Transcript of Local Hour: Polluting the Holiday Spirit (feat. Definitely Not Tony or Rose)

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Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right?

Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero.

Always drink your Jägermeister ice cold. That's a rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.

Everything else?

Everything else.

Wearing clean underwear every day?

Well, that's just a personal decision.

Brushing your teeth?

Obviously smart, but not a rule.

Never PP on an electric fence.

Okay, maybe there are two rules, but the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Jägermeister must be drunk ice cold. Or don't drink it at all.

Damn, that's cold.

Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.

Drink responsibly. Jägermeister L'Core, 35% alcohol by volume, imported by Mass Jägermeister US, White Plains, New York.

Shadow Show.

Shadow Show.

Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show. Shadow Show.

Shadow Show.

Shadow Show.

Devante Smith was the last Heisman Trophy winner to have been alive when they had most recently awarded the Heisman Trophy at the Downtown Athletic Club.

Today's not the day for that, Mike. It's not funny. I came in today and I said hello to him, and the first thing I said is I'm still wearing yesterday's mistake of not knowing the Downtown Athletic Club hadn't hosted the Heisman for a quarter century. And that's how you start the... Mike- Twenty-five years, Dan. This is not the day to do this to me. It's not. I've got the holiday party is coming up. I'm stressed out about that. We got too many people in town. Jason, the director, can't get anyone to work with him. Tony bailed on him at the last minute. Rose wouldn't sing for him. We've got office chaos here, and you're hitting me in a vulnerable spot. That's a bad mistake.

I'm lashing out. It's been two weeks since we've talked Miami Hurricanes football.

There was some, not to spoil it, there's some wrapping involved. Not wrapping, like gift wrapping, like R-A-P-P in this year's intro. Tony felt that his cool card might get taken away if he did it.

He was worried about the Internet?

Little peek behind the curtain.

Dog, I hit the couch two weeks ago.

Let's start the show, a year in review. Turning over, turning over. We're on the old and bringing the new. Turning over, turning over.

Holidays are back, check. Drop a new track. Here with the audio Almanac. We said bye-bye Billy, and that was whack. When will stew come back? You know about that Thai food? Lips my mood. Zeslo is a wild dude. Nice hat, soul, I got the scope. Salute Juju, got it with the alley-oo.

What's the worst part of the life? Will Fork has got a new wife. Roy Bellamy likes to talk talk. When Chris messes up, he says, Fuck off.

Does Craig have a back in my day?

No. The traffic just got in his way. No. And then he says, You never know. Confirmen you don't get the show.

Let's start the show. I hear it with you. Turning over, turning over. We got Pablo vocal modulating. I mean, he's been week-end observating. Connor McDee's McGloverating. Again?

The Panthers took that ass.

So let's give it to Dan because his name's on the show. And hand it to Mike because he happened to know. Now pass me the ball like Stafford N'Puca. Felizamidon and happy Chinuca.

Let's start the show A Year In With You.

Turning over, turning Turning over, turning over.

Scare of the old and ringing the new.

Turning over, turning over.

So they might bench to her, but I got to get to the office politics. That was a lovely open. Welcome to Trista and Juju, Ali-up. We love having them around during the holiday season, and I want them to legislate some things going on around here because no one wanted to participate with Jason in the making of that open. No one… Tony bailed on him, made him rewrite the whole thing. Made Jason rewrite the whole thing because Tony bailed at the last minute because it was going to hurt his cool quotient. Then Rose, he wrote it for Rose. Then Rose bailed at the last minute as well. Then they forced Ethan to do it. I see that Ethan was on the cutting room floor, as far as I can tell. I didn't see Ethan, which I was grateful for. I didn't see Ethan anywhere in that open. Maybe he was a Santa or something. I saw Jason as an elf, embarrassing himself as an elf because no one would participate with him. So Trista, please legislate this. We've got a judge in our midst, but tell me what it is that I should be doing here where Jason's trying very hard to pollute this place with the holiday spirit and no one wants it.

I think you need to just force them, really, like indentured servitude. I said to Juju, I said, This song goes hard. I mean, I would like an MP3 of this. Are we still doing MP3?

No one wanted to rap. Juju, Tony wants to look cool instead of actually being cool.

Yeah, I think Tony has to really suffer the consequences of this one because if you're not going to be a team player, no matter how embarrassing it is, you got to do it. Now, neither here nor there, this may have been sent to me as well, and they may have asked me to wrap on this as well. Of course they did. And I don't do Ghostwriters.

But what about Rose? Rose loves to sing. Rose has the biggest banger. We've got people competing around here all the time to sing songs.

That wasn't Rose singing? That was.

Rose did do the chor. She did the hook.

For the record, that was Ethan as Santa.

