Transcript of Local Hour: Many Miami Mannys (feat. Brad Williams & Some Kid From UM)

I'm nervous, Dan.

Because?

Well, we have a great guest coming on today. Chris Fowler. He's one of my favorites. I like... Matter of fact, some may say he's a colleague of mine. And I feel like, I don't know. I want to impress him.

You've struggled there this week. Diana Rusini, nick Wright. You're doing Zaz stuff in front of the media elite, and you've stumbled a couple of times.

Yeah, and I wasn't nervous around any of them, but it's Chris Fowler. I don't know. A lot of pressure, I feel.

And so what are you worried about? Today's show is a bit crazy, right? We're ramping up until Monday when we just throw the entire kitchen sink of Gallocho. Everything that has ever been in Miami is going to be thrown at Monday. But today we're warming up for that by just basically calling everyone we know for predictions. So at any point during the show, somebody can stop by and it's just going to be who you got, Indiana, Miami. If they say the wrong thing, we'll immediately get rid of them. If they say the correct thing, we'll talk to them for a long time. And you're worried what? This is going to happen during Chris Fowler?

Yes. And he won't think that that's worth his time. He's a busy guy.

And so you think he's going to blame you instead of me on that?

Well, I think it's guilt by association at the very least, right?

Are you guys worried about this at all? Because I want to have as many voices talking about this game as possible, but that is a pretty signature voice to have and to interrupt him for, say, I don't know, Brad Williams. Might be strange.

I don't know. I feel like that's exactly what we want this show to be. It's been that week.

Yeah, but Zaz is scared. It's been that week, and Zaz has played Nervous some this week, but he hasn't said before a show, I'm Nervous.

Right. I like the show being that, but this is Chris Fowler. That's the point. This is Chris Fowler. We got Tony on campus. This is exciting, Dan. They actually let us on campus.

Is that Ryan?

I don't think we told anybody. It's just a campus you can walk on. Oye, Pablito, what's good, bro? Oye,. How Cuban are you? Okay?

Really Corbin. If I know anything, I know you're not Cuban.

It's Propting Nagian. It's hard to learn in South Florida about Cuban things when you live in Broward. It's Propting Nagian. Name a single flaw. He's a dork.. I don't know what talco is. Jesus. Por tu madre. I imagine it would be like, Yo mama, por tu madre. Saludo. ¿Más sabe el diablo por viejo que por diablo? Is this a Cuban expression? What the hell does this mean? ¿Cómo sentimos de los huracanes? Compota, is that like the rasberry compote they do on Great British Baking Show?. Guess what we're doing the party? We're doing it at Bird Bowl. He had Cuban coffee for the very first time. He thought he was having a heart attack. You hit la casuela, and that's what that is. It's propting negian.

. It's propting negian..

Dave Dunn, what's your favorite Cuban dish?. No, Guayaba, no. Is this taco a baby powder, the same thing? Yes, you doofus. All right. What Cuban are you?. Are you a bread chaser? Because they have them right here, dude. Loops, there goes another roba tree plant. It's Rob Danekean. I love you, Miami.

I am not quite ready for everything that cometh this way. I am not ready for today's show. We've got some sound I have to get to of Darren Waller, of Eric Spolstra, and, weirdly, of Dan Soter. But before we get to the bigger sounds, I need to do some calisthenics around here with just the sounds at my availability today. What sounds do I have available today to get people fired up? Okay, Jessica snoring is not a sound that's going to get anybody fired up. I thought that was doctored. People have to think that's doctored. People have to think that we're faking that. Can you get me any of the Zaz mess-ups from this week to-The packer's winner, the bear's lose. Get me a different one.

Shit, do you want to know What were the kids doing? Shit, do you want to know what were the kids doing?

Get me fired up for the Miami game with some of the sounds that we had. Give me some different-Fast kicks ass. Yeah, that's a good one. I want to give all the glory to God. Yeah, that's not bad. It's propting. No, something bigger than that.

Oops, there goes another robber tree plant. Well, I'm ready.

Perfect. I'm ready now, too. Before we get to the Spoh sound, because the heat haven't had a lot of things like this where you're watching the coach take out a player.

You didn't understand what I was trying to ask?

