing is, but that's what motivates me. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to find it, and I'm going to do It was, Hey, I shoot righty. And yeah, I'm right-handed. I shoot righty all my life. Okay, perfect. What if I shoot lefty? What if I shoot lefty in the game? What if I shoot lefty falling away out of bounds? What if people are upset that I'm shooting lefty? Will I continue? Will I not? I do. That's the next challenge. So for me, what motivates me, next.
Needs to be shorter. Those are insights into mediocrity. I want to ask before we get to John Senna and Zazlo traveling to go see him submit for the first time in his career. He gave up. Historically gave up.
First time in 20 years.
First time. Loser. We'll get to that in a second. But I wanted to ask you guys, and I'm going to set this up a certain way. I wanted to ask you something related to Marcus Freeman and ask you if you've heard anyone else say what I'm about to say about Marcus Freeman. But before I do that, I want to play for you guys some sound of Cocho. Cocho is going through the rubble of what's happened at LSU, and Cocho is telling you that Brian Kelly never fit there. I want to hear this sound from Busting with the Boys. Brian Kelly didn't feel like the person I had to handle that. What was your thought process?
First of all, we made a mutual decision. They fired me. We made a Music happened. We made a mission decision. But I wanted to coach this team for them, and I'm not leaving this team. I was ready to go. There was enough. When they named him, he was a big time hire and stuff like that. But I wondered how well he would relate, like you said. Louisiana has a different place, man. People think different. Players are raised different. People are raised different in the South. You got to be a personable person. You got to go in there and love them. It ain't so much the Xs and the O's by getting them to play and taking care of them and making them sure they understand that. He didn't do that. He didn't have to do it in Notre Dame. Or if he did, I don't know. But when he came out and said, Family, like that.
It's a great night to be a Tiger.
I'm here with my family.
It just wasn't a good thing. Is he a great coach? Yes, he is.
He did it at Notre Dame for a long time. Before I get to Marcus Freeman, I want to ask you guys there, do you guys hear Coach O saying there, I won because I connected with the players. Brian Kelly didn't win because he didn't connect with the players. It ignores that Coach O had Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase, and that's not exactly what Brian Kelly had. But you hear Coach O saying there, The way I did it was the right way to do it. The way Brian Kelly did it, he never connected, right?
Yeah, but it could be both. It is, yeah, he had the good players, but also that's someone who didn't... Because he's not the only one who's alluded to that, Brian Kelly was never someone who loved LSU. And Saban loved LSU, Les Miles loved LSU, Edo O'Neill clearly loved LSU, and you never got that impression that Brian Kelly loved LSU.
You take a look at the 2019 team, Joe Burrow, Jamal Chase, Justin Jefferson, Clyde Edwards-Hilaire, who was a first-round pick, Grant Delpin, who's been good in the league. Derek Stanley Jr. Was a freshman on that team in 2019. Ended up being a top three pick. Patrick King, Christian Fulton, Kalevan Cheson, Jacob Phillips, Lloyd Cushenberry. You're talking about NFL multi-year starters, some Pro Bowl or some great players.
It's not like he showed up and these guys were on the roster to his original point. He developed those relationships. He had to talk a former Mr. Ohio into picking LSU and leaving Ohio State. He secured that talent.
That is the best roster that I've ever seen a college football team have, and he was gone very quickly after that.
Easy.
I'd say better than the University of Miami.
I know that there's some NFL names on that defense. That defense was not that good for a champion.
I need me to talk about Justin Jefferson.
I need me for that. I need me for that. I need me for that. I need me for that. I'm going to have a roster comparison, name for name, Tommy.
Joe Burrow is better than any quarterback Miami has ever had. That's fine. Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson are better than any receiver except Michael Irvin.
Okay. I mean, the receiver's on that thing were pretty freaking good.
I've never heard of Andre Johnson, he's got a gold jacket.
Not Jamar Chase.
You know about that Reggie Wayne?
Not Justin Jefferson. Okay, all right. Jim.
Jim. And the defense, it's no question who's better.
You know about that, Jimmy Shaki?