But Ethan was only participating in the video because Tony and Rose didn't want to look however that was going to look on video. They were embarrassed by what Jason was going to make. What Metalark was making was too embarrassing for cool Rose and Tony.

I think this thing should have won a Golden Globe.

It was pretty good.

Okay, we're going to start you off for $2. I don't know a Golden Globe.

I'm not eligible. Although podcasts are now eligible for Golden Globes.

Or a Short. What is it? The Shorties? The Webbies? It is a Webbie Award.

I don't know if you guys have heard Rose's original classic, and I will get to the University of Miami. I don't think I have. You haven't heard Rose Got Pepper Sprayed at Ohio State? Right. No. And it sounded... That sound he's making is Rose. That's the sound she made on the field.

It was actually on the. We'll play her classic in hour two. How about that?

Okay, yeah, because we got to monetize it. All right, we'll play it for Zazla. We'll sit around and play it for Zazla. I need to know what to do about Jason, though. I like Christmas carols, okay? Are you guys singers? Do you guys sing around the house? Did your family sing growing up? Because the only time I saw my family sing ever in the house was Christmas carols. There was no other song in my house.

I might have song at Carnegie Hall.

It's a flex.

Look at me, Louis. At 11 or 12 in a group. I've sang at 11.

Look at me, we sing. I've sung We are the Champions at 11 at the top of my lungs.

I found the national anthem yesterday in the shower because when somebody in here has to sing the national anthem soon, so I was singing, What do I have here? And I got nothing. Juju, you did the national anthem and not lift every voice and sing? That's very off-brand. I don't tell anybody.

So Juju simply refused to participate as well. Did they not ask you? Because Zazla would have done it.

Okay, so all those people you mentioned said no, and then they came to me, and I did it. That was me.

Also, so far, all the people he's mentioned but Tony were involved.

But I did it. I did the rap.

Rose refused. She's singing all over the track.

She's the lead voice. Tony and Juju, you got it. Everybody else that you're saying didn't do it is in it.

See, I do music. You feel me? I'd be rapping, and so that just didn't go with the esthetics of what I usually put out. You feel me?

I am told that we now have the video. We can't play the audio because it's a song. But here is Lucy and Rose. Rose was pepper sprayed. She made a honking goose sound, and I believe Lucy was laughing nearby. The pepper was right up. Oh, no. Oh, my God. The pepper was right up. The pepper was right up.

Oh, no.

Unfortunately, the honk was separate audio.

Oh, look, there it is.

You'll have to take my word for it. She honkt. It's not AI-altered. Mike, have you been dining on Texas A&M podcast this week?

Listen to everyone, including one that is 100% AI. You can tell by how they say, Concepci, own.

That is the giveaway so far on All AI.

He's going to enter the NFL draft.

You enjoy that?

I love previewing opponents by listening to what the enemy says. I can't even imagine. I told you. Department of War, pal. I got to do advanced scouts. I got to see. I'm real worried because they're mentioning that Chris Bell route against us in that Louisville game. I'm like, damn, they know.

Yeah, Chris Bell, a first-round pick who is now injured. He was injured against SMU, and people are degrading Miami schedule because they lost to Louisville, but that's a first-round pick, and Miami couldn't cover him because no one can. And he got hurt, and Louisville got hurt. But as we dissect who's good and who's not in a football landscape, pro and college, where we're being confused by who's the best, actually. I think this first-round game is the only first-round game that features two balanced enough teams that if either of them lost, I'll still say that could have been a champion. You got bogus James Madison and Oregon over here, and you got Mississippi playing. Oregon.

Thank you, Trista.

And it's Luhl. I'm a duck. I didn't want to do that to you because it's been a shaky start, but we let the Luhl thing slide.

Why do you think it was a shaky start?

Do you think-Downtown athletic club? Yes. What producer?

What do you mean it doesn't have anything to do with you?

Well, we got to call it out.

The audience expect that. I came in saying that I was still wounded 24 hours later. Zazlo's soothing me last night because I'm still- Pause. Yeah, he's texting me, Soothing Balm. Just, Dan, it wasn't that terrible today. I thought that. You weren't that terrible today.

No, he was bad. He was bad. You got to speak truth to power, man.

So you decided that the way to start the show today and produce me, when I've got Jason in the other room Giving everybody bad ideas they don't want to do. That actually turned into a very good song because yet he's talented. And we can dance around. We can dance around. And all we got to do is dance around in costumes. We could do that.

Sounds like Portland by the ice center.

I'm lashing out. This is, as you said, two teams playing for a CFP spot here. Winner gets the defending national champion. It's the biggest game in Miami in their last... Well, since they last handed out the Heisman Trophy at the downtown athletic club.

