Transcript of Local Hour: How Did We Get Here?

Zaz, you really are a voice of the fan during the game. You just complain about the dolphins on the internet in the way that I feel like if the dolphin fan had one voice, it would sound a bit like you.

I don't enjoy that, though. I don't like being that guy. I'm not like that during Panther games. I'm not like that during Heat games. I don't like what the dolphins do to me.

Well, what's happening there? You haven't been like that during Heat games. You care about the heat in the Panthers more than you care about the dolphin, don't you?

I do, but I'm more inclined to take... I'm a pretty positive dude. I'm more inclined to take the positive angle when it comes to the heat and the Panthers. So I don't like that the dolphins do this to me and make me feel this way. I don't like sitting here and telling you, Tua sucks. That doesn't bring me any joy. I don't like being that guy.

But you are that guy.

I am that guy.

And you're not accountable about it. You blame the dolphins for making you this person. What?

Should I blame myself for making me this person?

I mean, you're reasonable and you have perspective about the Panthers and the heat, even though you called Paul Maurice the murderer of fun when he got here.

Yeah, but did he not murder our fun for most of that season. I was right until I was wrong. Can we admit that?

You can put that on basically any sports radio host, Tombstone.

I mean, parents murder fun. You got to eat vegetables. That's right. Even though it's good for you. That's what Paul Maurice did. He did what was best for the situation. In the end, there was fun, but on the way up, there was no fun.

Yeah, it was growing pain.

I didn't know it at the time, but he was right. I got no problem admitting that.

How great is that? To be able to admit this, to be able to say I was wrong about something.

I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong. I love that about you. Thank you. I love it about me, too, actually.

I'm involved. The The thing about what you're saying, though, is you can admit you're wrong when you're the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion. That's a pretty high bar to get you to admit that you're wrong. And you're wrong in a way that's so spectacular that you put the butt right in the middle of rebuttal.

How crazy. If you would have talked to me as I was lying, sprawled on the grass outside of the former Orange Bowl, presently Marlins Park, after Butch Davis and FIU defeat Jaron Williams, who, let's just say, was a little off for reasons that I know but won't talk about. If you would have told me several years after that, that Miami would be hosting College Game Day and a Florida Panther would be the game day picker, I would have said, There's no way we can actually climb that mountain. It's too high for both the Miami hurricanes and hockey. I would say it'd be more likely that the Florida Panthers were playing in Hamilton.

I know no one's going to agree with this. Kind of a lame game day picker. Get the hell out of here. Kiss my ass. Kiss Roy's ass.

I know exactly why they're doing this, and I will tell you after the break.

Matthew K'Chuck. Matthew K'Chuck is a bad pick. That's The show has gone down to the standard of Stugatz has done the guest picking. You're going to say K'Chuck is a bad pick?

It's close to the same level, honestly.

He's giving his body for this city.

This is the Dan Levatore show with the Stugatz podcast.

The fatal flaw in this Miami Dolphins team and organization is that that is the best game that team can play. That is the most careful, the best on third and fourth down that that team can be. They are trying to work around their limits, and they lose by 10 points against the Bills. Frankly, I got to be honest, I thought I was watching religious miracles every time the defense made a stop in the second half because I thought the whole game was going to go the way that the first half went, where James Cook is just running for nine yards every time they hand him the football.

They almost had three straight force punts.

I was stunned that they got the stops. I was stunned that they were in the game. You cannot blame that game on McDaniel. Many people will blame it on Zack Seeler or Tua. Those are the two people they're going to blame.

It seemed like McDaniel blame Tua.

I'm not going to blame Zack Seeler for a couple of different reasons, okay? I thought the only way they could win that game is if they got turnovers or special teams explosion plays. And Zack Seeler was trying to make a play as somebody who you actually trust on the Dolphins, even though this was an amazing stat going into the game. The Dolphins were the only team in the league going into that game that had not had a single pressure from an interior defensive lineman. Not one in the first two games of the season against offenses that weren't the one that they faced last night. I want to give you guys a series of stats, though, and ask you which one you think is the most interesting or wish to talk about. In one-score games with five minutes It's left. Tua has seven touch downs, seven interceptions, and a quarterback rating a little bit over 70. The Dolphins have now lost 14 of 17 and eight in a row against teams with a winning record. Last night, Tua threw as many passes behind the line of scrimmage as he did in front of the line of scrimmage.