You can make whatever argument you want debatable. I will go from there, though, to tell you that the reason Marcus Freeman is so coveted right now is simply because he surprised us by inheriting what it is that Brian Kelly gave him and keeping it in the same place. But the thing I wanted to ask all of you in wondering what's presently happening around Marcus Chris Freeman.
The LSU 2019 team had seven first-round pictures, which is great. Miami of 2001 had 17. What? Those are as followed: Ed Reid, Andre Johnson, Frank Gore, Clinton Portis, Jeremy Shaki, Vince Wilford, Sean Taylor, rest in peace, Reggie Wayne, Jonathan Vilma, Antral Roll, Philip Buchana, DJ Williams, Mike Ruff, Louis McGahee, Brian McKinney, Vernon Kerry, William Joseph.
17?
Look, I'm just going to say it. Owen Keynes would kick the shit out of him.
Dan, you need to apologize.
We tell Clyde Edwards, Hilar, this isn't a good place for you.
You don't fit. Tell him to walk it back, Jack.
It might be. I'm going to have to look at it a second because that LSU offense was better than I saw Miami ever had. But maybe I'm wrong on the defense. Different errors. The thing that I wanted to say to you about Marcus Freeman, though, to wonder whether or not anyone is doing what I'm about to say. I know Notre Dame is mad about what just happened, and I know that Notre Dame has every reason to be mad about what just happened. But if you're Marcus Freeman's agent, it's the best thing that could have possibly happened to your client, because now you don't actually have to prove that you're better than all these other teams. You can just say you were and you were wrong, and now you can get any job that you want. For Marcus Freeman's agent, there is nothing short of winning the championship that would have been better than the position that he presently finds himself in, which is all he had to do is the same thing Brian Kelly did, and he did that. And now at a ridiculously young age, he can have any job he wants without it being disproven against the best teams in the sport.
But how much of a factor did getting to the national championship last year play in that? You think that if this didn't happen and he got to the playoff and he lost in the first round, the stock would have taken a dip?
No, what I'm saying is the result of him not having to do anything other than say we were wronged is the best possible move that his agent would have wanted if I gave him all the move short of winning the championship. That finishing second this year wouldn't have made him as coveted as what this makes him right now, where right now he can have any job that he wants. And what he's coming off of is there are no stains. You didn't beat anybody this year. You lost the two big games you had. But you can have any job in the sport that you presently want. I can't believe that the agent could have much better situations than that.
Well, and maybe also because he's available now to go talk to other people about jobs. Last year, apparently, he was really close to going to the NFL, but he refused to talk to people, and they played until the end of January. Well, now we're at the beginning of December and he's available.
I mean, he's super-coveted no matter what. If they make the playoffs and then lose in the first game, he's still a Coveted Coach. I think so.
But less Coveted. Is he? Yes, less Coveted than he is right now. Yes. Right now, right, Mike, you can tell us.
You've been in the thick of- I've been reporting this one.
So he could have any job, correct?
Yeah. There's plenty of teams that are presently in the NFL playoff mix that are talking about having Marcus Freeman as their head coach. Dolphins should hire him. Jobs that are not open. He can literally have his pick. There are entire divisions that want Marcus Freeman to be their next head coach.
Name the division.
I'm not going to do that. They have coaches, they have jobs, they have families. But Marcus Freeman can legitimately call his shot. And by the way, if you're calling your shot, the one that he's presently most linked to is a New York Giants job. I'm not going to tell you you're wrong.
This guy has too much.
That's a pretty good job.
Good-looking, can get any job he wants. I mean, too much for Marcus Freeman.
Giants, if you were to pick a job with that D-line, with With the neighbors, with a quarterback in the dark, we'll see where Skatebu is, with ownership, that's not a bad job, the market, if you were to pick them, but there are teams that are closer to Super Bowl ready that want him, too. Absolutely. If you were a he returns to Notre Dame, it'll be for both one of the top three salaries in the sport, and because he genuinely loves Notre Dame, and he does.
He loves that- Does he genuinely love Notre Dame if we're going to do this every year where he may leave for the NFL?
