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Welcome to the Big Sui, presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan Lebitard podcast. I'm sorry. I'm not going to apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants walking past tables to grab somebody's fries if they're just there.

That hasn't happened to you guys?

I've done it. Now, here's the Marching Man to Nowhere, Fatface, and the Habitual Liar.

This episode of the Dan Lebitard Show with Stugatz is presented by DraftKings. Draftkings, the Crown is yours.

We need a fire tailor. That was pretty rough. That was not cool. I'm mad on your behalf, man.

How did he know to pick the photo from the behind the bit video?

He's got a big smile back there, by the I just leaned over and looked through the window.

Your most insecure photo of all time.

Oh, come on.

Not great. Hey, I got breaking NASA news. Nasa? Nasa. Okay. Yeah, I've been ticked off. You've been following the asteroid. I see it in preview. Do not put that photo back up. It was up. It's off now. Okay, do not. Jason, you're a gator. You're already on thin ice. All right? So just let's chill. All right. So daily, whether or not we're going to be here past 2032, it's fluctuated. Please give me some good news. I've got bad news for you. The percentage, which had been an all-time high, 3. 2, I guess not all-time high, but NASA really wasn't around for the time of the dinosaurs, if that's what happened. Nasa has just announced new data gathered last night dropped the December 2032 impact odds of the asteroid to 0. 28%.

What?

All right, so we're good.

Already? They dropped it back down?

Let's clarify though, because I was worried that this was an Earth ender. This is just a city ender, right?

Maybe not even that.

It depends on where it hits.

But still, it's obviously all bad, but that's better than Armageddon. I was thinking- It depends on your point of view.

Our out there.

Our room out there was just pooh-poohing 3%. They're like, Oh, 3%, we're still good. I'm like, Are you guys bleeping crazy?

No. We were still good. I had read that it was too late to do anything about, which I was like, I saw Armageddon. You got plenty of time. Maybe not enough time to turn astronauts into drillers, but you certainly have enough time to turn drillers into astronauts, as Michael Bay taught us. But as this story turns, because every day we're going to have huge swings on whether or not... Nasa has lost all credibility with me because I could wake up tomorrow and you could tell me it goes up to 6%, I'll be like, All right, cool. It's been that thing the entire time.

It's following the stock market. Like what's up? It's up to 6%. Oh, no. What are we going to do? No, it's back down to 0%.

Okay, what are we doing? Just not now. We got enough going on. Look, this is not a can that you want to kick down the road too far. You should be buying gold. Well, we're bringing it all back.

Check Fork Nox.

I saw Zagaki last night, by the way. This is why I will never make fun of Mike on air ever again. He graciously gave me his courtside seats for the Miami Hurricanes game as they hosted Notre Dame last night. I sat three seats down from Brianna Stewart. One of the Notre Dame staff members was like, Yeah, we're trying to get courtside seats for Skyler Diggens, who was there, and Enrique, and Jules Lloyd, and we couldn't find any. I was sitting in Mike's seats with Lehman, and we had one empty seat next to us because we don't have any friends he would invite that wanted to see the game. We were touching wood. I was like, you could tell Skyler, she could come sit by me.

So you saw Josie?

I did. He was calling the game for ACC Extra, and it was electric.

I see him all the time, and it's never not awkward. Very awkward. He's always awkward. I mean, you've been with me to a game where I just have to walk. My walk is I have to walk right behind Josie. I think we both know. I hope he doesn't. I know he's not a fan, but a tough one for the University Miami.

They did lose by 40, but the plus side, Notre Dame is the number one ranked team in the country.

Notre Dame is really good. And look, Hannah was dealing with something. Carson Beck was at the game?

Carson Beck, he's always had the game. I was like, Is he bending the elbow? Is it full mobility?

How does he look in person?

The same.

No, I'm saying like statuesque? Does he look good?

He's large. He's taller? He's big. But also- His hair is small. Cavendars are both smaller. That's a Philly.

It's always sunny thing. The Cavendars, what? They're small. Yeah, the Cavendars are very tiny.

Also, Notre Dame made these 3D printed pocket-sized point guard little figurines for their backcourt, Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles. Olivia Miles is electric. Hannah Hidalgo is great, and everyone I don't know that, but Olivia Miles, electric, one of the greatest passers in the women's game. Seeing her in person was... I mean, her court vision is crazy. But anyways, I got these cute little figurines. I got a question about the figurine. Then I met Olivia Miles after the game. We took a picture together. It was so cute.

So you It's really 3D printed, but what's the line between 3D printed and just whatever we used to do that wasn't 3D printed?

Like handmade?

No. How would we make a little plastic figurine before 3D printed?

Chatgpt.

