Transcript of Hour 2: Mike Ryan's Case For Top 5 Executive Producer's Of All-Time
The Dan Le Batard Show with StugotzYou're listening to DraftKings Network. Ever since switching to T-Mobile, something weird has been happening. I get to cut lines.
Oh, right this way.
Who? Me? I can stream shows at 30,000 feet. And I was able to buy reserve tickets for my favorite band.
It's not just you. With T-Mobile, everyone can get VIP VIP status. That means access to exclusive events and experiences just for being a customer. At T-Mobile, VIP means Y-O-U. Check out the VIP treatment at T-Mobile. Com/benefits.
This is the Dan Levatard Show with the Stugats podcast.
This episode of the Dan Levatard Show with Studio Gots is presented by DraftKings. Draftkings, the Crown is yours.
I need a democratic decision from the group.
Democrats?
On behalf of the audience. I need a ruling here of some sort because the soft-talking producer of South Beach Sessions, who came back in here again and argued with me. Now, the third time during today's show that he has decided to do that. He has suggested to me that a guest or two that would be important to the telling of the story properly, of how it is that I was racist in New Orleans, that those guests to properly tell that story will not be available until Tuesday of next week. What? Tuesday of next week. What is it? Joe Biden? I don't know why this person is so busy, but this person is critical to the story having support, or I could just tell the story now and we could be done with it because already it's got too much buildup and it's not going to live up to whatever it is you guys expect it to be. Perhaps I should have said me.
I don't know why I said Joe Biden. It's getting a little confused here. I just signed with CAA.
Did I miss something, Dan?
Was this something that happened that everybody knows about and I'm in the dark in? You're in the dark. Everybody else knows. No, we went hard on it. I want to be brought into the light because Dan's racist now.
Yeah, we pivoted while you were gone.
What is the ruling? Because for the last two days, I will preface the story this way, and just to catch Tony up, if you haven't been listening for the last two days the way that Tony hasn't been listening because he's been working too hard on his top five smells in Miami.
New father observation too.
You have those still? Oh, yeah.
Okay.
How long is that segment? How much time do you need for New Father observation? Probably 10 minutes. Ten minutes? Just to give me a buffer, and then if we go fast, we go slow.
I got one prediction that's in there. Liquidity poop. Loop. Loop? Is that one? Maybe.
We'll see. Wait to see. All right. They're the new father observations, and they have now been properly teased. The story, Stugatz, is embarrassing to me.
You're telling the story?
I don't know yet if I'm telling the story, but just to get Tony caught up to where it is that we are. All I have told the audience, there are two things that I have promised the audience that I did not get to, and I like to keep my promises with the audience. One of them is the source on whether or not Walter Payton ran not wearing socks in the NFL, which sounds really painful and awful. Fitness. That is correct. That was, look, Tony, as if he's hearing the joke for the first time. I heard it. I heard it.
Now you're caught up, Now you're caught up.
That's it. Now you're caught up with that story. The second story is I've simply said for two days, Hey, and it's been a tease, and people thought I'm teasing to keep the listeners just around to see if they hear the story. Time spent listening. It's one of the reasons our sponsors are so good because we have uncommon listener retaining. Tsl. That is correct. This device of teasing Dan's racist story for two days would be a good device to keep people around. I'm not doing that on purpose. We're just trying to find the guests who now are not available until next Tuesday.
That will increase retaining.
Retention is what I meant to say. Right. Thank you, Chris. You speak so well. Why don't you find that sound of you reading and see if we play it here in just moments because you were so good at finding the place where I got caught up in the air. Let's find the most embarrassing clip of you trying to read, and then let's play that in a moment.
It feels like a lash out. I didn't have a Ben a day today.
It feels like. Tony, are you A racist.
A rapers.
Tony, do you feel like you're caught up?
Yeah, outside of the racist story, I feel, which you haven't really told anybody, it feels like a rapers. I feel like I'm good to go. All right.
This is funny. All right. What's the vote, Jeremy? Now or Tuesday? Now or Tuesday.
Tuesday. If we need to wait for the proper guests to really put a punctuation on this, Tuesday.
We're putting too much pressure on the story, but Mike, now or Tuesday.
Racism is evergreen. Yeah. Yes.
Not Monday, huh? Well, allegedly, the guests will be available Tuesday. We'll see if they- President's Day on Monday.
Monday is a holiday. It is.
Holiday weekend. What's our Monday? Great American Race on Sunday.
The Whites are We like the pie.
Who else is voting here? I need a decision on the whether to tell the story now, yes or no. Group?
I guess we'll have to wait. I vote, we wait.
I vote Tuesday.
Yeah, Tuesday. You're not going to stop being a racist between now and then.
That'll still smack on Tuesday.