Dude, his His stock will never be higher, I don't think.
I know, but if he genuinely loves Notre Dame, you don't leave Notre Dame.
Yeah, but you have leverage, though. That's the whole game. I may go to the Giants, I may go here, I may go there. Oh, Notre Dame, you're going to give me more money? Perfect.
I love that. Does he believe he'll never leave then for an NFL job?
If he doesn't leave this year, I don't know if he ever will. He's still a young man, but I don't know if his stock is never going to be higher. I don't see it ever being higher. And his agent may say, your quarterback could tear his ACL next year and you won't have these opportunities. These opportunities don't present themselves that often. Where every NFL team, we're talking blue blood franchises, want you as their headman. You could always go back to the college game if you flame out in the NFL. You will always be a top candidate in the College ranks if you flame out in the NFL.
Does he have any flaws? Someone tell me a flaw Marcus Freeman has.
Caroline might be received.
Oh, does he?
Losing to bad teams often.
A little bit?
Yeah. Northern Illinois is a flaw.
September. Marshall. Northern Illinois. September football.
Other than bad losses, no flaws.
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Don Levatard.
I heard that as a woman faking pain. I didn't think that sounded real. I really didn't.
It was not fake. It was in no way fake.
You can spot a woman faking it.
Stugatz.
Yes, I can, Jess. Expert. I've been married 40 years.
This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugatz.
Let's examine just for a quick second, though, the hypothetical of just how his agent is thinking as someone who gets 5 to 10% of everything as Notre game is wronged. He's the one guy who's looking at everything and saying, This is totally good. We have time to interview. He can go and be just modelsque, wandering around as spokesman and face for a team. He could look great, and there will be nothing There's nothing that happens on the field that will affect this. There's nothing that will affect this the rest of the way. We've got months of Marcus Freeman just being glorious because he's never going to lose because he doesn't actually have to play in any of the games.
Marcus Freeman doesn't even actually say it himself, I'm going to make more money off this. Just the agent says, Okay, good. I'm going to make more money now. Because Notre Dame and my client were left out of the college of all playoffs. Me, agent guy, I'm going to make money.
I know he loves Notre Dame We've mentioned that already, but I've also heard he wants to be in the pros. If everything was there and laid out in front of him and it was a good situation, he'd leave for that. And now we're finally starting to see it. Adam Schefter said he's going to be the Ben Johnson of this cycle. Diana Rusini reported the Giants' level of interest. I've been telling you for months this day was coming, and basically all that needs to happen is Marcus Freeman telling his agent exactly where he wants to go.
And nobody blames him if he goes to the NFL because that's considered a step up, no matter how much you love college football, whereas if he goes to another- You don't think Notre Dame fans will be upset? He could go to Michigan. No, I disagree. I think if he goes to the NFL, South Bend goes, You know what? I see why he made that move. If he goes to another college, South Bend hates him all the time.
You guys do understand, though, that if he played a game and lost by 20 to Lane Kiffin, it wouldn't be what it is now.
I disagree. I don't agree with that either. I disagree. He's got a track record there.
He got the national championship last year.
I don't think a playoff loss, especially since he made it with a An injured team. He made it all the way to the Championship game last year. I don't think it gets... If he loses to Miami again in the CFP, I don't see his stock. Can you see the way he fills out that shirt?
I'm doing degrees, though. I'm doing degrees. This is as unblemished as it can be. You never actually have to prove it. He's the most coveted, and you didn't win a Championship, and you may not win a Championship, and you don't have to prove you're not win a Championship.
I know you're like a dog with a bone on this one. Zero % change in that. They've been talking about Marcus Freeman and these jobs for weeks on end.
But it It is interesting what you're saying because you go back and consider all the hullabaloo around Lane Kiffin. Marcus Freeman got to the College Football National Championship game last year. Lane Kiffin has never been in the playoffs.
How did it go for you this weekend? You fly out to see John Seena, you fly out to see something that you expected to be what, and how close did it come to meeting your expectations?