I don't know. I guess it depends what it's made.

A little machine would make it. Maybe a mold?

Yeah, but- We'll get on that. Crack research staff just asked.

Reach out to the Innovation Lab in South Bend that printed these bad boys.

But Haley Cavender is a brilliant passer. Going to those games are a great experience. Jess, actually, look, there was plenty of reason. Miami season hasn't gone well.

It's a good atmosphere. It's a good environment. I went to the Notre Dame Miami Men's game, which was a Saturday night game a couple of weeks ago. That's toxic. I told three teens sitting behind me, I was going to call their parents if they didn't shut up because they were being very loud and they were being very inappropriate and saying inappropriate things behind me. They left, and then they stopped. I got my mom voice down. I scoled some kids.

I had an unnamed producer from the other room tell me the other day that the UM Men's Basketball team is one of the worst teams he's ever seen play.

They haven't seen Notre Dame's men's basketball team.

This is the worst UN men's basketball team I've ever seen. For them to waste all that momentum from back to back really deep runs in the men's tournament is really heartbreaking. I mean, as you know, I was a blue blood. I knew ball better than anybody when it came to college hoops. You were. No. You should be in my house when Cindy asked me, Hey, we're going to the game, and I just laugh her out of a room. I I literally would rather do anything else.

Well, it's a very exciting time to be a women's college hoops fan and a women's basketball fan in general with Unrivaled tonight. Just a lot of fun things happening. If you're someone like me who didn't watch NBA All-Star or the Four Nations tournament because you're watching college hoops, there's a lot coming up this weekend, so very exciting time.

I should clarify. It's a men's hoops team. I love going to the women's games, and I know that this season has been disappointing.

No, you clarify. Don't worry. Women's games, electric, men's But Hannah Cavender played in that game.

Hannah Cavender had her car stolen. Carson Beck had- Two cars stolen. Have you read the details? This was a home invasion. While they were sleeping, the men went into their home and grabbed the keys, and that's how they sold all three cars. That is terrifying. It's hugely terrifying. Really unfortunate and scary situation. They caught the guy that did it, who confessed to it in the entire plan.

And they got their cars back?

They got their cars back intact. Quite honestly, you can talk yourself into it.

That's why Stugatz isn't here today.

That's why Stugatz isn't here today. Look, everyone was having to go at Miami, move to Miami, see what happens. Look, I'm not going to issue the banter back. Like, maybe stealing the car from a Georgia Bulldog's a public service. But the case is closed, so everyone is good. Hey, did you know MLS is back this weekend? No? No one knew?

It was back because Messi played in negative 19 degrees. That wasn't MLS.

I was curious to No, that was not MLS.

We did talk soccer yesterday.

So you guys are aware that Messi played in a game that was below zero, the coldest game that he's ever- That we mentioned.

And that wasn't MLS.

It was on FS2.

And Tony made a great Tua joke.

It was on FS2.

Fs2.

And this was just the first leg. They're going to play Sporting Kansas City to win the Concacaf Champions Cup, hopefully. But MLS is back this weekend. Look, most people did not know that Leo Messi was playing a game in Kansas City in sub-zero temperatures. Mls, not really part of the national conversation, even though it's coming back this week. I have a storyline that many people may not be aware of. Here's a storyline that I think I'm breaking to everybody, but maybe Jess, because I've texted Jess about this. There is a player on FC Cincinnati, Peter Mangione. Do we have a photo of this soccer player on FC Cincinnati? It's certainly a familiar surname. That is because he is Luigi's cousin. Luigi's cousin plays for FC Cincinnati. Their kit sponsor, anybody want to guess the kit sponsor for FC Cincinnati?

Oh, no.

They have a health care provider as their kit sponsor. No way. As their kid sponsor. I'm pretty sure no one knows about this. They do now. They do now. But look, if you're waiting, if you've been waiting for the right moment to politicize them last year, here is your chance. Luigi He's Gus and plays for FC Cincinnati.

Peter didn't get the eyebrows from the family tree, the genetics.

God gave all of his eyebrows to Luigi.

You do.

They are great brows. That wraps up our MLS preview. Good coverage. It's great coverage.

What the hell was the game that Messi played? If it wasn't MLS, what was it? Can somebody tell me what it was?

It's a Conca Caffe Champions Cup.

Oh, of course. Yes.

But I'm not exactly sure.

I know what Conca Caffe is.

But Tony definitely does. No, it's Conca Caffe. It's different from MLS Cup, which is different from another cup. League's Cup. League's Cup, right, which is also part of the MLS, I think.

