This hour of The Dan Le Batard Show covers college football picks in the Big Game or Not a Big Game segment, including Miami's matchup with North Carolina and the Big Ten's playoff chances. The conversation then turns to the WNBA Finals, where guest Jessica Smetana and the hosts discuss the Valkyries' loss, the Dream's small arena and criticism from sports media.
Listeners also hear a fan video of an older Brewers supporter celebrating his team's first World Series title, plus a debate over whether Halloween is a big holiday. Along the way the hosts weigh whether emotion and bias belong in sports commentary.
In this episode Dan Le Batard, Jonathan Zaslav, Jessica Smetana
This Dan Le Batard Show episode, with its Big Game or Not a Big Game picks and WNBA Finals talk, was made with the same technology that powers HappyScribe's transcripts of your meetings.
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A season of chasing. One Sunday to become a champion. This Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship returns to homestead Miami Speedway, where Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and their fellow contenders look to finish the season on top. The pressure, the rivalries, the trophy they all want—it all comes down to South Florida for a finale you won't want to miss. After a season of battles, the sport's best have one final chance to leave their mark. Who will rise to the moment, and who will leave Miami with a trophy?
Want to add to the action? Check out DraftKings for race winner bets, head-to-head matchups, and more. Get your crew together and settle in for the season finale. Watch the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at homestead Miami this Sunday at 3:00 PM Eastern on NBC. One race to go, everything to race for.
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All right, everybody calm down.
I don't think I can.
Jessica Smetana joining us. We got a lot to talk about with Jess. Of course, she has her podcast, College Football Happy Hour with Lucy Rodin. But first, you guys know what time it is. It's time for Big Game or Not a Big Game presented.
Howdy, folks. Welcome to Big Game or Not a Big Game, with Jonathan Zaslav.
Presented by the all-new lawnmower Go from Manscaped. Tony, you know about that lawnmower Go?
Boy, do I.
I know about it too. Big Game or Not a Big Game. Tony, what do you got?
All right, we're going to go to an under-the-radar game by the two-ranked team opponent. Here we go: Arizona, Texas, Tech, Nova Phi Phi and them boys heading over to Lubbock, Texas. Big Game or Not a Big Game.
One of those rare ranked-on-rake games this weekend. Light slate, light slate in college football. Texas, Tech coming off their first loss this season. Arizona, out of nowhere, is now a ranked team for a couple of weeks in a row.
Fun team.
All right, you know about that big, big-12 matchup?
Nova Phi Phi and them boys.
Know about that? Arizona, Texas, Tech. The winner this could be in line for a playoff spot. I'm going Big Game.
Big Game.
You didn't expect that. Mike Ryan, Big Game or Not a Big Game?
330. Florida. Georgia. It is what's commonly referred to as the Invesco QQQ Atlanta Gridiron Classic. Big Game or Not a Big Game.
The world's largest outdoor cocktail party. Oh no, I said it. Oh no.
That's incorrect. You should apologize. It's indoor this year.
It's a major missed opportunity, both these schools, for not doing a home-and-home over the next couple of years. Give the Gator fan, give the Bulldog fan a little bit of a treat if it can't be in Jacksonville because of renovations the next couple of seasons. Do a little home-and-home. Let's make it memorable. Very big missed opportunity. But the Gators all of a sudden find themself in a spot where, hey, they control their own fate. Yeah, that's right. You got a bunch of two-loss teams up there near the top of the SEC.
Florida, Georgia.
Invesco QQQ.
Invesco QQQQQQQQQ. That's a big game.
Big Game.
Chris Cody, Big Game or Not a Big Game?
Tonight, 7:00 PM, Casino Miami, Cyclones. The windless Cyclones versus the Warriors.
Oh, that's a wordplay.
I just looked it up. Big Game or Not a Big Game.
Cyclones, the Undertaker, Warriors, Yaksel Endaburg. Cyclones looking for their first win of the season. You may say Zaslav. If there's a team who has not won yet, how could that be a big game? That's why it is a big game. That's a big game right there. And over this embarrassment. And you got the Schneid. Come on now. Jessica Smetana, Big Game or Not a Big Game. What do you got?
I got Indiana hosting college game day against the Minnesota Gophers. 19-point favorite, but game day's there. Is this a big game or not a big game?
All right, like you said, you got game day there in Bloomington. A lot of controversy around game day lately. I hope everyone can still manage to have a good time. All right, it's supposed to be a fun show. Indiana, Minnesota. Gophers a little bit better than people think. Indiana, that's a very big line that Jess mentioned there. Minnesota, Indiana. I'm going Not a Big Game. It does not grab my attention. It doesn't. I'm sorry.