Okay, first of all, we had a great time because we were at the center of what was a pop culture phenomenon over the weekend. It was a wild scene before the show started. Outside, they had a whole fan fest deal. They had their live studio broadcast and right outside Capitol Arena. That was a whole scene. We were so charged up and so excited. The crowd was so into it. I mean, Sina comes out for his entrance. It's his final entrance ever. The whole crowd is singing his entrance song. It was wild. We were, Let's go, Sina. We into it.
What was your reaction to the finish?
You cried, didn't you?
I was-Spoiler alert. Don't ever accuse me of crying. You were a sucker of crying. I never cry. Look at his face right here. What's wrong with crying?
A lot of people on the internet seem to be a little underwound. Spoiler alert, if you, for some reason, are going to watch this later. Oh, please. He just is choked out and just gives us a smirk and then a tap.
I had my hands on my head like this when he tapped out. I was shook. I was. Even though I knew he was going to lose, I was holding out hope that he was going to win. I really wanted him to win. I wanted the big celebration and the big pop and everybody to be so excited. Dan, the crowd wanted him to win so bad. But that doesn't happen in pro wrestling when the great guy retires. You always lose.
Okay, I'm a pro-westling agnostic, so I have the vision.
That means you don't believe in pro-westling?
I have the agnostic means... An atheist means I don't believe in it. Okay. An agnostic means I'm not a huge fan. I'm the most casual of followers. You know it exists, but you don't care. I don't particularly care. But here's the thing, and only I can say this. What happens is after an appropriate amount of time retired, four months, five months, John cena comes back. It's a big comeback. Not if he wins that. If he wins, he goes out on top. The stage is, the script is, he loses, he makes a big comeback, big dramatic comeback. Over the summer, perhaps. Biggest thing in wrestling.
Normally, when a all-time great wrestler retires, they all say they're retiring or it's their final match, retirement match. And a few years later, they always come back. That is not going to be the case here.
Why do you think not?
Because a couple of reasons. Number one, his whole deal is like, he's this really super clean-cut guy and honesty and loyalty and respect. That's a really big thing. It would literally be lying to everybody for an entire year because it's been a year-long tour. You'd be lying to everyone for an entire the year. People spent a ton of money to come see you on all these dates throughout the year, not to mention how expensive the final date was.
Zaz, an alleged adult, got on an airplane to go see this. Let's listen to a fan. I'm assuming this is a child.
Oh, my God. This is right after the match, Dan.
Zaz is a giant toddler. Let's listen to Zaz crashing out during the match.
You tell me. What are you going to do? You tell me.
F you. You suck. You love me?
No, I'm like you. That's not for you.
You don't You just came out of nowhere. Everyone likes you. Take my hat. I dare you. I dare you.
I'm similar.
I dare you. Take my hat. I dare you.
The crowd was chanting F U. The crowd was heavy boos at the end of the match. The crowd was really angry.
Is that like a John cena line, take my hat, I dare you? Where did that come from?
He was trying to make a moment. They did the right thing for the business. They made Gunther this big, huge heel. But I thought the show was a laborious watch. I can't even imagine having to be there. I'm sure you were getting fancy for two hours.
No, it was great being there. No, it was great. Drinks were flowing. It was great. It was great being there.
Well, you're there. You got to see the moment, and Booming is part of the experience. That's all funny. The people are really upset at Triple H for booking it that way. But for me, on the whole, they made a big deal of this retirement tour. They botched it.
I understand people being upset. I do. I understand people being upset.
I'm not saying the ending. The ending is perfect. The way that the match unfolded, that's all fine and dandy. The business end of this, the failed heel run at the Russellmania for his last Russellmania, it was too TK-owy for me, and it felt like they just botched it.
So, Greg, part of the reason or the major part of the reason that the great wrestler loses in the final match because you're supposed to give back. You're supposed to give it to the guy who beats you. And so as a result, Gunther is now a monster heel. Do you know what heel is?
Gunther Volkswagen.
Do Do you know what Gunther is? No.
Do you know what heel is?