I I would love somebody who's listening to Yesterday's show. Let's play the whole sound from yesterday. Somebody who didn't hear Yesterday's show and is just listening to today's, I would love for them to try to translate what Zaz was talking about here.

Ziz, you want to know how that... What were the kids doing? See, that's what I'm worried about with Fowler. One of you is going to decide it's fun to play that for Fowler, and then I'm disgraced.

You mean asking a guest what's the hardest thing about the life? The The Spoh sound is not something you'll see a lot of in heat history. The coach putting his voice publicly. They keep this stuff private unless they're trying to embarrass somebody.

Dan, I don't think we've heard Eric Spolstra speak this way about a player since Kaleo. Where?

Can you guys get for me, before we get to that, though, the sound of Darren Waller on Johnny Manzell's podcast. Before we get to the stuff he had to say about Tua, which I thought was interesting. It turns out he's the guy who was in the exit meeting that I was telling you guys about that was just sitting there. It happened the way that I told you it happened, where Waller's just sitting there across from McDaniel, and then listen to what happens next.

I was at the scene of the crime, bro. I think I was the last person that saw him before he got fired. My exit meeting was that Thursday morning, and he's like, Definitely want you back next year. And we're just reflecting on the year. And then Steven Ross kicked the door in, and he comes in, joins the conversation. We're just all talking, reflecting on the year. And then the conversation hits a low, and I'm sitting across the desk from Mike, Steven Ross, is standing there just looking at me like, It's time for you to get the hell out. I looked at Mike, he was like, We'll finish this conversation later. Because I didn't know they had the GM search was in full flow. I didn't know what they had big business to talk about. So I go out to meet him, I go downstairs and get a massage. I come up from the massage, check my phone, he's fired. I'm like, damn.

That's fast to go from the meeting room. Mcdaniel thinks he has a job to coming out of the massage, and it's already in the news. They've already released it, and McDaniel was the last to know.

I would have to be of the opinion that certainly it's sloppy the way Steven Ross handled it. Why didn't he fire him on Black Monday? Why did McDaniel have the impression that he was staying? He's doing exit interviews. African-american Monday. But I would have to figure that the new general manager, maybe even several of them that they were interviewing, said, We should move on. I would go in a different direction. I think it's interesting that... If I'm right about that, I think it's interesting that Steven Ross decided, Okay, I'll fire him. I'm not going to hire you and make you fire him.

Mcdaniel ends up, okay, in a situation where this is a little bit embarrassing. And his friend, Dan Soter, the comedian, a childhood friend of Mike McDaniels, was all manner of pissed off about this. Is this the We Must Be Drunk podcast?

But he'll get a gig, right? Somewhere else? Absolutely. In fact, I think he's better off because I think, and listen to me right now, I think it's a shit organization. I think it's ran by an old man that stabbed Mike in the back after he told him he was going to be all right for another season. And the dolphins. And honestly, Miami as a comedy town. When having a friend that's an NFL coach, you listen more when people talk about your friend. And Troy Akemen shits on McDaniel in a way that I'm like, he doesn't like Mike.

And me and my friend Chad, who grew up with Mike, were like...

Chad was the first one. I was like, I bet Akemen had something to do with it. And then I was just like, Troy Akemen, looking like white Jay-Z, the quarterback that was falling off.

Tua stinks.

Listen, I think McDaniel got fired because he tied himself to Tua and they lost. That's a sign of my friend being loyal.

So as a friend, I go, Yeah, he stuck with him. I hope the next team he goes to, the quarterback goes, Well, this guy stuck with him, so I believe in him.

I'll play for him.

I just hope McDaniel goes and wins 10 Lombardi trophies and then shoves them up, the owner of the Dolphins' asshole, one at a time.

And I hope the Dolphins never win another game. You're stupid. You're stupid. Your old logo is better. Your new logo looks like a penis jumping through a Nuvaring. Hey. Your fans don't know ball.

A couple of them at the stadium, it was like crazy watching them not knowing to cheer on third down.

Jesus Christ. Fuck them. Fuck that whole organization.

Okay.

So he's He's mad.

Thank you, Mike, for the help there. The thing that I was noticing, Zazlo, during that, and I understand the sound is spicy, but I was noticing the Mark Norman sounds, and only the Mark Norman sounds. The reason I was noticing them is because before I did his show with Sam, Sam told me he doesn't know anything about sports. So the sounds of Mark Norman coming out of him are like, Wow. But he doesn't care at all about just about anything. Dan Soter is just railing against something that Mark Norman doesn't care about. And me and my friend.