Roy, Big Game or Not a Big Game?
Tomorrow night, 8:00. Game seven. Atlanta, Golden State. WNBA Finals.
Oh, the dream. The Valkyrie. You know about that Valhalla? That's what they call it there when they play their home games.
Is it the Valkyrie is or are?
The Valkyrie is or are.
They're Valkyries.
They're Valkyries. So is it and is?
They are the Valkyrie.
They is the Valkyries.
Wow. You got the Dream and Angel Reece. You got Golden State and Yaksel Endaburg. Game seven. That's a big game.
Big Game.
Dave Damanshek, Big Game or Not a Big Game?
You know about that Del Rey league Zaz? Well, Crespi, 8-1, undefeated in the league this year, going down to downtown LA to face the Silesian Mustangs, themselves undefeated in conference, to settle all hash in the Del Rey. Chase Curran, the star QB, and Jag-Claude Van Dammashek, the star defender, heading down into enemy territory to try and steal the Del Rey for a second straight season. Big Game or Not a Big Game.
You know about that Jean-Claude Van Dammashek? You know about that Hoover Dammashek? This is a big game. What are we even talking about here?
Big Game.
All right, I got.
The rest of his career.
You're in a very giving mood. Everyone's getting a big game.
Yeah.
Roy, you get three.
Not Indiana.
I'm excited today. You know, everything's going great. I'm in a great mood. I got time for one more. Jeremy, Big Game or Not a Big Game?
Tonight at the Bounce House in Orlando.
Oh no.
UCF Space U taking on the Baylor Bears. It's a one-and-a-half point spread in favor of Baylor on the road.
If UCF loses, you wear this for two weeks.
Yeah.
That's perfectly fine with me.
Yes.
That's perfectly fine with me.
You swear?
If I can keep it.
Shake on it.
If I can keep it.
Shake on it.
If I can keep it.
Shake on it.
Don't worry about the rules. Just do it.
I'll do that. Even with the no-touch. Yeah.
I have a touch.
You lose, two weeks. You win, nothing.
Let me see.
Show Jess. Show her.
Show Jess the touch. Show her.
Show her. Show her.
Show her that touch.
Show her that touch.
Show her that touch.
Show her that touch.
You got a little Saint.
Show Jess.
HR guy is black. Ruminate.
Jess, a little flat.
I can't comment on that. He's my coworker.
Listen.
What an angle.
In terms of HR's priorities today.
This is great.
It's going to the bottom.
Anyway, it's a big game, right?
I know. Roy, I heard the bad news. I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Yeah.
UCF, Baylor. UCF cannot have a big game two weeks in a row. It's not a big game. It's not a big game. And that right there is another edition of Big Game or Not a Big Game. And as always, presented by the all-new lawnmower Go from Manscaped. All right. So two weeks. Tashay go Baylor because that means Tashay is now offered to wear this outfit for the next.
And he gets nothing if they win.
What a horrible negotiator.
I'm perfectly fine with it. I feel great about myself and my body. And then he showed that touch to everyone again.
Jess, I just saw people picking the UNC-Miami game, and one of the panelists picked UNC. You know why? Look-ahead game. We got a huge game coming up. What's going on over there?
This is amazing.
What's going on?
Whose fault is that?
That's a second straight week. Can we clean them? Can we clean that up? Can we clean that up? Yeah, so is this a look-ahead spot for Miami?
Yeah, I guess so. Mike, I guess my question for you is, are you worried about Miami's passing defense? Because I've seen that as a cause for concern against North Carolina, Bobby Petrino, that they'll be able to score more points than one would expect North Carolina to score this weekend.
Ship's a good player. I do think that you can contextualize Miami's struggles against the pass by there have been really weird Hail Mary plays that have been large chunks, and they've had guys in and out of that secondary, plenty of injuries and suspensions and whatnot. But it is a concern. Look, Mike, there isn't a perfect complete team right now. You can be the most perfect. Again, three most important words compared to what? I think Miami is one of the better teams. I'm not going to do this thing where I think they suck if they lose. However, you can get anybody. They're glaring holes right now.
And what Miami is struggling with is defending the pass, the deep pass especially. I'm not sure Billy Edwards is that guy. Ship's a really good player. But what North Carolina does really well is generate pressure up the middle. Xavier Lewis, I believe. He has seven sacks on the season, and Miami has really struggled pass blocking up the middle. So I do think that there's a recipe here. However, Chapel Hill Halloween is apparently a big deal. And that Syracuse game, that loss to Syracuse took a lot of the juice out of this stadium. I heard that they've only sold like 30,000 tickets so far to this game.
