Transcript of Jessica Smetana Reports LIVE From The Ticker Tape Parade | Hour 2 New

Sehr gut, sehr gut, sehr gut.

Sehr gut?

WISO Steuer ist sehr gut. Das sagen ganz viele.

Cool, wer sagt das?

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Mega, aber das ist doch bestimmt kompliziert.

Nö, einfach Foto von der Lohnsteuerbescheinigung machen und fertig.

Klingt sehr gut.

Ist sehr gut. Hol dir dein Geld zurück mit WISO Steuer.

Mehr Feuer, mehr Intrigen. Die Drachen kehren zurück.

Die absolute Macht ist dir zum Greifen nah.

Dein Reich wird unbezwingbar sein, Rhaenyra.

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Öff!

Sonne.

Öff!

Park.

Öff!

Picknick.

Und so viele Pollen.

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This is the Dan Levittor Show with the Stugatz Podcast. Is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown is yours. And boy, am I happy the new DraftKings Sports app is available in all 50 states because I ventured over to the app and I made a pick, a USA World Cup pick. Guys, I'm going both teams to score. The market price on that is +104. That's what I locked it in on. I think both teams score. I was really impressed with Australia. Their athleticism really flashed. Turkey's not supposed to look that flat-footed and Australia They came in as this counterattacking team that had some athletes and are efficient with their opportunities. They outclassed Turkey, which on the surface has way more talent. Now, the US, I think, will win this match.

Gonna kick their ass tomorrow.

I think they will win this match.

I'm worried.

The US will score goals, but I'm worried about Christian Pulisic, who was dynamite in the one half that he played in. It's a bad injury. It's a bad injury when you get to his injury history, but When you have Tim Ream back there and you're going up against a counterattacking team with some good athletes, I think Australia does at least get one. I do count on the USA to win this match regardless of what's happening with Christian Pulisic, but I do think there's an interesting conversation to be had there. But we'll get to it later because, Dan, I have video right now of Jess at the parade. Whoa, what?

Yeah, she's got it.

Jess has Jess.

Jess with her phone. We send a meme with an army of people and resources. Jess with her phone joins us with successful video. Jess, thank you for joining us and thank you for saving the company and saving the day with your professionalism. Amin, he's an anchor around basketball's ankle. And thank you. I'm still worried about your internet. I'm also worried about the fact that you're spinning and your camera's out of control. Give us a live report from the parade. Thank you for joining us.

She looks great. That's great video.

Just dropped my phone. That was just user error, Dan.

Oh!

We got a sentence of video!

She's back!

Jess! We're about a block away from Broadway, and there's so many people here that there's just a crowd watching the parade on a TV outside of Orangetheory because you cannot get anywhere near the parade route right now. It is a complete zoo down here.

Is that why you have successful Wi-Fi and Amin doesn't? Because you're not near the parade. You're not particularly close to where the parade is. You're just milling about with people on the outskirts of the parade.

Actually, I'm not that far from it. This guy is yelling, "F this bird," so apologies to the children at home listening to the Dan Levitard Show. I'm not far from it, but I am in, I'm about as close as I can get without having to go through like a NYPD security checkpoint. So that's probably why the internet is not terrible right now.

Did you smell the marijuana smoke that just wafted over your shoulder and just got into your face from behind?

I am getting a contact high right now, and it's okay, Dan. The, the most important thing of the day already happened, which is I got a special New York Knicks edition I Voted sticker for early voting this morning. A commemorative Knicks championship sticker for voting early.

Why you always gotta put politics?

Why?

Why politics in sports? Why are you doing that?

You have 3 of those stickers.

That happens in New York.

2 forms of ID. Shouldn't be that hard. We'll find more in 6 months.

They— everyone clapped for me when I walked into the voting booth this morning because I was the first person in there. And they were like, do you want one of our Nick stickers? And I pretended like I didn't know that that— like, obviously that was what I was there for. And I was like, oh, like, of course, thank you. And then on the way out, I was like, can I have one of those basketball stickers? So I got two stickers.

I knew she voted twice. Two votes. I knew it.

Yeah, two votes.

She voted one time.

Voted with a Blockbuster Video card. One vote. That's all they are asking for.

Jess, is everybody behaving? Like, is it wild?

What's going on? Is everyone behaving far away from the parade?

So far. So, okay, if I show you down John Street about one block away, I don't know, my video is freezing, but one block that way.

No, that's it. We can't hear you. That's video coverage live from the parade.

Wonderful.

That is good stuff. Can we check back in with you? Is Lehman around? Where is your fiancé? Is he in an alley somewhere intoxicated and not sleeping from 4 days ago?

Whose marijuana smoke do you think that was, Dan?

Okay.

I'm just kidding, it wasn't his. But yeah, he's at our apartment right now. He got out here at 6 o'clock this morning and couldn't get into the parade, so he went home.

Good God, Zaslo, like it's got—

Times like this really make you miss stop and frisk. Oh my God.

There's gonna be a lot of unhappy people today that they can't even get near this thing that I've never—

They seem pretty happy.

Put it on the poll at Levitard Show. Have you ever heard of a sold-out parade?

Here's a tip for everyone that can't get in the parade. All the bars are open. Head to one, get in there, start day drinking. Trust me, it's what everyone who's at the parade is gonna do after anyway. Get a head start.

Now for equal time, Jess, you're at the Knicks parade. Are you going to go this weekend and report back to us from Raleigh for the Carolina Hurricanes parade?

Now you're going to ask if I was going to go report on the Brooklyn Nets, who I forgot existed, honestly, until like 2 days ago. Man, what a sad time to be a Nets fan.

How insulting. Seriously, how insulting is it, Dan, for, for the Nets as an organization? Jess is right. It's as if they don't even exist because it's always like, okay, but at least now they're, they're actually in New York. They're not New Jersey. It's like the Knicks. They're the only team in New York.

Nets are right there! No, they're not! They've always been this! Everyone knows the nets are more important! Jessica, thank you. We appreciate the time. We appreciate the report.

That's our friend Priya. That's Priya.

Zazz, that's our friend Priya.

Easy, settle down, son.

Easy, boy, easy. Settle down!

Did that come out of his mouth, or did he think that that was still inside of his head?

I said that in my head.

No, you said it out loud, Zazz. Wow, who's that? Congratulations, Priya. Uh, Zazz, keep some of those thoughts to yourself. Jesus. Like, have private thoughts.

Like, don't—

what's the matter with you? You can't have private thoughts?

I think actually there's nothing the matter with me.

I agree. Good job, Zazz.

We should keep calling it Wi-Fi too. I think that's a good look for us. We don't seem ancient at all.

Zaslo, you think that the way that you're expressing yourself around here is normal.

I think I'm very relatable.

I think in that moment you were very relatable to a lot in our audience.

Who's that?

I can't believe he forgot he was on the air.

Oh, he's never met Priya.

Viral thing where you say one phrase in different ways. That was the creepy way.

Yeah, that was like the Musburger Jen Surger way.

He forgot he was on the air. He got so caught up.

What are you guys doing to Zazz?

Oh!

J Jack's absolute joy.

Look, Tone, what we're doing to Zazz is yes, Male lust is a thing that we are all familiar with here. Nobody is confused about that. However, some people disguise it in professional broadcast settings—

An open book.

Slightly better than that.

He could have just been asking. It was the inflection in his voice.

Yeah.

But the transcripts, he was asking, who is that? Who's that standing next to you?

He was a journalist there by asking a question. To satiate his curiosity.

Don't say that. Well, I have a question for you guys. Don't use satiate there. How familiar are you with Christian Pulisic's injury of soft tissue injuries? Because this calf thing, guys, is a problem. He's training by himself, he's wearing a calf sleeve, and look, you know what happens when the calf starts getting injured, right? Everyone's gonna fear Achilles. But here's something that I'm actually worried about. I'm not even so much worried about the calf. I'm worried about the rest of his lower body and the overcompensating he's going to do for a calf that— this is a player, guys, historically, I've seen this movie a million times. Once he gets a slight knock, the quad starts going, maybe the hammy. It's not even the thing that is the central focus of all the news reports right now. And the way that he played in that first half, I told you, for us to get to where we hope to go in this tournament, Christian Pulisic has shown he is capable of being the best player and he's going to need to be. And he absolutely was. Against Paraguay. A pull assist, he was breaking down the defense with ease.

He is explosive. And for this injury to pop up at this time, I'm scared.

Zaslo, this is what I'm scared of, okay? And some of it's not fair. It's going to be emotional, and what I'm about to say now isn't actually reasonable. The last 30 years of American soccer have almost next to nothing to do with what this team is today, but this team today I do not trust because of the last 30 years of American soccer. Because what I saw in the first game, though hugely hopeful and exciting, I don't trust because of 30 years of these guys aren't good enough and I don't believe that result means a deep run into the tournament. However, if Christian Pulisic, who is America's star striker, If he wants to play in this game where Ronaldo and Messi now are, and Harry Kane and all of these other people who are starring at the beginning of this, the American team cannot, will not be what I want it to be and hope it will be if that guy isn't the striker America keeps expecting him to be. And that injury worries me, and I don't trust the first result because I got 30 years before it but it's not fair what I'm doing.

People are hopeful about the first result, they're not processing the last 30 years. They were also attacking when he left the game.

Well, he's an attacking winger. Balogun's our striker right now and he bagged a brace and he netted that second goal with flair that he didn't have to.

And what a goal by Reyna!

Yeah, that was incredible too. It's like Reyna's like, "Should— can I score here?

Should I?

You're gonna let me do this?" But where Pulisic does his best work is on that wing. And Pochettino did a very good job in saying, Christian, I know what you do best. We're going to let you operate in space. Now, that is a lot more stress on what is a very fragile body. When he is on, when he is right, when he played his best healthy stretch, he was AC Milan's best, most consistent attacking player. He is capable. He played for Chelsea in a Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid, and he was the best attacker on that pitch. All right, and that was Real Madrid. Christian Pulisic is fully capable of meeting the ceiling that everyone projected upon him, but when he starts rolling, there's always these injuries and they linger and he's never fully fit. And once you get one, they start compounding. And this couldn't happen at a worse time because he's 27 years old now, guys. This is the prophecy fulfilled. It has to be now. This isn't a guy that we keep projecting anymore. He has proven in Europe he can be a top-quality player, and he has to be for the US.

And if he's not fully fit, there is no replacing him.

Can they win the group without him?

Yes, because of that first performance and who's in their group. They got a favorable group. And look, they have some replacement options, but then you look at the decision to not bring some attacking punch in the form of Diego Luna, and you second-guess that a little bit. Tim Weah, I think, can be capable. Serginho Dest has been really threatening. They have attacking wings. That have shown you so far in this tournament they can break down a defensive-minded team like Paraguay. But there is no Christian Pulisic, guys. There is no replacing him. There is no one on that level when he is fully fit.

It looks like Fat Joe is performing right now from the top of one of the buses.

Look, I just want to tell you, I enjoyed talking to Jessica from that parade. She got great friends.

What Mike is saying about this American team. I feel pretty alone right now in having skepticism where everyone has patriotism. And Mike is saying, as you guys say, oh, they're going to kick, they're going to kick the shit out of X, Y, and Z. I'm like, I'm preparing for disappointment here, okay? Because soccer in this country, never mind the World Cup, I am preparing for the possibility. Like, man, you guys are awfully confident about this. And all I heard was years and years and years of doubt about all of this. And now a 4-1 one result, while exciting, I'm like, should I trust that? Because they looked like one of the best teams in the tournament in their first game. You win by 3 goals, that's generally how that's going to look. But I didn't recognize this team based on how it is it's been covered for the years before this.

Is there not a scenario where— and not to get ahead of ourselves— but is there not a scenario where because 32 teams advance the knockout round and it's another 6 days after tomorrow until their final match game,, group game that they don't play Pulisic tomorrow?

I think that's a possibility.

They already got 3 points.

And I think you absolutely have to consider the player's injury history. And right now they have a very favorable draw. It's actually really fun to see what the round of 32 would look like. Banger after banger after banger. And the team with the easiest draw presently would be the United States playing Qatar.

You keep doing that. You need to stop doing that.

They'd be playing Qatar.

I know.

Which would be a real sweetheart draw. But Dan and Zazz, like, that was, I think, pretty irrefutably the single best U.S. men's national team performance in a game of that stature ever.

Everyone's saying that.

Ever. And this is a team that in the Confederations Cup beat Spain's Golden Generation and Tim Howard stood on his head. That wasn't this. We felt like we survived. Oh my God.

That was a carazo.

No, this was winning. That was winning a game with a keeper. This was winning a game with attacking.

But I don't—

We kicked their ass.

And I'm with you. I was super skeptical. Headed into the Senegal game, I was dying for a reason to hope, and this is the cliché about American soccer fans, is that they're irrational about their team's stature in the world, and yet they did a 180 over the last few years, and it was kind of toxic around the team. But you see how they played against Senegal, you see how they responded to that early goal that they conceded to Germany, and you see the way that they played against a pretty sound Paraguay team that had some big victories over Argentina and over Brazil in qualifying, alright? But otherwise, not a bad team. They kicked their ass. They looked incredible. They were taking on multiple defenders. I don't think we've seen a dribbling performance. This is not what America does, Jack. We don't dribble with the ball at our feet well. And that was the best, not just in American history, that's been the best World Cup performance in terms of taking defenders on in 10 years.

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Dan Levitard.

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 Levitard Show with Stugatz.

The attacking is something to get excited about because when you have, uh, advantages that allow us to feel dominant at soccer, the things that Mike Ryan is saying— I remember the Howard game, he was pelted. Like, you're talking about a keeper getting pelted and you're just feeling that you're so grateful that Landon Donovan can eke out a goal so you win a game while your goalie is getting pelted. This is you looking like the great powers in a single game where you're controlling the ball and always on the attack. But when we talk in this sport about star power, and in the first day— or the first week of games here that were so exciting, and all of the stars except for one, Ronaldo, all of the stars are doing amazing things. Why are you, Mike, morally abhorrent? Why are you telling me that Ronaldo over here with Portugal, that team can lose its star and be better. And when I tell you this injury really worries me because I don't think that they can look like that without that player, that they need their star to be the star, because you guys have been telling me since you were covering, since you were doing boring interviews with this guy multiple times because you were doing a podcast with him and trying to make him interesting this guy's the future of American soccer.

I'm not going to just shrug at that injury.

You shouldn't. And form in this sport is everything. It's true. It's predictive. And right now, the form of the United States men's national team is about as impressive a matchday one as you've seen in that tournament. They look like they can legit be a threat.

Not without him.

As a host nation and not without him. I'm with you. I think we can beat Australia without Christian Pulisic. Given how close I've followed his career, given what I saw at Chelsea and how I saw this year get undone by stuff that happened off the field and, and fitness, I would be very cautious here because a diminished Christian Pulisic, it's a totally different player.

So let me, let me ask the question this way of you guys so that you understand what I'm saying when I'm saying this is not a player that you can lose if you actually want to do anything in this tournament. If I told you before this tournament started, which would you have taken, Mike? I'm going I'm going to give you a 4-1 victory in the first game, but I'm going to take Pulisic out for the tournament. I'm going to give you the hope of maybe these guys can do it without him and America will get excited and it'll be the perfect start that you want to the tournament. However, uh, Pulisic's not going to be available to you as a 100% person that you need to be a star in this tournament. Uh, would you have taken that as a good result the first game?

No, because our identity is not a team that's going to be defensively stout and counterattack you and, and try to get a chance and win a game late and have a keeper that you can depend on. We don't have a keeper really that we can depend on for the first generation maybe ever. You know, I was— I'm surprised at who our goalkeeper number one is. It's a debate that's never been a debate here. We have decided that we are going to be an attacking footballing nation, and key to that is a guy that is capable on his best day of being better than everyone on the pitch at his job. And if we have taken on that identity, you need him 100%. I would sit him against Australia. I would risk a draw. Hell, I'd risk a defeat. I think given what we saw with him playing his best ball—

That's a good question, man. That's what I think. I mean, if the Turkey-Paraguay game tomorrow was before the US game—

Ooh, you guys are gonna play with advancing? You guys are gonna play with advancing? You're gonna rest your starters, Dan?

I'm playing for—

Well, the format is different. In this World Cup with the expanded field. Basically, with that performance against Paraguay last week, the United States virtually guaranteed that they are through.

If they are great, sure.

Because of the goal differential.

Yeah, they are pretty much guaranteed to get through. So I do think it's a little bit different here as we look at this game against Australia. I think without Christian, the United States is fully capable of winning that game. I think they would win that game. So given everything that I've told you, I think the smart play here is— and I am not, you know, maintenance guy. I am not— I am not rest our guys for another day guy. Typically, especially in this sport, it's a World Cup. You don't have a lot of opportunities to perform well in it. I think if the situation were different, I'd be ready to take that risk. But for one, with your path virtually guaranteed to the knockout stage already, right now we're playing with house money. We're talking about playing the weakest draw possible, and that's a great position to be in. I think we're fully capable of being able to win this game.

Zazz, I think we will get into other things here, okay? But what we're talking about at the start of the World Cup for the United States is the best possible result on the scoreboard, the worst possible thing outside of him being injured in a way that for sure is out, has happened to the team already in one game. It's To be clear, it's the worst possible thing, and now I find myself in the weird position where people are hopeful and patriotic of asking you guys, should I be worried that no one's worried? Because when you start talking to me about sitting this guy to rest him because you're good with whatever happens here because you're probably going to advance, and then if they do not advance and somehow they cough up the entire thing because they're like being careful when the stakes on all this or every 4 years you get to go out there and let's see if you can get a goal. 4 years you're waiting for a goal and we're gonna start resting people and stuff. Not that criticism is the most important thing that a real leader should care about, but if they don't make it and they do what you guys are suggesting, they will look like fools before the world.

You did acknowledge that no one seems too worried, and that's the part that I would want to lean on because the way that you're talking about it as if there is a real problem with Pulisic right now, and no one seems to be hinting at that. Like, everyone seems to think he's going to be okay.

Because, because I'm telling you what they're doing is they're taking this knock at face value, which is, well, it's just a little knock on his calf, he should be fine. And what I'm helpfully applying here is the context of this man's history—

His whole body.

Which is where that lower body starts overcompensating the second one part of his body is diminished, and he puts a strain on muscles that tend to give out on the young man. So I think that performance against Paraguay afforded you the opportunity. And it's not just that performance that we had, it's how flat-footed and terrible Türkiye looked in their match against Australia. You have options now if you need to win that game for a better draw. I, I like the United States with Christian Pulisic to win that game now against Türkiye, and I absolutely play him in that match if we need to.

You're, you're going with Türkiye, huh?

Yeah. I eat turkey aye on Thanksgiving aye.

The things that happened in their ads that I want to bring to you for your perusal. I don't think you're the most qualified to discuss this, but I don't want to go to Chris Cody.

But I might be.

Either. I don't think you are, actually, because the way that Mike is saying both Cutter and what most of us would say is Paraguay or some form, and it's not quite Paraguay, which is what he's doing, seems to be making Chris Cody flinch every time he hears it.

Makes your nose— Paraguay, yeah.

That happens sometimes.

Makes your nose move?

Like, mm, like I'm smelling something.

Yeah, I bet you are.

He's doing this with his coverage. He's putting these inflections and these flares on it, and I find it morally abhorrent.

I like to call people by how they prefer I call them. Yeah. You know?

Turkey A.

Turkey A, that's what they decided.

That's not— and then you threw in a turkey sandwich, which I don't think they would appreciate.

Turkey A sandwich.

I don't think Turkey A would appreciate you Turkey A sandwich.

I'm like, Turkey A is fun.

How do you feel about how he's saying Cutter? Cut the fuck up.

I don't like that.

How do you feel about it? He's— you feel— I feel that Mike can be accused of cultural appropriation, that he's not honoring Qatar.

I feel like we don't go to Zazz on this, though.

That they shared a great— they shared a great—

I thought he was going to say, hey, who's that?

They shared a great story on the— during the DR Congo match against Portugal yesterday that the broadcasters are calling them Dr. Congo. I mean, it's not exactly the name, but I appreciate the effort.

Yeah.

Do you? Yeah. Look, we're not appreciating your effort here.

Well, I think this gets me to a larger point, and I do talk about it on Morally Abhorrent with my friend Nick Verlaine. It's that I am so pleasantly surprised and made hopeful by this World Cup now that we are underway. It's named Morally Abhorrent for a reason. FIFA, their price gouging practices, unchecked capitalism, what's going on here in the United States, how people globally feel about us. But here's one thing that people discounted: the American people themselves. When the American people themselves, especially soccer fans, interact with all these new cultures coming over to our country, we immediately have what is presently the most important thing in our lives in common. And I really enjoyed my trip to New York. I know the tickets are expensive. If you are considering making the sacrifice to get to a game, get to a game because it's the best sporting event I've ever been to. And I've been to Talladega, folks.

All right.

But walking— oh, I'm glad you asked. NASCAR Nate, Eagle Eye.

Yeah, who else?

10 Day Tony, College Mike, the Watermelon Man! I was walking the streets of New York on Monday. I went to Brooklyn for— 2 watch parties, and then I went back to my hotel and I just wanted to take in the city because I was staying near Times Square. And I know a lot of people wince at that, but that's a central hub with all these tourists and all these countries.

And it's an hour from you.

I wish we had video there from Amin.

But it was, it was pretty electric. And I spent that night during the, the night, the evening matches, just walking into bars to soak it all in. And during the Iran match, which was an excellent match, by the way, and a great human interest story. Iran versus New Zealand, I walked into a bar that had a heavy Iranian presence, and man, it's just like, I know everything in the news stream and all these current events, you'd think that there'd be all these preconceived notions when you walk in, you think you'd get a cold shoulder, and you're high-fiving Iranians when they equalize, and you realize that you're all pulling the same rope. Generally, people are decent to one another, and I think the takeaway from a lot of Europeans that I'm seeing is the American people, and the food, The American people are rising to the occasion where the country and FIFA have let people down.

Well, this, this is a broader conversation because we're only a week into this and somehow, some way, everyone's going to try and make the argument, especially sports fans, hey, when the games get here, there will be the cleansing. You will feel it. And we've been talking about the emotion about this because there is nothing else in the world Like what Mike just described there, which is you walk into an Iranian bar at this time in, uh, life, and even if you do not speak the same language, this time of year, every 4 years, you do. Like, you're walking into a bar where there's a whole lot of foreign division being sowed by the entities that have the power But can inside of that the people unite to make it feel like something different? Because they all understand that you can try and contaminate and corrupt the games with your moneyed ads and your hydration breaks and the most corrupt government in the history of sports, meaning the most corrupt government in the history of America, to send the Iranians back home to Mexico to train or to keep the Somalian referee out or to make America inhospitable.

Yeah, terrorism ties.

In ways that American people—

That's what we say.

Aren't always that kind of inhospitable when you put them in front of each other and they see their commonalities instead of their differences because they're fluent in the same language, even if they don't speak the same language. 'Cause who doesn't understand that I can't walk into a bar in any other subject matter of any kind and have that without a word where I'm jumping up and down now excited in a way I'm not when my kids are born. Or when my kid's graduating or whatever, I'm jumping up and down and it's 0-0.

It is the world's largest cultural exchange program. Even if you don't like soccer, you cannot deny that it is the greatest sporting event that our planet is fully capable of. It represents the best of us when you get down to the level of the fan. It is a beautiful thing. Every 4 years I look forward to the Men's World Cup because It is a pop culture mile marker. I love the soundtracks. I love learning about new cultures. I love trying new food. Soak it all in because being a host nation is especially a unique and special experience that'll give you something to remember for generations to come.

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Dann leber Tord!

Did someone say conservative entity?

Wow!

No!

What?

Stoogatz. Hers is better than mine.

What?

In the Fifth Ziggy? Yours was flubby. How is the Fifth Ziggy better than the Third and the Fourth Ziggy already?

This is the Dan Levatar Show with the Stoogatz.

Zez, America by the world is often hated for a number of different reasons, but also often marveled at because of the simple amount of excess and gluttony we have everywhere. So for example, when it comes to sports, we are presently watching on the televisions New York celebrating something the way that many of the countries that are in this tournament, they don't have 50 sports. They've got 2. This one.

Mm-hmm.

Like, Colombia doesn't export a bunch of different sports to people. The Colombian people care about this one thing.

It's not—

it's not a bunch of sports. We've got 'em all over the place. Like, we've got 50 things like this that America can care about on any given day, more excess than anywhere else. And we're playing against these countries that feel about their teams the way everyone in New York— their one team— the way everyone in New York feels about that team, which is one of 50 teams they have in that city.

It was an incredible energy to be in New York City with everyone still post-coital from the NBA championship and watch all these other countries converge that are in their own version of the NBA Finals right now. It was a special energy. I don't think the Finals should be there just because the stadium has its limitations, but in terms of the infrastructure and everything it's got going on to be able to host the world, New York, I understand why they settled on it.

Other nations do have hockey, but I want you guys to consider what I'm saying in terms of what the investment is on identity. I told you the story that when Venezuela won the World Baseball Classic, I was a little bit floored by the sheer number of Venezuelans that were coming up to me with an enthusiasm that made me realize, oh, of course, they, they don't have another thing that they care about like this baseball team. It's not It's not there are 7 sports like this that we care about. It's this is the one that's passed down every, every family, every, every, every team. Why are you grabbing the gearhead? You want to get me off of this loving monolog for the world?

Speaking of cultural exchange programs—

Oh my God, I can't do this with you.

If you're in town for the World Cup, hey, the Scots, I see ya.

Talladega.

Why don't you head over to San Diego? Because we get left turns and some rights.

