You're listening to Giraffe King's Network. This is the Dan Levatore Show with the Stugats podcast. By now, I'm assuming on a random Thursday in February, February 29th, I was-Leep Year. Yeah, I was told I didn't understand what you guys were doing with Leep Years and Halliburton, where you were talking about, I need to wish him a happy birthday. Hold on a second. Let me get that because... Okay. Happy birthday to him. I don't care. Good luck. It's his sixth birthday, and I don't know why more people aren't talking about this in the NBA. They're talking about that inflatable car man outside in San Antonio.

A 6-year-old All-Star like Thierry Halliburton. Scoring like that?

Scoring like that.

Same age as my daughter.

Leep I don't understand the math on that, so you guys will help me. He's just not actually six years old, but this is an extra day, and what are you doing with your extra day? Are there any good Leep Day, Leep Year jokes?

Everyone's joke is, I wish we had it off, huh? We should. We should be home sleeping today. No, we should. It's ridiculous. This is an extra day of labor. We're not being paid extra. I'm curious where he generally celebrates. Do you think he does the 28th or the first?

Well, let's ask him.

You guys... Okay, yeah. So you think every year he's confused about when it is that his birthday should be because- I would do the 28th.

That's probably just whatever has a better weekend, right? That's true. If we all do that, right? We all do that, right? A Friday versus a Thursday. Yeah, exactly. It's just whichever is closer to the weekend would be my imagine. If your guy's birthday falls on a Wednesday We're going to dinner Wednesday night, or are you guys waiting until Friday? My wife's birthday is this weekend, so I've planned us a day. It's on Monday, so I've planned us a day for Saturday. I'm going to do dinner on her actual birthday, but it's going to be pre-birthday over the weekend.

Yeah, more convoluted than these things need to be.

Me making things convoluted?

Just the whole thing. No way. Just the whole thing. Unnecessary. I want to play some sound here for the audience because as we continue to roll out over the next couple of years, our partnership with Rachel Nichols, with Steven Jackson, with Matt Barnes, and with all the smoke. Even though Mike Ryan, we can all get along, even though Mike Ryan is boycotting Paul peers, he is not a part of the Ray Jean Rondot and the collective of people interacting in our worlds over the course of the next couple of years.

In fairness, I've made my feelings known. Our partners know where I stand, and I'll just recuse myself of any truth.

Okay, fair enough. But regardless, we are in business with all the smoke. Steven Jackson did a South Beach session. It's the most vulnerable I've ever heard him, and I've interviewed him a lot over the years.

That was really good. Not blowing smoke. That was really good, you and Steven Jackson.

Well, look, one of the things you guys make in front of me of being the grief meter on South Beach Sessions, but one of the things my brother encouraged me to do and others who care about me have encouraged me to do is use that space to talk to men about hard things that men don't talk about, like, Oh, my God, you're crawling around on your hands and knees because people die around you, and the grief is interminable, and you don't function right after it. How are you supposed to just get on with your life?

Just talking about- We did not jump on you for hard men because we love you, pal. You got away with it.

We didn't say anything. Okay. Thank you for allowing me that liberty. Thank you for allowing me to age with grace. But here's one of the things about aging with grace that I have not done very well.

I've never heard a respectful Ayo before. I wanted to be respectful then.

Somber.

Hey, yo, that was crazy.

Did it while tapping his chest and pointing up to the sky.

It should have been prayerful. Thank you. What is it? Is it because it's the graveyard of my brother's feelings? It was close. It was close to that.

One of the things my brother told me before he went.

Wait a minute. What is that? There was a little Trump in that.

What's he doing here? It's what he said. He said a lot of things. It's hard to remember them all.

The best things. Really?

Talk about hard things with men.

Hey, yo. Don't lose the plot. Steven Jackson. Let's go. Hard guy, you opening yourself up.

Yeah. I would urge everybody to enjoy many of the things that our content partners are creating. They've got a new interview. I did one recently with them on All the Smoke. They asked me about Pat McAfee, and I answered there. Pat McAfee was on All the Smoke now, and this has come out today. There are a lot of things that were said here, but I don't know the totality of what was said. They've told me that we have seven or eight clips. I don't want to play all of those, but I'd like to hear some of what he had to say. Talked to Dan Levatard about this, about athletes coming in the space and not necessarily cutting the line.

He's talked some shit on me.

Has he? Yeah. Oh, get him. That's our guy.