Their tickets are crazy expensive, Mike. I wanted to go to the Notre Dame Chapel Hill earlier this year. And when I was applying for tickets back in June, they were $250 face value, and they didn't even say where the tickets were. So I'm on to Chapel Hill and their ticket pricing scheme. I think they might be charging too much at face value for some of these games. But yes, Halloween is generally a big deal on most college campuses. Is it bigger in Chapel Hill than others?
Bigger.
Because I feel like it's kind of a thing. College kids love Halloween.
Yeah. I mean, they shut down Franklin Street. And I was shocked to learn that they haven't sold that many tickets. But you mentioned Bobby Petrino. I mean, this is a Ghost of Christmas pass coming up. Connor Barth on Halloween. Bobby Petrino has had his moments against University of Miami. And when Bill Belichick came to the ACC, I mean, it's still surreal watching Bill Belichick press conferences talking about Malachy Tony.
Oronda Duke.
Yeah.
Yeah. It is bizarre. I mean, you mentioned Jordan Ship. Jelani Thurman, also their 6'5" tight end, is really good.
He's fantastic.
When Notre Dame played them a few weeks ago, he was a big problem because there's just not a lot of defensive players that have the sort of size you can put up next to him. And so yeah, they were pretty successful against Notre Dame's defense, which I do have questions about. But they also had a punt return or a kickoff return touchdown in that game right after halftime. So they were able to score a lot of points. But it's curious that, yes, the spread is 14 points. You would probably have expected it to be higher. And yes, I think you're right.
Anyone can get anyone. But I don't think I don't know. Your point about Billy Edwards is correct. He's a very limited quarterback. And the way that Belichick has won these games this year, that he has won, is through turning it into a rock fight. And I don't know if they will be able to stop Miami enough to turn it into a three-touchdown-a-piece rock fight.
Jess, I know you're a big Halloween gal. What do you make of my take that of the big five tier-one holidays, it is the worst? Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, 4th of July.
Flawed list.
Yeah. I mean, New Year's Eve is you can take it or leave it.
I would agree. For me, that's the debate of the bottom of the top tier. I'm with you on that.
I think Halloween, once you're an adult, you can decide and this is different. People with kids versus people without kids. You can decide how much Halloween you want to do. We talked on Mystery Crate this week about how I love eating candy. I like doing stuff with my friends and going out. But I personally am not a dresser-upper. And as an adult, I can choose not to do that. And I'm not going to get made fun of in fifth grade when you would show up and not be in a costume and people would be like, "Oh my God, what a loser.
Duke Fratto's Halloween." So I like that you can kind of choose how into it you want to get.
Jess, I want to talk a little bit about the WNBA Finals here with you. And I want to start with the game part because I do feel bad. And I know Dan brought this up recently as well, where it's not a good look that the only time that anything is brought up about the WNBA is when there's controversy. And it has nothing to do with the actual games. I know. And that part sucks. And I'm very self-aware of I do that as well sometimes. So I do want to start with the game.
The Valkyrie looked terrible yesterday from the very start. I do wonder, okay, where so apparently, if the Valkyrie won the game yesterday, there was going to be a really rushed post-game championship celebration, which may have even taken place on the practice court at State Farm Arena. Maybe not even on the full court and a whole big to-do. I do wonder how much it played a part with them saying, "You know what? It would be from a motivation perspective, wouldn't it be so much more fun to win it in Valhalla at home, the atmosphere we deserve, as opposed to it's going to be this tiny little ceremony here on a practice court with nobody around?"
And I don't know, maybe motivation played a role there. Am I crazy?
I think motivation played a role in the opposite direction, where Atlanta had a sold-out stadium that was absolutely deafeningly loud. People who attended this game said that it was the best game atmosphere they've ever experienced.
It's funny you say that because I was then watching some of the Hawks game last night, which is in the same building. It's such a dud.
Right. Well, a regular season Hawks-Cavs game is not going to get you the type of just sheer excitement that was in that arena on Thursday afternoon. So I do think it was just kind of the opposite, where the Dream were so motivated to take it to seven games that they got out to a huge lead. And as you saw throughout the game, the Valkyries, they slowly, slowly, slowly chipped away at it and eventually got it within 15 points in the fourth quarter. And then I think they got it within maybe 10 or 11 at the end of the game.
But obviously, the game ended at that point. So it wasn't like they were really ever threatening to take the lead. But I think they just got out to a really slow start because Atlanta was so jacked up. And both these teams have really great defenses, obviously. And the Valkyries had shot better in the games that they won, the last two games that they won, than they had in the previous three games. And I think it kind of was just maybe a little bit of their shots not falling, kind of reaching back to their level a little bit in the first half. And then once Atlanta, who is capable of producing more offense and has been throughout the season, once they had such a big lead, it was just like the Valkyries, even if they shot better in the second half, which they did, they weren't going to be able to overcome that gap.