I just can't believe that there's a time in the day where you say, I have a little bit of free time right now, and you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to listen to a Texas ANM podcast.

There's a Cuban on one of them.

Okay, they're going into cult. This is a difficult place to play. The people that surround both huddles are weirdos, all of them. They're chanting weirdos. It's got a weird communal feeling of they speak a language no one else does. And this is a better team, I think, a more balanced team than any of the ones Manzell was on. I think this team has enough athletes on it all over. I know I sound gasbagging when I tell you Texas Tech is really good, and Texas A&M is also really They've got athletes all over the field. I don't know how they get down 30 to three to South Carolina at the half, but I'm assuming it's because Marcel Reid was inaccurate. He can be shaken. They've got nothing but running backs that average five yards a carry. Marcel Reid is very good, and he presents a problem they haven't had this season. A good team with a quarterback that can move. He's their second leading rusher. He's really good moving the ball down the field, but he can be inaccurate. He can be picked off. I don't know if you guys think in today's college football, that 10 interceptions is a lot, but it's one a game.

In this game between two teams that are pretty equal, the way Miami lost to Louisville is Louisville had three great interceptions, but it's four interceptions. That's how they'll lose. Miami's got an offensive line that is as good protecting the quarterback. They were not a good run-blocking team up the middle because the coaches were stubborn all season. That's a good offensive line. Texas A&M, I don't think, has played a lot of those. They lost to the team. They did play... Texas had a good offensive line.

Texas A&M- Athletes.

They didn't protect Arch Manning well, but athletes across the board.

So macro view, these are two teams that I think based on form, are headed in opposite directions. You can argue Texas A&M is playing their worst football of the year right now, and you can certainly make a sound argument that Miami is playing their best football right now. Dan mentioned the mobile quarterbacks. They haven't hurt Miami. Miami has done a real good job against the quarterbacks on their schedule. They've contained them, and that's exactly what they have to do with Marcel Reid. If he breaks contained, he will hurt you with his feet. You actually want this guy to sit in a pocket. The more he is forced into that pocket and make Reid against his own, the more likely he is to throw an interception. People make a big deal out of Carson Beck's proclivity to turn the ball over. Marcel Reid has had more interceptable passes than Carson Beck has had this season. I think if you're watching the Texas game, the lesson to learn from that is sit back and make them matriculate down the field. Don't let these guys get into man coverage because they have three really dangerous receivers. And once they get the ball in their hands, if they shake the first defender, they can house call it.

So just sit back in zone and be patient with it. It's a holiday season and the 50th anniversary of Miller Lite. The holiday is all about spending time with friends and family. Why don't you sit back and toast a few Miller Lites? Make your holiday time Tiz Miller time. And with the 50th anniversary of Miller Light, you get to remember and reflect on all the good times that you had with your trusty buddy by your side, Miller Light. Brewed for flavor with simple ingredients like malted barley, rich balanced toffee notes, and that iconic golden color. And at 96 calories and 3. 2 carbs per 12 ounces, it lets you enjoy the season without weighing you down. The original light beer since 1975 and still hit and different 50 years later. The best holiday beers are the ones you don't expect. Miller Light. Great taste, 96 calories. Go to millerlight. Com Dan to find delivery options near you, or you can pick up some Miller light pretty much anywhere they sell beer. Tis Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories and 3. 2 carbs per 12 ounces.

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Don Levatard. I ain't never met nobody in the world that's done hate on Blues clothes. Great nomination. Who don't like Blues clues, bro? If you don't like Blues clues, you're a loser. Stugatz. Look, you get one pop print, That's the first clue. You put it in a notebook. Now, what do you do? Blues clues, blues clues.

Sit on the chair and think about it.

This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats.

I saw them in person once this year, Texas A&M. I was at the LSU game, and I thought they were really good. But I think it's also important to point out, man, they got lucky with their SEC schedule. They did. They didn't play any of the teams in the top half of the conference, except for Texas, who they lost to. And all seven of their wins are literally the bottom half of the conference. It's Arkansas, South Carolina, Sneaky Dees in Mississippi State, Florida, LSU, Missouri. Those are all of their SEC wins.

They played a lot of bad quarterbacks this season. I will say from a size perspective, even though this is a really aggressive team, they're really good on the blitz, Owens is good, they don't have the same size that the Jimbo teams had. I think this is a line of scrimage game, strength on strength, patience. It's a more complicated than get the ball in the hands of Malikai Tony. They have a veteran nickel corner that I don't think can hang with Malikai running with him. So outside runs and Malikai Tony is the recipe here.

Chris Cody, can you help me with a couple of things? There are two questions I have for you right now. Amin has appeared out of nowhere. He's on the show today. Why is he late again?

