Transcript of Hour 2: The Good Cult (feat. Columbus Football Coach Dave Dunn)

This is the Dan Levatore Show with the Stugats podcast.

That is exactly the way that I expected Columbus's coach to look and stand, and he's just intimidating. He's trying to... I can't believe Tony has arrived in the wait room. I also am unsurprised to see that Columbus has a professional-grade wait room. They do not mess around there. Tony has arrived. Tony, how did you get in there with Dave It had to be with Dave Dunn's permission. He is Fernando Mendoza's high school coach, and right now, he is a local celebrity of the highest order.

I told you it was 100%. It was for certain.. I told you that already. You know what the deal is? I got Coach Dunn here in the midst, right here.

Okay, so do you want to... Let's go ahead. Then you go ahead and sideline report and interview the coach of Fernando Mendoza. I can't believe how accurate that kid is. I also can't believe that he is the quarterback for every Abuela that has ever existed because they love how Dave Dunn made this person be a model Cuban human being.

Coach, okay, let's start right there. How did you make Fernando Mendoza be a model Cuban human being?

I'm gringo of the highest order. What? No way. So I had nothing to do with it. That's all his parents.

Coach, when you think of Fernando Mendoza getting him as a freshman to now where he stands as a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who's about to play for the national championship on an undefeated team, and presumably maybe the number one pick the NFL draft. How have you seen that transition from him as a kid to now a grown man?

It's been amazing to watch. The cool thing about him is just how much he loves the sport and how much he pours his heart and soul into it. And he really is that energetic of a young man. Everyone would ask me after his interview, they said, Is that how he really is? That's how he really is. He attacks every single day that way. It's surreal. But watching him have the success he's had on this stage has really been amazing for our whole community.

Dave, can you go to the game? Are Are you going to be able to go to the game? Tickets are very hard to get.

I was able to squeeze a couple of tickets out of some people here. We got some deep pockets here at Columbus High School, and they came through for me.

If I were to tell you back whenever it is that you thought Fernando Mendoza was going to be something, what's the best that that's going to be? He's exceeded whatever it is your dreams were for that already, correct?

It's tough because I knew he had the ability to be a great quarterback. I just couldn't convince anybody else that he was going to be a great quarterback. So he didn't have a lot of offers at a high school. But once he started getting reps when he was at Cal and producing the way he did, even in practice, I'm like, The sky is going to be the limit for this young man. And then to move to Indiana with the coaching that Coach Signetti has provided for him has really just been a perfect storm, and he's taken off this whole senior year.

Can you tell me what that process was, you trying to convince people that he was going to be a good college quarterback and them telling you, No, he is not going to be?

It was frustrating. It really is. And I think he always He had a positive attitude about it, and I'm sure it had to bother him. But we tried. He went to about 18 camps in a 25-day period to throw for people. There was another ACC school that he went there and he threw, and it was the best quarterback there. When he left, they just told him, Have a good flight. So he literally went through the Ringer and emotional roller coaster during his recruiting period, and his positive attitude helped carry him through it. And then we were able to get a break late in the recruiting process, really late, like a week before signing and Cal came with a late offer. And it's just seeing him get that and the joy that he had on his face when he committed to Cal was unbelievable.

Take me through, take us through the details of the heartbreak, the details of you guys are fighting so hard to get him a chance because you two believe, but so few other people do. What is the greatest of the, Oh, man, seeing the crestfallen face where you're like, I can't believe this kid I love. I cannot get him the right chance.

On national TV, I could just say this. I told you so. It's It was probably harder on me than it was on him. I wore it on my sleeve much more than he did. And that's just the type of person he is, is that he went with the punches a little bit better than me. But I wish I could call each and every coach who didn't offer him and say, I told you so. But I have got some phone calls from friends in the industry that have called me and said, I knew he blew it on that kid. It's pretty fulfilling.

Fernando seems like a perfect human being on and off the field. We know no one is perfect. Name a single flaw.

He's a dork.

I'll take that.

He's very nerdy. He's very nerdy.

Well, you know there are different kinds of Cubans, correct? Him and- How many feet of that line? Him and Cristobal are very different kinds of Cubans.

Yes. I coached his brother as well. Alberto and Fernando are completely different. But Fernando's nerdy, and that's what makes him special. He's a football nerd. I keep telling everybody.