So the first quarter lead was huge for Atlanta.
Ultimately, yesterday was the best-case scenario, right, for the championship to be won in a regular, normal setting tomorrow night, right?
For sure. And it's going to be electric. Valhalla, Valhalla, whatever. They have such a great home crowd. It's going to be primetime Saturday night, Halloween. I'm sure people are going to be dressing up. No matter who wins, I totally agree. I think it's best-case scenario. But I don't think there was any sort of lack of motivation on the Valkyries' part. I know also, guys, I watch a lot of WNBA games. The amount of bad officiating was the normal level of bad. I don't think there was any ref shenanigans in that one either.
But I haven't even seen those conspiracies because I think that that is a it's just always bad. They're always going to miss stuff or just make the wrong calls. But yeah, it's definitely best-case scenario for everyone.
What's been the most frustrating part for you as a WNBA fan, as someone who follows the league closely, of the discourse over the last week?
Well, it is what you said. It's like all these sports media people, big accounts that just chime in to be like, "What a joke." I think it's also frustrating too because no one has really talked about the fact that it's a problem that the Dream play in a 3,000-seat arena to begin with.
Well, that's done now.
Yeah, correct. They're moving to State Farm next year. WNBA media have obviously said this time and time again. So it's not that no one is saying it. But I think that's a part of the mainstream conversation that it's like, "Why was that a thing for the last few years? They should have been in a normal arena to begin with." And this all stems from the fact that their ownership knew that it would be a bad look to play a clinching game in a 3,000-seat arena. And that's why they should have a bigger arena in the first place. And they definitely deserve one. And what's funny is too is that I wish I had the receipts on this.
One of my friends texted me last year when they traded the Dream Trader for Angel Reese. And my first response was, "They're going to have to move to a bigger arena." I was not like, "Oh, they're a championship contender." Like, "Oh, she fills a need on the court." I was like, "They are going to need to move to a bigger arena for the regular season because this is not going to work out. There's going to be way too much demand for tickets." And lo and behold, I was correct.
There's always one game on the schedule that makes you start doing dangerous math. How long is a flight? Can I get back before work? Is this a terrible financial decision or a memory I'll have forever? Week nine gives us plenty of temptation. Bengals-Falcons from Madrid, Giants-Eagles, Raiders-49ers, Packers-Patriots, Buccaneers-Bears on Sunday night, and Bills-Vikings on Monday night. That's a good one. When I start talking myself into a trip, I check game time. It's easy to find tickets. And the panoramic sea views let me see exactly what I'm buying.
Plus, fees are included in the price shown. What you see is what you pay, period. Game time also has zone deals. I choose a section. Game time selects the seats. I can save money, which makes that completely reasonable for a last-minute trip and makes it super easy to justify. Get your friends together, get your tickets, and tell them it's game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code Dan for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account and use code DAN for $20 off.
A season of chasing. One Sunday to become a champion. This Sunday, the NASCAR Cup Series Championship returns to homestead Miami Speedway, where Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and their fellow contenders look to finish the season on top. The pressure, the rivalries, the trophy they all want. It all comes down to South Florida for a finale you won't want to miss. After a season of battles, the sports' best have one final chance to leave their mark. Who will rise to the moment and who will leave Miami with a trophy?
Want to add to the action? Check out DraftKings for race winner bets, head-to-head matchups, and more. Get your crew together and settle in for the season finale. Watch the NASCAR Cup Series Championship at homestead Miami this Sunday at 3:00 PM Eastern on NBC. One race to go. Everything to race for. The holidays should be about the people you love. Not mandatory work parties where I pretend to care about someone's kitchen renovation. Now's the time for those unexpected holiday side quests and enjoying a great-tasting light beer.
Last year, mine was my cousin's garage, a Miller Lite, and a four-hour debate over the best Christmas movie. Dan would make it a segment, then argue the other side on purpose. Best night of the season. Tis Miller time. In that garage, I felt great. I took a sip. I looked around and thought, "Yeah, this was the right call." Miller Lite is a taste you know you can depend on. Brewed for taste. It just hits different. The original light beer since 1975 and still iconic more than 50 years later. Miller Lite is great taste done right.
Go to millerlite.com/dan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some Miller Lite 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. Dan Le Batard.
DJ Laz is playing gulo in the back of my pit bull. Here's Dave Damishank, and he's like, "Hey, guys, Pittsburgh." All right. Everybody's like, "Who the fuck is this guy?" Dave Damishank.
He goes, "What TV's the Penguins game on?"
Who the hell is this guy?
This is the Dan Le Batard Show.