It's also our weekend. You got plenty of opportunities. It's a great American racist.
I want to get to this story with Stugatz and the rest of you. This was a Diana Rusini story, and not Surprisingly, this is a bit of a pop culture feeding frenzy type of story, because at this point in his career, Aaron Rodgers is better as a content avatar than he is as a football player who's going to change your football team, unless maybe the Steelers or the 49ers can convince themselves that the next version of Aaron Rodgers will give him more support than whatever is the Jets dysfunction. But the story that has caught the last couple of days, and this part, it's just funny to watch an organization that for 40 years has been so desperate for good quarterback play that Mark Sanchez resembles a shining light at the top of their organizational structure because he got to a couple of playoff games. And so not surprised surprisingly, that desperate franchise handed over to a quarterback who was a little bit brain fried and arm fried, handed over to him a power that doesn't have a lot of precedent in the sport for any position where Aaron Rodgers was basically doing what he wanted to do, calling his own shots, and furthermore, doing the things that quarterbacks are never supposed to do, which is bring attention to distractions from outside the huddle because you're doing a weekly hit on national television.
You're doing a weekly Pat McAfee hit, and you're not talking about quarterbacking all the time. You're talking about Aaron Rodgers' Enigma, documentary, Aaron Rodgers, brand of Aaron Rodgers. The report from Diana Rucini is that the Jets told Aaron Rogers, no outside media, including McAfee, and that attendance was mandatory at mandatory practices, which is something he missed some last year, just took the fine. In doing so, they realized they couldn't work together anymore. That if Aaron Rogers didn't have the same power to do whatever he wanted and the coach dared to come in and say, Hey, you can't make this TV appearance, and you got to be at mandatory practices, that was too much for Aaron Rogers, and now the relationship is over.
They did things and asked Aaron Rogers to do things they knew Aaron Rodgers was not willing to do. He was never going to accept those terms, not from that organization. You have a new head coach, Aaron Glenn, who's saying, Hey, I don't care if you're Aaron Rodgers, and he has to do this, Dan, right? I don't care if you're Aaron Rodgers. You're going to my way or you're getting out of here. I don't mind that Aaron Glenn did it. I don't. He has to. He has to save face because a lot of the criticism was exactly what you just spoke about over the last two years. Aaron was doing whatever Aaron wanted to do. Aaron Glenn is simply saying, not anymore. You're not doing it anymore. I understand that. I do.
It's funny that you understand that, though, but when Pat Reilly does it to Jimmy Butler, then we don't understand it. Or like, yes, of course. You understand right up until the player gets so much power that he actually becomes a problem. But you understand that the entire system, all of it, is made to weigh heavy on the athlete not actually having that much power. Because the organization showing Aaron Rodgers who's boss now, is something that you're like, Yeah. But when you could get Aaron Rodgers, you would have given him anything, too, to get Aaron Rodgers. Anything.
Of course, but that was a different time, Dan. He was coming off two MVP years. I mean, two out of the last three seasons, he was the MVP of the League and coming to a team in a market that was starving for a quarterback and desperate.
The thing that I find most interesting about the conflict at the height of this particular power is which is actually more valuable at this point? Whatever Aaron Rodgers can actually give you or Aaron Glenn's in charge now, new sheriff in town? What's actually more valuable?
I'm going to go with that one. I am because I saw the old sheriff. The old sheriff was Aaron Rodgers, and it didn't go anywhere. It was not- He did nothing. It was not like, got off to a bad start, unfortunate start, hurt his Achilles, then he only got a year older, got off to a real bad start at the part of the season where he couldn't. And yeah, maybe he made the season look better by spamming his best friend footballs towards the end, who may not even want to be there either. It was a disaster on all accounts. And what the franchise was asking is like, All right, it's not working out the way that we wanted. Can you at least give us a break on the PR front? Now, it's Aaron Rodgers' prerogative. I don't like that that ask came in, but I understand why it came in. It's certainly part of the equation when you're dealing with Aaron Rodgers is, is this guy worth this headache? And his play, very clearly in his time in that uniform, was not.
I don't know whether you guys find the business of this part of it interesting, but Aaron Rodgers being in business with Pat McAfee on ESPN for what is reported to be a million dollars with all of these guys, Belichick and everyone else, because McAfee cut a production deal that allows him to just slightly off a bunch of money for people that he cares about and wants to make content with. Aaron Rodgers wants to keep both that relationship and that platform available because it's worth not just the- It's a valuable platform.
But it's not- Don't you think it's been a worthwhile investment? For everybody. For Pat and for Aaron. That breaks the model for ESPN. Espn, prior to Pat being aboard, didn't pay guests as far as I knew. Certain things were worked out in the contracts. If a sponsor came aboard, but a flat fee for that, that's a whole new business model, and it certainly worked out. It worked out for everybody outside of Aaron, maybe.