We love to get-Yeah, when I saw he signed with him, I was certainly asking some questions. This guy over here, I think Ryan is his name or something like that. Ryan. I thought you guys could have made it alone. I thought you guys had enough talent.

We're by ourselves.

We partner within I'm going to build out the fast channel.

Love it. Yeah, so that's the idea. I like Dan. I got respect for Dan. I watched the deal that him and Skipper did with DraftKings, and that greatly affected my deal with FanDuel. I got a lot of respect, but a lot of these older sports media folks aren't the biggest fan of me, and they've certainly made that known.

We've had-Well, you know why, right?

Because a lot of them wanted to do what you're doing now on DSPN.

Yeah, they weren't allowed to is what they said. They weren't allowed to. You think I was allowed to, though? That's the whole part of it. I'm not going to say box.

You had the confidence in to be able to get it done without worrying about what other people are going to say.

I think it didn't happen for them because they came in more like, Well, I want to do this.

You said, I'm doing this instead of, I want to do this.

That's a big difference. Hey, I'm a fucking asshole to those shoots, too. They do not like me.

I fully support Pat McAfee. His story is amazing. His charisma is amazing. I'm sitting there watching guys. I'm watching wrestling, and I'm watching the center of wrestle, and I'm seeing the guy conquer sports and rush to the head of the line. I understand why he thinks that some old media would not like what he is doing, but I am a full supporter of him taking over this space in a way that's given a whole bunch of athletes. Dwyane Wade's now in the podcast game. Shaquille O'Neill. They've realized that he's given these people permission because they're looking at the punter making all of the money, owning all this stuff, and changing the game. Let me hear some more sound. I don't have anything bad to say about Pat McAfee. Let me hear some more sound.

Except for that one, too.

I was honored and pumped to get the ass to come on to this show. I appreciate it. I am a big fan, so I can't wait to see what you guys do and keep going. Thank you. Shout out to Metalark for seeing what everybody else is seeing. Thank you. And giving you guys some real safety net to go get it because it's awesome. That's basically what they did. Yeah. That's what they did. You deserve it. You guys deserve it all. Thank you. With that being said, I think you wear tank tops, I think you start… Coming over? Snakeskins. I was about to say some snakekins.

I'm with the boots. I'm going to have to see Jack in some snakekins. Mike had said he had his drug dealer outfit on with some snakekins.

Mike had said he had his drug dealer outfit on with some snakekins. Mike had said he had his drug dealer outfit on with some snakekins.

That'd be cool. Coming over.

I mean, snack looks hilarious. I mean, you're looking phenomenal right now.

What is this one time, Mike, that you speak of that I've talked shit about Pat, Mike?

Well, I think Pat has a very good memory, and I think he's motivated by doubt because I think his work ethic across a a couple of different industries, is pretty unparalleled. I do know of an awful announcing story that seized on you being surprised that he hasn't made a bigger impact on College Game Day, and you never know what motivates people. Maybe that's at the heart of it. I think largely on the balance of things, we are very pro-Pat McAfee for all the reasons. I do find it interesting that you were labeled as old media, I guess, because you're just older. I think part of the stuff that surprised me with the Simmons, Pat McAfee thing is Simmons all of a sudden became guy that was classified as old media. I'm like, really? A digital pioneer?

No, but this is the thing, right? Because actually, I will tell you that at this dinner, Look, man, at this dinner with Matt Barnes and Steven Jackson, these guys have done a lot of business in their lives, right? They've got crews of people who protect the economies of 17 years in the league, the both of them, and they've built a brand. Mcafee is right when says to them, You guys could have done this on your own, probably, if you can get some investors to put up a good amount of money. And they're like, No, but we want a partner here. I've got a meaningful picture my wife took of Steven Jackson holding my head and telling me that he's got my back because I believe in what those guys are doing.

I think it showed in that clip. I think it definitely showed in that clip because they were quick to defend everything that was there and why they partnered with us. I thought that was pretty cool. I think Pat is pretty incredible, and I think it's really difficult to keep that charisma and that appeal and drive shows like that. I think Pat's awesome. I understand why he's lumped in as new media because his roots are very grassroots movement, but he's taken it to the ESPN platform, and we've made new media versus old media, and the guy that's new media has ESPN1 as a platform. It's just a little confusing to me how you become It's old media, I guess, by being a little bit older.

Okay, but no, it's not just that, though.

Yeah, you have old media roots like newspaper.