I want to play for you guys. I know a lot of people can find the fan videos where you I've never done this before. Dave, you've never done this before, right? When you're watching a big game I said it was a big game, not a big game. You're watching a big game, and you know you're going to be emotional. So you set up your phone and just hit record, and the phone watches you the entire game. I've never done that before. I can't imagine a scenario where I would ever do that. Matter of fact, I think it was during game seven of the Panther Stanley Cup final, my younger son Jordan, he wanted to set up a phone and to record me the whole game.
I was like, "You are definitely not doing that. I'm not participating in that." So I would never do that. But sometimes watching people's reaction to their team winning is really, really great. And so I want to play this for you guys here. This is the Brewers, who, of course, had never won the World Series before a couple of nights ago. And an older gentleman, he probably looks maybe late 70s, maybe 80. And he's in his chair, and he is very calmly and quietly watching the final out of his favorite team, the Milwaukee Brewers, winning the World Series for the first time ever.
Watch this.
Two-one catch. Bonaccios. Ground to it.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Boomer. Boomer. You got it. Oh, man. That's a winner.
And they let him stay.
Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man.
God.
How was that? How was that? Oh, man. Oh, you could just be there for this. This is oh, man.
Dave, I imagine him being the kind of guy who doesn't show any emotion. This is the kind of old man that doesn't show you emotion. He doesn't even talk very much, all right? And then he had this huge outburst when his favorite team finally won the World Series. I love that so much.
I mean, how about that, Yuk? How about that is just the best. But also, his daughter, as she sees the ground ball and it's going to happen, what it's going to mean to her father, she's like, "Oh my " she's excited for her father that she takes out the camera to record it. It's sports, man. Sports are wonderful. People can make fun of them if you aren't emotionally invested in them, but you can see the value of them.
Jeremy, you're crying, yeah?
I was, yeah. No, the first time I saw that video last night, it made me cry. There's another one of a younger kid that made me cry because it's like to see the juxtaposition of them as well. No matter what age you are, the way that sports can mean something.
Right. So let's go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum here, all right? So this is a very long-suffering, looks like 10-year-old Brewers fan, okay, who has never seen his favorite team. He's gone his entire life, this kid, and he has never seen his favorite team win the World Series. And here he is finally getting to experience it.
What's going through your mind right now? I'm so happy I could experience this. I'm so happy I could experience this. How special has it been to watch this Milwaukee Brewers team? This is the happiest day of my life. Are you going to school tomorrow? Yeah. Sadly. Do you love the Milwaukee Brewers? Yes. Yes, I do.
Are you going to stop crying tonight or no? Probably not.
It's so good.
I'm not either. Come on.
It's the pure joy that brings you to tears for both ends of the spectrum. An older man, a young kid. That's what sports is about, man.
You serious right now, dog?
I think that also, I understand objectivity and why people pursue it, but it's also kind of weird that when you look back at people that are baldly biased, I grew up listening to Myron Cope and Mike Lang call games for my favorite teams. But Bob Yuker is memorable to Milwaukee people because he was distinctive, because he didn't toe some unnecessary line of objectivity. And the connection you can see that old man. Obviously, he has his family with him and everything else, and you can kind of say sports to an old man and all of that.
But man, he's talking to Yuk because he spent so many days and nights of the decades with Bob Yuker. Wonderful stuff. How about that, Yuk? How about that?
Jeremy, this connects with you. You get this emotion.
Yeah, I do. I think about all of the moments of my childhood that I've spent listening to these voices in my head that have guided me through the best sports moments of my life. I think about what it means when I was an eight-year-old kid watching the Marlins win the World Series and the emotions that I felt. I'd like to think that maybe someday you never know, but maybe someday there will be some old man when the Marlins win the World Series that's like, "How about that, Tashe?
How about that?"
You're still wearing that dumb uniform.
Yeah, that's right. Go nights.
Because my parents have a story that they always tell about me that when I was five, I went to some ice skating recital and got a trophy. And on the car ride home, I said, "All my life, all I ever wanted was a trophy." And I was like five years old. And they were like, "You're literally five years old."
All my life.
And he thought it was very funny. But that's what that child reminds me of. It also reminds me of when the Cubs won 10 years ago, and it was a very, very similar reaction. And people were putting flowers at their loved ones' graves with Cubs flags and stuff. And Dave, doesn't it make you think as a Pirates fan, one day, we'll be back there, right, Dave?
Yeah. The thing I don't love about this Brewers title, it's great, and we've been waiting for so long, half a century and all of that. But man, like it so often does now, the conversation immediately, like 90 seconds after they win, is like, "Hey, these Brewers aren't going anywhere, everybody. They're going to be around for a minute." It's like, "Man, enjoy the one." I always think that the 2015 Kansas City Royals, I always say, remember back when the Red Sox won at the near turn of the millennium? People said, "I just want to win one, then I can die in peace," someone once famously wrote.