I'm assuming Inter Miami qualified for the Conca Caffe Champions Cup because they won the Supporter Shield. They had Messi. No. Supporters Shield. They won the Supporters Shield because they had Messi, no doubt. So that gets them there. Man, I could not tell you who won MLS last year. I'm just drawing a blank here, and I like the sport. I follow it occasionally.

It feels like an Atlanta United year.

Wasn't it Los Angeles, the Galaxy? No. No? That feels right. Was it LA versus LA in the final? No, it was LA versus New York City. This is electric content. I think it was. Well, either way, Sporting Kansas City somehow got the other spot, and they lost the first leg in.

Yes, the Galaxy won.

Can someone find out how Sporting Kansas City made this thing? This is an electric- Seeing that LA Galaxy beat the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Championship 2024. All right. So it wasn't NYCFC, which is who Inter Miami start this season off against. I'm fanned with folks. I mean, I've been through the Ringer. It's only so much we could do. I've been through the Ringer.

I've been on a mission to watch every Oscar-nominated film before the Academy Awards next weekend. Who do you have left? Five Deep. I have a lot left. I watched five out of the 12-ish that I have on my list. I'm debating next if I should watch the Timothée Chalamey, Bob Dylan biopic, or if I should watch Wicked, which I still haven't seen, which I heard is amazing. The problem is a lot of these movies are plus two hours long. It's just a big time commitment, and it's hard. I want to crush three in a day, and that's my whole day. What have you seen already? I've seen Anora, which I really enjoyed. I saw Amelia Perez, which was a baffling film. I've seen- You see What again? Conclave, which I also really enjoyed, and- Poignant. A Real Pain, which I also enjoyed with Kieran Colkin.

I didn't like A Real Pain. Really? Why not? Because I thought, I understand why he's getting all the fanfare, and it feels like a bunch of movie people are watching Kieran Colkin for the time.

But he's playing a similar character to Roman Roy? Because I've heard people say that. He's just playing a a shithead little brother character.

For me, I understand there's an audience for it, and I'm sure there are connection points for a ton of people in that I didn't have connection points.

I did really. Actually, you're right. I think his character was good, and I think there was enough depth that I don't think it was that similar to succession, but I could see where you're coming from. The plot, there wasn't any It's just like a travel log through Poland with the two cousins as they're trying to grapple with their pain and suffering, but also their ancestral pain and suffering. I thought it was well done. No doubt. It was definitely a big moment for Indiana University because Jesse Eisenberg war in Indiana had the entire film. But I liked it. I liked it more than the substance, Mike, which I know is your favorite.

I like the substance more because of the audacity of it. Since I didn't have the connection points to a real pain, I went specifically for what I heard was a great Kieran Colken performance, and I saw just Kieran Colken. I wasn't blown away by the performance. He does a solid job. So without the connection points, it didn't do much for me. I understand why people don't like the substance, by the way. And I think you and I were talking about there's a plot hole.

Okay, this is not really a spoiler, but if you haven't seen the substance and you don't want to know anything about it, skip ahead 30 seconds. But the premise of the substance is that Demi Moore takes the substance. She's like an aging fitness A-list celebrity star in Hollywood, and she takes the substance to be younger, question mark. But a younger body hatches out of her body, and then every seven days they switch back. So the younger body is unconscious, and then Demi Moore is out in the world. Then there's some twists and turns later in the movie. But my question is, there's a younger body that is out in the world while Demi Moore is passed out in her bathroom. But Demi Moore and the younger body, they're technically supposed to be the same entity.

You are one. The whole thing is you are one.

But they have different- Time cop? Consciousnesses, because Demi Moore doesn't remember what the younger body is doing or experience being in the younger body, and the younger person doesn't have the experience of Demi Moore when she's awake. It's very confusing.

I'm like, what is the- Maybe skip 45 seconds.

What is the appeal, if you're Demi Moore, of taking the substance if you are still in the same body and you don't get to be the younger version?

You don't get to actually enjoy it. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Or you have no recollection of enjoying it. When they really hammer home that you are one, well, of course, one of them is going to go all wonky on the other and be greedy with their time with the substance. So I do think it's not a perfect film at all, but I did like its audacity. I did like that the performances were visceral and they went for it the way that they shot it. Oh, yeah.

The effects were amazing and the acting was good and it was disgusting to to watch, and so it gets major points for that.

I need to get to Conclave, but so far, Anora is my favorite.

I love how many different... They really nailed it with all the different types of cardinals.

They really hammered home the message about beauty in Hollywood and the substance. I mean, and sexism. No sexism. No, no. No, no. Dennis Quid.

Dennis Quid was disgusting. Just a foul mouth man. Job well done. Gross. Eating shrimp. Maybe nauseous.