He had good contributions, I thought. He did. That's a proper reaction of shoving 10 Lombardi trophies up Steven Ross's asshole. Ten's ridiculous. Nine, maybe, but 10. He's 85 years old.

You got to go to the grave. You got to win them in a row, and you got to go to the grave.

At 85 years old, you got to think the second one being shoved up there probably kills him.

There's a lot to talk about in the Miami Heat organization. Before we get to that, though, the sound he also dropped in there, and I'm curious whether any of you care about this part. Maybe you don't. I believe Dan Sutter when he says, My friend was told he has another year, and now where are we on that? That particular detail That particular detail of what are you guys doing?

Because Ross is sloppy. That's exactly what Ross is sloppy. I would imagine Ross told him, I'm not firing you. That's why Black Monday came and went, and McDaniel is still the coach.

African-american Monday.

Then he hired a GM who wants to move on. Okay, he's going to move on. He's sloppy. I don't think Dan was really wrong about anything there. Hey, they might be in a shit comedy town. Bad comedy town. Come on now. Okay, fair enough. And honestly, Miami as a comedy town. The fans that don't know Ball, I actually think that's fair. But I mean, yes, even Ross probably didn't handle this right. I mean, we can tell from where we're sitting without knowing much, Mike McDaniel was saying that he was going to be involved in the GM process. That is a little sloppy. I can certainly understand why anyone close to Mike McDaniel would feel like this was handled incorrectly.

We're going to have Darren Waller through here for a South Beach session. I find him refreshing. Listen to what it is that he is saying here, though, as it relates to us. Have you heard any of this sound where he's talking about a teammate and being in a huddle and being in a locker room where you're not sure if your friend and teammate and leader's head is right?

But I was watching most of the training camp, so I'm on the sideline. I'm watching this man throw darts every practice, bro. It was just like, what the fuck am I watching? I had never seen the anticipation and the accuracy out there. So it's like, I think from my standpoint, the skillset for him is still there. Where I think maybe the disconnect comes from, seeing it translate. I I think there might be some... There could be some trauma still stored in his body from what he's gone through with the head injuries and stuff. Because there's this book called The Body Keeps the Score, which is the number one book about trauma. They talk about how trauma was first with war veterans and what they went through there. And they'll come home and they'll see a car sitting by itself in a grocery store parking lot, but in their body and their brain will tell them that car has an explosive in it when it's just a car sitting at Publix or something. And so I think I can notice him trying to make things happen in the game. He's trying to pull the trigger, but it's almost like his body and his system won't-Allow him to do it.

Let him do that. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So I feel like if there's a way for him to find some healing in that regard, I think the skill set is definitely still there, like you said.

Can you imagine as we diagnose this very poorly while watching, just imagining dropping back in traffic in the particular traffic of football and having any hitch anywhere in your body that's a short circuit on, Well, I can do this over here, but now I've got post-traumatic stress disorder because the wiring in my brain is not right. You will never get that information from to a while he's playing at a microphone. You will never get honesty about that. So any criticism of him that doesn't have that in it is a little bit empty, I think, because all of us would short circuit if what he's describing, you're walking down the street living a life and you think every car is going to explode. I just can't imagine playing that sport that way. You can't play that sport unless you're 100% free flowing.

I think we saw it. I think it's a perfectly reasonable explanation or observation that Darren Waller is giving us there.

But it's not in any of the criticism of Tua. The criticism of Tua doesn't have that compassion in it. No. None of it. It doesn't have any of the idea that somebody might be out there playing scared and can't tell anybody he's scared, although it shows up in his performance. Really?

I felt like that was the gambit when it came to that he was forever changed by what happened, and naturally, it would affect how he plays the game.

You think the majority of America, when they've been arguing for years about the polarizing quarterback of the Dolphins, can he play? Can he not play? You think the majority of Americans are saying he's regressed because of his brain?

Maybe I'm an idiot, but I think that's implied when you discuss to and all that goes with it. I think we saw this year and acknowledged throughout the season that he looks scared. I know that's something where when you say that about a football, what do you mean? They're all tough. You're not scared. It's like, no, I think in this instance, we're watching a guy who looks scared back there. Perhaps it deserves more nuance, but I just assumed that if you're familiar with Tua's story and the downward trajectory of his professional career, that the head stuff is all encompassing.