And then they immediately started complaining, Red Sox fans. Royals fans at least kind of feel like they did it right. This was a miracle season, and now we don't get to complain for at least a quarter century. And that's, I think, what Brewers fans should do. Enjoy this one. Don't immediately be like, "Hey, can we repeat?"
Well, it might be the last one for a long time. We'll see how that turns out.
That's why I was actually crying.
Jess, I don't know. I haven't brought this up yet. I saw the trailer right before the show started here this morning. I think everyone's a big, "Oh my God. She comes in with the spider costume." All right. All right. Thank you. What do you not like? The creepy crawliness of the legs? Or is it the face or the fangs? What do you not like about the spider?
The too extra legs.
Yeah.
The face.
Oh my God. You got to go. You got to go. You got to go. You got to go. Thank you for the call, Dave.
Chris said over-actor back here.
You got to go. Is that true, Zaz? Are you an over-actor? No. I'm absolutely terrified. There's no other way to put it.
Speaking of which.
Well, until this morning, Zaz has been hiding his true self, apparently. So I guess he is a pretty good actor.
Jess, go ahead.
That's a big reveal that we learned. Ugly.
Speaking of over-acting, did you guys see Jaylen Brunson in the.
That's what I wanted to bring up.
In the trailer.
Yes. Yes. That's what I wanted to bring up. Jaylen Brunson, the episode is coming out this week. Everyone loves SVU. And apparently, the episode, the next episode of Law and Order SVU is where Jaylen Brunson is guest-staring. But.
Put it on the poll. Does everybody love SVU?
Everyone loves SVU.
I do not love SVU.
I don't think I know a person that loves SVU.
I do like that clip.
I know a lot of people that love SVU.
I do like that one clip.
Well, Jaylen Brunson obviously does, but.
It's in season 30. You don't know people who love SVU?
You just like that Knicks fan.
So Jaylen Brunson not doing what most guest stars do. Most guest stars are the perp.
Is that the show where he's like, "I make love to women, but I have sex with men."
Yeah. That means you're gay.
Well, guess what?
Means you're gay.
Is that that SVU show? Because if that's SVU, I love SVU. Put me down as loves SVU.
Jess, Jaylen Brunson.
I don't know because I hate SVU. I've never seen it. When it's on when it like at the end of an and just for the record, I love Mariska Hargitay and Stabler. Good-looking man. All right. Christopher Maloney. That's a guy with a tushie. Whenever it's on right before a WNBA game is about to start, I immediately will just turn off the TV and just sit in silence for the last three minutes till the game starts because SVU gives me the heebie-jeebies so much. But anyways, yes. Do we have the trailer? Can we watch it, Zaz?
Are we able to actually play the clip? Okay. All right. Let's play it. And you guys pay attention.
Then play the iced tea thing for Zaz. He hasn't seen it.
All right.
All right.
You remember who did this to you?
Baby, I'm not sure.
Your family made him.
It was a little old.
Be back up.
Detective Madison.
Hey, Captain.
SVU. Next Thursday on NBC and Peacock.
He's a detective.
That looks bad.
Is that what he is?
I might have to watch it. Detective Madison.
Detective Benson.
Get it, guys? Do you get it?
And then he said to Captain Benson, "Hey, Captain."
Oh, the guard in the Mecca. I just got it.
I do kind of want to watch this episode. It's just, is it worth it? Am I going to get the heebie-jeebies? I don't know.
I'm stunned. It's an all-time great show, Law and Order SVU.
But you don't know that one clip, so.
I don't.
Do you even watch it?
I don't know.
We have to find this clip. If we clear the trailer. All right. Let's work on that team. You've never seen that clip?
I can't recall.
You've existed on this earth for 20-plus years with social media, and you haven't seen the iced tea clip?
Yeah.
As we've learned, he's a little close-minded on some things.
Yeah.
Did you know that iced tea is on the longest run of any actor on television?
No.
That makes sense.
That makes sense.
Why would he be longer than Mariska Hargitay?
Actor, not actress.
Oh, see, I think they both like to be called actors.
I do equality, so I have authority.
They both like to be called actors.
Not an ally.
Jeremy Tashe. Have you never seen the intro to the SAG Awards?
They're not getting rid of the fried chicken, Roy. Don't worry, all right?
Yeah, watch yourself, Zaz.
See, Jess, worse than you thought it sounded like.
Gets worse with time, right?
Way worse. Also, it's a crime that Joe's is doing that.