It's also journalism and journalism, and whatever we represented at ESPN that he replaced in Yeah, that stuff is interesting to me. It's one of the reasons I talk about the industry so much. But what I would tell you is I couldn't support JJ Redick more, Shannon Sharp, or these people who are coming for the space because, of course, the athletes are going to come for the journalists and they're going to be better at competition and they're going to have more Fame. I welcome all of it into the space because there's plenty of money here for everybody, for everybody who gets into the content game and does it well, for everybody to eat. But I understand why I'm being lumped in with that because Draymond Green is talking to DeMar DeRosen now about not wanting to go to therapy. Draymond Green, who's going to do all of these things in this space with his brand and maybe make more money after his career than during it because he's realized, yeah, the athletes can play the new media game without any journalists. Chris Paul can talk to Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul just give up a story.

Yeah, I could have been in Miami. All I needed was the number. That story is only existing there because of the access that those guys have. They've all realized, wait a minute, the punter did it? But the punter's story is the balliest. He leaves his career at the height of that, builds it himself. Everyone says no to him. He does it his way, and he ends up with the FU power to say, I don't have bosses anymore. And he doesn't because he doesn't. He's leasing to Pataro, and he's leasing to Iger, and he doesn't need them because in this age, if you have your own audience, these people need you. You do not need them.

I think it surprises a lot of those top-line athletes, though. You have to have a certain work ethic. All the smoke has that work ethic. A lot of people just assume, I can turn on the mics and dominate in this field, and you have to have the tenacity, the work ethic of a Pat McAfee, which I said earlier was pretty unparalleled. You certainly notice when an athlete succeeds in building out a new media venture. You don't really talk about when a Duncan Robinson podcast goes away. In this athlete-led media space, there's a lot of projects that just go away. They don't go away because in most cases, a person just has something else to keep them busy. They go away because they realize it's hard. It's very You've got Travis Kelsi saying it's the hardest job in the world.

Travis Kelsi. This is what I would tell you, though, about Pat McAfee. He got such a head start on everybody on realizing what it is to build his own thing. But if all of these people think they can do that, double flips off a turnbuckle at Russellmania.

A million dollars in several different industries.

Are you kidding me? No, you can't all just come into the space and chase down the punter. That's not going to happen.

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Dan Levatard.

This is the one you'll hear that if you hear anywhere else, you're not going to hear it, okay? Stugats. What? Here it is, number two.

Wait, what?

Wait, say it again.

Please put that on the poll. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugat.

Those papers you hear banging on a desk or an old coach still out on the road, still following basketball teams around. And I insist, our job, we have a job here, shipping container. We have one job here today with our old, old friend, Stan VanGundi, still huffing and puffing around the country, chasing, bouncing basketball. It is to make him laugh. For the next 24 minutes or so, we must make this human being laugh. Are you going to help me? Is the group going to help me on this?

We are here, Dan O.

I don't feel like you're here. I don't feel like you're with me, okay? We need to do this with Stan. You can't get so used to Stan Van Gundy making appearances here that you arrive, and he arrives, and you've got this indifference on you. Look at you guys. Can you show some enthusiasm for Stan being here, please?

Yeah, Stan. Build We, Stan, Stan.

It used to be such a big deal when he came around here, back when he was running franchises and not just talking about the games.

I can only dial it up so much, man.

Okay, you guys are tired.

You got nothing. If I'm just back here going, Stan.

Yeah, I know. Okay, so fine. Okay, now it's been revealed. Now you've shown people too much behind the curtain. So easy is it, Mike? We were never enthusiastic when Stan Van Condy came around here. It was my motivation. It was always feigned enthusiasm. He'd always talk about his politics, his liberal politics.

He is friends with my favorite state representative, Anna Escomani. Oh, he's trying.

Look, can you imagine what Stan's life has been recently? As he's deeply cared about doing politics on the ground in Florida and all around him, he gets overrun by corruption and sewage. Dumber and dumber by the day. Some of it gunwielding.

That is for sure.

Honestly, it is nice to see you, at least for me. I want to talk politics with you because you have tried for the last 10 years, and before that, really. But you've tried to be a progressive, decent human being, and all around you, politics trample you.

Forward30.

It's tough in this state. There's no question. I think the real challenge for progressives in this state is to not get beaten down in Florida and to keep showing up and keep trying to make a difference because you don't get a lot of positive reinforcement in terms of electoral results.