And that was both quarterbacks last night, because you want to guess this? Take a guess at what the average air yards per completion was last night for both quarterbacks. Both quarterbacks combined. Take a guess. Average air yards every football throw.

Definitely pathetic.

Something low. I don't think you know how pathetic. Guess as low as you want to guess. I think you're going to get it wrong, even as I'm telling you, guess on the extreme low.

Definitely pathetic. So I'm going to go 4 yards. 1.

4 yards per completion.

So pathetic. Late in the third or fourth, 2 was at negative 5. That's bad. But Tyreek also had a ball hit both of his hands, like 40 yards down the field that he just dropped. I'm worried about Tirek Hill.

You need a play there. I'm worried about the Dolphin offense for a number of different reasons, okay? Because you mentioned the Tirek Hill play. There were There were two things said last night during the game that made me laugh. I was watching that game alone. I rarely laugh.

You're on the Dolphin Friends?

Yeah.

I have Dolphin Friends, but I wanted to watch that game alone.

Did you tell Valerie to get out of the room?

Valerie went to a concert at the Hard Rock last night for her brother's birthday.

Who was it?

The band, what is it? Cage and the Elephant? Cage the Elephant. Cage and the Elephant, yeah. I don't know the name of the band. I came close. Mike is laughing at me for knowing Cage the Elephant. No, he's laughing at me because I actually know that man.

Yeah, that's impressive. Cage and the Elephant sounds like something a black market arms dealer would find himself in that situation.

It sounds like a Nicolas Cage movie, too. I want to, though, because you're right, Hill dropped. It was a 50-yard pass, and it was one of the few throw down the field. It would have changed that stat I just gave you because they made Josh Allen into something last night that Patrick Mahomes has become, which is Oh, you're going to take away my entertainment, too. They're going to score 31 points, but it's not going to be fun to watch them score the 31 points. But two stats they gave. Al Michael said, Tyreek Hill, having a big game, and then gave the stats, five catches for 46 yards, which used to be a catch for him back in the glory days of the Dolphins two years ago. But this was the funniest stat. The funniest stat was when he says, And Tua gets to 100 yards on the night. He's been very solid tonight, very good with his decision making on his 26th attempt of the evening. This was deep in the fourth quarter when Tua got to 100 yards. The Dolphins played a game that was close that surprised us. But I really did think the beginning of the game was how the whole game was going to go, where Mike McDaniel was going to get fired in the third quarter because they just kept handing the ball to James Cook, and he got a first...

He put him in second and one every time he carried the football.

It was chunk yards every play Dolphins were leading at the beginning of the game.

It was seven, nothing. They went right down the field.

I know, but the Bills hadn't touched the football yet. I believe that the thing that's going to nuke this entire Dolphins season isn't the offense. I believe it's going to be the defense. I don't believe they're going to be able... The second Half is the first time they've stopped anybody all season.

They do historically play the Bills tight under Mike McDaniel. They just never beat the Bills, and that was apparent yesterday. Mike McDaniel initially blamed for the interception. Quarterback has take the responsibility there, but we all have to be better, softened it, knew what he was saying as it was happening.

It's a couple of weeks in a row that he's pulled that move.

Yeah, there's a couple of encouraging things for Tua. We said, when you made the point, this guy doesn't make things happen, there were a couple of instances there where he made things happen with his legs rolled out, found Tyreek Hill. So that was encouraging, but just a back-breaking interception with your season on the line. You just can't do that. I don't think this guy's good. It's six years in. I think I'm ready to make a judgment call. And I also have to take into account the head injuries, the hip injury. I just don't think that this is a franchise quarterback.

That's the part I have a problem with is what you said there. And Greg said that at the beginning of the week as well when we're talking about there were encouraging signs from Tua. He's in year six. What are we talking about? We're still growing. This was encouraging that he did... He's in year six. What are we talking about?

I think it's actually been a discouraging season for Tua. I don't think this looks like the same guy that they gave the contract to. And even then, there were questions as to whether or not he was deserving of that contract and was a franchise quarterback. He seems to have regressed. And maybe it's Tua, maybe it's Tyreek Hill, maybe it's the play calling. I don't know. But even when that pass, the Tyreek kill drop that hit him in both hands. He was double-covered, and Tua just heaved that up there, hoping that something miraculous would happen. With Tyreek and Tua, you don't see Tyreek getting behind the cornerbacks or the safeties anymore, and he just has to lob it over their Every long pass he's had to Tyreek has either been underthrown or the defenders are right there with Tyreek.

The one long completion this year was severely underthrown.

Yeah, it's just the two of them are not what they were clearly two years ago when this offense was clicking on all cylinders.

They were on the game tying, TD at the end of the game where he threw the ball before Tyreek Hill made his break. The play you're talking about, the 50-yard play, you need Tyreek Hill to make that play because you're paying him to be neighbors. Whether you're covered or not. If you're the only one touching the ball, whether you're double-covered or not, you were in position to make that play, and it went through your hands. Easy for me to say. I understand that it's not the easiest catch, but when you look at Tyreek Hill and what you're expecting From him and Tua, your highest paid players have to make the game-winning plays. And you guys don't disagree with the assessment, do you? This Dolphins team, that's the best that it can play. And when you say there's something wrong with Tua, maybe there is, okay, but I thought Waddle was a number one receiver or on his way to becoming a number one receiver a couple of years ago. I thought that Tyreek Hill and Waddle, those statistical games that they had for the game, that was a quarter a couple of years ago. What they did for the game was one quarter of Dolphine football a couple of years ago.

So when we talk about to it, you guys disagree when I say, Hey, that's the best they can be on third and fourth down. If you think you're going to get 16 play drives to keep Josh Allen off the field, that was a well-coached football game last night. I want to talk again about the Zack Seeler play, because I understand it's very easy, very easy to criticize the result there, and you can't have that as the result. It's fourth and seven. You can't have a ruffing the kicker. Zack Seeler blew up the long snapper, just exploded through the long snapper, and thought he was going to be able to make a play on a block punt. People forget because they're outraged by the stupidity or what they think is the stupidity of trying your very best to make a hustle play, that the Bills down that ball at the one-yard line. You felt real good about Tua going down the field from his own end zone there.

You like that better than they scored a touch on it, and now you're trailing. Granted, it's not the ideal starting spot. But yeah, you take that over giving up a touch down and starting at the 20.

Agreed, but I'm not going to criticize one of their best and most solid players for blowing up the long snapper.

That's a bullshit call, He did not go with intent. He didn't wrap him and drive him to the ground. He's just big. The kicker fell on him. He touched his foot a little bit, and then he fell on him. It was a little flop situation. Then you get into the whole thing, which is, is this kicker interference? Is this ruffing the kicker? If it was called one, then it'd still be fourth down because they wouldn't have got enough yards. And then it's because it's the other, it's an automatic first down. It's a ticky-tacky call. I mean, look, the Dolphins shouldn't have been in that game anyways. They were going to lose 2s by twelve and a half points is what the line was. So the fact that they were that close, it was a tie game when that call happened, it did swing the momentum of the game. They did get the ball back and then to a through an interception, which is what cost them the game. But it shouldn't have come down to that.

This episode is supported by FX's The Lowdown, starring Ethan Hawk.

Allow us to introduce you to Lee Raybon, a quirky journalist/ rare Bookstore owner/ unofficial truth seeker who's always on the tail of his latest conspiracy. This time, his most recent exposé puts him head to head with a powerful family that rules Tulsa, meaning only one thing, he must be onto something big. Fx's The Lowdown premieres September 23rd on FX. Stream on Hulu. Dan Lebetard.

Football.

Football.

Football.

Football.

Football. Football This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats. You guys mentioned the interception, and I know that when it happened, we're all like, Oh, my God, how could you do that?

How could you do that? How could you not do it? Who didn't see that coming?

Well, that throw, I know that people expected the worst because of what they've seen late in games from the Dolphins. But throwing a ball straight to a linebacker, you didn't see four yards down the field. The reason that happened is because the offensive lineman in the center just whift on the block. And so that's pressure right up the middle. He was getting rid of the ball in two seconds because he had to. And that's how the mistake got made. I know we're going to blame Tua on that, but there aren't a lot of quarterbacks who are going to have much of a chance. If they can't be mobile, if they can't run away from untouched pressure right up the middle, not a lot of quarterbacks are going to make a good throw there.

So Tua, yesterday, when I checked it, which was in the third quarter, because I've been curious about this all season long. Tua, the past couple of seasons has had the fastest time between when he receives the ball and he throws the And those quick decisions has been the difference and why things are moving so fast, because that's how they get all the yards, right? It seems as though he's had more time to throw the ball this season, and it has had a negative effect, because then he starts looking at different options. It could be the number one option is covered or whatever. But it seems like the more time Tua has, the worst the results have been. And yesterday, he had the ball longer than Josh Allen did at the beginning, or at least through the third quarter. He had it like three seconds before he was making the passes. So then he starts looking around, and And then that's when you can go back to week one after the Steelers game, where they were saying, You know what? If you take away his first look, he panics and he starts making bad decisions. That could be what's going on.

He's not snapping it out right away, which the past couple of seasons, he's been the fastest to get the ball and pass it.

This is what I was talking about, I think, yesterday, where he's not capable of making the special plays, making the improvisational plays. And more to your point there, if everything is not put on the table for him to perfection where, Hey, this is your first option. This is where we'd really like you to go. And if it's not there, all right, you go through your progressions. He doesn't seem to be good at that part. If everything is not laid out in front of him right away, and then he has to make the extra decisions, he doesn't seem to be good at it.

I don't think that's fair criticism off of last night.

No, I'm not looking at it just in the context of last night.

I know, but what happened last night in the fourth quarter, he put you in a position to win the game because that 16-play drive had those plays in it. And that's as good as that offense can be. They can't do it in one or two plays anymore. It's got to be 16. If he's going to throw as many passes behind the line of scrimmage as ahead of the line of scrimmage-How did we get there?

That was crazy.

How did we get there? How did we get there?

Swing passes to the flats. And How poor the execution was. I thought Ingold was a good player. He can't win a one-on-one blocking assignment anymore.

If he did that play that you're talking about, which is throwing it to Echan seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, if Ingold had made If A block there, that's a 30-yard play.

It happened a couple of times where there's one or two guys, and you either need a combination of Achan making a play and Ingold making a block, or just Ingold making a block, or Achan making a play. It just was stifled pretty much all game long, with the exception of a 15-yard swing route. It was painful to watch.

It was painful to watch. It was screen after screen after screen. I just don't understand. You pay the quarterback, he's getting $55 million a year. That's the offense?

How did we get here? I'm not seeing what they're seeing. Right.

It's hard because we're watching on TV and you can't see down the field.

I don't have the old 22. Alan Kirk is saying that there's nothing available in the middle of the field. How? But this is where your high-priced quarterback makes the plays with his feet. And there were a couple of signs there. But then you look across the other sideline and you realize, well, when there is nothing, because both quarterbacks were dealing with this, as Dan pointed out, you know Josh Allen is going to make the plays consistently. And for Tua, it seems like an outlier.

And let's just use as an example. After the Sealer penalty, tie game mid-fourth quarter, Josh Allen doesn't throw the interception. And you could blame Sealer as a huge penalty. We could talk about whatever we want there. But I think it's fair criticism. Can the quarterback who's paid $200 million make a game-winning drive in a big spot for once? We could say that the center didn't do what he was supposed to do on that play, and it led to the interception, and the linebacker picked it off. Okay, but how about every other game that he can't seem to lead a game-winning drive against a good team? Dan, you started the show giving off the numbers where the Dolphins never beat good teams. It's fair criticism to say, Hey, there are all these other things that are going on wrong this game, but we need you to win us the game. When is that going to happen?

The weird thing is on that last drive where he threw the interception, it wasn't as many of the behind the line of scrimage screen passes. They were actually trying to move the ball down the field, six, seven-yard passes. But it wasn't that screen pass. It wasn't effective. There was also a bunch of three and outs that happened where it was just three straight passing yards, three straight screen passes, or one, like third and 10. And let me try to throw it 12 yards here, where when they were bringing in Ollie Gordon, they were trying to run the ball, they were having more success, I think, than they thought they were going to have. And that's where the drives were starting, where they were involving the run game. I don't know why they keep doing the screen passes every single time.

A long time ago, Jimmy Johnson, Super Bowl Cowboys, was asked, Why don't you guys do more screen passes with Emmett Smith and stuff in your offensive line? And he staring at the reporter and just said, We're not good at it. So that's your explanation. They're not playing that way for any other reason that they're trying to protect their flaws and be safe and be careful.

But the last drive, they were effective not doing that. They've become too reliant on, let's throw it to Achan and hope he makes a 40-yard play out of a negative five-yard pass.

Agreed. The opposite is happening. Mcdaniel on the offense, clearly. And from what we've seen from Achan, good receiving back. They are supposed to be good at it. Buffalo was all over it. Like Xavier and Howard said, When you take away the first option, what do you got? Monse.

It also screws them on its first and 10. You tried the first play of the drive to do a screen pass. There's a blown coverage, and now it's second and 17. And now it's an uphill battle. And how do you get out of that?

Well, they did get out of it. They had a second and third and 17 on that drive.

A couple of times they got out of it, but there was other three and outs where they couldn't get out of it.

I don't even like this team, and I sound pissy.

I'm going to say again that I believe that that's the best this Dolphins team can play, and losing to the bills that way is no shame. Listen to some of these stats, okay? The Bills threw three games this season. Three and a record, 100 plus points scored, zero turnovers, fewer than 15 penalties, more than 150 rushing yards a game, and more than 250 net passing yards a game. Never in NFL history has any team ever done that over a three-game span. Never. It's never happened before. You actually neutralize the MVP of the league. The idea that I'm in here today and I- To three passing touch downs.

I mean, come on.

Let's be honest. Look, Billy- They're looking forward to 10 days off.

All right, Billy. They're walking through that one there. I got a text during the game from him. I said, Josh Allen just looks bored today.

He's got a broken nose, wearing a visor for the first time. How many flip passes did he try?

Oh my God, that guy.

Josh was literally joshin out there.

Josh Allen, regular season against the Dolphins, 13 and 2, 8 and 0 at home, 45 total touch downs, 8 interceptions. But I gave you the stat earlier, and I'm just stunned by it. Next-gen stats. Josh Allen and Tua combined to average 1. 5 air yards per completion. Lowest mark in a game since 2016. So your eyes aren't deceiving you. That's the most boring offensive game, throwing the football down the field in 10 years.

It was so boring.

Yeah, but it was by design, I think, by the build. You think the bills are what? They're scared of the Dolphins secondary? You think if Josh Allen got the ball down three from his 20-yard line, he wasn't going to be airing it out downfield, cutting up the Dolphins?

Secondary didn't make plays, I will say.

You think it was by design? Yeah, that throw to Kincaid. It was a crazy throw. Kincaid should have had three touch downs last night. Tony's parlay from God hit. I know.

I woke up to that. That was great. You played it? Of course. When you get a Parlay from God, you play it.

Allen attempted only one pass over 10 yards in the air. That's not how he plays.

You think that wasn't designed for him to not make a pass?

It was that Kincaid pass? That was the only attempt?

He only had 10 air yards. Like I said, Tua completed as many passes behind the line of scrimage as He messed it, but Allen attempted only one pass over 10 air yards. That's nuts.

Is it not possible that Josh Allen got to the building at the beginning of the week and said, Guys, we're playing the Dolphins. What's the least amount of work I can do?

Let's just work on stuff.

My nose is jacked up. Let's make this an easy week.

Guys, it was tied with seven minutes left in the fourth order.

Playing with their food. Come on. They were in control. They were playing to...

This was the Bill's plan to get Zack Seeler on a fourth to rough their punter? That was the plan? I look.

And punter seemed to flop on that.

I think maybe in a tie game. In a tie game.

Okay. You think that this game would have ended differently? You think that there was a doubt?

Was there a moment in the game where you said to yourself, I think the Dolphins are going to win this game?

Josh Allen shook with his 134 QBR here.

What Dan's describing is quite literally what happened, which is the Bills slept walk through that game, and they pulled out a double-digit note.

And guess what? When it was time to win the game, their quarterback won them the game. Turn it on.

Won them the game. Let me find Shaq here. Trustee.

And when the Dolphins needed their quarterback to try and win the game, he doesn't see a linebacker and throws an interception.

How much longer are we going to talk about this team?

This is it. The season's over.

Yes, they're on three. I don't know. They're on three. I know it's an expanded NFL schedule and stats. We're still collecting data on what it means to be on three.

Next two weeks of get back games, man. The next four. You host the Jets then at the Panthers.

Chargers is going to be- That's Monday night football, the Jets.

A little tricky. Then the Browns at the Browns.

They can go on.

Falcons, we're still not sure here. Ravens is where things get dicey. Let's say you got here, one, two, three. You rack off here four straight wins. You have a winning record at the Falcons.

There was a bit of news in that Steven Ross likes Mike McDaniel, doesn't want to fire him. That's pretty obvious. He said, reportedly, the only way he'd consider firing Mike McDaniel is if the fans stop showing up to the building or the team looks like they check out. Team didn't look checked out. They put forth one of their best efforts. Dan says that's about as good as they can possibly look. It seems as though Mike McDaniel is safe. Now we turn our attention to Tyree Kill, Greer, and perhaps to a- I had someone float this by me, and I'm asking you guys your thoughts on this because we've been sitting on it for a couple of days.

Where are we on the Brian Floores lawsuit? Do we know?

I saw a couple of things yesterday in headlines. That was the second headline that caught my attention yesterday because his attorney is saying that they're stalling, that the league is stalling on the lawsuit. But the other headline I saw that I don't know if Mike can help me explain some of this, perhaps before the end of the show, someone can explain this headline to me, but it was a stunner to see right next to the floor is story, Witness in long delayed University of Miami murder case is not dead, was the headline. Is not dead. Espn reporters- This is how we're going to decide to break down the gator's canes?

Yes, it was a tragic We can dig into the gator's sorted history when it comes to murder.

I'm just saying, Roy has the proper look on his face with what is that story? A Witness in long delayed University of Miami murder case is not dead.

Just to close the loop on the Brian Flores question for a second. The reason I asked that is because that lawsuit has implications of racial discrimination. Steven Ross is is named in this lawsuit. While you're implicated in a lawsuit involving racial discrimination, is it easy to fire your black GM and biracial head coach while claiming that you are not involved inCut the hell out of here. Someone threw that at me and I said, Dicey situation. Get out of here.

I do like this as a topic for someone else.

I had forgotten that Mike McDaniel was biracial until you mentioned that. We talked about it the first week he was hired and then never mentioned.

It's It's hard that next two fires also, black. Say there's not a pattern there. Don Lebatard. We didn't get to your guys as against the spread. You're right.

I don't have it against the spread because I wasn't prepared for this segment. You need an Ian in your life. You have actively played defense against me today in a way that has rarely been this undercutting. Stugatz.

Defense wins championships, baby. That's show business. This is the Don Lebatard show with the Stugatz.

Which of these stats that I gave you guys from all of them, because I'm going to give you another one here, Tua is now 2 and 14 away from home against winning teams, which is the second worst mark for any quarterback in the last decade. I gave you a whole bunch of bad stats. Is there one among all of them that you guys found most interesting? Because all of them are damning.

Yeah, they're never beating good teams. They're never beating good teams.

Winning teams are not something that they can beat. They've lost 14 of their last 17 and 8 in a row against teams with a winning record.

They never beat teams over 500.

The last time they felt good was when they all snowed us with that six-touchdown performance to come back against the Ravens where they were throwing the ball down the field. Can I ask you guys again, though, as we talk about Tua, Waddle skating. Hill's not going to skate, but Waddle skating, that is a very high pick. That was picked to make sure you get pieces to help the piece that you have. Jacksonville's tried to load up, trying to help Trevor Lawrence to cover Trevor Lawrence's flaws. You got two top first-round picks at wide receiver that way. That's supposed to look like what the Eagles look like in their prime when they've got two number ones. You take a receiver in the top 10, he's got to be a number one. He's got to feel and play like a number one. Waddle hasn't for a long time. You forget about Waddle for long stretches of time during those football games.

But Waddle plays... We've seen Waddle look like a number one wide receiver, and Waddo, and Hill, too, for that matter. But Waddo, he's dependent on other things happening in order for him to produce.

He is skating a bit, though. He did give it a go, and he scored a countdown. He is playing hurt. He's been He's always hurt, man.

The wind blows and that guy's on the sideline for three plays. He's so frustrating.

He could be so good, but everything seems to keep him off the field for some reason. He doesn't have good size for the sport.

That's absolutely so.

In terms of frame, it doesn't look like he can take a hit.

He's bigger than Tyreek Hill who stays out there.

I mean, but Tyreek Hill is built different.

The three key pieces that they have on offense, though, are all undersized to Hill and Waddle. This is part of why it is they get soft. None of them are A. J. Brown.

None of them look- Gordon's got a good size. I think they found one in Gordon.

I found myself getting mad throughout the game that the game was close. Not because I sat here in opine.

Because you wanted to be right. We get it. No, I don't have a- Yeah, we get it. You'd rather your team loosing to be right. You don't know what's going on in my mind. You wanted to be right at the detriment of your city and your team.

You don't know what thoughts are happening here. The thoughts in your heart? Yeah, you know what? I do have thoughts in my heart.

We established in The Shadow Show, he likes admitting when he's wrong, too. We established in The Shadow Show, he likes admitting when he's wrong, too.

No problem admitting when I'm wrong. You don't know me, all right? You'll know me.

Okay. Okay. Go on. What's your point, sir? Go on. You forget.

Okay. As I was saying, lost my train of thought.

He does that. He does that.

Tried to stall a little bit there.

I noticed.

I didn't come back to me.

He's very good at doing that. That's what he does.

You were upset that your team was keeping the game close. Yes. Now I You have to do my job and your brain's job.

He does know what's going on in your head, and he keeps track of it unlike you.

That's a good job out of you, Billy.

Do you want to...

As you were saying- So you're sad your team was keeping it close.

No, it's been built up too much. I'm abandoning the thoughts. We really want the idea. It's been built up too much. No, give it to us, please.

Come on, please. Come on.

We want the thought in your heart. Come on. Can we move on?

I'm begging to move on.

Zaslow- Talk about those dead witnesses.

Yeah, let's go there. I really want it. I got something on this.

He's not dead. That guy is not dead. No, he's not dead. He's not a dead witness. You don't know the facts that are in my heart.

Shame on you.

Get the facts that are in my heart. Undead witnesses. Zombie witnesses.

We thought he was dead, and he's not dead.

Shame on you. Miracle. What do you mean shame on me? You got College Game Day in town. You got Fowler and Herbie on the call.

Kachuk's going to be there.

K'chuck's going to be the celebrity picker, which is going to be electric. A lot of People are upset about this. A lot of people that don't follow hockey, I guess. Why? Why are people- I don't know. I mean, you got the most hated player in the league, but beloved. I am not lying.

He's the best American hockey player.

I am not lying when I say in this market, and think who's come to this market in terms of immediate impact on the playing surface, Matthew Kchuck is tied with LeBron James. And it wasn't exactly like LeBron turned the fortunes of a franchise around. He made the sport matter. So you could argue The most impactful athlete in terms of acquisition in the history of this market is Matthew Kchuck.

It's the best trade in South Florida history.

It's definitely Panthers. Best trade overall?

Of course, it has to be. The worst one is Miguel Cabrera, and the best one has to be Kchuck. What about Shaq? I mean, it was a good one, but Shaq was the second most important player on that championship team.

Shaq didn't make it to the finals his first year. Matthew Kchuck made it to the finals his first year and lost, like LeBron, and then went back to back, like LeBron. It's LeBron and Matthew K'Chuck in terms of immediate impact. And when you consider the franchise's history and inability to get over the pump, it's Matthew K'Chuck when you apply that context. Technically, in the books, that LeBron decision was a trade.

No, we all know that's not a trade.

Ended up being a bad trade because he didn't end... Yes, this is a take. Acquiring LeBron was a bad trade because you actually gave up assets and he didn't extend.

They were still paying off those assets while he played for Cleveland. Right.

He helped rebuild the Cleveland It's not a good trade. It's not a good trade.

It's not a good trade. It's not a good trade. It's not a good trade. It's not a good trade. You can't say that was a bad trade. You can't say it was a bad trade.

Anytime you're still paying off a trade when the player's not with you anymore, it's bad trade. Everybody knows that.

It also didn't live up to expectations, if we're going to be honest. No.

They didn't win not four, not five, not six, not seven.

Bust of an experiment, really.

Really? It is. And let's not pretend like Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in their prime one in a one-one. You go wherever you want, LeBron. Go to Chicago. Go to the Knicks. You think you're beating Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and whatever Pat Reilly uses to build out the rest of that roster?

Let me tell you. Don't forget, greatest free agent signing, Lou Aldang. Lou Aldang?

Lou Aldang. Bosh and Wade get one. I don't know. Bosh and Wade get one. People forget how freaking good Dwyane Wade is.

You know about Gohan Dragic?

What was his deal? He was always just hanging around, milling about at the arena, making it seem like he wanted to play here. Every chance he got to come back, he's like, No, I'll go somewhere else instead. What was his deal?