No, it worked for Aaron. It worked fine for Aaron.
Yeah, he's getting paid a million dollars, but don't you think the public perception, the endorsements, don't you think all that stuff took a hit?
But you're just doing it money. You're just doing it money. He doesn't need money at this point. That's not about... I'm saying the million dollars because I think- It's very charitable.
The money could help him do some good work.
No, but at this point, where do you think the thing has more value? Hey, Aaron, we'll give you a million dollars. Here's a weekly platform where you could just say whatever you want, Aaron, and everyone will be listening to your thoughts.
And no one will challenge.
You'll just be there and you will talk. I think that has more value to Aaron. So much value that he's confident enough at his age if he still wants to play? Okay, Jets, not interested in your deal. I'll go to the Steelers or 49ers, and I'll still keep doing the McAfee show.
Can I ask you guys a question? Because I feel a certain way about it, but I'm genuinely curious. I don't know the answer. I assume we're working at the time that Aaron usually does his so we consume Aaron's hits by social media clips and the aggregation. By the tail end of last season, how much value was there in having the starting quarterback of the New York Jets? And I understand he's a Hall of Famer, one of the greatest quarterbacks we've ever seen, personally, one of my favorite quarterbacks. I do find him interesting. I do. I read an entire book with my ears about the man. But how much value does that have, really?
For whom?
For anybody. Because who's tuning in to hear-I'm saying for Aaron. This season's embarrassing. I felt bad for him towards the end of that. We're still going to trot him out?
Yeah, but Mike, you have a legend who's willing to talk about that on your show on a weekly basis. He's coming towards the end of his career.
I was just curious. I wasn't opining. I think there's value there. I just read a book on him.
Famous is more important than good. Attention is more important than not having attention. You guys keep talking about currency as if it's money. He wants to be current. He wants to heard. He just made a documentary. He's got a weekly platform on Disney where no one can control what him and his friend are doing. They're doing it on the most mainstream of mainstream platforms. It looks like a giant bleep you to whoever the culture is that objects to whatever he might have to say about anything because he gets to do it without objection while he's doing it and allows him to troll and just feed off of whatever the reaction is because it's at least in part meant to incite a reaction.
But is that going to be the only value?
To him.
Okay, but to the audience, to everybody, who's going to keep consuming? I don't know what's happened to the numbers. If people's interest wained on it, let's say he's out of the league entirely. Let's say he chooses to retire. Does he go back and the The whole thing is a dude taking exception to a media that is not actually talking about him as much.
I don't actually believe that you're totally understanding what the value of this is in the modern age. Famous, polarizing person. What's he going to say? Do I need to tune in? The The entire Pat McAfee model is built after it got to great success. Off the further success of Aaron Rodgers kept showing up only there.
But Dan, what Mike is asking is, how long will that be able to sustain its value?
I think it's Let me be clear. I think it's been great for ESPN when he's a newsmaker, that's cool. I think it's been great for Pat McAfee. I don't think it's been good for Aaron Rodgers.
Okay, and we can argue this, but if Aaron Rodgers gets to answer that, not you. And Aaron Rodgers, if he's willing to leave the Jets in order to continue doing that because he believes it's that valuable to him. I don't think any of us here are really qualified to speak to what it is that Aaron Rodgers actually values.
It clearly has value. He continues to do it.
Did you read a book? I did not read a book with my ears.
By the way, you have Tomlin saying it's okay to do that show still?
Also, this is something that Rustini said. Even if Aaron Rodgers agreed, the New York Jets might have still settled on we're getting away from this guy. I actually think that this has been amplified in the social space because it's awfully convenient. Well, it wasn't my play. It was because I was going on Pat. That had to be it. No, it was your play and that, and that was a piece of it, and they were looking at the totality of the picture.
I find it to be a pretty interesting thing from a lot of different perspectives, given that... I know we get forgetful. The punctuation is going to be, look at the mess he made at the end. But the dude's legacy is that at the position top five all time, and you can argue about however it is that you want to argue that. Most of those years spent as an icon who somehow replaced Brett Favre, was considered better than Brett Favre, improved the position beyond Brett Favre by eliminating the turnovers. An icon for all time in a sport where when I'm in New Orleans and Joe When Hannah walked through the restaurant, I see what still happens all these years later because everybody turns around because Aaron Rodgers didn't win like that, but Aaron Rodgers, in terms of greatness, is just as great as that guy was.
Plus, he's interesting. Mike, we know this. We had him on all the time. He's an interesting guy. I think that interest and him being interested and piquing people's curiosity will last well beyond his playing years. I think people are just fascinated with that.