Coming from Vegas, baby.

Okay, that's one thing. I've got one issue over there. The other issue I have is why does Mike Ryan, who is wearing a coach's assistant jumpsuit to represent the University of Miami. You look good, Mike.

We got a headset.

Why does he go into full coach speak after listening to this Texas A&M pods where he's like, Well, we got to matriculate the ball down the field?

You're all right? I'm asking for us and the audience.

We got to house call it. We got to show patience. We got to control the line of scrimmage.

This is you making fun of me.

You got me rattled because of how you started the show. You started the show.

Rough start.

You started the show.

You started the show. No, come on. You're owning me. Let's go. Keep dunking on me.

Why is it that you go into full coach speak when you're talking about this football game?

Why is it that when I give 10 seconds of analysis, the only analysis allowed here on the show in the last two weeks, it becomes boring coach speak? That's actually really good nuggets. Most people in our audience don't know that Marcel Reid is more inclined to throw an interception than Carson Beck. I'm trying to provide a path here for victory for our Miami Hurricanes. And yes, I said our Miami Hurricanes. It's the biggest game in 20 years. You better start acting like it.

I think he's saying, When you look like a coach, it just sounds like coach speak.

How do you even decide which Texas A&M podcast you're going to listen to? All of them.

That's how I know one of them is 100% AI.

Concepcion, what's his nationality?

Puerto Rican. Really good player. He hurt us a lot when he was at NC State as a freshman. They got Kraver, Bethel Roman, and Concepcion, who's going to be a first-round pick. They're just dynamite with the ball in their hands.

Five yards to carry from all their running backs. Marcel Reid is their second leading rusher.

They get Le'Vion Moss back, though. That's the expectation. And he's their big power back. Miami struggled when Florida handed the ball to their power back in that one good-looking drive that they had. Moss makes it a lot easier. There's Ruben Owens, who likes to talk his crap, and we have sound of that. Credit to the Miami Huracan and Mario Cristobal, because they haven't given teams any bulletin board material this year. They've been very respectful of the opponent. This is now the second time that we've heard a Texas A&M, Aggie, give Miami some motivation.

I wouldn't say as much as a challenge. I know my guys, they're ready for the challenge. It's been like that a couple of games, Mizzou game.

They said they was a good run defense.

We put up over 200 rushing yards.

Yeah, well, Mizzou was ranked 17th nationally. They got fat off of bad teams. They never beat a good one. And Miami's seventh nationally against the run.

I'll tell you, I think I think what's going to play a role, the Canes have not played in an atmosphere like this all season long. That's fair. The ACC, SMU is different from Caulfield.

I've been to both.

There's over 70,000, which, by the way, 70,000 is tiny for an SEC stadium because obviously it's being in 12.

No, it's 110,000. Yeah, Miami has not played in front of more than 70,000 people this season.

Okay, I'm sorry. Thank you.

Thank you. I will say in terms of having been to both stadiums. Thank you. Kyle Field is super intimidating. It's super loud. It's all inspiring. There's levels upon levels as far as the eye can see. It's a pretty last- It's a cult.

It's a It's a 100,000 chanting people in the middle of nowhere, mint some tumbleweed.

Now, you're not going to believe what I'm going to tell you right now because SMU stadium is at a 32,000 capacity stadium. But what they were doing in the first half with blasting the music to the point that the offense had to wait till it stopped, that was so illegal that it had to stop in the second half is quite literally the loudest thing I've ever heard inside of a stadium, and I've been to Kyle Field.

I believe that most of the people listening to this think that this is homerific analysis on the University of Miami. When I keep telling you that's a team with athletes that can win a championship among the top teams in the sport, if we're going to play random ball with kids, right? They're kids, and they make a lot of mistakes, and you don't trust teenagers to be responsible with much of anything. But Miami has a game-breaker in Tony, who throws the ball as well better than any non-quarterback they've ever had. So they're going to use him in multiple ways. But you've been following, you've been traveling to these places. Mike's been screaming at the top of his lungs, the SEC is fraudulent, all of it. But this is the cream of the SEC. It's not Alabama and Oklahoma. And when this team is the cream of the SEC, feeding on a conference that is a lot weaker than people understand, a lot weaker, it's in disguise. This is not the SEC you remember. Alabama and Oklahoma are shells of what those programs have been the last 10 years. Texas A&M is the top of the conference, but Miami has got a chance to expose the entire conference If they physically dragged this team, that was down 27 at South Carolina.

Then when it went to Texas and played the team that lost at Florida, a Texas team that is very physical, they got their ass kicked by a bad, Not a bad Texas team, but a Texas team that did not deserve to be in the playoffs.