He's right about that. That's a bad guy, all right? So now Gunther is a monster heel. So check this out. We have a video of this, all right? Where Gunther, he has to be escorted to his bus after the match because look at the people. They're crowding him. They're chanting, You, Gunther. They're so angry. Look at him, they're following him. They're going to attack him. The people are going to attack Gunther as he's-This is good for Gunther, though, right?
This is good for him.
Oh, it's amazing for Gunther.
I'm looking at Greg Cody, though, and he is barely concealing his disdain for your enthusiasm for this as an adult.
Okay, first of all, people are going like this. What are they doing? They're marking my words. They're marking my words. It's only a matter of time before he makes his big comeback. And what I imagine, and I'm talking about all those people chasing him to his bus. Maniacs. Maniacs. Do those people not know the whole thing is scripted? What is the attitude of a fan blaming Gunther?
They don't care. They want to be happy, and they're happy, and they got to win.
I feel your disdain, and I just would like it articulated because I see you bemused by Zazmo.
You think it's strange that I loved it, that I'm so invested in it?
Yeah, of course.
That he would fly to go see it?
Yes. Spend actual money to go see something that isn't actual.
Right before the show started, you could have sat alongside $11,000, Greg.
Okay. How about I give that money to charity instead of... Somebody else can go instead of me because I would pay $11,000 not to be there.
I'm going to ask charity. It's like watching a play.
I mean, you put on a gala for a family pick-ums.
That's a good shout right there from Chris.
It's a real league. It's literally a fantasy. No, it isn't. It's a fantasy league. It's been in existence since the late '60s.
It's real to you, damn It's more than real.
Look, there are millions of people just like you who will frown on me for traveling and going to this show. But I was at, like I said, what was a pop culture phenomena on Saturday night. Only 20,000 in the world were there. I was one of those 20,000 people. Everyone was talking about it. That shit was fun. Didn't get the ending that I wanted, of course, but that was a fun, fun night. Okay.
Well, good for you. I mean, your analogy, Mike, about liking it to a play, I get that. It's suspended belief. But is it suspended belief, though, when those people are- Well, those people are maniacs.
Was I one of those people? Was I booing at the end of the night? No, because I'm not a maniac.
You take it out of your head Yeah, we don't know.
You were crying. You were disappointed. I was not crying.
You got to stop saying I was crying. You were crying. You got to stop saying I was crying.
I think he cried.
That happens with scripted content all the time. When there's a really unpopular death in the Walking Dead, it almost nukes the show.
Red Wedding, Game of Thrones. You weren't shook watching Red Wedding?
The thing that is different about wrestling than anything else in the history of, let's just say, espn. Com, is the scripted play never ends up as the fourth headline on espn. Com between Mahomes out with an M- She would have it in Hamilton? Mahomes out with a knee injury, Micah Parsons out for the season, Sina submits for the first time ever in scripted content that was written by writers.
I was singing his theme when he came out. I was charged up, man. I was into it.
I just can't believe when they're going through all the possible endings to that match, they're like, You know how it's going to end? A smirk and a tap.
Why is that, though? Because they're thinking down the road, Am I the only one here who knows, would bet on Sina coming out of retirement? Let's do it.
You don't think- You would bet on it. I will bet on that, too, with you. I will take the other side. Okay.
Greg Cody is taking both the ignorance and stubborn position of, Usually these guys do come back. But what he's saying is, so Cina is one of the few in the history of the sport. Even Hulk Hogan had a heel turn. But this guy's entire premise is, I'm all-American moral integrity guy. Yeah, right.
Funny.
Why is that funny?
Why are you questioning Johnson as Integrity?
Wait a minute. Let me get this straight. I'm taking the ignorant point of view, whereas the people chasing that guy to the bus, angry that he followed the script.
You're just taking- Those people aren't ignorant. I'm the ignorant one. There could be multiple ignorant people here, but you're being ignorant because you're just basically using your viewpoint on old rock acts, old acts of all kinds. They all come back. It would be surprising if this one came back because the entire construct, he's Olympic hero guy. He's guy who represents America. That's Kurt Angle. That's Kurt Angle.
If he comes back, he literally would have scammed paying customers.