What is the legend of Cristobal at that school?

The whole Cristobal family, it's a long lineage. It started with his older brother Lou, and then Mario here was a great player and a really top-notch offensive lineman, not only here at the University of Miami. Coach Cristobal's two sons are on our team right now. His nephew, Louis, played for us. His other nephew, Richard, played for us. Louis now coaches with us. The Cristobal ties run deep here at Columbus High School.

Can you explain to America what Columbus High School is, what it is as a Cuban institution, what it is as a Miami institution? I'm putting a lot on your plate there, but I'm sure you can do it.

Well, I'll say this. One of Coach Mirabal's wife, who's the offensive line coach at Miami, told my family, When I moved down here to take the job, they said, It's like a cult, but a good cult.

Yeah. I don't think, though, that people totally understand what's happening around your school this week. Can you explain it to us? Because the media has descended upon you. Has it not? Yes.

I usually don't wear pants at work. So this week, I actually had to wear pants every day. I usually wear shorts and workout care.

Solid pan, guys.

There we go. Nice slide.

Good job. Everybody saw me on campus, they said, either you have an interview this today or you have a meeting. So there's been media here every single day, and it's been great for the school. It's unbelievable publicity for us. It's just a great time to be here on campus.

Coach, if I could jump in for a second. Dan, by the way, I just want you to know, not only is Coach wearing pants, but I fought off CNN to be here. We beat CNN to talk to Coach. Cnn is sitting outside in Black Suburban waiting for us to be done. Coach should go talk to them..

I just want you to know that.

We often do.

I thank you for that. I also did not and was not expecting when I asked him to tell us about the most Cuban game ever and the greatest thing in the history of Columbus for his description of the vibes to be, I usually don't wear pants. But it's a pretty good description as far as as far as those go. I don't think people understand what's happening around the school. It feels like Columbus has a state championship game this week, or next week. Does it not?

It does, but it's a little bit... We're united, But the big thing everyone tries to do this week is try to divide us of who you're pulling for, Miami, the Mendozas. I said this before. If you have a whole bunch of kids, which one's your favorite kid? You really can't give a good answer to that. I'm excited for for us as a community and for the game in itself. I'm pumped up to be there Monday night. I'm really honored to be able to watch all seven of our people who are from Columbus participate in this game.

Coach, what's the worst part of the life?

My life? Besides the pants? I was going to say pants. I would say for us, it's just two things. Everybody asked me this week for either tickets or who I'm polling for. That's probably been the two biggest questions this week.

Well, and the answer to the question is you have to root for Fernando, don't you? You have to be at... What's going to happen to your heart at the end of the game? It's at the five-yard line. Miami's up, but Fernando's got the ball. He needs a countdown to win. What's going to be happening in his high school coach's heart, even if he loves Miami, the city of Miami, who are you going to be rooting for?

It's a tough call. I don't know. I'll I'll let my emotions at the time take over. I can't tell you, I've truly, even in my mind, stayed neutral just because I've known Coach Mirabal and Coach Cristobal since 1998, and I've coached all five players in the game. To me, it's tough. I'll definitely be torn either way is the best way to put it.

All right, good answer. Well, let me paint another scenario. Fernando marching Indiana down the field. Miami is winning. He needs a countdown to win it. A throw in the back of the end zone. It's picked off, but it's Bryce Fitzgerald Tough.

That's a good one. I will say this, the last the last countdown ever thrown in a state Championship game in Columbus history was Alberto Mendoza, two Bryce Fitzgerald to beat Mander in high school, which is Carson Beck's school. So that's pretty cool.

How many people at Columbus High School, administrators, are still there from having Mario Cristobal there as a student?

This is the place people go to die when they work here, so we have a lot of people still here.

Okay. All right, Tony, before the end of the show today, see if you can find us someone who coached or was around Mario Cristobal. We will check in with you again later in the show. Coach, appreciate the time. Thank you for spending it with us. And congratulations. You've never had a week... What in football comes close to what this is? Have you ever had something that feels anything close to what this week is?

No, because even the state championship games that we've competed and you're working the whole week in terms of getting ready for opponent, this one is, you can sit back and relish it a little bit more. So that's what makes it special.