Yes, I'm fascinated, too. It's like, what happened here now is my fascination. Where did this go sideways? Part of it is we got to know him better as this change in his life happened, where his relationship with his family broke down a little bit, and he started showing us more of himself. But I think it's pretty irrefutable that this hasn't been good for Aaron Rodgers. I mean, just look at the sponsorship dollars. All his legacy sponsors moved on for the most part.
Okay. I will leave it alone after this, Mike. I understand that you make all the best points in all of the best discussions. Thank you. But for you to think that you know what's good for Aaron Rodgers better than what Aaron Rodgers thinks is good for Aaron Rodgers is an arrogance previously unseen from you.
I think his entire public persona has been built on him knowing better than other people. I'm not going to try to buck my head against that, but we are legion when it's not just me that thinks I know better than Aaron Rodgers on certain things.
Understood that he- And he responds in kind. He understands- And well, not kind. He understands that the majority seem to be against him, and you guys are all wrong. Because when it comes to arrogance, you can look in a mirror and see a certain arrogance. When Aaron Rodgers looks in a mirror, it's an even greater arrogance than yours because he's accomplished slightly more than you have.
Let's not forget that he has a- Best-selling book.
He didn't make a musical.
In my field.
Debatable?
In my field. You think you're the Aaron Rodgers of your field?
Of executive producing? I'm top five. Wow.
Look at this.
I give him top five. I think I'm speaking goat to goat here.
Him, Paul Paps. And I'm Zack Wilson.
Who are the top five executive producers all time that you're putting in your- Chris Carlin.
I'll give Paul Paps his flowers. Oh. Hembo? Hembo? He's terrible. He's a good kid. I love him. I love Hembo. I'm a mentor to Hembo. He's a good kid. Okay. He's a good kid. How old is Hembo? I have no idea. 29, 30. Is he a kid?
I think I'm up there.
He hides behind the numbers.
Well, you put yourself in the top five.
Yeah, I think I'm up there. Mike's a top five. I mean, just tenure. Yeah.
I would say Hawk's a top five-er.
Mike's got 20.
Bob a Bowie.
Mike's a top fiver. You believe we've had two of the top executive of all time?
I'm leaving Andy King out, but I mean...
This show is such a creative sandbox that it's allowed me to flex some muscle. There are probably way talented producers out there that haven't had the same sandbox because sports radio has evolved. I would say that I helped evolve it.
Travis Rogers. Everybody.
Thank you. You mentioned Andy. Andy King. Yes. Good timing between you and Stugatz. I also like the 20 car. You and Stugats. You're staring right at each other.
You got to get Travis, though.
Christopher Bell. Hey, folks, it's Mike Ryan. It is Big Game Week. And I've got just the thing to make your big game time a Miller time. From Fireside Conversations to football Sundays, winter means more moments with the coolest people in your life. Make these moments even better with Miller Light, the great tasting light beer for people who love beer. A new year is a perfect time for friends, family, and great tasting light beer. Taste like Miller time. Miller Light is brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers when you're hosting your ultimate game day party, why don't you bring out a beautiful silver platter of that amazing white can and know you will make everybody there happy because Miller Light is the original light beer since 1975 and still the very best one. Miller Light. Great taste, 96 calories. Go to millerlight. Com/dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Taste like Miller time. Celebrate responsibly, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories and 2. 2 carbs per 12 ounces.
This is a message from sponsor Intuit Turbotax. Taxes was dealing with piles of paperwork and frustrating forms, and then waiting and wondering and worrying if you were going to get any money back. Now, Taxes has easily uploading your forms to a Turbotax expert who's matched to your unique tax situation, an expert who's backed by the latest technology which cross-check millions of data points for 100% accuracy. While they work on your taxes, you get real-time updates on their progress, and then you get the most money back, guaranteed. All while you go about your day. No stressing, no worrying, no waiting. Now this is taxes. Intuit TurboTax. Get an expert now on turbotax. Com. Only available with TurboTax Live Not in full service. Real-time updates only in iOS mobile app. See guaranteed details at turbotax. Com/garantees.
Valentine's Day is coming up, and for me, there's only one place I trust, 1-800-flowers. Com. Every year, I order stunning high-quality bouquets from 1-800 flowers that my grandma absolutely loves.
Jessica, holy. I got the most gorgeous roses. I don't think I ever got that many roses in my whole life. Certainly not from your lovely grandfather.
May I still rest in peace. Thank you.
You made my day. I mean, they are gorgeous. Never had so many roses in my whole life. Eighty-five years. Holy shit.
In this year, we're partnering with 1-800 flowers to make you're a Valentine's hero with an exclusive offer for Lebitard listeners. Double the roses for free. When you buy one dozen, they'll double your bouquet to two dozen roses. It's the perfect way to say I love you without breaking the bank. All roses from 1-800 flowers are picked at their peak, cared for every step of the way and shipped fresh to ensure lasting beauty. To claim your double your roses offer, go to 1-800 flowers. Com/dan. That's 1-800 flowers. Com/dan.