Doesn't it feel cold to you? Yes. Because if it were encompassing, I would think it would show up as compassion somewhere in the critique, somewhere.

I think, look, people have gone at Tua. Every time we talk about his play, I think we've worked that into the conversation. And by working that into the conversation and making it a part of the discussion, I do think that does show compassion because we're not just saying, Wow, this guy was a fraud. He sucks. I don't know. When I sit here telling to get out of my city, I'm not showing very much compassion. No, I understand. I'd probably feel a similar way if I were a Dolphin fan, right? But I don't think that we've discussed to a lacking compassion. Maybe we could be more compassionate, but I think it's been part of the discussion always implied and always hanging over it. I do think part of what has turned off the Dolphin fan, even if we can acknowledge that maybe we should show some compassion, if this is what's going on is, Man, he said some really weird things throughout this season, some really unlikable things throughout this season. And that part, I think, I know as a Dolphin fan, has really turned me off. I think every time we've analyzed what he said and said, This is strange behavior, We have applied the context of he's gone through a lot in his career, health-wise.

I wasn't actually talking about us. I wasn't talking about our show. I know we've talked about it plenty. I was talking about America as it regards to measuring, can this person play or not?

Yeah, outside fans probably don't think of it. Yeah, I don't think they're looking at it that way. He had some pretty shocking concussions on standalone TV windows.

Yeah, but I just don't think any of us really understand it. How can we possibly- Does anyone? How can we possibly understand it?

He was the league's leading passer, and he has very clearly dropped off, and there's a line of demarcation from when he had the fencing hands. All right, kicking things off with Smirnoff, the official vodka sponsor of the NFL and the number one vodka in the world. Chris Cody, you're here. Smirnov. Wow, you're on the money with Smirnov. Chris, you know what goes great with Smearinoff? Smearinoff. Yes, but I'm really talking about the game day fit. The style has got to match the vibe. All right, here's the deal. Game day is everything. And that's exactly why your fit has to match the occasion. Starting this December, Smearinoff is giving fans 21 and over the chance to score limited edition Smearinoff commission. Merchandise from some of today's top creators, including Kayla Jones, Gavin Matthew, and Aleyla May. Here's the kicker. One lucky fan will take home the grand prize, a trip to the biggest game of the offseason. Plus, one fan will win a Laila May's one of one game day jacket. The merch will be dropped on select dates from December to January '21, and it's all courtesy of what brand? Smerinoff. That's right, Chris. Fans, 21 and over, can head to Smerinoff Socials to learn how to sign up.

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Yeah.

Okay. Stugatz. You think you're big Tom?

Or you're going to die.

Big Tom. That is on my infamous scale of 1 to 10. That's a 7. 6. Solid. Good job, Dan. Good job, Dan. That's a Sui nominate right there. That's really good. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats.

I see that Tony is on the lovely, lovely campus of the University of Miami. I was thinking today, Man, did I feel my age today? Because It didn't dawn on me until today because it's 2026. Oh, shit. It's been 40 years since I walked onto that campus to go to school. 4-0. I was, Yeah, that's the face to make, Tony. That is correct. That's exactly the face I made when I was Tony's going to campus today, and I walked on it for the first time 40 years ago. Tony, what's going on out there?

Last time you were at a bakery, too.

Can you feel the buzz? Can you feel the emotion? Can you feel the electricity of students walking past the lake and people at the architecture school thinking of the hurricanes?

I can definitely feel the buzz in the air, Dan. There's about 17 people walking around campus right now. It's still a little early. There's classes going on. People People were definitely looking at me like, Who's this guy? Why is he here? There's a camera. People are confused by the camera. But I feel like a little bit of an infidel because I was never allowed to even get on the campus. Last time I was here was for Frank Hayes' team camp when I was a sophomore in high school, so like 20 years ago. But yeah, Dan, so excited to be here. We've already got a person who's a big fan of the show. Can we interview him really quick?

Yeah, let's go.