Thank you. And last note, Tony, anything on the Cuban front that you wish to quiz him with on the Cubanness of this particular game so that he can explain to America how estúpido todo esto es.

Coach, obviously, you have a lot of Cuban things happening within not only the school, but outside of it. What is your favorite Cuban dish that you can explain to the nation right now? Croquettas.

Croquettas, without a doubt.

From where? What's your ? La carreta. La carreta. My guy right here, he knows exactly what's going on. Come on now.

I'm not a rookie. Come on, Dan.

You're your croqueta. He has learned some things that people around here, because Greg and Zaz, Stugats, the way they have not been touched by our Cuma community down here, David Samson, and don't know how to-Coach Dunn is boots on the ground, Dan.

That's what it is. Those guys are not boots on the ground. All the guys you mentioned are up in Brouwer doing Broward things. God only knows what that is. This right here, Coach Dunn is on boots on the ground. Look at these feet. Look at these feet, 10 toes down with pants on on the ground here in royalty of Cuban Westchester.

That is correct. Tony, thank you. Good work. Appreciate the effort. He has managed to break through the walls of the fortress. Thank you, Coach. Appreciate the time. And again, congratulations. Happy for you and happy for the way that Columbus represents both our community and everything around sports, football, and everything else.

Thanks, dad. Big fan of the show. I appreciate you having me on.

Thank you, sir. There it is, Mike Ryan. Columbus does not hate me. He just said he's a big fan. Well, he didn't say he was a big fan of me. He said he was a big fan of the show. So it might be you and your cam war jersey. It's probably me. Twelve parking passes and tickets you got to this?

No, not parking passes, but twelve tickets. Quite the flex. What? Twelve?

Golden Cane.

.

I heard from people that if you had six season tickets, you only were given two.

Right, but if you're a Golden Cane, then it multiplies.

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What is the worst part of the life? Stugatz.

The worst part of the life of what?

This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats.

A couple of different things that I wanted to ask you guys about because so So you heard mentioned earlier during the show, the discovery of Michael Irvin's six or eight-pack abs. Michael Irvin, famously, when he was a champion with the Cowboys, he wouldn't end some of his workouts until he had thrown up for the second time. The level of fitness and want and desire on what these guys do with their bodies to be great at that sport is a lunacy. But even knowing that, even having spent a lot of time in locker rooms talking to football players about how they make their bodies what they are. You guys know I am an awkward hugger. You guys know I sometimes hug people who don't want to be hugged, Josh Norman, most famously. But whatever Josh Norman was as a football player, and he was very good when I hugged him, and I'm going to say almost any time I've ever hugged any football football player, Ricky Williams included. I have never felt physically what I felt from the body of Edger and James, who is made of cast iron, even after all of these years away from football.

And when I put my hand on his shoulder, I thought to myself, How the hell did anybody tackle this?

I think he's more muscular now. He's got more mass to him now than he did in his playing days.

But I can't believe. I wrote a cover story with Edger and James for ESP in the magazine that was controversial because it was gold teeth and whatever. For the time, the Colts didn't like the picture, but he was talking about how he became the guy that my pace friends, when they went to play against him and saw him in the backfield, they were like, How the hell are we supposed to do anything with this? The way he got strong is at 13 years old. He's unloading watermelon trucks 13 years old. And what his body is, is something that I have... I'm telling you, I've been around football players, and this level of physical, I'm assuming a lot of guys in the league are like that, but when that's colliding into each other, The only reason I'm pointing any of this out is when Mario Cristobal says his team is violent and physical, that's what's coming at you. And maybe Indiana has played a whole bunch of teams that are 50 pounds heavier on the offensive line than Miami's is. But what you're talking about physically, I don't think that human beings... I'm not saying I know more than you.

I'm simply saying that even after 30 years talking to people about this and knowing what these bodies are, I'm still stunned sometimes like I was yesterday by Edger and James many years after his retirement.