Do you get... I will talk basketball with him in a second. It's been too long since I've seen him. It makes me happy to see your face. I don't want to normalize what LeBron is doing, that we can go this far into the show without talking about the oldest dude in the League, coming back from '21 against a Clippers team that can win the Championship, hitting seven threes, and doing it at that age. It's just insane. There's not really a precedent for it, so I want to talk to you about that part. But I am curious before we get started. So, Mitch McDonald is now leaving, and I want to make jokes about he'll spend the next 4,000 years resting comfortably wherever it is that he rests.

In a turtle shell.

But, yeah, he has been a plague, and yet somehow more reasonable than what's coming. Somehow he has been an evil plague for decades, but he's not okay with insurrections.

No, but He was fine with subverting hundreds of years of precedent to not even bring Merrick Garland to a vote on the Supreme Court. He was fine with that, with stealing a seat on the Supreme Court. But you are right in that the one thing I think that we know about today's Republican Party is it's only going to get worse. It's not going to get better. So if you didn't like Kevin McCarthy, great. It brought you Mike Johnson, who not only is far more regressive, but also far more incompetent. I mean, this guy's just a clown. Then so for Mitch McDonald, who knows where we go, but you can just count on it being worse.

That's a good landing spot for Patty Mills.

That's how we should do it. I should ask, Let's do it that way. I'll ask him one serious question, and you ask him, what's a good landing spot for Patty Mills? Because we do need some basketball.

I need an answer. Yeah, what is it?

A good landing? I don't know. I don't know what Patty's got left in the tank. I haven't seen him this year.

Well, he just got released by the Hawks, and I know he's not going to buy into the team defensive concept of Eric Spolstra. But I want to stash him just to keep him away from the other teams in the East, because you know if he goes through one of those other contenders, he's going to kill Miami.

Well, the one thing with Patty Mills is he's going to come in firing and he's going to light it up, and he'll give you an effort defensively. I'm not so sure that he wouldn't fit with Miami. He's certainly not going to be a great defender, but he'll give you an effort. He's not like a guy.

What are we doing? What are we doing?

That's a thoughtful answer. He's averaging 2.7 points per day. We're trying to find out where Patty goes. It's all about fit.

I mean, he's an expert. He breathes basketball.

Then why'd you interrupt him?

He has a question so much better. But he hasn't watched Patty Mills. He's saying, What's he doing? Why you asking me about him?

I haven't watched him because he hasn't played on what's a very bad Atlanta team.

Do you think Trey Young's social media reaction to his injury was a bit much, considering it's just a pinkie. Come on.

I didn't see his social media reaction.

He's holding up the pinkie. He's putting 1 Corinthians up there. I mean, it's a pinkie.

Oh, well, I think a biblical quotation for a basketball injury is a bit much, yeah. Regardless of what the quotation was. 4:30.

Stan, what LeBron did last night, it's the biggest comeback, fourth-quarter comeback of his career. That Clippers team is good. Paul George did not play. But that Clippers team has dominated LeBron's era of basketball over there. They beat up the Lakers every time they play. You have no precedent for what we're witnessing from him at this age, right?

No, it's I mean, the guy's still averaging 25 points a game. It's the lowest scoring season of his career. But that alone is amazing that you can be averaging 25 in your 21st year, and that's the lowest you've scored in forever. I mean, what he's doing is incredible. I mean, the only huge drop off with LeBron is at the defensive end of the floor. He's gone from being a defensive player of the year guy to being a guy if you're on the other team, you target him now. I'm not meaning to be negative on LeBron. That's the only drop off. Offensively, he's still as good as anybody in the league.

You're actually just saying all you're doing is giving voice to the human aging process, right? Because when I watch LeBron play, he is still obviously very strong, but he is and cannot be as fast. And in order to play defense, you have to be able to move laterally. So you're saying he's a defensive liability that he's being targeted?

Yeah. I mean, look, here's the thing, too. It goes beyond just the lack of lateral quickness. I mean, at his age, 21 years in the league, he's carrying such a huge offensive load. You got to find places to rest. He's playing a lot of minutes and everything else. He's not 100% healthy. He's got to get some time to rest, and his rest is on the defensive end. Usually, look, he's smart, so he keeps himself out of bad situations for the large part. They've been able to find matchups where it's tough for people to target him. In the playoffs, it could become a little bit more of an issue. But again, that's nitpicking when you're talking about a guy, LeBron's age, and what he's getting done on the offensive end of the floor.