Don Lebitard. That's not my favorite it, re-adjoint. Context needs to be applied. I thought that context was applied. We'd like to rip that out of context. I was going for a thing. I have a family.
You're going to pretend here that you don't love Matthew Kachuk more than you love anybody you've ever loved?
I don't love Matthew Kachuk more than my daughter. Stugatz. Now, it's pretty damn close. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugatz. The idea, and I will leave it alone after this, I promise, that Mike Ryan believes this doesn't have value to Aaron Rodgers as a platform where he gets to espouse for however long he gets to espouse it, 30 minutes uninterrupted on whatever he wants to talk about?
My guess is he would take that in lieu of salary next year.
I don't doubt that. I know that he loves that. He does. He very clearly does love it, and it's very clearly important to him. My whole thing is, he has a value to it, he's assigned it, and that's what's most important, clearly. I'm saying, has it been, I'm just positing, has it been a net negative for Aaron Rodgers? And if I were to pick one, I'd say, yeah, it's been a net negative for him.
Okay, and you'd probably be right. But then if you're entertaining the business proposition- Thank you.
That's all we finally got down to.
If you're entertaining the business proposition. Five minutes ago, I wish you said that. Okay. But the business proposition of this where Stugatz is asking, does this have attention value next year? The answer might be no. The other answer is it doesn't matter because McAfee and Aaron Rodgers can do whatever they want with that time and money, and nobody else gets to decide. Disney doesn't get to tell McAfee, nobody gets to decide, but McAfee and Rodgers And that's where it becomes interesting to me because Disney is running a business, and eventually that has to show numbers, but not right now it doesn't.
Disney did get to decide once, as covered in his best-selling booth.
Thank you. I appreciate all of your help there.
The Jimmy Kimmel thing, the ruffle feathers.
He's a top fiveer, dude.
Ruffling Feathers is not the same as you have the power to fire anybody, because ruffling feathers, you can do plenty of- They did force him to go on and apologize, and Aaron did what he...
I I mean, he may say, I clarified, I didn't really apologize. And he did, If you were offended, but they did make that happen.
Yeah, and Mike Schur said that after he did some of the stuff that he did, that he'd never work at Disney again. And he spent the whole season there doing whatever it is that he wanted with Pat McAfee after that apology. After Mike Schur is telling, Yet that will never work on Disney again.
You say whatever he wanted. Did he take any other shots at Jimmy Kimmel? Did he take any other shots at ESPN personalities? He was subtweeting maybe He's hard center anchors, but I would say that that put a governor in place. It would. Maybe he wanted to take some more shots, and he couldn't because it was probably a world-class producer that got in everybody's ear that said, We can't do that.
I can't believe that today we have had David Samson say that he belongs in the Hall of Fame and is better than Darren Reveal. Mike Ryan just put himself at the top of the Mount Rushmore of executive producers. He put him top.
But I'm top five. You're supposed to let others do that for though. Well, I mean, no one's actually putting together this top five because it's not that important to people. But I mean, come on, right? Sports podcast producers, sports radio producers, I'm up there.
I wanted to ask you something, Stugante, as I see that the Boston Celtics are again over the course of this season. They are beating up Cleveland when they go to Cleveland and beating up New York when they go to New York. And they've been uneven because I don't imagine that they're interested in all of the regular season games. But I wanted to at the trade deadline because it happened loud and fast, and a lot of things got lost in the last week when the Super Bowl is so big that Debo Samuel asking for a trade gets lost in the headlines. And there's so many trades. Wait, what? There are so many trades in basketball that I'm guessing something I'm about to say has largely gone under the radar with people who don't care about basketball too much. Marcus Smart was the defensive player of the year, and at one time with green hair, viewed as the soul for why it is that Boston was good.
He was the glue, Dan.
Yeah, but the glue we are turning out to see in retrospect. Whoa, glue is not quite as valuable as we thought it was as glue.
Because he leaves...
Well, no. Do you know where Marcus Smart is right now?
No idea.
Okay. I'll guess. No, you can't. You can.
You can. Do you-Memphis? I mean, I don't know. He was. Really? He used to be. Wow. Cup of coffee?
A couple of yours. All right. I saw a picture that I believe was the saddest I saw in sports last week, which was the... I was sad because the two people involved had to wear this uniform. Chris Middleton and Marcus Smart wearing Wizards' jerseys and seeing the meme go around, beats this duo, and seeing what happened in general to Marcus Smart's soul. You wore the green hair and you were the centerpiece of, ra, ra, we're gritty Celtics basketball. Now, as soon as they get rid of you, you're not the wizard we thought you were. You're just a lizard.