Oh, wow. That's never happened. Mike Tyson coming back at age 56 is not scamming paying customers.
Got to side with Greg, though.
You're saying Tyson and John Steen are the same integrity?
I got to side with Greg. If he's coming back, it's not like the fans are going to be pissed off and felt lied to. They're going to be thrilled to see him back. Exactly. He put his sneakers on a re-odd season logo. Let's be real here. We all thought HBK was done. Hbk came back to that sadi money.
You would bet the way that Greg Cody does, you would bet that he will indeed come back?
I'm taking bets over here.
Guys, he left his shoes in the ring. Isn't that a thing?
Yeah, but people pick him up all the time. They come back after that? Yeah, it has happened.
I'm more inclined to believe what Zaz is saying, but him coming back It would not surprise me because there have been plenty of people that said they would never do that. Right, of course. He was an ultimate Vince guy, though, so I just don't know how much he fits in this incarnation of W. W.
He ain't going out on the bottom, this guy. He's not going out with a loss, trust They all go out on a loss.
Literally, what happens in wrestling.
Not this guy.
Not Taker. No.
This guy, for reasons you mentioned, pristine reputation, that guy goes out with a W. Hello. Exactly.
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Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right?
Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero.
Always drink your Jägermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.
Everything else?
Everything else.
Wearing clean underwear every day?
Well, that's just a personal decision.
Brushing your teeth?
Obviously smart, but not a rule.
Never PP on an electric fence.
Okay, maybe there are two rules, but the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Jägermeister must be drunk ice cold. Or don't drink it at all.
Damn, that's cold.
Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.
Drink responsibly. Jägermeister L'Core, 35% alcohol by volume, imported by Mass Jagermeister US, White Plains, New York.
Dan Levatard.
I've never stepped foot on that campus. If you told me right now, your life depends on it, go to Santa Fe University and just take a picture. Stugatz. I would die. I don't know where it is.
This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugatz.
A couple of teams in the AFC that I believe are not being talked about enough because we spend so much time talking about the quarterbacks in that sport.
So proud of himself. Look at him.
Just getting in my way and offering something obvious. The joke would have been transition. Yeah. Same thing. Well, yeah, but the joke that the show makes is transition.
Yeah, Segway. Fancier word. Hop on it right down the sidewalk.
In Greg's defense, he is a writer still, and Segway is a stronger word than transition.
It really is. It's got a French flair to it. Go on. What were you saying? Tell me about non-quarterbacks. I want to talk about the NFL, but not talk about quarterbacks. Start with a guard. Start with a backup safety. Who did you have in mind? Go on, Dan. It's your show.
The two teams that I was going to talk about that will excite no one when it comes to advancing? What are you laughing about?
Are you sure nobody?
I'm excited already. What are you laughing about?
You're teasing what you're about to say by saying, The two teams I'm about to talk that no one will be interested in.
The reason I'm saying it is because if they get to the Super Bowl, people are going to be mad. The defense is what got to the Super Bowl. It's Houston and the Chargers. Houston and the Chargers getting to the Super Bowl will be unappetizing to everyone who's listening to this because it's great defense that's getting you there. At the end of yesterday's Chief's Chargers game, did you guys see? Tony Jefferson is a lifelong nomad. He's played for 10 years in the league. He's had He's had four interceptions before this year. He's got four interceptions this year. He's been a healthy scratch three times this season, but still, it's just crushing people. Physically, is somebody who is hitting everybody, and he's got four interceptions. Then he gets ejected from yesterday's game late because he's doing an obscene gesture. I didn't see the obscene gesture, but there's only one he can be doing, right? It's only middle fingers. It's Pavia in the club in New York. When I say obscene gesture, is there a second? You guys aren't doing any of the other obscene gestures except for middle finger, right? Because I'm reading the story, I haven't seen the video, and when it says obscene gesture, all I've got is middle finger.
There's no other gesture you're getting ejected for.
Dan, the obscene gesture that he did was a balo que dio a Taekwan Thornton, because that was un balo.
Yeah, it was a legal hit. And Harbaugh said after the game, All I've seen is good football out there from that guy, because he just crushes people. Chris Cody is doing... Who invented this gesture, the running the back of your hand against the bottom of your chin as a gesture, I thought it was the Italians. I thought that- Like bleep off, right?
That's how I thought it was.
Brando's was more like a scratch than the full way.
You know what I mean? I wasn't offering up a sincere guess.
When you say something, I think you're doing a thing.
I like somebody, though. I like a referee having to make a decision as a guy does this going off of the field. Is that obscene enough to inject a football player from one of the 17 games?
You got the face mask in the way, too, so you can't really go the full way.
You're doing it the Italian way. I like to do it the Michael Jackson way.
Plus, what if the obscene gesture isn't a full bird?
It's just like a half-knuckle. That's not obscene. It's not a bird. Isn't it?
That's not obscene. I got to see a nail or else.
Do you ever do it when you have the other fingers bent? How about if I go like this?
Wing, that's how... Yes, we kickstand.
I used to do that when I...
Why your finger's so weird? What? You can't put your fingers all like that in the middle It looked like you were trying to do it hard and it wasn't working.
Can't you do the West Coast? Can you do that again? Of course, I can do West Coast. Can you do the Vader Time? Can you do the Vader Time? Can you do Spock? Vader Time.
Can you do this?
That's Spock. Jeremy, look up for me. Butt Adams, I believe at the time, he was the owner of the Oilers. He was wearing a blue leisure suit, and he got fined for middle fingers that I believe he did old man style, no kickstands, just straight up. Two middle fingers to the crowd with no kickstands. I need-No kickstand.
Thumbs were tucked in, huh?
It was just two middle fingers. They were flying naked. They had no support for it. He's right. It was just old man shit, and it was a blue leisure suit.
And what Championship brings on each ring finger. That's boss right there.
There is no other obscene gesture, though, right? If I do one hand across- You could just grab the package.
That's an obscene gesture. We can find a few. One of these right here.
The grabbing of the package Which is an obscene gesture. I don't think that one gets him ejected. I love how afraid we all are. Do you think that one gets him ejected? I don't think anybody does that anymore. Do you think that gets someone objected?
I think if blood atoms were doing this to a crowd.
Okay, so that for the audio audience is just basically slapping below your bicep to kick up the other arm halfway. It's not a middle finger. It's just basically I'm doing my whole forearm as a middle finger.
I mean, it wants to be a middle finger. That's what that's birthed from.
You can also do the wanker. That's more of an insult in Europe. How do you do that? I'm not going to do that.
This It was 2009. He was fined $250,000. He was 86 years old when he did this.
So 125 a bird.
I think middle finger is the only obscene gesture-What about this? First ballot, a Hall of Famer.
Nanny, nanny, booboo.
Yeah, what about a Nanny, Nanny, Boohoo?
You put the moose antlers.
It's the same family of garbage. There's only one first ballot, obscene gesture Hall of Famer, right? First ballot. Grabbing the package is not first ballot.
No, grabbing the package.
That's a good one.
First ballot?
No. Joe Mauer.
Who are you giving obscene gesture first ballot status other than the middle finger?
What I grew up calling the Bird.
That's it.
That's it.
It's not even a Hall of Fame. It's not really actually an entire museum. It's basically just one exhibit. It's Butt Adams' middle finger, no kickstand. That's the only thing in that Hall of Fame.
It's called the Bird Hall of Fame. The Bird is the word.
This is very myopic. You guys have clearly never seen Can Liam Gallagher enter or exit a room.
I want to segue again here to an accusation against Zaslow. I read, Awful Announcing did a list of the best and worst local NFL influencers. But you laugh. Here's the accusation. You be careful because the accusation is headed your way. I believe that Zaslow voted on this and was quoted in this article, disparaging the Miami Dolphins local broadcasting team, making them rank last among all NFL broadcasters.
How could I have made them rank last?
I saw some quotes in there that read like things I've heard you say. Yeah.
Okay, so they're ranked last. Yes, they were ranked 32nd on awful announcing's local broadcast for the NFL. You're telling me a broadcaster was ranked dead last, I would be the only one who would say certain things?
No, you're the only one. But they had 93 votes, 16 Ds as a grade, 17 Fs, and I believe you were one of the Fs, and I believe you were quoted in the article. Tell me I'm wrong.
I'm going to tell you I'm not copping to that at all. I'm not going to confirm or deny.
Awkward denial.
I don't know. There's no proof. It's good. There's no proof for that.
It sounded a lot like you.
What sounded like me? Which part sound like you? What did it say?
I'm dangerously close to going happen to know on this. What did it say?
What did it say?
What was the quote?
What did it say? Yeah, what did it say?
What did it say? I want to know the quote. Probably damning.
If you put a vote in front of me right now, vote on the Dolphins broadcast, A, B, C, D, or F, I'm obviously giving it an F. I mean, yeah, obviously. Clearly, I was not the only one. It was ranked last. A lot of people gave it an F.
You are admitting you gave it an F.
Oh, no, I'm not admitting to anything. I'm saying if you ask me- You just did. No, if you ask me right now, what would my vote be? I had to give him an F.
But you didn't then, but you would now.
I want you guys to keep an eye on him and see how incriminating this is. Just look at his face because I've got to read from this article, and you guys just look at him and tell me whether or not it gives you a glimpse of incrimination here. Cefalo is, The worst in the business for the last 20 years. He's been doing play-by-play for years and never gets any better. Cefalo is a horrible play-by-play guy, makes way too many mistakes. I feel bad for Joe Rose. He's good. It's good.
Big dog.
What do you guys think? Did you guys see anything there that would suggest- Strong poker face right now. That Zazlo has- You read that.
I'm going to read you one up and see. I feel like I have heard Zaz say this on this show. He's been doing play-by-play for years. It never gets any better. He has a horrible play-by-play guy, makes mistakes, and you don't know what he's going to say. But the rest of the broadcast is useless. Zero idea what's going on. Not a talk show, but they sound like it.
Didn't even move a muscle in this face for the last two minutes. That's a poker face right there. Destroy all you in poker.
There were also remarks going after their perceived homerism, including their play-by-play as abysmum boring. The analysis is 100% homerism, which is fine, except they're not very good at it, which is what they're hired to do. Excite and inform the fan base.
Listen, are all of those things the way that I feel? Yes, they Wow.
What do you got against Cefalo? It sounds personal.
No, it's not personal. He's a terrible broadcaster.
Funny. Who said that?
I just like how you think that I had control of the entire... I put them last.
It's mic-on-mic crime. You're both leaning into a microphone for a living. You're supposed to be publicly not brutal. Really? Yeah.
I didn't know that.
It wasn't publicly brutal. That was private, off the record. Well, on the record, but anonymously. Right.
Coward.
It's nothing.
But you deny nothing as well.
I will not confirm or deny.
Zaz, wasn't there a play that Jimmy had the call on that something weird happened in the game and said you couldn't understand what was going on. There was a pick, but there was a fumbler.
Yeah, that's every play.
Oh, every play. The Minka Fitzpatrick two-point conversion. I was in the car listening to that, and I had no idea. I had no idea what happened, what was going on. I was just generally confused. I'm just staring in my radio and I'm like, What?
Last week, a few days ago, was seven years, maybe it was, for the miracle in Miami.
Gronkowski?
Yeah, Gronkowski doesn't have the angle. And Ken and Drake scores the countdown. And so on one of these videos on Twitter, they attached the Dolphins radio call to it. And it's an incredibly exciting play. It's called Miracle in Miami, all right? Alo didn't tell you what was going on until Ken and Drake was at the 10-yard line.
"Take my hat! I dare you!"
Dan is forced to walk back a take in less than a minute, and, honestly, it's impressive how wrong he was so quickly. Greg Cote, a wrestling agnostic, turns into The Articulator of Disdain™. Also, the crew decides on what qualifies as a first ballot obscene gesture, and Zaslow lies to everyone about his role in a last-place result in a poll for NFL announcers.
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