Mass kicks ass. I'm really excited to see how the game plays out, not just because my team is playing in it and it's a national championship game, but because of the clash of styles. Now, don't get a twist. Indiana does a fair amount of dominating at the line of scrimage, depending on the opponent. But in this matchup, their pathway to victory would appear to be not finesse, but execution. Execution, a team that is highly disciplined, that won't beat itself, that is always in the right place, against a team that tries out physical you. The book on them is at times, they can be undiscipline. They can beat themselves, and Indiana will jump all over you. They do a good enough job of beating you. They don't need the help of you beating yourself. I'm really excited about it. Also, The way that they play is very much try and stop it. Miami, it's with the A-gap, try to stop it. With Mendoza, that back shoulder throw that they always do to Serrat, it is always going to be there.

Serrat is great. He really is.

You can be draped all over Serrat. Yeah, he's an NFL draft pick, no doubt. Back shoulder throw, NFL-type throw, my body against yours, try and stop it. You know exactly what's coming. I love that about these two teams is that there's a lot of conjecture online. There are no secrets We know exactly how this game is going to play out and who is going to be able to stop what the other does best. I can't wait.

We've been talking a lot about how Miami is the more physical team than Indiana, and they're bigger and stronger. But Indiana is so experienced. All of these guys have so many games under their belt and also time in college weight rooms. I know that technically there's a disparity in terms of weight, but do you really... I'm asking you the genuine question in terms of analysis. Is Miami that much more physical Indiana?

At the line of scrimmage for the offensive line. I've been once Indiana played the way that they did in the Rose Bowl. I was fixated at the line of scrimmage, and I'm really impressed with their center, who I think won Rose Bowl MVP. The way that he snaps the ball and gets out on the perimeter and starts throwing blocks. It's unreal. I do think that if there is a weak spot on that offensive line, it's right tackle. I think that there is something that Miami can probably attack there. I think Miami is going to win. I'm actually a little bit more confident headed into this game than I was against Ole Miss. I I thought that was a tricky spot for Miami and a tricky opponent. Mendoza can be prone to mistakes if you get after him, and he does hold the ball a little bit longer. But I won't be surprised if Indiana goes into this game and does its job and out-executes it, and Miami has to summon something really special to beat this team.

Zaz, before we move on to other subject matter, do you have any thoughts on the ticket prices here? Because it's offensive. Look, capitalism, demand is what it is, and so you get the ticket prices. But there have been tough tickets in the history of South Florida, but this one is- No, this is the toughest.

This is probably the toughest ever. I'm grateful. I'm credentialed. I'm going to be there. I'm really lucky in that regard from ESPN, so I am going. But I have been trying to grab a couple of extra tickets, and it just doesn't seem possible. The tickets price are outrageous. I understand capitalism. You could sell your tickets for as much as you think you can get for them, fine. I will tell you the place that I do find to be offensive is the prices for the parking passes. That part to me, the ticket prices are crazy, but the parking passes, the The deepest parking pass I checked the other day was like $600 to park.

The strings that I had to pull was for a parking pass.

That to me- It was crazy. That to me seems not right. That that's how much parking is going to fit.

There is rumors They're out there messaging from Hard Rock Stadium that they're going to be checking cars and making sure that people have tickets.

There's no way they could regulate that. I was having that argument with my son yesterday. There's no way they could regulate that.

I'm with you. I think that's something that they put out there to mitigate. Maybe it's enforceable on the front-end early on, but once those gates get humming, it would be a huge misstep to make sure everybody that is entering the premises has a ticket to the can.

I know multiple people that are planning on going just to tailgate.

Yeah, they're definitely going to get in. The national championship is saying everybody has to have a ticket who's in the car. There is no chance that buddy who's scanning your barcode for your parking pass is asking to see everyone's ticket in the van.

I want to ask you guys something based on a story here that I heard. I don't think any of you guys have seen this, but Rich Eisen was talking to John Elway, who has a new documentary. I'm about to tell you. That's the reason I started the story that way. The story, the The reason that I'm telling it and showing it to you is because I want to frame it from within the discussion of, go get Tomlin, go get Harbaugh. He's a guy who knows how to have the wisdoms to do all of the things that make you a winner. I want to play for you how close sometimes things can be in sports between you're great for all time or no one ever knew your name, and we don't actually have control over much of any of this, no matter how much we insist on making the coaches, people who know better than others who's going to be great. Listen to this story.