Dan took a sports question unexpectedly, so I guess I have to follow the formula. Should I be concerned, as someone that is not a conservative, that there have been a lot of Republican leadership positions that have had changeover, where, I don't know how you feel about this, But most people within those parties would say, these are voices of reason. Even Mitch McDonald, during January 6, was looked to as a voice of reason when everything was going on. You have these people stepping aside and being replaced by more MAGA Conservatives. How troubling is that for the election?

Well, look, I think the whole thing is troubling in that we have had numerous people who have just foregone their previous principles and beliefs. People I maybe didn't even agree with politically anyway, but they've just gone foregone those beliefs and are just totally subservient to Donald Trump. I mean, the amazing lack of self-respect on the part of leaders. I shouldn't even use the word leaders. Prominent people in that party is amazing. I mean, at least Stefanic was an intelligent, thoughtful, conservative. She just gave it all up, said, You know what? I'm going to chase power. I'll do whatever Donald Trump wants. I'll back him on anything. I'll say the election results were fraudulent. I mean, it's really amazing the control he has gained over supposedly intelligent people.

I want to ask another politics question.

Sports.

I have to stick to sports?

I mean, you always have to stick to sports.

Although you can take a political question, and then I can go back to it. Right. We just got to- Then you ask.

Then you ask. Go ahead and ask the sports question, and then I'll go to a politics question. Serpentine draft.

Yeah, go. Tyrese Halliburton turned six today being a Leep Day baby. I've been hugely impressed with his offense. I'm sure people have found holes in his game. But in terms of natural scores, where do you rank him in the league?

The history of six-year-olds.

Yeah, well, he's the best six-year-old ever, probably. Look, I love Tyrese Halliburton. People have started to see more of him this year. But the last couple of years, he's averaged over 20 in the playoffs. He's been their second best player. He was better than James Harden was in the playoffs last year. Look, this guy's just really, really good. One of the fastest guys in the league in the end and is a 40% three-point shooter who has adapted to be in a full-time point guard better than anyone could have expected, doesn't turn the ball over. I thought he'd really struggle with that this year, the playmaking part of it. He has not. He's not a great defender, but he has gotten better at that in. Yeah, he's one of the best young point guards in the league, and certainly the best six-year-old.

Hold on a second, though. I want to ask a politics question. We've only got a minute left here. We'll go to a break after that. But did I see a gleam in Mike Ryan's eye that I rarely see, which is his hatred for Melo? Was there a Melo conversation that just burst out back there?

I was saying, I think over time, Tyrese Halliburton can end up being considered a better scorer than Melo. Then Tony and I, because we both know ball, got into, Well, yeah, I can see that he can work a little bit more on the low block. And he's like, Yeah, Melo's mid-range game. But I'm like, Also, as a defender, that's a shot that I want being taken, the Melo mid-ranger, as opposed to whatever Tyrese Halliburton can come up with. That's how it started debate. He's got to work on his back to the basket moves. I think he's very good getting into the lane.

I think he's very good shooting. The thing is, Melo had that bully ball where he would take it out of the block, give you that one, two spin, and then hit you with a fade away.

That was great. 34% clip.

Okay, maybe if only one day we can get a basketball expert to tell us what he thinks about what you guys are arguing about while the basketball expert is talking. I'm right here, Dan. You asked him about basketball, and then he gave you the answer. And while he was answering, you went to a basketball conversation. I actually like I actually like that. I appreciate that. All right. We're going to come back with more of it next. Don Lebatard.

It's a good Colorado team. Defending Shams.

I'm going to go sit in the penalty box. What happened there? Stugatz.

They're the Defending Shams.

I'm going to go sit in the penalty box. What happened there? Excellent. This is the Don Lebatard show with the Stugatz. All right, Stan, answer the question that they're asking right there. Mello or Halliburton, who you got for all time. Is Halliburton going to be, when it's done, a better scorer than Carmelo Anthony? No. What?

He said so definitively, is he going to be a better player than Mello was?

Well, he's going to be more well-rounded, yeah. But he's not going to be a better scorer, and neither one of... Halliburton hasn't shown that he's any more willing to defend than Carmelo was.

Politics question? I can ask a politics question? Yeah, go for it.

He was a little uncomfortable there. He didn't want to upset the Melo stands. I think this is something here.

He's not uncomfortable. Well, I think Carmelo...