You know about Zora and Dragic?

I'm sorry that this is a delayed penalty.

Oh, Minor penalty, two minutes.

Dumpster juice takes.

Mike, out. You can't say, Mike, you can't say, LeBron James was a bad trade. You can't say that, and then follow it up with, You know personally in your heart that Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade would have certainly won a title. Get out of here.

How do you know in your heart they wouldn't?

I get no points for my amazing Matthew Kachuk take that no one else had.

No points. You get out of here because it's a dump.

Great talking gator's canes.

Well, if you wanted to talk, a witness in a long delayed University of Miami murder case is not dead. If you wanted to talk about that, I don't understand how it is that if you read that headline, you don't keep reading. That headline, ESPN reporters knocked on a dude's door. The police When they were investigating Brian Pata's murder, thought that one of the witnesses was dead, and he's not dead. He's just old, doesn't come out of his house much, and now doesn't remember the details because it's been so long and he's in his '80s. But that's a shocking headline. Yeah, that makes you go... That's right. Thank you, Roy. That's absolutely what your reaction is supposed to be to that.

How did he decide the man's dead? Did no one knock on his door like, Hey, is Ken there? No, he's not there. Dead. Must be dead. No solicitors. How is that decided? There are no death certificates somewhere? I like the idea.

If you capture someone, they're not home, not dead.

I mean, it seems to be what I have. I must be dead.

I don't know. Case closed. It seems to be an investigation that wasn't very thorough.

But somehow the bills were paid on time.

Another Zaslow snort, our second historic snort from Zaslow laughing. Zaslow, again, continues to get ego inflation because more and more people are noticing his opinions. They're noticing the things that he's doing. He's going to be a part of College Game Day's football extravaganza in Miami this weekend as part of ESPN.

I didn't think you remember the name. You got it right.

Espn radio's coverage of UM gators, but also, and this is not going to help disinflate his head, now Paul Maurice is indeed giving Zaslow the credit for ending a vacation early to rescue the Panthers last year when they were, nobody remembers this, but they were in very big trouble against the Maple Leaves. That was a big... They were down, and it was a really problematic situation. In the last two years, there hasn't been a scarier situation, even with McDavid, than being down to Toronto in overtime, down 2-0 in the series.

And down 2-0 in that game, by the way, too. Yes.

And here's Paul Maurice giving Zazlo the credit that he obviously deserves. That's the great stories of here. And then when you can get grandparents, parents, and a kid that are all tied to that, they get to keep that memory for the rest of their lives. And that's how you build fans.

We had that happen here with ESTA Radio and ESPN West Palm. One of our guys, Jonathan Zaslow, cut his family vacation short.

There you go.

Because when he was at home, you all were winning.

When he got hit the road, you all got a couple of losses there.

And you will-Okay. So first of all, what was his name?

Jonathan Zaslow.

Will you tell Jonathan, I said hello, and thank you very much for that because this all weaves together. Thank you for your service, Zaslow. Yes. Thank you. I think you should be the game day picker instead of Matthew Kchuck because you saved the season. And even though that's the biggest trade in history and forced Mike to say that LeBron James was a bad trade.

Bad trade. Zazlo, I think you should bang the drum.

Bang the drum. Well, first First of all, Coach, you're welcome. I appreciate those guys, my guys there at ESPN 106. 3 in West Palm, not also mentioning to him that I once dubbed him murder of fun. That's good looking out. I appreciate that. I would love to bang the drum. We'll see that's neither here nor there. That clip there makes me very happy, Dan. Very happy.

Did you feel bad at all that he didn't initially know who was being talked about? No.

I'm a fan. No, I'm just a fan. No.

You're not just a fan. You're somebody Nobody who cut a vacation short to save your team's season.

Just did my part. Just doing my part for the team. Hey, you all would have done the same thing.

I'm not sure that we all would have done the same thing.

I wasn't traveling at the time, but I certainly would have because I love this team and I love Paul Maurice, even though I also agreed with you at the time. But now I realize that it's growing pains, and we're both big men that can admit when they were wrong.

I love that team so much.

I love that about us.

I love that about us, too. I just want to be clear on what you guys love about about you, just to be clear. For the record, two-time defending champion Paul Maurice is the murderer of fun, and LeBron James was a bad trade for the Miami East.