Then Tarell came in. It's funny. Tarell, we were in preseason, and we were over in Japan. We were playing a preseason game over in preseason the game over in Japan. And Terrell was saying, You know what? He was like the seventh one on the depth chart and wasn't getting a lot of reps. And so he was like, Man, I'm done with this. He went downstairs, tried to check out because he was going to go home to say he didn't want to play football. And thank God, they couldn't understand him in Japan. They couldn't understand what he wanted. So he had to go back up to his room. The next day, he plays in the game in the special teams. That's right. Played a little bit in running back, but in the special teams, he ran down, made a big hit. And then guys started getting hurt. Terrell moved up the line fast. And then Mike went to him the first game and said, Terrell, you're going to be our starter. And then that's when things really started to move forward.

Six-round pick was going to quit makes John Elway a champion. You guys think Tomlin or Harbaugh, the Dolphins hire him, are going to have some special Pixie dust that they can throw on that to make Terrell Davis be someone who isn't understood in a Japanese hotel?

But those two things, the They aren't mutually exclusive. There's a little bit of luck that can also be involved in creating a winner.

He was a tremendous player, but quantifiably, Mike Shanehan could do that with anybody.

Okay.

That being said, he depleted that dude, and I did not know he had that dog in him. Looking like Steve Atwater out there. That was nuts.

Mike Shanehan did indeed create Running Game Out of Nothing. His son can also do that.

Yeah, the zone blocking scheme designed by Shanehan always works. It just always does. Okay, but- Tarell Davis would get hurt, and O'Landis Gary would follow, and Mike Anderson would follow, and Alfred Morris from FAU would follow.

Mike Shanaher won at the highest level, and Kyle hasn't won at the highest level, as Zazla wonders whether Tomlin's one championship is enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. You understand what I'm saying? The way that we do some of this analysis on the splitting of hairs and the gulf of difference between six-round pick was going to quit, but then wins Elway to Super Bowl. Like, luck can be involved in that.

But by highest level means just finally win the big one because he's gotten there as an OC. He's gotten there with the San Francisco 49ers. I'd say Kyle Shannon has done a lot of winning at the highest of levels. It's just the Super Bowl has eluded him.

The biggest surprise in that story to me was that Terrell Davis was getting ready to give up on himself so quickly. I mean, this is a guy who's a future Hall of Famer. He should know how good he is, better than anybody, but he's ready to leave Japan and say, To hell with the NFL. You're not giving me a chance. I'm out of here.

That's weird. Well, that's what he was given up on. It's like, Man, I'm not even going to get a chance. This is how this works. That's the part he was given up on, right?

As far as sports analysis goes, though, just the endless hum of the machine that's forever critical of coaches and athletes. Mike Ryan just said something there that makes total sense, but is also asinai. Kyle Shannonhan has won at the highest level except for the Super Bowl. Now, I understand what he's saying. But the measure is the Super Bowl. Second place for everybody else creates a cacophony of criticism that has no sanity in it.

No, I understand. When you look at his career on the whole, if he never wins one, it's what you can say about Kyle Shannonhan. It's Social media does this saying, it's way worse than college football, that if a team loses, they suck. If a coach loses, they suck. And I hate that because it also takes shine away from what you accomplish. You'll see it. If Miami wins this, Indiana was a fraud all along. I just hate that. These teams are exceptional. They're awesome. These guys are executing at a very high level.

Kyle Shannon thought I was the best coach in NFL right now.

Yeah, but he hasn't won the big one. And It's something that you can always say. Look, we do it. We're part of it. I was out here saying, I want to see Steph Curry be the best player. It's something that we do, but it is a little stupid. I just don't understand it.

But as it relates specifically to Kyle Shanahan, Everyone says now, yes, great coach hasn't won the big one. A lot of people also say has blown more double-digit leads by a factor of double than any other coach, not great coach, than any other coach in the league.

I'd make the argument. I know this became canon around Greg Popovich, but I think this is his greatest coaching job. Everybody's hurt. I agree. This is insane. Hall of Famers are hurt. Bosa Now, Kittle, Warner, and he's doing it all with Mr. Irrelevant at quarterback. No, but you're- This is insanity.

It's a step further than that, though. He doesn't have the normal load of receivers either. What happened with Ayuk is something that hasn't happened to any other team in the league. Ayuk was their third receiver for a while when they were getting... Ayuk was not the best of their receivers, and now they're doing it with an assortment of people that they're not going to be able to do it with. I don't think they're going to be able to do anything against Seattle. I think Seattle drags them if Sam Darnold doesn't Sam Darnold on it.