I thought you meant.
$15?
Yeah.
You know what I'm talking about, right?
Roy?
Yes.
I realized how that sounded when I went to Roy first there. That's why I made sure to include Tony. That was not good.
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Dan Le Batard.
The person who insists that.
Dave, they might check.
When they make a list of the well, the first one is when they say of all time.
This is the Dan Le Batard Show.
Her weekly Notre Dame podcast, The Echoes, Jessica Smetana with Mike Golic Jr. Great job, Jess.
Hey, let's have both these teams do what they're supposed to do this weekend so we can have an awesome game next week because consequence with Notre Dame having one loss. Look, there's a chance it still could be one versus two. So let's have this thing fired up.
Jess, you want Miami to win this weekend, right?
Doesn't matter what I want.
No? Okay.
Can I just before I go.
All right. Thanks for meeting me at the moment.
I have said that yeah. I'm sorry, Mike. Are you going to the game?
I have to work homeset, so.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, I don't think.
Oh, it's a bummer. I will be going to the game. I'm very excited.
Blue my chance at the charter. I called the field goal stupid, and everybody's mad.
Cool and crispy. I've said this a lot over the last week, but I'm just going to say it on the show because I haven't done that yet. The 12-team playoff and soon-to-be 2014 playoff has made people adopt this mentality of like, "You got to root for your conference opponents so your resume looks good. You got to root for the teams that beat you so your resume looks good. You got to root for this team that you don't like because you got to play them, and then you got to beat them, and it's got to mean something." And I'm sick of it, okay? I'm not one of these conference-brain Big Ten or SEC fans or even ACC or Big 12 fans who's like, "Oh, the strength of the conference is really important to me."
It does not matter who I root for. What happens will happen, regardless of if I'm cheering for UCF or BYU or Miami or North Carolina. Who I root for has no impact, no impact on the game. So if I want to sit and just be a hater and say, "Ha, that's funny that BYU lost and there was officiating shenanigans." Or if I want to sit there and say, "Ha, that's funny that Bill Belichick got a signature win against the Hurricanes." That is my right to do. I don't care because at the end of the day, your team winning on the field is ultimately the main determining factor of if they're going to make the playoff.
And I'm not going to worry my little head about what all the other factors are and root for them. I understand there are outcomes that are better or worse, but I'm not going to invest my energy into rooting for them because one of the best parts about being a college football fan is just sitting on your couch and being a hater. And I'm not letting the college football playoff rob me of that.
Okay. I'm writing you down as don't want to see one versus two.
Mike, you would laugh if Navy beat Notre Dame this weekend.
Oh, God. Yeah. I mean, a 30-point favor. You're not going to lose to that. You're doing that thing where you think you're playing a road game, but it's not.
I mean, no. I'm not saying it's a trap game or anything like that. I'm just saying, objectively, it's funny when teams get upset and lose.
Yeah. I am curious to see what happens with Notre Dame. Either way, a win is fascinating, but a loss, they're back in that same zone where you're doing three loss SEC.
Well, Mike, what if I told you in that scenario, Notre Dame season may hinge on this Wisconsin-Iowa game, which is very funny because Wisconsin right now has two losses to UCLA-Notre Dame. They have a top-10 defense in DFEI. Their offense has been very shaky this season. It's somewhere in the 50s in efficiency, but they're playing against Iowa and are basically just a more northern version of Iowa right now. The total in that game is like 39 and a half points.
Whoever gets past midfield first may win, and it is going to be disgusting. And then after that, if Wisconsin does win, the rest of their schedule's not too challenging. So you figure they could end up having an actually pretty good year, but a lot is going to hinge on the Iowa game, which is very funny. But again, I don't care. I'm not rooting for I'm not rooting for anyone. I'm just going to enjoy it and enjoy how many punts I get to see.
All right, Zaz. Enjoy this.
I am not gay. I have relationships with women and sex with men.
And I got news for you. That means you're gay.
Yeah, I think I agree with this.
There was a pan out in dramatic music.
Dramatic stare too.
The guy had never thought about it that way.
Bam, bam.
When IC put it in perspective, he's like, "Damn, IC is right."
Chris is right.
Executive producer Dick Wolf.
Jess, excellent job. See you next week.
Bye.
Happy hour. Happy hour. Happy hour. Chris, what is this headline I saw about the Milwaukee Brewers and they're big on the heaters.
Apparently, they're just ripping darts during their pregame in the cage hitting sessions, which I'm not a prude, but if they were smoking weed, that wouldn't be cool before a game. If they were drinking alcohol, but cigarettes, they were just fine with that before a game?
Yeah.
Yep. All right. So Tony's good with it. So we're good with it. But yeah, apparently.
No need to smoke here.
Apparently, just around the cage, just smoking darts. Christian Yelich was quoted saying, "You walk by the cage and see the cigs lit, you're like, 'The boys are ready to rock.'"
Yeah. That's kind of electric, dude. I'm not going to lie to you. That's absolutely.
I like it.
Amazing. Dave, do you remember the first time that you tried cigarettes?
I do. It didn't take. It just wasn't for me. But I do love the look of the play-by-play guy burning a nail back in the day while he called the action.
Burning a nail?
I love the businessman in the shirt sleeve sitting out in the stands with a tie on, burning a nail, watching the action. I'd love for the guy out on the hump to have one betwixt his lips as he delivers a fastball. Hey, Mike, I hope we have time to address this. I think it's plausible, at least, that Lincoln Riley and USC beat Ohio State this weekend. And if that happens, you want to talk about chaotic results. That would be it. I think it would make it so that the Big Ten maybe gets one team or two teams into the tournament if Ohio State were to lose.
And by the way, I think Indiana could lose at home to Minnesota this weekend, too.
As a 19-point favorite?
Yeah.
Man, Kirk Cignetti, I kind of trust him to not do that. But yeah, it's that kind of year. Anybody can lose to anybody.
But then the Big Ten is screwed. If Ohio State were to lose another one, they're out of contention for the tournament unless they run the table.
I don't think so. I don't think they're out of it. I don't. I don't. Look, LSU and Oklahoma are creeping back into it right now. And the media will not let them out of it unless they lose another one. I think Ohio State has two. I think they can afford two. And also.
They got three minutes for.
I have no idea who's going to play in the Big Ten title game, right? Zero. It's still super up in the air. But you got to figure, looking at UCLA's schedule, they can even afford to lose two. You have Northwestern creeping into the conversation.
I don't think they can lose two.
You don't think UCLA can lose two?
I don't think they have a chance to knock them down based on the metrics applied. The analytics say they're not that good. And so I think people are desperate. I don't know why. It's a great story, but it seems like people want to eliminate UCLA with a loss. And this stuff about LSU and Florida and Missouri, it is once again the Margot Robbie presumption. Just because you talk to Margot Robbie does not mean you are now dating her, and yet the SEC benefits from that endlessly. And they're going to wind up with four teams because of the Margot Robbie presumption.
I do think LSU is a very fascinating case study because their next three games I believe they're on a buy this week, but their next three games are against top-20 teams that are all in that same mix. And so you can absolutely make an argument for LSU if they win those next three games. This team's got loads of talent. They're playing their best football right now. I think LSU gets in if they run the table. And maybe Sam Levitt gets into the Heisman conversation. For Lincoln Riley, though, it's a weird sports market. Is anybody talking about UCLA? Is anyone pointing fingers at Lincoln Riley watching what Chesney did in year one with UCLA?
Because if Lincoln Riley loses this game, considering it's not San and everyone saw how bad that backup quarterback looks, if he loses this game if you can't get this one and I've said that a bunch of times already. I said that if you can't beat this Oregon team and he didn't. If he can't beat this backup quarterback, are we looking at a Lincoln Riley that has got his time ticking down at USC?
Oh, he's all but fired. Petros Papadakis on 570 AM out here in Los Angeles. The USC alum, you might remember him as a running back there, does the best work on USC. And he is all over the Trojans program and how I mean, Lincoln Riley is basically, it feels like dead man walking, which then I don't think Ryan Day losing this game would be dead man walking, but that's a pretty bad loss if you know that the guy you're playing you lose to a dead man basically would be a terrible one, but they have a freshman QB going in there.
And so this is a huge spot for not just Ohio State, but also for the Big Ten, even though to Jess's point, I'm not rooting for the Big Ten at large. It is a huge one for how many teams get in from the conference.
The best nickname for cigarettes is darts, right?
Yeah.
What did you you said nails? That kind of like what Dave did.
Burning nails?
Betwixt his lips.
Heatersness, man.
Nails, darts, heaters.
Darts is where it's at. Smoking a dart.
Jeremy, put on the poll. Best name for cigs: nails, darts, heaters. Am I leaving any out? Yeah, that seems good.
I am not gay. I have relationships with women and sex with men.
And I got news for you. That means you're gay.
"I woke up this morning, and I said, 'I hope I get to see Jeremy's ass.' And you know what? Sometimes dreams come true."
Matthew Berry! Matthew Berry! Matthew Berry! Matthew Berry! Mike has breaking news, Jeremy makes his first-ever report as a Meadowlark Media Miami Heat Insider, last night's Monday Night Football game got someone fired, and Zaslow had a truly terrible day.
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