Okay. All right, we got Manny here. What's up, Manny? What's up, guys? Big fan of the show. Manny was at Columbus. He's also working on the on the broadcast team here at University of Miami. He was also over at Columbus a couple of days ago, graduated with Fernando Mendoza from Columbus. But I want to ask him, Danny, very important question. Manny, how many Manny's are there at Columbus? There's actually quite a few Manny's at Columbus. I want to say the kids that graduated with me, there was about three more Manny's in my class. There's no way. They had to be about 10 or 11 or 12, at least. It wasn't that much, but mine was... I'm Emmanuel, but most of them were It was an annual, so it was different. Different Manny. Top five names at Columbus. We had to go Manny, we had to go Alex.

Armando.

Alex, for sure. There's got to be a lot of Amanditos. No, Dan, you're talking about from the '80s. Nobody calls their kid Amandito anymore. A couple of generations. There's got to be Nicks. A lot of Nicks? My best buddy from Columbus that's here right now, his name is nick. And then there's a lot of Jose's as well. So yeah, Dan, he graduated with Fernando Mendoza. To see Fernando from what he was in high school to where he is now, How do you gage that? Well, he's still a great guy, a good friend still. Well, I wasn't that great of a friend with him when I was there, but we had classes together, but I still give him a text every time he had a big win this season, and he did respond, which was pretty cool. Every time? Every time. Okay, so we're trying to figure out somebody who could say a bad thing about Fernando Mendoza. Coach Dunn said that he was a dork, and that's the worst that we've had. Is there anybody that we can find anywhere that can say something bad Fernando? A little bit of a nerd. Smart guy. That's about it.

I can't say anything bad. Would his brother say something bad about him? Can we find his brother? Alberto or Max, the little one? I don't know. You tell me. Who's Spicier? Well, Alberto is his teammate, so I don't think you're going to get anything out of him. Maybe the little brother, Max, but he's always with the dad, so they're always hanging out together. Okay, so we've got some work to do, Dan. If we want to find somebody to say something bad about Fernando Mendes. No, we're doing well.

We got lactose-intolerant, and we've got a second source now on dork. We've got Miami's not going to get beaten by a dork. That can't When does that happen? Miami's not going to get beaten by a nerd.

Yeah, Dan says there's no way Miami gets beaten by a dork. We have two accounts of him being a dork, and we also have him being lactose and toiling. Did you know that? I did hear that released by the Dan Lebitard show. I did not know that, but that's news to me. He saw my journalism. He saw Jimmy's journalism, yeah. Anything you can give us as far as insights to Fernando, insights into Columbus, insights into anything that people wouldn't know in the national landscape? That's a great question, Tony. Thank you, buddy.

Let's end it there because he's filibustering with the that's a great question.

I had a great experience at Columbus. I think the athletic program has done a great job. If everything That's the thing that I just said stays true, he might be a little bit of a problem, but I think the Canes are still going to win.

Because he doesn't have anything. We're going to-Touchdown.

I think the spread is way too big right now. I think it's going to go down. Smart Money comes in later. Great, Cody. Wow. Smart Money comes in later. Great, Cody. Manny, thank you so much, I appreciate you. He got to work at 9: 30, or else he would have done another 25 minutes if that's okay with you, Dan. We lost a Craig Krenzel.

Yes, that's right. With the greatest football team there's ever been. With the greatest roster that's ever been.

It happens. B-y-u pushed us in a locker one time.

I'm sorry. Tony, good job. Freud didn't slip. Good job on the sideline reporting. Yeah, I'm sorry. We'll come back to you later in the show.

We were so close to Dan saying, Jeremy, good job for the first time.

Yeah, I think I did say it. I just didn't say it toward you.

Someone clipped that for me.

Let's get to the other thing that I wanted to get to here because it's not something that I see very often around the Miami Heat. The Miami Heat, reportedly, don't have Kevin Durant because they weren't willing to separate from Kalil Ware. I assume that Ja Morant will cost at least one young player like that. I might wrong. I don't think so. He might be so discounted that it's not even one young player like that. But I think that Heat fans would be really excited about whatever it is that Kalil Ware becomes. But he hasn't played great with Bam on the floor. He's gone to the bench since Tyler Hero has returned, and Spoh doesn't like his attitude about going to the bench. So where is the sound here on Spoh doing something that the Heat organization rarely does, but has now done several times in some way to Khalil Weir? It must stink, Zaz, to be in the dog house of this coach when he protects everybody. He doesn't want anything in public, and he continues to shame only one guy on his team. And really, outside of Hassan Whiteside, Side? Only one guy ever, and it's Kaleil Ware.