I don't want to overlook that also they have arguably the greatest running back of his generation in Christian McCaffery. And when you pair that skill set, that talent with Kyle Shanehan scheme. It's amazing. But if you look at them, you mentioned passively, Trent Williams is washed now. And I was watching him, unrecognizable. Guys are beating him off the jump. He got away with a holding on that countdown like crazy. These aren't the same guys, and yet they won at Philadelphia. I think they said that on the broadcast that those two teams have represented the NFC in the last five Super Bowl. It's insane. To pull off a victory at the defending Super Bowl champion the way that they did.

They would have beaten Philadelphia a few years ago in Philadelphia if they didn't have to put Christian McCaffrey at quarterback because they just run out of quarterbacks. The amount of injuries on that team that they have overcome is an insanity.

Is Harbaugh Hall of Fame, quarterback?

A coach? Yeah. I'm sorry. What's going on with you? What's going on with you? You've been misspeaking all week. You did it again with nick Wright.

He had a nice career.

You did it again with nick Wright.

To clarify, I'm talking about John Harbaugh, the coach, not Jim Harbaugh. The quarterback.

Can you play that question? Yeah, sure. Play it. Play the question again of Zazlo. He asked it almost the same exact way somehow of nick Wright.

The packers win or the bears lose.

Well put.

Why are you going to embarrass me to another national person. I was already embarrassed with Diana, who specifically pointed out that up until that moment, I asked great questions, all right? And now I'm embarrassed and make me a sucker. And now with nick Wright, too. He already didn't like me.

That's why you don't have many of these.

The packer's winner, the bear's lose.

Don Levatard.

A woman who was out swimming with her friends is believed to have been swallowed hole by a 13-foot shark without any of her friends noticing. That's the weirdest part about that story. You're swimming with friends, you're having a good time, and then all of a sudden, people are looking around and go, Where's Shelle? Nobody screamed.

Every friend group has a Shelle, though, that if they go missing because a shark ate them whole, you wouldn't notice.

Classic Shelle.

Exactly right.

Stugatz.

She went quietly, apparently. If I'm swallowed a hole by a shark, you're going to know it. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats.

We are building up until next Monday. We're going to do a watch-along. We're going to throw an assortment of insanity at the entirety of the event, more so than we have this week.

Is it a full show in the morning? Because I got to leave a little early. I wasn't aware we were doing the full compliment because I got to go.

On a national holiday, I wish to do... I'd like to do 12 straight hours of programming. But, Greg, what other things have you brought from your garage here today? You told us about the Media Guide. I imagine a 1969 Media Guide that is- Yeah, Media Guide don't- Holy shit, is that flimsy?

First of all, it's difficult to find a Media Guide anymore, but they grew to be like books, like tabletop books.

For the audience that has never seen a Media Guide, a media guide is generally 400 times thicker than that.

This looks like a pamphlet.

It does. But this is the way they used to be. The Dolphins were born in This is their second ever media guide. That looks like a brochure.

It really does look like a Turnpike brochure.

It's going to tell you everything that you can find at Disney World.

Yeah, but keep in mind, they'd only had one season, so maybe it didn't need to be much bigger. But here's the coach, George Wilson. It's fun to have. I don't know why I put my name in there.

I can't believe those pages still turned.

Don't open that too far. It's going to break.

Be careful with that.

Crusty. Why did you write your name there?

I have no No idea.

Just self-involvement. You like thinking of yourself at all times.

I think I misspelled my own name. It looked like C-O-T-O.

That's Rippin up top.

Rippin.

Be careful. Rippin. The other thing I brought was, as far as I know, this is the first photograph ever taken of me on the job as a working journalist. I'm even writing in a notebook.

Long-haired hippie. Your hair is out of control there. This is the man Erlene fell in love with. A little bit of rock and roll, a little bit of marijuana dust.

A little. What year Who was that?

Based on my age. 1930? Early '70s.

Is that when you said people said you looked like Tom Cruise?

No, that was after.

Who are you interviewing here?

I don't know. It might be a Fort Lauderdale striker, Dutch defender named John Pot. Okay. But I'm How is that possible?

Awfully specific for might be.

How is John Pot second on the list of things giving off pot here?

Approximately John Pot.

Roughly John Pot. I'm just guessing. Please keep We're bringing in things from your garage, okay? We cannot have enough of them. Mike Ryan, why are you mad at Ty Simpson? What is the nature of your beef?

So Ty Simpson came out and gave an interview after he formally signed his papers to enter the NFL draft. It is no secret that Miami was trying to get Ty Simpson over to their program even after he declared for the NFL draft. And he gave an interview in which he put Miami's private business out there. Now, Miami had Two pursuits of note: Sam Levit, the Arizona State quarterback that ended up committing to Louisiana State University, and Ty Simpson. That's what people know. Now, Sam Levet, he's had some character stuff around him. Miami feels a certain way about it, But all in all, he hasn't said anything dumb publicly. You lose an arms race occasionally. I think Ty Simpson tried to do something that he thinks was high character, and it's really, really cheap because he said, Well, then I declared for the NFL draft, and then Miami came with this huge offer, and he puts a number out there. It's been reported Miami offered Ty Simpson six and a half. Now, you have to keep in mind, when you see these numbers out there, that doesn't necessarily mean that's the offer that Miami was offering.

It's certainly the number that the agent was saying.

For one year, dude, Brenda Sorsby got five.

This is what they're saying, I have my doubts. But either way, he was doing that and he was touting his legacy. I didn't want to be known as a quarterback that left Alabama and chase the money in Tennessee or Miami. I'm proud of what I built here. Ty, brother, you lost to two Cuban quarterbacks by a thousand to 12. What are we talking about. You're not even John Parker Wilson when it comes to Alabama lore. I don't know that fool. And I understand this sounds like sour grapes, and to a degree, I'll even let you have that. But what you did in that interview by putting Miami's business out there was mad cheap. And you played yourself because you're thinking that you're going to buy clout with Alabama. Alabama doesn't think of you glowingly. You're the guy that on their watch, let the shine wear off. What are you doing, dude? That's not something that you do. And it may not stick to you, but it's going to stick to your age and when you put people's business out there. For you to come off, lower character than Sam Levit, that says a lot about you.

Why do I hear some people say that the numbers out there are fake, that the Canes aren't actually paying these guys this number?

Omar Kelly. It's not some people. It's Omar Kelly that you've heard Lebitard say this. I just want to put on the poll before he answers that question. At Lebitard Show, please put this on the poll. Is Ty Simpson mad cheap, playing himself? What are you doing, dude? Yes or no?

I always take the numbers that are out there with a grain of salt because sometimes I have an idea of what the number is, and it doesn't match what's out there. A lot of these things are put out there by agents that are trying to get clients, be it in high school or at other schools, look at the offers that I command. And the school is not going to come out there and say that's not true, because it's not a bad thing that people think Miami is willing to pay six and a half million dollars. That may very well be the case. Totally illegal. Yeah, that may very well be the case here. Miami is in a tough spot right now when it comes to the portal, in part because they've been playing these games, and it's a difficult thing to manage right now.

I mean, didn't Beck get four million? I mean, that's the going rate now.

That was a thing that was out there. Omar is skeptical of that as well. Maybe the totality of his deal reached with incentives, but I know that the number that was out there circulating early on was not the number that the deal was for.

That sounds like I happen to know. All of that sounds like I happen to know. So take us inside some of the business of this, Michael. Why? Because you are in the middle of the business of all of this. What is going on with Miami and the portal? Because if this is to be a sustainable thing, look, I really didn't have this going this particular way. I did not have Mario Cristobal improving the program each of the years and then being to do something after Kam Ward that was better than Kam Ward. I did not think that the getting of Carson Beck would be more interesting or exciting than what I just witnessed from a number one overall pick in a draft. But I was proven wrong there because that's not where my expectations were. Now, after two of those seasons, I am looking at it and I'm like, Well, how are they going to replace this quarterback now when yesterday you were making the argument of, well, Malakai Tony might be nice if everyone starts being Everyone starts being greedy about this, and the numbers start climbing into a place where Ty Simpson thinks he's worth $6 million when all he did this year was desecrate what Alabama has built for 15 years.

This was the worst Alabama team I have seen in 15 years.