I know what you're saying about Alabama and Oklahoma. Oklahoma, I'm not so high. I'm not so sure that Alabama and Oklahoma are not just as good as Texas A&M. Oklahoma and Alabama have really good SEC wins on their resume. Texas A&M doesn't.

What did you make of them being down 30 to three at the half against South Carolina?

And it's crazy because the key to the game for South Carolina was, Get off to a good start, which is right up there with my favorite keys to the game behind Don't get hurt. Yeah, you want to get off to a good start because it's a football game. South Carolina stinks. I think that's the takeaway, is how do you let South Carolina get off to that lead?

So when People are listening to this and we're telling them Miami can win the Championship. Miami is good enough to win the Championship. But also this is the toughest first-round game there is in terms of two teams that you think could actually win the Championship. But you guys are making me rethink my position on what I've thought Texas A&M is all year, because when I've watched Texas A&M at the beginning of the year, not toward the end, when they were playing less well, I saw an offense because of what they did to LSU and others that can run a bunch of athletes off the field. It's the last two games that I've watched of Texas A&M where I'm like, Okay, well, wait, did I get it wrong?

It's a cliché, but playing your best ball at the right time of the season is a real thing. We saw with Notre Dame last year how they were building the crescendo. That's another thing that people that I know have gone back and watched a Texas A&M game at Notre Dame. It's a common opponent. Miami had the benefit of playing them at home, where Texas A&M, in impressive fashion, went to South Bend. If you watch that game, mad fluky. Notre Dame dropped two picks, and one of the more egregious holding calls that didn't get called led to that game tying and then ensuing P-A-T opportunity that helped Texas A&M hand Notre Dame their second loss. Miami probably doesn't get into the college football playoff if they call that holding, by the way, in South Bend.

Oh, look at that. Call that holding back in South Bend.

Yeah, I think that that was more impactful on Miami's playoff chances than anything because it gives Notre Dame one loss. You don't have that head-to-head advantage there. And the two-loss Texas A&M gets in over a two-loss Miami.

The people who are listening are only hearing homerism here, right? Thinking that Miami could win the... Thinking that Miami can win the Championship because we've watched this team all year and we've also seen them lose to SMU.

You're the one that's applying that homer take. I haven't said that. I'll let you stand on that island. Miami's got the toughest path to a title. They got to go through Texas A&M in Kyle field. They got to play a Cotton Bowl against Ohio State and potentially a Fiesta Bowl against Georgia. I wish there was a different path here. I'm not exactly sure why Ole Miss was ranked ahead of Texas A&M. I'd feel much better about that game, but I'm excited about this. I don't think I've been super homerific here. Just telling you what it is. We respect the opponent over here.

You're scared of the venue. You're not scared of the team.

Not even that scared of the venue. Haven't been there. It's just really impressive. But the people are super nice. It's not like they get drunk off their ass or are a vile people to you. I'm staying in College Station again. I happen to find the area really nice. It's like any cult. They're super nice because they want you to join.

Just to backtrack for a moment, because I don't think that people realize the history of this program. When Kevin Sumlin and Jonny Manzell made the previous incarnations of Texas A&M that had fewer expectations, I think, than this one. Because when Manzell beats Alabama and Saban, you still weren't expecting them to win the championship. This is the realest chance that Texas A&M has had for a championship since blank. This is the best Texas A&M team. They gave Jimbo Fisher so much money, and he didn't produce a team, didn't produce a quarterback or a team as good as this one.

Yeah, this team's only lost. It's the final game of the season.

It's probably the... That's a fine, Trista, welcome aboard. It was on Do Not Disturb. I don't know what happened. Well, it disturbed. This is probably the second most talented Texas A&M team. I'm pretty sure there was a Texas A&M team with Mike Evans, Johnny Manzell, and Miles Garrett on it. But because of the expanded College football playoff...

Minor penalty, two minutes. Delay of show.

You're going to have to leave, Trist. I'm sorry to do this to you. You're just going to have to go.

She just said, Where is it? You'll figure it out.

Yeah, just wander around. Walk past a mean.

If you want, you can tag him in.

Yeah, if you want, that's fine. We can use him a mean.

I do think that whoever wins this game is going to be a sexy pick to upset Ohio State. I'm not there. God, that shit would be so sexy. I'm not there with being an Ohio State. I don't know if this team has enough.

It's only happening because you just saw Indiana do it. Indiana has got this thing that they're doing where no one will believe it is champion until after it is champion, just because it's Indiana.

How bad do you want Miami to win this weekend? Not because you obviously want them to win the national championship, but man, you so badly just want them to play Ohio State.

That'd be great. Yeah. I mean, you know me. Miami Hurricanes are my life. I want to win this game so bad.