With Kaleil, I know that's a lightning rod topic.

He needs to get back to where he was eight weeks ago, seven weeks ago, where I felt and everybody in the building felt that he was stacking days, good days. He's stacking days in the wrong direction now. He's just got to get back to that, stack days, build those habits, make sure you're ready and play the minutes that you're playing. To to a point where it makes me want to play you more. I get it with some young players. You sometimes subconsciously play poorly to say, Hey, I'll play poorly until you play me the minutes I think I deserve, then I'll play well. That's not how it works. Kalev, no. It's surprising to hear this type of sound from Spoh in certain ways, right? The young players forcing him to play them is a thing he's consistent about. That's a common line. Nico Jovich dealt with it earlier in the year. He played really poorly at the beginning of the year after coming back from injury. He didn't have the energy that Spoh was looking for. He rode the bench for three weeks before finally earning his way back in. Bam spoke after the game about guys needing to do role player things, even the best players on the team.

They lost to the Celtics last night. They get off to a big lead early and then lose late.

Celtics, so many offensive rebounds in the second half. Yeah, and that was the fan's frustration is, well, Kla, where you would think could be a part of fixing that.

Same thing happened against Phoenix. He allows a lot of offensive rebounds, and I can see how people would think, Hey, he's not trying very hard there.

I went back this morning and watched the eight minutes that he was on the floor, and what you didn't see were crashing toward the rim on shots for offensive rebounds of your own, where he was out by the perimeter. What you didn't see were the box outs on the defensive end, where you would look for throwing your body around. He had five rebounds in those eight minutes. A couple of them did just follow them. A couple of them were solid rebounds as a big guy. But when you look at him on the offensive end, he took five shots. Four of those were threes. Now, he's a really high percentage three-point shooter. It's part of the offense. But Spo has been looking for this from Kael all year long, and I think that you can see it when you watch the game. There is a difference between how Kael plays for the force of a full game when he is engaged from the jump because he's in that starting lineup, he's getting the ball in the first few possessions, versus what it looks like when he's coming in in the flow of a game. And I don't know if that's the insinuation of personally sabotaging your own minutes.

It doesn't seem like what a professional would do when they're trying to earn their way into the league. But at the same time, you can see the difference in what the motor, which was the one knock on him coming out, not the talent, seems to look like in those games. Bonafide coming. I watched the game with Sound on. First time I've done that since the playing game. All four quarters? All four quarters. Do you guys consider wear a core piece? I don't. I think here's the issue because- But do you not consider him a core piece because you think they're going to use him to for another player. Well, potentially that's framing it, but also he's not on the court when the games are hanging in the balance. And the guys that I did see on the court couldn't make a layup. We were puffing our chest out after we beat Phoenix, and then I saw Bam not be able to make a layup. And look, I don't want to do the repeat takes here. I think it's very clear, and I don't want to put anybody in an awkward situation, two-time champion broadcaster, guy who does a great job on the broadcast.

I think it's fairly evident that this core is not going to get it done. We've seen this core max out, and they're always hovering around the Hawks and Bulls. Something needs to be done to this roster. I don't know how drastic. I just know the core individuals on the Miami Heat roster appear to have a ceiling over the course of several seasons, and that ceiling is 10 seed? Maybe get hot in the playoffs? Don Levatard. All these high-paid analysts, I don't want to mention names, TNT, ESPM. Oh, yeah, they are dead. They're not going to make it.

Even if they win, if they lose in Miami- I need to calm you down. I need to calm you down. That's right. If they lose in Miami, they don't got a chance in Boston.

Oh, they are going to have their ass in Boston. Stugatz. They were wrong. Are they going to lose their job? No. Are they going to get a cutting plate? No. What are they going to do? Keep predicting what is the obvious. They're going to say, Oh, the Nuggets are going to win. Oh, Denver, the altitude. You know what? They are not going to win This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats.