No, quite honestly, I'm not uncomfortable. Carmelo is an underrated guy. I mean, that guy was as good a scorer as we've had in the league. I mean, he's there with Kevin Durant, any of those guys. He could score on anybody, and he was absolutely fabulous late in games. He made a lot of clutch shots. Because he wasn't part of a lot of deep playoff runs, I don't think he got the recognition for that part of his game. But yeah, Carmelo was a damn good often.

He just hung on to a previous era, maybe for a little too long, because if the game gravitated more towards the international game where you could rightfully argue that Carmelo Anthony is the greatest US men's international of all time, then now we're cooking with gas, Sam Van Gundee.

Well, yeah, I don't know about that either, though. But look, I have a lot of respect for Carmelo Anthony. I mean, he was one of the few guys you're playing against him. If I was coaching against him late in the game, you've got to come double team in because you're getting into those last shot type situations. Carmelo was going to come through virtually all the time. That guy was a great, great player.

What about Shane Gillis, Alexander?

Come on. I knew I smelled the mellow on you. I knew I smelled it from over here. Stan, let me ask about what's happening all around you because you talk about it matter of factly, but as I've mentioned to the audience for years now, you've been doing the work in your community. You've actually poured many, many hours into not wanting political power, just wanting to make sure things are fair and decent and not unreasonable. It seems to me that you're living in a vastly more unreasonable time now than you were even eight years ago when you started this. I'm wondering from your perspective, how do you not feel hopeless and helpless?

Well, I do a lot of times, to be quite honest. I mean, the last go-around 2022, we had, I thought, a lot of good local candidates for the State House and State Senate in Florida. Women candidates. We hosted a fundraiser for them. We put a lot of money into the campaigns of those women. I thought they were outstanding. Other than the previously mentioned Anna Escomani, we couldn't get a win. It's discouraging, especially when you're running against people that are just really bad, not only bad representatives, but in my opinion, just their values are bad and they don't care about people. To lose those elections, it's discouraging. It is.

But also on top of that, I would think it almost as exasperating that the conversation, it's not even just that you're losing the fights or feel like you're losing the fights. It's also that the discourse keeps getting dumber, empirically, nonsensically dumber.

I mean, look, we're banning books. In Florida, we have two districts, at least, that for review, pulled the Dictionary off book shelves in schools. It's hard to get more ridiculous than what we're doing. We're pulling classics off the book shelves. We're pulling dictionary. I mean, it's insanity. Now we've got this social media law that's going to pass. And quite honestly, it's not just the Republicans. Only seven Democrats ended up voting against it. I don't know what's going on, but this state, for someone like me anyway, is heading further and further away from the things I value all the time. And it is discouraging. I wish I could say I see the end in sight, but I don't. You're right, it's getting worse, not better.

Stan, who's the team that you're looking at that could be a dark horse? Obviously, there's a lot of great contenders now. There's a lot of young teams up in the top in the Western Conference. Who's the team that you look at and be like, That team could be a problem come playoff time.

Well, there's a lot of teams that could be. I don't really know. I mean, the dark horses, I guess, would be the teams that would come from down in the standings. Last year, we had Miami get to the finals coming through the play-in. The Lakers came through the play-in to get to the Western Conference finals. I mean, both of those teams and Golden State, I guess, could be considered dark horses this point. Look, nothing really would surprise me in the West. You look at the first round, normally, if you get a 1-8 or a 2-7 series, those are going to be pretty big upsets. There's not one matchup that will come in the West in the first round, no result that I would consider an upset. So I don't know who to even consider a dark horse out there. I mean, you're Oklahoma City or Minnesota, two teams who have really made big jumps. And in the first round, you could be playing teams like Golden State with Steph Curry and all of their... Steph Curry with all of their experience, or the Lakers with LeBron and AD. That could be your first round opponent.

I mean, it's crazy what's going on out there. You always worry about Miami in the East. But look, Boston's so, so much better than everyone. If Boston does... This is one of the few years, to me, if Boston doesn't win the Championship, I'm going to be shocked. I mean, I just think they're light years better than everyone else.

There it is. We've been wandered the Earth, a dry, dry Earth. I've been looking for politics. I've been looking for laughs. And then what do I get? Hot take. There it is. Stan Van Gundee giving it to you. Thank you, Stan. I've got a number of different questions here that I want to get to, though. Not all of them basketball related. Were you indignant about Wendy's price surging? Because they canceled it. They said that the feedback was so bad that Wendy's was gouging people. I know you used to love your fast food here. Wendy's is delicious enough that I might be willing to forsake certain principles including you gouge your customers in exchange for continuing to eat Wendy's. But I was pissed off at him about this.