And now, Derek White is you.
That's got to all feel bad, right? I don't know whether Derek White is you or Drew holiday is you, but whatever it is that you were supposed to represent, I got to think it feels really shitty to be Marcus Smart. As shitty as it can feel for a basketball player to be like, I had green hair in Boston, loved me, and I was tough, and I rebelled, and I was the personality, and I was a star, and now I play for the Wizards, and nobody cares, and Stugats. I'll ask him again next week, and he'll forget. He doesn't have any idea where Marcus Smart is.
He is making $16. 6 million this year.
Who is stopping that duo? The Taxaprin? Plano Fajias?
Did you not feel bad for Chris Middleton? That was a champion.
He was a great player.
He was a great player. But he still- He could have been in finals MVP.
That's how their careers go. He's been dealing with injuries? Yeah. I mean, he's a Bucs legend, no doubt. He'd kill her. When that guy had the ball, I was always terrified.
Stugat. Shotmaker. I know.
Is he a Bucs legend, though? No doubt. Sydney Monkreis Moncrief.
No doubt. He want a champion, dude. Sydney Monkreef.
I don't know when Stugatz is ever going to get tired of just the lazy Danny makes 16 million.
Well, he does. I mean, he plays basketball for a living. Sign me up. I'll play for the Wizards.
The answer's never. He's never going to get tired of that. That note, it's hard to hit. It's his Pay the teachers, pay the whales, pay the schools. Pay the Wizards. Yeah. They're getting paid. Stugatz has this lazy, lazy You know how I connect to the audience? I'm just going to say somebody make a lot of money, Dan.
You want me to feel bad for a guy who was in Boston, played with the same players that Derek White is playing with, played with the same players that Drew holiday. He couldn't get it done, and now he's in Washington. But you know what? 16. 6 million dollars.
I don't actually want you to feel bad for him. I just want to laugh at the idea that you think grit is valuable. I want to laugh at the idea of Marcus Smart is the reason people win. And last trade piece, get Marcus Smart at the deadline. You'll change your future because he'll play defense. He'll take a couple of charges. We'll gift him a Defensive Player of the Year award because we love grit so much.
Do you think those Bulls teams win six championships without Horace Grant and Dennis Robman? Yes.
Anybody- So do I. Yes. Anybody next to Pippin and Jordan would have become Horace Grant and Dennis Rodman.
They literally won different three-peats. They'd either win Horace Grant or Dennis Rodman.
Way to go, Stugats. What are your points?
I'm going to answer my own question.
It blew up in your face. Every single person who was the third player on those teams would have become those guys.
Do you think they win without John Paxon or B. J. Armstrong? The Marcus Smart arc is really crazy, though, because he was so beloved in Boston. He makes two first-team all-defensive teams. Then he signs a four-year, $77 million extension in, I think it was August of 2021. He goes on to win Defensive Player of the Year the following year for the 2021-2022 season. The contract extension kicks in. He plays a year for Boston, then gets traded for Chris Stapp's Porzingis. Boston goes on to win a championship without him, and then he gets shipped from Memphis to Washington now. I mean, that is heartbreaking. Marcus Smart.
Excellent work, Chris Cody. That's why you're always the voice and glue that you are, the Marcus Smart of our proceeding.
Top 35.
Not making 16. 6 million, though.
So I just want everyone to see what Stugatz was arguing there when, Hey, Dan, if I give you two of the top 50 basketball players of all time, will the third also be good? Yeah.
The Bulls are the example for you, Dan. Yes. They did it with two separate teams, interchangeable pieces. It was Purdue, then it was Weddington, it was Paxton, then it was B. J. Armstrong.
No, no. That's what I was trying to tell you. Wait, Jeremy, please give me the centers of all of of those teams. Just a parade. Corkripe. Corkripe. A river, a river of stiffs. Just a river of balsawood. Just, I mean, Luke, are you kidding me with the center?
Bison Daily was a revelation.
No, Bison Daily made them 72 and 10.
I know. He was a revelation.
An athlete.
No, when they got rid of- Longley. When they got rid of Luke Longley and Bill Weddington. And no, wait a minute. Who was the big- Cory Blunt was like a stretch for.
Yeah. In that he was stretchy. They didn't have stretch for his back then. It wasn't good.
Who was the giant? It wasn't Purdue. There was another giant white guy. There was another one.
Wenington, Purdue.
Longley. Was it Wenington? Did Wenington win a championship?
The guy with the He did it in his neck?
They all did. Wenington won a championship?
Yes.
I don't want any smoke with a dude that has a goatee, like a '90s goatee that goes down to his Adam's apple. That dude will kill you. Again- Probably win the Great American Race on Sunday.