You're taking them one at a time, though. Don't get to that one yet. You're taking them one at a time. No, you want to matriculate down the field.

No, I don't give the opposing team bulletin material.

I mean, welcome. There was a big NBA story last night. The Knicks won something meaningful. I think it's time for us to shift into regional programming.

Wfa team.

The Knicks haven't felt this good in a while because the East is weak, although I think they'd have problems against Detroit and Orlando and Toronto. But the Knicks haven't felt this good about a team in a long time because they also like the players because They've fallen in love with Karl Anthony Towns even when they hate him sometimes. Jalen Brunson is the most beloved nick of my lifetime.

Well, not of your lifetime.

Hold on. The most beloved Knick- How old do you think you are? No, no. Beyond Patrick Ewing. Who are you putting above him?

Think back to downtown athletic club days. There were some popular Knicks players on that team.

No. I mean, the way that I hear the most obnoxious of New York fans talk about Jalen Brunson, they never talked about Carmelo this way. They never talked about Ewing this way. Who are you putting above him in my lifetime?

Clive Frazier. Yeah, Clive Frazier.

Frazier. Ewing.

Okay, but I didn't- You said your lifetime.

You're old.

Do you think, Jalen, I'm sincerely asking because I was much more of an NBA fan in the '90s. Do you think Brunson is at Ewing level?

I think a lot of people dislike Ewing.

You got a ton of heat.

I know he got a ton of heat, but at the height of his popularity.

Brunson gets no heat. Brunson is just loved.

That's a good point. Brunson gets whatever the number is, whatever Whatever the ratings are, Brunson is like a 100% or damn near close. I like your voice today. I know. It's nice and- It's basic. It's gravelly.

That's a red eye from Vegas.

That's a lot of things.

You've been working hard. Thank you.

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The World Cup is coming back to North America for the first time since 1994. 48 teams, these giant stadiums, the whole continent turning into one massive party. I cannot wait. But actually getting tickets to any of this? Yeah, that part? Brutal. That's why the Game Time app has been a total lifesaver. It gives the advantage back to us, the fans, You can track price drops in real-time. Get alerts when seats opened up. Grab tickets the second they hit the app, all back by the game time guarantee. I'm on the app looking at World Cup matches in Miami because you know I am not missing that. I'm scrolling through every section in the building behind in the goal, midfield, lower bowl, upper bowl, and the deals are good. I had great seats locked in within minutes. The experience is so simple and intuitive. Two tabs and I'm done. And the price, no surprises. Fees are included. The seat views are my favorite feature, and you'll get a full panoramic look before you buy. Take the guesswork out of buying soccer tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code Dan for $20 off your first purchase.

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Mike, you know I have one rule to live by, right?

Don't place parlays on multiple long shots. Don't say a game is one when it hasn't hit triple zero.

Always drink your Jägermeister ice cold. That's the rule. Everything else is merely a suggestion.

Everything else?

Everything else.

Wearing clean underwear every day?

Well, that's just a personal decision.

Brushing your teeth?

Obviously smart, but not a rule.

Never PP on an electric fence.

Okay, maybe there are two rules, but the one that is 100% that I insist on completely, Jägermeister must be drank ice cold. Or don't drink it at all.

Damn, that's cold.

Exactly. You're finally starting to get it.

Drink responsibly. Jägermeister L'Core, 35% alcohol by volume, imported by Mass Jägermeister US, White Plains, New York.

Don Levatard. If Daniel Day-Lewis did it, you'd be jerking off all over yourself.

Oh, come on.

Yeah, I would be. Aggressive description.

I mean, what is that?

I'm just saying.

You know what? That's me. You're just saying what?

That's me. That was something broofe of yesterday. I see that photo of Daniel Day-Lewis looking like Lincoln before he's about to start filming Lincoln. And you know what I do? I mean, Stugatz. I jerk off all over myself. That's what I do.

Lincoln, who you outed the other day?

Don't make this a rejoin. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugats.

A couple of playoff exits for Brunson, right?

And that heat will turn up, no?

But here's the weird part. I think to this point, he still has a little bit of a teflon where a couple of playoff exits, like last year, that was a disappointment. You were supposed to beat the Pacers. How many people said it's because Brunson wasn't good I didn't hear it either.

Nobody said that. But when you say to this point, this part is super interesting to me when it comes to popularity and the difficulty of having it in New York. This is super simple basketball stuff. Ewing was a giant. Brunson is small. And they just love the grittiness of that guy represents us. Look, it's 10 points every first quarter. And in the fourth quarter, he's going to be efficient. And how does he do it? I don't understand. He's tiny.

Ewing was the number one pick where Brunson was like, Wow, I can't believe we gave him this much money. Oh, my God. He's incredible.

Takes a discount so that we can keep getting better. Karl Anthony Towns has never been more popular, even though if he misses his next six shots, they'll turn on him quickly because he's big.

Right. To answer Chris's question, if the Knicks get knocked out early or don't achieve, Towns is first on that list well before they get to Brunson.

And then Bridges before Brunson, too.

Because we gave up five first-round pics for you. He has so many layers of insulation. Mike Brown is on that list before he gets there. Brunson is, to your point, dead. He's pretty damn popular. But when I think about Walt Frazier, a winner, right? When did Walt Frazier stop playing? When did he stop playing? In the '80s, but the early '80s.

Jalen Brunson, winner.

Well, not like Walt Frazier.

I mean, he's got a championship. He's got a championship. He got a banner.

Well, Frazier had two. How about that? But then the other part of this, you have to understand, Frazier was culture beyond the game. So it wasn't just, Oh, he's a great player for the Knicks. It's like, This guy's cool. He's dressing cool. He's got the suede pumas, da, da, da. And then, because Frazier stayed around as a broadcaster, still showing up dressing flamboyantly, he's become the mascot who stayed. For that reason, he is still beloved and still respected, even among people who were born decades after he played for the Knicks.

Fair enough. I stand corrected. I don't know what year Clyde Frazier stopped playing, but it was before I started watching basketball. I didn't start watching. Casual. Oh, wow, that's judgy. I get there in my teenage years, and it's unacceptable to you. I'm a casual because I've merely been following it half a century?

I didn't have League Pass back then, Amine. The Miami Heat weren't around.

Is this an indictment of me that I started watching basketball after Clyde Frazier?

Watch a highlight, you know.

From New York, New Jersey.

The Sports Center wasn't around, guys.

Okay, Give me all the Clyde Frazier expertise I have in the room, non-Amine division.

No, just for men commercials for me. Boom.

Did he wear goldfish in his shoes or was that somebody else?

I'm going to get you sucker.

That was like him. I just have it, bro. We got to find this, man. That was literally I'm going to get you sucker.

No, there was absolutely a basketball player who's done this. Somebody will support me in the audience. You have this wrong. I do not have this wrong. This is not me conflating.

It's broadly confident for you given the week you've had.

Again with this.

Can we talk about this happened in today's show? I know it's off to a rough start, whatever, but you turned it to porky pig and nobody said anything. Oh, we said things. No, you guys just let them just got Chris, let him just roll with it.

Do you have for me, can you cut that up, Chris, me getting stuck on matriculated? Have you guys cut that up yet?

The only part that was missing, Dan, was you needed to go, signed up. That knew it would have been 100% porky pig.

I wasn't that confident. Can you give me a little bit of a palate cleanser by producing Walt, Clyde, Frazier, talking to the Rizler? Thanks for joining us this morning.

This is how you do the wrist face. So put one eyebrow down like this, and then you raise one up, and then you suck him like this. Then you do this. That's how you do the wrist face.

Did that happen just instinctively, or are you something you used to get in the front of the mirror and you used to practice?

Well, I think I practiced it a little bit at school, but then I went home and then I did it.

Yeah? Yeah. So you like being a celebrity? Yeah. Great. Did you see my book?

Yeah, it's very cool.

Oh, thanks. We're coming up with a coloring book, too.

That's why he spoke to him.

Look how dark that OT was.

Winning and grinning.

Dan, I have you saying matriculate.

Matriculate the ball down the field. Why does not edit it?

It's better than I remembered.

Matriculate the ball down the field.

That's what I'm saying. You guys just I moved on, and I was like, What?

I'm going to matriculate the ball down the field.

It's on the level of Kendrick Perkins, Moses Moody.

I'm going to matriculate the ball down the field. I kept thinking that Juju was just saying, blow every time here. That is Juju just feeling for me inside of the sound. I'm going to matriculate the ball down the field. I'm going to matriculate the the ball down the field? I think your quivel is with Juju. Why didn't Juju come after me and make the room ransack me because of what had happened? Metric, matriculate the ball down the field. The Knicks haven't felt this good in a while in terms of how it is that this fan base is rallying around the journey and two years, and are they going to get better? Am I going to get more attached to the players?

Yeah, This validation, that's what they've been seeking for so long is that what they're doing is working and meaningful. Even when you talk about Carmelo Anthony, that team, the peak of that was a second round knockout to the heat. But even though they were like, they best in the vision that year and all that, it never felt real. It was like, Yeah, we're good. We're 50 wins. But it's just like, this isn't going to be a team that can win a championship. And what's happened in the last three years, pretty much since Jalen Brunson has gotten there, is there There is a real belief that this is something that's building towards actual tangible success, banners and awards and all that stuff. And so last night was, especially, they were down. The crowd was very... It was a San Antonio crowd. It was a good scene. It was a San Antonio crowd. I don't know if it's because the rodeo was in town before and these people just stayed, or was this the announcement that, Hey, the Spurs are good, and this is going to be a huge following that's going to be a national brand over the next couple of years.

But the shock of the life for everyone, we thought when we got to Vegas on Friday and Saturday that it's going to be a bunch of Knicks fans. Come on, who could fly in last minute? Who has a fan base at every city? They've got people. It's the Knicks. It's going to be Knicks crowds. And the first game, it was like, Knicks Magic. It was like, it's a slightly advantage Knicks crowd, but it wasn't really as loud as we thought. And then last night, it was like, no, this is a San Antonio crowd. And I'll tell you what, for the Knicks to win that, it felt like they won a road game. It felt like they won against all odds. Everyone wanted Wemby to be the MVP, Wemby to be incredible, and they went out and did it. Now, is this going to mean anything four months from now, five months from now? Probably not, but it's a start.

What it could mean is that they're going to face Detroit again, and Detroit has learned all the hard things and are a better team, and so they won't lose the way they lost to them last year because Detroit is better this year. What was the scene around New York?

It's been crazy.

Yeah, they had to overreact.

As Amine mentioned, I assumed it's because all the Knicks fans were back in New York ready to celebrate. This is a team that's captured the hearts and minds of New York City. This is where they always celebrate their first round victory is over here. Madison Square Garden after its team wins the first trophy its franchise has had since 1973. Look at them. All three of them outside of Madison Square Garden celebrating the New York Knicks.

Is that Dante DiVincenzo?

Everybody makes fun of the Knicks for being loud and proud. They've gotten carried away the last few seasons, winning a playoff game, Confetti from the Sky. This has not been a relevant franchise in 25 years until most recently. They've been a punchline, first round exits every time. The East is weak. This Knicks team does have the fan base wanting desperately to have these games matter again. I don't think they're good enough, though. The same team they were last year.

Yeah, I think last night, though, the biggest takeaway is now you can't deny that the end-season tournament matters. La has won, hung the banner. New York is going to win and hang that banner. In 20 years from now, the end-season tournament is going to be a part of just the culture, and I'm happy for that as a basketball fan.

Juju, it's not going to be 20 years. I'm telling you, the way the players were playing this year, the way the crowd was in a neutral site.

The way New York fans reacted outside MSG.

It felt like, Okay, this is the turning point, where the quality of basketball is so much better, and the fan engagement was so much better. The ratings are up. I talked to Stan VanGundi last night.

How great was he and Dwyane Wade together? That's a good broadcast. The two of them together were- Very good. They just so clearly like each other.

That's a part of it. A part of the story of why this has been such a success is because Amazon owns the rights to all of this. And they said, We're going to treat it like it's our bull season or whatever. They've gone 10 toes down in terms of committing to this thing. And the energy towards the broadcast, both studio and game broadcast has been incredible.

How much do you think that had to do with the teams that were in it, though? Because we have the defending champs. We have Wemby. Is he coming back? You got the Knicks, big market team. You got a new coach. If there were worse teams in here, I don't think people would be as excited.

I would say, this is what I would say, Trista, the Cup games before we got to Vegas were great. The Cup games before we got to Vegas were... Think about heat magic. Two teams where I wouldn't say anyone on the top of anyone's radar in terms of popularity. But that game was a great game, and that game rated really well. Obviously, the Thunder destroying Phoenix wasn't. But the point is, these teams, Spurs-Lakers, another great game. People are engaged. And I say people, I'm saying the players, the coaches, the broadcasters, and the fans. We all bought in. And it's like, all it takes is do this again and again. Joe Varden wrote an incredible piece about the future of the NBA Cup. And as he's trying to talk about, Hey, this is something that we just have to stick with, he brings up the concept of Christmas. Dan, do you know that the concept of Christmas in this country as like, Oh, Santa Claus and presents, and trees, and all that? It's like 200 years old. It happened in the 1800s. To us now, it's like, Christmas is an institution. How dare you say happy holidays.

You should say Merry Christmas. That's 200 years old. People did not care about Christmas like that in the 1700s.

Fascinating. I did not know that.

The NBA Cup is Christmas.

I don't understand the- We'll get there.

Wfat.

It is a hot summer day, and the Straßen von Berlin sind fuller Zuschauer, die the marathonläufern zujubeln. Unter ihnen the marathoners. Among them are Thomas and Michael, brothers, and both experienced runners, who have already completed several marathons.

But this time it feels a little different.

Thomas begins the race strong, but he gets slow. He ignites the warnsignal of his body: shwindle, ubelkeit, a.