Yeah, not so much with me. Whatever they charge, I'll pay.

Okay, so there you go. So your principles fall into the face.

Abandoning his principles.

My principles fall into I love Wendy's burgers.

The Frosty, too.

They're frozen.

No, I'm not a Frosty guy. What?

You got to fry into a Frosty.

I can get better ice cream than the Frosty.

It's not...

It's the price.

And the Frosty. And the Frosty These aren't that good.

No.

You are so wrong. In fairness to Wendy's- That's offensive. In fairness to Wendy's, they did have to clear up. People thought because of the dynamic pricing thing, it meant it goes both ways, up and down. Wendy's clarified that said, no, it's not surge pricing. It's a dynamic price board that's digital with rebates when you have a surplus. Also, at least they have the transparency in the age of inflation to say, Yeah, we're going to raise the prices, or at least that was assumed. They never actually said that. I'm defending Wendy.

Okay, that's okay. Thank you for doing that. Defense attorney.

Not Wemby, Wendy.

That is right. But I want to be offended on behalf of everybody. Stan is an aficionado of fast food. For him to say that the Wendy's fry is no good. Come on. You know what, Stan? It's not an elite fry.

He's not wrong.

Stan, look. In comparison to other fries. Stan, listen, I say this- They make a good burger, though.

They make a good burger.

A double stack? You kidding me?

My God, no. They make a good burger. Stan, let's look at this video together. You tell me you went viral again because this clip every once in a while during March Madness surges. And this was, what was this? Was this Fordham? What was the end of this?

It was four years ago. This was Furman.

Furman in Virginia.

All right, so it's Furman three or four years ago. Let me see what we've got here. Oh, no.

Okay. I thought you were to my last year.

No, this was last year's where they have the inexplicable turnover.

This is the Furman, Virginia game.

Did you just see what we definitely just saw? Wow.

I feel like Harland disrespected you there. He didn't trust you to stay out of the moment.

Well, Kevin does that a lot. That's just, he wants us to let the crowd noise in. And it was a great moment, a great call by Kevin. First March Madness game I had done. So we had four that day. That's the first one. That's the first one. It was my first one, and it was incredible. And it's still amazing to me that That was a senior point guard who had been part of a national championship team who just put the ball up for grabs. It was incredible. I identify always with the pain of coaches more than the joy. And so while it was a great moment for Furman, I just really felt for Tony Bennett, like you've got the game in control there and your senior point guard just decides to throw it up for grabs. I mean, it was an amazing moment, but it really was fun for Furman. They're actually making a documentary on their season from last year. Just three weeks ago, I did an interview with them when I was up here in New York the last time. I think Amazon is putting it out in the next month or so.

I can't believe. Let me look at his picture again. Put his picture up on the screen frozen. That is a guy. Look at him. He's haunted on behalf of Tony Bennett. And look at him, the disgust. He's still saying, Senior point guard. Tony, you did everything you could, and I see you here. I selfish Stan Van Gunney, who sees everything through the coach's prism. You're going to get your heart broken because your kid was an idiot. And that is shock and a compassion for Tony Bennett. You are not even enjoying that. Look at you. You're suffering. You're shocked.

I wasn't really suffering because I did enjoy it for Furman, but I was shocked. Not much shocks me. But not only was it a senior point guard, but T. A. Clarke, his calling card is, this is a smart point guard, and he is. I mean, that That guy is a smart player. That's what he's all about, smart and disciplined. In that moment, I don't know what happened, but he just threw the ball up for grabs. Then J. P. P. Geese, who hadn't made a three and had been struggling shooting the ball, even through their conference tournament, knocks down the biggest shot. I said to him the next day, Furman's in Greenville, South Carolina, and I I said, I was talking to him after their practice the next day, and I said, I just want to spend one day in Greenville, South Carolina as J. P. P. Geese. That's it. Just one day.

Stan, thank you for joining us from a Denver Hotel Toilet. We appreciate it. It's the first time- This is New York City. Oh, New York City. New York City Toilet. Okay. A New York City Toilet. Thank you. Stan Van Gundee, first ever appearance on the show from a New York City Toilet. Thank All right, guys.

Thank you. Spring.

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