Tony, do me a favor, okay? Because when he says Bison Dele was a revelation- What a player. What was his real name?
Brian Williams. Brian Williams. No longer with us.
No, that is a tragic story, killed, I believe, allegedly by his brother. You have to look at how overwhelming that team became when they got Bison Dele. Because I'm pretty sure that's the '72 and '10 team, and I couldn't believe how unstoppable Bison Dele was because he played with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, where I'm watching him, I'm like, I knew that was a good player, but now there is nothing that can stop that human being because I don't understand the intricacies of basketball enough to understand just how much pressure Pippin and Jordan are putting on an offense so that everything is just put back dunks.
Oh, I know this guy. I saw a documentary on his life and tragic passing. Tnt did a whole bunch of- It's a short documentary.
Yes. The mystery about how it is, he was lost at sea for a while, and then they found out he wasn't lost at sea, that there was an accident with his brother that may or may not have been an accident.
Bison Dele was added for the final nine games of the regular season of the 1996-97 season. In the playoffs, he had five double-digit scoring games, one double-double. They were also pretty good before he got there.
I 37 Bulls. We left out Robert Parrish.
We left out Scott Williams and Robert Parrish. That's right. The chief.
It's just a parade of Bulsawood, like a river of seven-foot Balsawood. So many knee braces.
He wants so many undeserving basketball players' rings.
Look, this is what I'm telling you. Those 72 and 10 bowls would have won the championship with that fat guy at your Y at center.
What a special era in backup big men. They did. It's just like Chris Dudley putting his chin in your chest.
Just seven footers that you could have put a concrete slab in the paint.
All a liability from the line.
But they could all hit a baseline, Jay.
All of them. A little free elbow jumper. That was longly special.
It took them six seconds to get rid of the ball.
But they had all six seconds because as they're shooting the ball, Pippin and Jordan are still double-teamed.
Chris Dudley's chest hair.
Please put Chris Dudley on the screen right now. Oh, he's great. Please find Chris Dudley so that I can show the audience exactly what it is that, again, this was Stugatz's chief point. Do I think that anybody would have been Horace Grant next to Pippin and Jordan?
They had 15 of them.
The answer to your question is, yes, I do think anybody would have been those people. That is a direct answer to your question. There he is. There he is. Dominating the NBA from the center position. You know what all those guys were? Six fouls.
Let's get Bill Weddington's neck beard up there, too, while we're at it.
Dudley went to Yale.
He didn't get dunked on by Shaq and then he threw the basketball at him.
You're right. Oh, that's good video. Oh, wait a minute, guys. That's great. Please get that video. Thank you, Roy. You're welcome. Chris Dudley's signature play in his NBA career. Now, keep in mind, Chris Dudley had a career that paid him. I'm going to guess Chris Dudley made millions of dollars for just being six fouled. But please get me the video of Shaq dunking on Chris Dudley and purposely trying to hit Chris Dudley in the neck with his nuts. And Dudley all just backed away, backed away, got stuck in Shaq's ass crack. And then from- You can dodge a wrench, you can dodge him all. An enraged Chris Dudley.
Was this the same game that Chris Childs fought Kobe in? Remember the F-Fight?
No, that couldn't have been in the same game.
They only played each other. Look at K-Rambus had one of those filthy goatees.
Is that not the dunk that is Shaq's statue? The one on Chris Dudley's neck? Is Shaq's... Play that again, please, so that I can see from the beginning all of the nasty here on Chris Dudley's just being backed up because you can't do anything because it's too strong, and he's in good defensive position. And then here you go. Here's some of this. And then I'm pretty sure- It is Shaq's signature dunk. He threw a ball at A little hose on Dudley there. All right. Chooch. Okay. I am going to spend the last four minutes of what we're doing here analyzing this video with you guys. It's great.
32. 5 million dollars for your earnings for Dudley.
Please go back again to the beginning of this because, and I want you to freeze it for me, okay? In honor of telestrated Hubie Brown, now retiring. I want you to- Frosting.
Freeze it.
Not, not. Stop. Okay. Roll it. Hold it right there. Right there. Just stay for a second. The part that I want you guys to enjoy is as Shaq ends up on the rim and his his legs are coming very close to being on Chris Dudley's shoulders, I want, and please don't move it again, I'm going to have to fight someone in the video room. You just did again?
You're going to have to go fight somebody in the video room. Right.
Don't move it.
I want all of us to enjoy together the last little the pelvic thrust of Shaquille O'Neill that makes Chris Dudley fly into the stands because of the sensuality around Shaq's Nether region. Just the hip thrust of a little extra, I'm going to knock you out of bounds with my penis.
Chris Childs fought Kobe the following trip to LA. You're right. So this is back to back here. It's always eventful when the Knicks came to LA.