Yeah!

At a naval base in San Diego. That's right, for the first time ever, NASCAR is having a street course at a naval base and it's in the beautiful city of San Diego. And guys, Denny Hamlin comes in riding red hot. I mean, he is racing his best of his career right now at this tender old age. It has to be his year. However, a little bit of an oddity. If you check the DK Sports app, you have a driver that is favored, and not just favored because he's got the smallest plus juice. No, no, no, he is, he is minus money right now. Shane van Gisbergen, the single greatest road course driver perhaps ever. All right. The next closest to him is Connor Zilich, who has had a disastrous season thus far, and I regard him very highly. I think he can make a, a good race out of it. If you're looking for Denny Hamlin to keep the streak going, look elsewhere. This really isn't his jam. This is all about SVG, and it is all about the amazing scenery that we are going to see at San Diego's incredible naval base. Gearhead is presented by NASCAR.

Yeah!

NASCAR is bringing horsepower and heart-stopping action to San Diego. Don't miss the NASCAR Cup Series battle it out on Naval Base Coronado this Sunday at 4 PM Eastern on Prime.

I've officially seen more celebrities and former Knicks than current Knicks.

So many former Knicks.

How do we feel about Carmelo? Like, I feel like if you're like, like Larry Johnsons of the world, like, I feel like if you're a certain age, you can be in this. I feel like Carmelo is too—

No, he's the king of New York.

He's too recently connected to being a Knick player. Like, you don't get to be in this parade. You didn't win a championship.

How do you feel about Stephon Marbury being on this one? See, like, he's almost so far away.

I don't know what I'm doing there, but I just still kind of associate Carmelo as relatively recent. He was playing.

The, the Marbury one is always going to be the weirdest to me. And I understand Marbury is a New York kid. He's from New York. So I understand that. But the Marbury one is always weird to me because he was the best player on the Knicks during their most embarrassing years. Lawsuits.

We've done this before though. He is so proudly New York.

I know he's a New York kid. I know.

I actually kind of dig that this parade is bringing all the lovable losers and parading them around town because they were there for the suffering. They were there wearing the weight of expectation at the New York Knicks franchise, and they get to have their moment too. They were some of the most joyous celebrations there. And guys, keep in mind, these are where legendary parade moments are made.

Brett Hall.

Yeah, yeah, he didn't win a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues. He didn't get to enjoy that with that market. So when the Blues actually have one of the more improbable Stanley Cup victories of our time, you parade around Brett Hull and he gives you this gem.

Gloria, Gloria, I think I got your number, Gloria!

Which legend is gonna do that today?

I, I have my money on a cut. Like, there's always gonna be the Nick who is like, had too much to drink. He's got the shirt off, acting a little bit of a fool.

It looked like Josh Hart was—

Josh Hart's at the very top of my list.

I don't want to like, you know, throw stones, but it's legal there, but it looked like he was smoking something.

Josh Hart, very top of my list.

You know, there are celebrities on these floats now. I saw Chris Rock and Tracy Morgan, but was Spike—

Yep, saw Tracy Morgan, yep.

Was Spike Lee beyond these floats? Because you know the relationship between him and Dolan, not exactly great.

Yeah, I have not seen Spike yet.

I saw Ben Stiller walking around there. I saw Fat Joe walking around there.

I saw Crack. Tracy Morgan and Mariska Hargitay.

Oh, is my girl Mariska on one?

She's on the Jalen Brunson float.

Of course, of course. To record that. Well, you know who that is. You ever been to a parade? Yeah.

Champion parade?

Yeah. All right, you wanna tell us that you, okay, go ahead.

We were on a float.

Oh, you know what?

I've been at one.

I was in one. That's right. Now that you ask.

Mike and I were too.

Yeah.

Okay. Yeah, I was in two.

Did you have your own car?

I didn't have my own car, but I was on a double-decker bus with Joey Taylor.

I had my own Lamborghini. Wow!

Oh, wow! You were like awkwardly sitting in the back.

I was. I was on like the hood waving everybody. That's right. Me and my wife and my son. He was 3 at the time.

Look at that.

Wow, that's awesome.

I was—

wait.

Oh, yes. Hello. Good to see you too.

Yep.

I was waving to everyone.

Were they like, who's that?

Nope. They were saying, Zaslo, we love you.

We were trying to plan one for the Cyclones, but they all have day jobs and they couldn't call off.