I think a lot of people, I just saw Mel Kiper saying, I would have advised Ty Simpson to stay. I think the part of Miami's pitch to Ty Simpson was, look at the stats when it comes to quarterbacks that have had fewer than 15 starts in College. There's a lot of Anthony Richardson, guys that actually stay in school and stack up the starts. Their career goes better. But Ty Simpson got a first-round grade from every GM that he spoke to. We're talking highly respected front offices. When less need tells you your first-round pick, I don't know if you can pass that up because you want to accelerate the timeline to the second contract. I don't have a beef with him not choosing Miami. I have a beef with him putting the business out there. But I'm not going to sugarcoat Miami's current situation right now. Miami could approach the quarterback pursuit better. And I'm saying that even having no one, I'm wearing a number one Cam Ward jersey because he was a number one overall draft pick, and Carson Beck's in the national title game. People have no idea how close those were to absolute swing and misses because Miami went for the best, and they luckily got it.

Right now, I think Miami's situation is if there is a quarterback, and we're right now in a dead period, and this feels messed up to say, but I wouldn't be looking at guys that are in the portal right right now. Right now, you have agents reaching out to you with kids that haven't exactly signed their papers just yet. Maybe they've even announced other schools that see what's happening at Miami and realize, Okay, this is a place where my guy can succeed, and Miami's in a situation now where they've missed out on their two top choices. So I would say if Miami does get another quarterback, and they feel good about the guys in the room, but I think if you look at the totality of the roster, it's safe to say that Miami might take a step back next year. And that's unfortunate given the momentum of the program. They have to nail that position. I would say that if Miami does get a quarterback in the portal, it's not somebody that's actually in the portal right now.

Well-informed. I'll tell you what, Dan. Speaking of agents, putting stuff out there, this Ja Morant, the heat stuff is heating up. It is. There's some stuff out there, right, Jeremy?

Yeah. Kelly Ego from Yahoo Sports just put out an article. What do you say? And within the middle of it here, it talks about how Miami is where Ja wants to be. It says, There are teams with varying levels of interest in Marant, Minnesota, Sacramento, Milwaukee, to name a few. But Miami has emerged quickly as an attractive option to Marant and his camp in recent days, source has said. This is the really interesting part. It says, The Heat have historically been regarded as one of the NBA's most detail-oriented and structured organization, a major aspect of development that appeals to Marant, who has missed 34 games due to various suspensions. Marant also has a deep respect for Heat head coach Eric Spolstra, who runs Team USA. Marant desires to represent his country in the 2028 Summer Olympics in LA. Miami's veteran presence is an additional selling point and something Marant craves.

You wouldn't have to give up much for him is what the attractive thing is. You're buying him unbelievably cheap. You never find the superstar. For 26-year-old. You never find the guy who was being talked about as face of the league at 25 in the discount bin. That never happens. This This is as damaged a face of the league as there has ever been at this age in terms of availability. It's just interesting to me the conversation about this being available as Giannis becomes available. And do you want someone you have to trade everything for, or do you want someone who you're going to be able to get unbelievably cheap, who's also six years younger, that no one believes will ever be a three-point shooter, that no one believes will ever be a threat from the perimeter? And I have questions about how much he wants to play the difficult game at his body type that is required at the rim.

Here's the thing, and here's where I think maybe things have changed, and it's changed a little bit for me because I've been out on jaw. But I'm certainly inclined to be in on jaw when it would appear I don't think they have to give up very much to get him. I think the landscape in the NBA when it comes to making these big trades, I think it's changing, where I don't think you're going to have to give up all these draft picks anymore and all the young players. I think the Trey Young thing was a little bit of a precursor to that. If you're going to be able to get Ja for very little, which I think is the case, then I think the plan becomes, Oh, can you also get Giannis?

Yeah, here when you talk it out, that's where I'm at. Why not both? Why are you making it an either or? I'll tell you exactly why, because this franchise never gets anybody anymore.

The only question I'm asking if I'm Reilly and Spoh, is what's the difference between a team stuck in playoff purgatory like we are right now in a championship contender? It's not Ja Morant, right?

But it might be Ja. I disagree. I think Ja, Ja at his best, is better than any player that he'd have. The best of Ja that we have seen is better than anyone who presently plays for the Miami.