Now, I've done something unfair to Chris Dudley because it's not actually his penis. Shaq just pushes him with an elbow.
Yes. You see Dudley?
His hammer's on him.
Dudley with his right arm, almost as if he's going to… You know what? I'm going to carry Shaq.
No, they're It lifts Shaq up. There is certainly dick to chest. There's a definite hockey stick.
Yes, but the elbow got him.
But the visual for all time of I knocked you into the stands with my penis.
Chris Dudley wraps his arms around them.
He gives Shaq a little How's your uncle?
No, No, there wasn't a house your uncle. I'm telling you.
Look at his right-hand here. Roll that again. There was not a house your uncle.
Roll that again. No, let's see it again.
There's not a How's your uncle here. Anywhere to be found. That's not true. What you guys are saying is false.
Can you believe that this used to be the highest definition available to us to watch things. I never remembered the picture being that bad. I was just on a square TV. I'm like, this slaps. This is great. This is it. Look at these graphics, is what I would say on my N64. Wow. Nothing could get better than that.
Watch Dudley's right arm. I'm telling you, there's a little something. A little hup. I agree.
Oh, yeah.
A little hello. There was not a How's your uncle there.
Wait, look.
Number one blocks his shot.
Where's the right-hand? Where's the right-hand right now?
Go for a double leg take-down. How is your uncle?
You guys are claiming that Shaq pushed Dudley because there was a How's your uncle?
I imagine in this video Shaq went...
All right. Now, if we continue rolling this and forgive me to the audio.
It's the exact sound you made.
What's What's the sound? What's the sound you make?
What's the sound? Is that a Pillsbury Doughboy? No, was that happening to Chris Bermon the whole time?
How's your uncle? That's the sound you make?
Yes. When someone Yes. Shakes your uncle's hand.
You know what I'm saying. I don't think you know what the uncle is.
I do.
A raper's. Whoa. That's how to have buzz.
The thing that I want to accentuate from the video for the audio audience is is, after everything we've described, the amount of time it takes Chris Dudley and his athleticism to get up and off the floor, make it so that he's throwing a basketball at a Shaquille O'Neill, who is at half court because it's his back, and he has already done the hip thrust and pushed it into the stands. While Chris Dudley infuriated, threw a basketball a long way, Shaq was much further away from him than that.
Shaq is all Dudley has in that spot. Shaq famous for his hustle back down the court, too. Hey, folks, it's Mike Ryan. It is Big Game Week, and I've got just the thing to make your big game time a Miller time. From Fireside Conversations, a football Sundays, Winter means more moments with the coolest people in your life. Make these moments even better with Miller Light, the great tasting light beer for people who love beer. A new year is a perfect time for friends, family, and great tasting light beer. Taste like Miller Miller Light is brewed for taste. It hits different than other light beers. When you're hosting your ultimate game day party, why don't you bring out a beautiful silver platter of that amazing white can and know you will make everybody there happy because Miller Light is the original light beer since 1975 and still the very best one. Miller Light. Great taste, 96 calories. Go to millerlight. Com/dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller Light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Taste like Miller Time. Celebrate responsibly, Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories and 3.
2 carbs per 12 ounces.
Valentine's Day is coming up, and for me, there's only one place I trust, one800flowers. Com. Every year, I order stunning high-quality bouquets from 1-800 flowers that my grandma absolutely loves.
Jessica, holy. I got the most gorgeous roses. I don't think I ever got that many roses in my whole life. Certainly not from your lovely grandfather.
You may have still rest in peace. Thank you.
You made my day. I mean, they are gorgeous. Never had so many roses in my whole life. Eighty-five years. Holy shit.
In this year, we're partnering with 1-800 flowers to make sure you're a Valentine's hero with an exclusive offer for Lebitard listeners. Double the Roses for free. When you buy one dozen, they'll double your bouquet to two dozen roses. It's the perfect way to say I love you without breaking the bank. All roses from 1-800 flowers are picked at their peak, cared for every step of the way, and shipped fresh to ensure lasting beauty. To claim your Double your Roses offer, go to 1-800 flowers. Com/dan. That's 1-800 flowers. Com/dan.
Dan makes sure Tony is up to speed on two important moments he missed while he was gone: Dan being racist in New Orleans and the Walter Payton story. Then, reports have surfaced that part of the disagreement between Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Glenn's New York Jets stems from New York's unwillingness to let Rodgers continue with his recurring role on The Pat McAfee Show. Which is more valuable to Aaron Rodgers: his platform on the show or his contract with a NFL team? Plus, Mike Ryan believes he's a GOAT, Dan feels bad for Marcus Smart, and the crew goes through the Centers who Michael Jordan led to a title.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices