You're listening to DraftKings Network.

This is the Dan Levatore show with the Stugatz podcast.

I am told, Stugatz, that video has now scramble and found some of the best video there is to be had on Drunken Jason, Kelsey, careening through the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. But I need to clean up what just happened in the last segment because we played the wrong Travis, Kelsey, Taylor Swift sound. Mike Ryan, he was all geeked out, trying to lip read, trying to hear what was being said because I think he enjoyed the idea that at the height of Super Bowl Fame, Taylor Swift was getting turned on. But we have no proof from the audio that we just played that it was anything close to that. But we did find some video from the AFC Championship Game, Mike. Do you want to lead us through this video to see what you're alleging? You've done it once already, but which side are you believing?

It's been subtitled by NFL Films that she says, I've never been more proud of anyone. But they could have been taken liberties because it's muffled. It does sound like if someone told you, she said, I've never been more turned on by anyone, and that was a subtitle, you'd believe it, too.

Jessica, why are you shaking your head no?

Of course, she didn't say that.

No, you don't know. She put a horn ball. You weren't there.

You're right. I wasn't there. You got my ass. I wasn't there.

Let's examine it right now. It'll be like we put you right there. Here we go, guys. Give me a pat. Thank you. I got to be honest, I heard it totally different. I heard I've never been so horny.

That's what I heard.

I heard Duncan Robinson saying, You're not about this.

Duncan Donuts? Oh, wait, no, he's just Duncan now. It's just Duncan, yeah. My bad.

Vegas. She said, I've never been more turned on, and then he said, We got to slow this down. Darren Ravel.

Mike's grandma.

Tony's grandma, I think.

What do you want to do?

Goldbloom. Killer bees.

Derek Bell. How Bell?

The killer bees. Who is Biggio and Bagwell? Billy and I- It's multiple.

It was Beltran for a playoff. Multibles, am I right?

It was Beltran for a playoff. It was Beltran.

And you're forgetting about Lance Berkman.

How can we forget Berkman? Berks. You okay, Jessica?

Then I started thinking about the run that the LA Dodgers had with an L rookie of the years. That also gets me at least five pumps.

Here is video- Kairos Hollinsworth. Here's video of Jason Kelly, Kelsey, falling into some bushes. It's just B-roll here, Stugas, but you can watch it. He's wearing a wrestling mask and Ronald McDonald overalls.

And a chalice. A gold chalice.

Is that a chalice? Is he holding a chalice? Do you realize nobody in professional sports is allowed to do Vegas this way except the hockey players? The hockey players when they party with the cup are the only ones who are allowed to it this way.

He's not even on the team. It's crazy. If I'm an Eagles fan, I'm a little bothered, maybe.

That's what I'm saying. No, but he wrecked an Adele concert. Listen to this here. You say that if you were an Eagle fan, but he was representing the Eagles and Adele. Adele had to stop her concert as she was in the middle of talking, and she correctly identified who was in the crowd yelling at her drunk. Was it because he was wearing a wrestling mask? Do we have any chief fans here tonight? Do we have a quick look at the fans here tonight? Sorry, Chief, you're outnumbered tonight, aren't you? But don't worry, this is a big, loving, loving show, so you're all going to get on. Egles. Do we have... What did you say? Seagull. Seagull, she's me. You sound drunk and like you're a football fan. It sounded like she heard Seagulls. Did she repeat Seagulls to Egles? I don't know what she knows about football.

I think she's more of a basketball girl myself. But yeah, Russellmania is in Philadelphia this year, and they always like to have a celebrity integration. I think Jason Kelsi needs a body slam somebody at Russellmania this year. Uc is on the pop culture topic du jour. Jason Kelsi better be at Russellmania.

I want, again, to point out to everybody in the universe how wonderful it is that Jason Kelsi is allowed to occupy this space where you interrupt Adele concert and careen into the bushes as someone's brother, and everyone loves you anyway.

Race plan a factor. Imagine how that goes with Kaderia's Tony screams.

Let me just make it Lamar Jackson's brother is behaving that way at the Super Bowl. What?

Look at Patrick Mahomes senior.

That's also not a white-black thing, maybe, but it's a celebrity thing. Scream like that in a Adele show. Getting walked out like Brobert.

You have seagles, huh? There's no way she heard seagles.

No. I heard Taylor Swift say, I've never been hornier. That's not what you guys heard.

I heard Mike say that.

I said Brobert instead of Bobert. About Tony. She gave an over-the-pancy at a Beatlejuice musical.

That's why I was confused. Robert was a fancy.

I'm sorry, Bobert.

Is that like a comic? You want to listen again to it? Yes.

Yeah, let's try.

I'm Here we go, guys. Give me a pat. Thank you. Tony, can I get a ruling?

Dan, I think you're close. I heard a little... Like a... Sound. Like an E. Like a...

Sounds. But that wouldn't hold I'm not going to end up in court. No. Of course not.

But that's not the point. The point is, you got to just let the jury hear what they want to hear. And Dan already planted in the jury's head.

Just show them enough.

They might have said Horny. And all of a sudden, guess what? I hear Horny now.

That's what I heard. What What do you hear here in this video? What do you see in this video, Stugats? Jackson Mahomes, there are a couple of bad videos. One, he's groping at Jason Kelsey who doesn't want him on him. I don't know what Jason Kelsi was uncomfortable about there. It might have just been the general Jackson Mahomes' clinginess. But there's also video of Jackson Mahomes being turned down at the Mahomes' party. Is he being kept out by Patrick's wife?

So again, this is a rough episode for the podcast audience, But in the video we're about to play, you can see Jackson Mahomes lean forward, and I could read his lips saying, I'm Patrick Mahomes' brother. And he looks to Brittany Mahomes for help, and she doesn't provide it.

Oh, come on.

That's a-Wait for it.

And then the dance rooms continue. Oh, no. Wasn't really sweating.

Poor Jackson.

She's wearing a mink. What is that? I don't know.

I wear better. Macaque.

And she shrugged her shoulder at Jackson Mahomes. Tony, what are you crinching?

She could have backed up his story.

She could have done something there.

She could have done something more.

Left him hanging, just standing there like, I'm Jackson Mahomes' brother. And he looks like his brother. They both look identical almost. And it's like, Hey, I'm Patrick Mahomes' brother. And she's like, Sorry.

Jessica, do I see on your face some of what I'm feeling, which is the internet turning Jackson Mahomes into something who's celebrity-adjacent, who exists so that we can judge him and laugh at him?

Well, I think there was a lot of... A lot of people didn't like Jackson Mahomes to begin with because of a lot of the stuff he did on TikTok and all of that. We talked about that previously. But then he was accused of sexually assaulting someone and groping a woman at a restaurant, and the charges were dropped. I think that was a solidifying factor in a lot of people not liking him. I think it's probably a valid one because it was video, but she did not want to cooperate, I guess, with investigators, so the charges were dropped.

How about this one as we live it in real-time? Because I don't know if you guys saw this, but Brett Favre owes the poorest people in Mississippi $730,000, and it's the worst. It's the worst. But Brett Farr, when he was in the middle of this machine, gunslinger and pain pill addiction, his family was falling apart around him in a lot of ways. Now he gets to the end of his career, and we're all like, Oh, Brett Farr isn't what we thought he was at all. Mahomes is navigating. His father's got three DUIs, and his brother can't handle this fame because who the hell can? Who the hell can? And he's TikTok famous, and the brother is celebrity-adjacent. And all the while, Patrick Mahomes floats through existence, not just winning all the time, but totally charmed. He was asked at the Super Bowl, How do you feel about the situation with your father? And his response is, That situation, whatever it is, just put over there, which is my father might have a drinking problem. He's been arrested three times for drunk driving.

But that's how you do it if you're Patrick Mahomes.

I'm just saying, God bless Patrick Mahomes that he gets to win in every single way because what he's navigating is difficult. It'll chew up family members. You've got to be unbelievably strong to navigate the economy of what it is to be. My dad was a middle reliever for the Twins, but now I'm the biggest star in sports, and all I do is win. Everybody wants to be near me, and it's going to wreck some of the soft people around me because this is a monster fame machine. I galloped right near Travis and Taylor Swift through the influencers. I got all the fame. I got Aaron Rodgers' commercial. I'm the biggest star. I want all of Tom Brady's things, and he's navigated it masterfully. Lebron has done it as well as No one's ever done it. You don't get child fame and then grow up in front of us and not fall in a few ditches. Never mind your brother and your dad. You, you fall in a ditch because you can stumble as a young person learning shit. But him as an idol who's got, I don't know what's going on in his family, but you tell me someone who handles themselves better.

Well, I think part of the problem is you do know what's going on in his family.

I don't know what else. That's just what we're seeing. That's just what we're seeing.

No, I don't know. Probably a piece of cake outside of having MVS and Kaderia's Tony to throw, too.

Mike, I don't know what's going on in his personal life. What spills in front of us is just a very small piece of it. Even as his brother is an influencer, his brother has been chewed up by the Fame machine, and now is somebody who is unliked by social media. I can't even imagine what that does to young people, their mental health, any of them. He used to be popular because he's Mahomes' brother, and now the internet is chewing him up just as a piece of laughter.

Yeah. I mean, a lot of this is I'm not going to turn him into a victim. It's not real faith, by the way. It's just not a long line to victimize Jackson Mahomes.

I'm just talking about what is around you when you go to the Super Bowl and how it chews you up. What Taylor and Travis Kelsey are- Well, there's also seeing your brother, your brother, be such a big superstar, and you're not.

That has to hurt. There has to be some demons there.

No, but Mike's right about not making him a victim when he has allegedly victimized. I am simply telling you- He's not an unwilling influencer.

I mean, he was TikTok dancing on Sean Taylor's number.

Correct. There are very good reasons why he's unpopular. My original point stands, though, on Mahomes navigating the labyrin as it eats up family.

I don't know how hard it is. Interpersionally, I imagine it's pretty difficult, but the press, not that they give them a pass, but Patrick Mahomes just said, That situation over there, and he's so great that we just keep on with our lives. It's not a distraction if he's winning the goddamn Super Bowl, right?

We're still talking about it on Wednesday. I just got done saying that Tom braided is going to call all his games next year bitterly.

You're not better than me. If he doesn't play.

You're not the I'm the goat. I'm the goat.

Hey, it's Mike Ryan. Recently got back from Las Vegas, Nevada. Was there with some good friends, some coworkers, and it was a good time. Good time had by all. But it was made better, thanks to Miller time. That's right. Looking at my friends, taking that first sip of beer, knowing that I made the right decision. There are a few wonderful moments that I value more than Miller time on this planet. It's just one of the best things going. Miller light with a taste that I can depend on. No games, no gimmicks. Just a great beer for people who like beer. We don't have that many demands. We just want to know that we're getting the same flavorful taste out of our light beer, and we get it every single time with a beer that's brewed for taste, that hits different than other light beers. Simple ingredients, like malted, barley for rich, balanced coffee no flavors in the iconic golden color. 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. Taste like Miller time. Celebrate responsibly.

Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 6 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.

Bryce Flory. Jeff D'Amico. Spike Owen. Danny Tartable. Mike Gallego. Randy Velarde. Matt Noakes. Hensley Bam Bam Mulins. Scott Kamenicke.

I've got some Dana White video and audio I want to get to, and I also want to rectify what I believe was my most egregious error from Vegas in a second. But before I do so, and worse than the Wu-Tang error, the worst error I made in Vegas of any kind. I will get to that in a second. But before I do so, Jessica was beginning to play for me something that I had only seen transcript of, which I believe we can turn Jessica's grandmother into the greatest commercial endorseer that anyone has ever seen in this audio sphere because of how excited she was simply to the 1,800 flowers that she got. Grandma, Smitana, I have not heard the audio yet, but I just saw the way that the iPhone transcribes what it is grandma said, and I couldn't believe how excited she sounded. I can't wait to hear what grandma Smitana sounds like.

But you're saying she has a better chance. Grandma has a better chance of being better at this than Joe Rose?

This is what I'm telling you. Based on the transcript that I saw, I would make the argument that 1-800 flowers could not get a better endorsement than this for the excitement and enthusiasm you can create if you do business with 1-800 flowers and surprise grandma.

It may be the best unintentional ad for a product that we've ever had on this show, and we will have it soon, Dan. It's not ready yet.

You've told video. Video is moving a little slow today, but you've told them that- That was Dan trying to set it up.

There is a little bit of, I guess, consternation about how much is revealed with this entire endeavor.

But take it easy.

We may reveal things that- We haven't packed. Some people's wives would be unhappy to hear.

Okay, we don't need to betray anyone else in our group here.

I mean, you're here now. You're revealing that everyone's significant other or grandmother, the package of flowers or roses that they received were gratis.

No one revealed that except for you right now. Well, you just revealed that. No one said that.

No, we're here now.

We talked about this before the show, not doing this on the air today.

No, hopefully they don't understand what gratis is.

I grew up with an iron fist.

Okay, so just to review- I know Tony doesn't. To review for the audience.

Okay, what- I know Roy does.

1-800 flowers was kind enough to sponsor part of our very fun last week. I, in previous years, have threatened people for weeks to buy 1,800 flowers. We didn't even do it that way this year. But I would say this is a better I'll get into a second because I did tell my wife those were free, and she appreciated that I told her that they were free. You're rich. What does that have to do with anything?

Most things are free for you.

But that's not why I didn't tell her, These are the free ones.

Stop He came better than us.

There you go. I have a question for the class here. If your wife, hypothetically, were to find out that those were gratis, they came a little early, too.

My wife wouldn't have found out if we all stuck the plan.

They wouldn't come early.

I'm sorry, I didn't know there was a If they found out that they were gratis, do they expect you to now buy some today that are not gratis to show that you really care?

Oh, no, we're not getting double of flowers.

Too many flowers.

That's it.

Now you've got two flowers.

Daddy has to make a stop on the way home now.

It's because you're not thinking three moves ahead. I knew this segment would be coming. You did this.

You knew it was coming because you decided to say it. Because you decided not to get your wife flowers for free. So you ruined it for everyone else. Precisely.

That's what gratis means?

Because I will be getting flowers that I'm purchasing.

Well, you're rich, too.

Now, all of you schmoes will appear cheap because you got a corporate partner to deliver flowers on your behalf. And I shoot it. I said, No, I want these to come from the heart.

Then you're a sucker. Exactly right. And they still came from the heart. They just didn't come from my pocketbook.

Mike has a pocketbook these days, by the way. What did your note say?

I don't know. Something about love Valentine's Day, put the kid's name on it. It was a whole thing. I don't know. They got there two days ago.

It's the definition of it's the thought that counts.

I thought about it at the moment, but then we went to Las Vegas. A lot of stuff goes in my head.

How did you explain getting him two days early?

I'd be like, Oh, I told her when They told me to do it. I don't know. She's like, Who's they? I'm like, Cynthia.

I said everyone's getting roses on Wednesday. I wanted to get yours on Monday. How about that? Nice.

See?

That's the thing. I love you every day, not just on Valentine's Day.

This is the best day of the year to see people in line at the grocery store or at the flower store at five o'clock. Every year, clockwork. I live by a little flower stand. There's people lined up a block around five o'clock trying to get whatever is left from the flower.

Now we're all going to see you at five because you decided to do this. No, you got to go to the gas station for that.

The gas station.

Nice little cheap route. They sell flowers at the gas station.

They do.

Put it on the poll, please, Juju. Have you failed at true romance if you're buying your flowers at the gas station?

No, you could dress up gas station flowers. For sure. Nice little boss. You get like two.

You put a long beef jerky stick in there? Oh, yeah, absolutely.

A thick loom.

Toss a bow on it.

Surprise, a little thick in your dozen.

It's really hard to peel off.

Oh my God, I would go nuts for that.

The price tag sometimes of the roses is really hard to peel off.

Send someone to a gas station. I could put together a flower arrangement with two bouquets of gas station flowers. I'm telling you right now. I could pull it off.

You're going to do it Here's some Play 4 scratch cards.

I'm going to have to do it today now. A long cigarello.

I love a good scratch card.

So your grandmother's happy. Great. Thanks.

We're going to get to that audio in a second, but you just delighted me by making me think of all the sad sex I'm going to be driving past on the way home. They're going to be at the side of the road trying to get the remnants of Valentine's Day because you forgot. Because you forgot. And we rummaged early. We all ransacked the gas station. I will be very pleased on behalf of the mercenary commerce thief who is killing it on the side of the road today just because you were forgetful.

I'm seeing the arrangement that Jessica's grandmother got in queue here that we're about to play, and it is a really nice-looking arrangement, and I have my regrets.

Okay, but let's play for the audience, Jessica. Does this need any other setup? Because I'm telling you, in reading the transcript, I was just made so happy. How does this woman sound? Please tell me she's got a thick, thick accent and she sounds extra old.

She sounds like she's from Chicago, and she grew up in Little Italy.

Let me hear this.

I got the... Jessica, holy shit. I got the most gorgeous roses. I don't think I ever got that many This is in my whole life. Certainly not from your lovely grandfather, God may us all rest in peace. Thank you. Oh, my God. They are beautiful. I'm flabbergasted. I mean, holy shit. I don't know what it's for, but I love you for it. Thank you. You've made my day. I mean, they are gorgeous. I mean, holy crap. Well, I will talk to you later. You're probably working, whatever. And I hope you got your oranges. I never heard it here, whether you got the damn oranges or not. So when you get a chance, you can give me a call back. I'm sitting here looking at those roses, and I cannot believe what the hell you did. Holy shit. Jesus. They're gorgeous. I'm going to sit and look at them all damn day today. Never had so many roses in my whole life. 85 years. Holy shit. Okay, dear. Thank you. Love you. Talk to you later. Bye.

That's a Chicago accent, man. I think that's Jess. She's adorable. That's Jess doing a voice.

I think so, too.

Did you get the oranges?

I did get the oranges. They're very good oranges.

Listen to me, 800 flowers. You need to sign up Jessica's grandma as a paid endorser. She needs to get flowers fairly regularly so that she could sing the praises of your company.

I do think we should pump the brakes here for a second because much like Billy's wife and Tony's wife and possibly Roy's wife would not be happy to find out this was a work arrangement, my grandmother would probably murder me if she knew we played this on the show.

At 85, how many surprise?

Grandma Your grandpa caught a stray. Yeah, he did.

Rest in power.

But he also set the bar very low.

He really did.

I know, but- It's a dozen roses. I do think your grandmother might be a little bit a little bit assaulted that you betrayed her, and she You created the memory of your grandfather. Holy shit.

Did you ask for a consent to do that? No. Three holy shits and a holy crap.

I like the crap.

Lawyer, is that okay?

At a lawsuit.

This is actually a one-party state, so you're Why do you know that?

Is it?

I'm a lawyer. It's my job to know that, Billy.

He knows the rules. What are you a lawyer to? Refuse yourself. He's not the Shana Hannah of lawyers. He's the Andy Rayna of lawyers.

I'm pretty sure it's a two-party state.

You know the right people.

Can I just ask you guys who failed the worst on Valentine's Day with the flowers? I just wrote on the note, Corporate Sponsored Romance, and that's how I revealed to my wife that it was... And she appreciated I didn't try. I was surprised that that bought me anything, honestly. I just did that because I didn't want her to think that it was anything other than that.

I mean, it's easy to be fine with a three pair of roses when you walk in to, you got a bunch of alpacas in there.

You guys keep holding my wealth against me. You think I'm buying my wife beds of roses every day? Somebody else does that for me. Mike?

This pony was actually in the movie Babe 2: Pig in the City.

The most egregious mistake I made in Vegas, Dugats.

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

I did not send Mike off correctly, the rare executive producer who retires and then returns for two days later.

Who does that?

Keep finding myself in that situation.

Well, He did it, I think.

But we were supposed to give him the big goodbye. I mean, he got all the emotional moments, me and Greg, Cody, and you singing songs weepy-eyed, and he's in the back corners hiding after having created a comedic masterpiece of Flava Flav and Wu-Tang, and Wayne Newton are listening to Greg Cody surprise the Super Bowl in Vegas with a band no one knew he had.

Mike, did you feel it? Did you feel like we didn't give you the proper send-off?

I don't care about that stuff. It's weird. I'm quite literally over Billy's shoulder right now. It just means I get to concentrate on other things. I'm still a part of this show, hopefully closer to two times a week than three times a week. Shout out to Carl for the schedule this week. I could have used the two days But so awful announcing- You and me both.

Awful announcing has celebrated Mike Ryan in print. Have you read this? The picture of you shows one very large pepperoni nipple.

It was a lot happening at that time. We had two deep March Madness runs, a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, an NBA Finals appearance, Alexa Pro.

The picture of your eulogy of your obituary here as goodbye, as awful announcing writes it, you're holding how many drinks in your hands?

Well, there was an Eiffel Tower drink and a Flaneigen's cup, so at least two.

Hell, yeah. It begins in the way the most loving of tributes should. Editorial note, this is a freelance article from a contributor.

Yeah, that's flattering. I'll take that.

If you're interested in writing for us, please email awful announcing at gmail. Com with your pitch.

Look at the size of my tit.

What are they paying?

The author can be reached at jofridejunior.

It was a very nice article, so I've heard.

Joe worked for 10 years in sports media and now works media companies to grow their business.

Are you writer-shaming me now? This is not a great tribute.

Dan Levatard.

Tristan Schoult. Stugatz.

Tristan Schoult. This is the Dan Levatard Show with the Stugats.

Billy, he is literally right over your shoulder right now, but I want to read from this article that is celebrating. Have you seen the headline on this, Stugatz? Mike Mike Ryan Ruiz is the secret to the success of the Dan Levatard show. No member of the show's 10 plus Deep Crew has had an impact quite like Mike Ryan Ruiz. Are you ready for a segment I like to call reading? Yeah. How uncomfortable do you think I'm going to make Mike with all of this? Very. On last Thursday's episode of the… I haven't read all of this. I haven't read any of it. Have you read any of it?

No.

Okay. Has anybody read any of it? No. Does anyone care to read any of it?

I had an issue where I opened it up on Twitter and it had a black background with black ink, so I I couldn't really read it. It was dark.

I'm getting to it. But Dan, I would have read it if Mike Ryan, if I didn't know, if I wasn't armed with the information, then I'd see Mike in 48 hours.

That's right. But in a new role, promoted in the company to the seat that Billy was in, which Wait, wait. And now Billy gets promoted in the company to the seat.

Did I get demoted then?

You're in charge today, right? But he's breathing over your shoulder.

The rare promotion demotion.

Just come here, man. I didn't pick the seating arrangement. My man.

Who picked it? I didn't pick it. What do you mean you just come here? On last Thursday's episode of the Dan Leventhal Show with Stugats, it was announced. It was announced many times, wasn't it? It was announced seven different times. That it was executive producer Mike Ryan Ruiz's... Wait a minute. They call you Mike Ryan. Mike Ryan Ruiz would be stepping down from his position at the end of the week. The move could mark a seismic shift for the Perennially Top 5 Rated Sports Podcast, depending on the level of Ruiz's involvement moving forward. Are we in trouble without you, depending on your involvement?

I'm still here, right? I'm here.

I think we're in trouble with me. In 2013, Ruiz, not yet 30 years old, ascended to the top producer role after the departure of longtime ERP Mark Hockman. During his tenure, he oversaw the show's growth from a local Miami Sports Talk radio show to national ESPN radio property to the most valuable digital audio show at the worldwide leader to the profit center product of a Fledgling startup, a resume that could dub him the most prolific producer in sports audio history if such a ridiculous title existed.

I'd agree with that notion.

Who's the Fledgling Company?

I think we're the Fledgling. Who the fuck are you calling Fledgling?

I agree.

Freelance writer.

Top five producers.

Johnny Friday.

What are you doing?

Fledgling my ass. Fledgling. We got the best audio deal in the game. Who are you kidding?

I do belong in that conversation, though. I say humbly.

You say nothing humbly. The Lebitard show has received no shortage of faunting coverage, but if there's one aspect of its success that goes unheralded, it's the apparent ease with which the transition from local sports radio show to national sports comedy show occurred all under the steady hand of Ruiz, including... Are you ready? Are you ready? Far from steady. The hand is not steady. The hand shakes.

It's often hitting mic on.

Integrating traditional sports radio tactics, sound bite drops for current gags, parody songs, time segments into the podcast format and not have them seem out of place. I feel like I forced that on Mike. I wanted it to sound like a radio show. He's like, Fuck off, Dan. It needs to be a podcast. Putting out more content than any other competitor with more than 10 hours of the central DLS dropped weekly across nearly 20 episodes. Other top podcasters have called out the show for doing this to juice ratings, but by any metric, their total downloads and output are unmatched.

Yeah, we do the work.

We do the work. Upon the show leaving ESPN, it was Ryan who pushed for the show to keep their RSS feed so its subscriber base and back archives could remain intact. An unheard of move for audio shows at the time.

And now the template.

You forced that on ESPN. Everybody left with their feeds because we did.

Yeah.

Mimicking the success of the Ringer and Barstool to create a podcast network, both at ESPN and at Metalark Media, while the Lebitard and Friends Network has yet to spawn any top-rated shows like those competitors.

You should not keep reading.

Did you say that about God bless football? They didn't just say that about God bless football. They did. It creates added value and inventory to help increase revenue across the company. Are you guys bored by this? I feel like I've lost- It's a bit wordy.

I'm mortified by it. I'm sweating a lot, and I'm really uncomfortable.

It's not hyperbole to say that outside of Levitard, no member of the show's 10 plus deep crew is missed when they aren't on the Daily Show more than Ruiz.

You should not keep reading this. No, this is cutting. I don't like this. Please stop.

Keep reading.

Can you stop down? Do I have the authority to say- No, I don't think he has that authority anymore.

Billy, that's your authority. What call are you making here? Keep reading.

I heard there's a video, too.

What?

Over the last five years, the two hosts of the show have clearly seemed less interested in sports.

I told you to stop reading. That has never been more lucky.

You hear my takes on the Chief?

I could see this one coming. You should really stop reading.

Levitard like a handful. You're not in charge anymore. Billy's in charge. He likes anarchy.

I'm most definitely not.

Levitard, like a handful in media from 2015 to 2021, fell into a trap of dismissing sports coverage in Fandam. A shift he has started to walk back over the last year. I have. Have you? I was just by my brother's deathbed. I don't feel like I was walking that back.

I mean, the heat and Panthers made the finals.

He loved the good conference room.

He did. However, in the sports podcast world, where the other long-time top-rated shows, Pardon My Take, Bill Simmons podcast, Ryan Rusillo Show, feature hosts that proudly watch hours and hours of games, Ruiz helped DLS bridge that gap. He often ran circles around the hosts and other talent on sports conversation, occasionally having to pull back to not upstage others on topics he was clearly more informed.

That's actually super fair. Right on the money.

A diminished role for Ruiz would likely mean the show leans more into the variety in comedy antics by limited supported... By Limited supporting characters. Fine for their diehards, but not ideal for growing an audience in a competitive landscape. The shipping container is being called out there.

Can I stop reading this, please?

Bulletin board material, bud.

I'm being made very honest.

I don't feel bad anymore about Tony making fun of this guy for being AI.

Just please stop.

There is precedent for Ruiz's departure. He last stepped down as ERP in 2022, so we've done this before. Make up your mind.

It's not me, man.

Handing the reins to Chris Wittingham, who held the title for a year before defarting. You had it right.

He did at Highly, remember? That guy called him out.

Defarded, yeah.

I don't like this one, but...

Before defarting to do MLS play-by play for Apple TV.

And Paramount Plus, he's the lead commentator. I think he's... I don't want to reveal too much, but yeah, he's the man over there.

You'll never forgive him for leaving that position.

It took me a while to get over the resentment.

During Wittingham's time- He's the lead voice.

Well, he put his hopes and dreams ahead of mine. That's right. That's why I brought him aboard.

Mine, too. Shit. Mine, too. During Winningham's time as ERP, Ryan still appeared on the show regularly, albeit in a more secondary role. That's likely to be the case again, especially since there's no natural replacement this time around. What do you mean? Billy's in the seat right now.

It takes a village.

Why isn't Chris Cody the natural replacement? Jessica, Roy, Tony, Juju.

Why? We're all going to do it. I'm not excluding myself from that. Why? We're all doing it together.

What am I going to do?

I wasn't part of any... I don't want to ask for any of this.

Yeah, I wasn't asked.

Well said. With years of experience, the team of producers the show employees are surely capable of handling the tactical elements of production, but they lack Ryan's deep knowledge of sports, how to engage the host in both informative and entertaining debate, or when to steer the show back from nasal-gazing giggles, the place where Billy Gill wants to reside all of the time. That made it? I I can't believe that this guy sees the show that way. Have you read this, Billy?

Is this the first you're hearing? I mean, you're reading the entire- You're reading it.

I have nine weeks of paternity still.

Did Mike write it?

Next week, it sounds like a good starting point.

The Lebitard show continues to be a billing beast, thanks mainly to their unparalleled output. It has developed the most treasured commodity in media, a loyal fan base of diehards for whom listening is routine and getting the show is a source of pride. Ruiz has developed supporting producers that will receive more on-air time if he pulls back, so he remains invested in the program's success. But the show that Ruiz grew into a behemoth will be vastly different if he is not as involved. A testament to his success as ERP. Awful announcing, ladies and gentlemen. Awful announcing.

I do think this show is going to be different, and that's not a bad thing. I don't think it's a bad thing to have less of me. I've seen your comments. This is going to be good, and I look to be fulfilled. I'm working on a lot of exciting things, things that I'm pouring my creative bandwidth into that I haven't had an opportunity to since Woody left. I think it's time for me to, as that article said, take a secondary tertiary role here on this show. It's phases. I'm deeply uncomfortable with all of this.

It doesn't seem like anyone's comfortable with it either. But it is goodbye, yet you're here We heard two days after saying goodbye because we didn't say goodbye, correct?

That's why I didn't say goodbye. I thought it would be ridiculous.

And we'll see you tomorrow?

See me for the rest of the week.

Okay.

And you did just read an article that was mean to us.

That was mean. That was mean.

That was a dork.

It was mean to all of us. It was mean to all of us except Mike, though.

I was good with it.

So was I. It's fine. I didn't love him calling the shipping container Limited. Limited characters. Who said limited?

I mean, the fakes are limited. I don't like smutty either.

You never have. You never have. Do you know how much... Thank you, Mike Ryan.

Iris Allison.

I'm sorry. Except when she was here, and then I didn't like her, too. Misogynistic Bane needs to have a bigger role on this show. He does. I'm very limited, though.

It's a limited character.

I know, but it's such a good character. Kill the Batman. Stugatz, do you know what Usher was paid for the Super Bowl, for doing the halftime show?

I'll take a guess. $300,000?

$671. What? $671 is what he got paid. However-on the cheap. Because he got streaming sales, because he got album sales, because he got his tour, a third sold out coming up, they are saying he will make $100 million off of... That's how much money the NFL births. They give you $671, and it turns into $100 million.

I apologize. I know how to play the game. I thought I was playing the game correctly. I should have said $300 million. I didn't know it was that low.

It used to be zero dollars. It used to be zero dollars. But now, for some reason, I don't know what this reason is, now Usher was paid 671 dollars. That's scale?

That's more annoying for him than anything. Because now he has to probably fill out paperwork for that. This paid me nothing.

How did they get 671?

Is he union? What's the invoice thing? That might be a SAG thing. Can I get an itemize bill?

But he sold a third of his tickets to his upcoming He tore. 38 % of his tickets got sold. How does this thing keep getting bigger? It can't keep getting bigger.

God bless football.

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