Here's what's not up for disputes, as it has been fairly shocking to watch, okay? Since Boston's best player was stopped by Miami's best defensive player at the rim in the bubble. What a moment. The Miami heat have gone in one direction, and the Celtics of last night without Jason Tatum are just as good or better than Miami Miami, and that's Miami healthy, and that's not Boston healthy because Boston doesn't have its best player. And this season at the halfway point, Boston without Jason Tatum is just as good as Miami. That gulf of separation, the things that have changed there, they were separated by a block at the rim in the bubble. And since then, what's happened is Boston has become both a champion and a champion with the architecture that looks right, that can withstand not having Jason Tatum. And Miami is in a place where a week ago, you were trading Bam.

Yeah, my biggest frustration, and I get it, the league is different. There are certain rules that make it more complicated. But man, it wasn't that long ago where if Pat Reilly acknowledges a team that is not a championship team, he says, F this, and he blows it up, and he makes trades.

It's going to happen.

And now it's going to get blown up. How long have you been saying that, though, Dan?

They're going to go get... It's going to go get blown up. It seems obvious now that that's what's going to happen. They're 500 at Another break. They're not a team. I mean, Hero missed some games, but they've been herky-jerky, and their best player, whether it's Bam, Norm Powell, Tyler Hero, Kalil Ware, whoever you think their best player is, isn't good enough to lead you to a championship. Kaleil, no. That part seems obvious to me. You guys are at a level of frustration that I haven't seen you before. Mike has been there for a while, but Zaz is usually a diehard, and Jeremy's alone on lonely island.

I'm still a diehard. That hasn't changed.

I am like the lonely island. Thank you. No, you're trying to trade Bam. Jeremy does not want Bam traded. I will never trade Bam. There are not a lot of players like that who can guard everybody. That's a really valuable piece. I understand that you don't want it to be your best player because it can't be your best player.

I don't want Bam traded either, but I don't want him making $50 million a year more.

You've already said you're trading him. Sorry, Jeremy. I'm sorry. There's a knock at the door. Yes, there's somebody knocking.

Oh, our first guest. Look at this. We established that sound.

Thank you. There is Brad Williams, and it's our first guest in a barrage of guests to predict Indiana against Miami. So, Brad, welcome to the show. Please keep it short.

Keep it short? Wow. You just told a dwarf to keep it short. Really? All right. That's fun. You just told me to keep it short. Also, just a prediction. You fat-shamed me earlier this week. Okay, you let Andrew Santino be your bear's correspondent. You let Sam moral, be your next correspondent. You worship the ground that Shane Gillis farts on. And then I actually rep your show. I support the show. I'm a diehard lifelong Broncos fan. They're on a historic run. You're not letting me in And then you fat-shamed me? You, Dan Lebitard, fat-shamed me? That's insane. You, that's all people know about you, Dan Lebitard. Is that your fat? Watch this. Excuse me, sir. Excuse me, sir. Do you know who Dan Lebitard is? Excuse Yeah, he's a fat guy. Yeah, he's a fat guy. Look at that, Dan Lebitard. I have a top five list of things less hypocritical than you fat-shaming me. Number five, Chris Cody fat-shaming me. Number four, Jeremy saying that joke was corny. Number three, Mike Ryan saying you stick up for your team too much. Number two, Greg Cody saying, Be more professional. And the number one thing, less hypocritical than Dan Lebetard fat-shaming me, Michael Irvin saying, You have a cocaine problem.

Shorter. Come on. Shorter? You haven't even talked about the fact that many of your show was at my show. Chris Cody, Greg Cody, Zazlo, they all came to my show in Fort Lauderdale. Killed it. While on stage, I said that Zazlo, it's ironic he has a foot fetish because he looks like a toe. And you guys never talk about this. You never bring it up. My wife was in the crowd. I had to explain that to her. The U is going to win. The U is going to win.

We got our prediction. There's the prediction. The U is going to win.

You have a foot fetish? Because I know. Because I know that the U winning will piss off Dan Levitard the most, and that's what I'm rooting for. What? Many are saying. Yeah, that fake Cuban. Check out Brad's new podcast, Hyte and Babble.

What You think it'll make me happy for the University of Miami lose? You guys, I don't understand what's happening around this. Yes. Absolutely not. All right. Bronco's correspondence, Brad Williams on with us. You don't understand?

I feel like we calmly explained it to you.

No. Because I said- It was a lot of rationale. Because I said reputationally that Mario Cristobal- Let's not do this again.

No, it wasn't an isolated incident. This is a decades long bit. Trust me, Dan, I'm here in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the Salt Lake City Airport, and even they're shaming your name in these streets. You're not out here, Dan. You don't know what they're talking about. The U is back, baby.

All right. Thank you. I appreciate the time, Brad. I appreciate the correspondence. I didn't feel like I fat-shamed you. I just said that if they were going to throw you seven yards on fourth and short, they might want to get someone lighter than you.

That's not fat-shaming? I'm not sure Bryce Young could throw.

I'm just thinking it's an efficiency thing. It's not fat-shaming. Five pounds lighter means lighter than you, and that might go a little further. If someone were to throw somebody on fourth and short that was five pounds lighter or even a muffin lighter. I'm not fat-shaming you. I'm just saying a lighter thing can be thrown further.

Have you watched these guys work out in the gym? You think NFL players are going to be like, Yeah, I would throw a human being over the line, but Brad, a little too big.

You're thick and muscled. You're thick and muscled. I'm not saying you're fat. I didn't say you were fat. I said you were too heavy to be thrown seven yards on fourth and six. That's what I said. And this is supposed to be one word. We're off to a bad start. We're just supposed to have people here who come in and say, Indian or Miami, and then get out of here. And it's shorter. Shorter. Brad Williams, shorter.

Shorter? You're saying me shorter. Do you want to tell the black guy right here to lighten up? Is that what you want to do? Jesus.

See you later, Brad. Thank you. We appreciate the time throughout the show today. Zazlo is worried about this because Fowler is going to be here a little bit.

I don't think they can be longer than that.

No, they can't. See, this is what I'm worried about, though, as it relates to Fowler, that we're going to have 20 minutes of Fowler's time and somebody's going to come in and do that. I got a top five list. I want to do this.

Who? Someone else is here. Here?

What? Is that Jason Banetti? What the hell is Jason Banetti doing? Jason Banetti, I suspect that it'd be good to talk to Jason Banetti about Kyle Tucker and the fact that Kyle Tucker, I think Jason Banetti I was talking to Louis back there, the fact that Kyle Tucker now Zazlo, you've got the Dodgers, $60 million a year. The Dodgers get Kyle Tucker. That came out of nowhere for me. I thought somebody else was going to get him.

You're setting Banetti up to say more than one word. Jason Banetti, who you got? Um. The number one song in America in 1950 was Goodnight, Irene. The number one song in America in 1979 was My Sherona by The Knack. We made it all the way from Goodnight, Irene My Sherona in music, and Indiana in that span had three seasons with more than five wins. You have to root for Indiana a little bit, right? Probably.

I mean, think of all the music in between. I need one word for these people. Get out of here, Ben Eddy. I need one word.

What don't these people understand? Is that his prediction, though, or just who he's rooting for? That's an Indiana prediction. I mean, it's definitely not a Miami prediction. So we're split.

One-one. He said you have to root for Indiana. He said, You're obligated to root for Indiana.

He also loves Fernando Mendoza.

You guys agree, right, that nothing in sports around here has felt quite this alone since the heat gathered as LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade, right? Where the nation is rooting for something else.

The hockey world at large did not want to see the Cup go to Sunrise, Florida. We were up three games to none. We got to that game seven, find me someone who was still rooting for the Panthers. Yeah, in that insular hockey world, no one wanted to see it, and they certainly didn't want to see it a second time.

I do understand that in the insular hockey world, but what about the rest of the world? Because I do believe Miami doesn't get to be Cinderella here as the eight and a half point dog. They are, though.

Which is crazy. They're a 10 seed, a two lost 10 seed. They're Cinderella. Wow. Has to den gesehen? Ey, das ist ja der absolute Wahnsin. Einfach nur perfekt. Nice. Manchmal merkt man sofort, dass es passt. So wie bei den neuen Balance-sondermodellen von Skoda, mit bis zu 3,200 Euro Preisvorteil, vielen Extras und fünf Jahren Garantie. Mehr Infos und weitere attraktive Angebote beim Skoda Buffet am 24. Januar. Bei allen teilnehmenden Skoda-Partnern, oder auf They are, though. Which is crazy. They're a 10-seed, a two-loss 10-seed. They're Cinderella..