While we're catching up on Jess's movies she's watched, let me catch you up on the Venmo Bucket presented by Venmo. A It's a great week for the fines, honestly. Only Dan was fined yesterday, $1 for a mistake. We're going to have to step this up next week. My dad had to do something earlier this week that was finable. But one fine this week from the Venmo Fine Bucket, $1 for Dan making a mistake.

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Don Lebatard. Mike Brian's in there, and he's the one with a baby.

He's the one who's got to worry about what the future is.

And Mike Ryan bet on DraftKings because Mike Ryan bet on us.

This is the bet you're afraid of doubling down on?

Putting up a billboard in Edmonton? Still Stugats. I care more about Matthew Kachuk than I do my daughter. This is the Dan Levatard show with the Stugatz. Zack Martin retired yesterday. I know.

So sad.

He's just 34 years old. I guess we're not really allowed to be shocked by retiring environments in the NFL all that much. Aaron Donald retired, although we had been able to brace for Aaron Donald because there was that chatter there. Zack Martin really shocked me. Jess, he's a member. A legend.

The greatest guard of all time.

Notre Dame legend. Yeah, definitely a Notre Dame legend. I know he's gone through some injury, but this surprised me. Should I have been surprised?

I don't know. I wasn't that surprised. I mean, he's made so much money with the Cowboys. I don't know exactly what triggered it now, whether it was just not wanting to sign another extension or whatever his contract situation was, but I don't know. It feels like he has been in the league a long time, and it is a very taxing position. Michael Jr. Is the expert of all things Zack Martin, so you should have him on just to ask about something.

Yeah, I guess I'm not allowed to be surprised anymore when someone retires, especially someone that has made their money. That gets me to Dalton Connect, who I want to talk about because there were actually developments on this story, Jeremy. It would seem that the trade... Everyone's pointing their fingers at the Lakers right now for this Dalton Connect failed trade. Update the people, and then I want to talk about how people are psychoanalyzing Dalton Connect, which is a little unfair.

By the way, Bruce Matthews would like a word.

Essentially, it seems as though the Lakers are the ones that went back on the trade with Mark Williams because of the physical. And so they end up with Dalton Connect coming back to their team, Mark Williams going back to the Hornets. It was just a really awkward time. Jj Reddick, when Dalton Connect had missed a game before the All-Star break, to me, left Dalton Connect hung out to dry by telling everyone that he still needed time to process what had gone down, because to me, as a coach, you're supposed to shield players from that thing. But it let the media and a whole bunch of people on social media go after Connect. It let Mark Williams go back to Charlotte. It's just been one of the awkward things I've ever seen. I think there was a tweet yesterday or a post from Mark Williams that I'll try to go find now. It was from Jeff Schwartz.

It came out and said, There's nothing wrong with Mark Williams. The Lakers were wrong about this. There's been independent doctors that have come in and basically cleared Mark Williams of, Hey, this guy has not damaged goods. Because the other thing is, he's coming up on a contract this upcoming year, and you look around saying, Well, if the Lakers denied a trade, why would we pay him any money? What leverage to the Hornets have at all? So that post by Jeff Schwartz was like, All right, wait a second. Mark Williams is good. The Lakers just had buyer's remorse.

The official quote from Jeff Schwartz of XL Sports Management is, The overwhelming sentiment after conferring with multiple nationally recognized doctors is that the Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical.

Well, that changes the narrative quite a bit because the onus was falling on the hornets. You played this guy to increase his trade value was the narrative that was going along there. But I want to focus on the Dalton Connecting. You said something interesting. I agree. Jj Reddick should have done a better job here. He's still learning. This is a teachable moment. It would have only bought so much time because remember, Dalton Connect, maybe because of the actions of JJ Reddick and how he exacerbated some of this stuff. He sat out some of the Rising Stars stuff, the All-Star Weekend stuff. At that point, you don't have your coach there to protect you. You're going to have to start answering some questions there. I have a tough time with this one, and I understand where people are coming from. This is a business. You know what you're getting into. You've been grooming for this moment your entire life. You get to the league. You understand the association is a business. It didn't work out. You go back to a place that you don't feel wanted. I do actually think that this newest revelation does make it easier for the Lakers to welcome Dalton Connect back in that, Look, we failed him.

We shouldn't have. That's because we knew how special you were, Dalton.

Man, that's a hell of a spin.

Look, you got to make it the most of it. It's like if you traded Stugatz to FS1, and then he failed a physical, and we were like, Oh, come Come back.

Man, we had immediate regret. Look, it's clandestine that you are coming back. Dalton Connect, I'm willing to... I don't think I've ever seen a situation quite like this before, so I understand there's no playbook for it. The way that I've been processing it, and before, I don't have a take on this, where I've settled is he hasn't made his money yet. So the spoiled athlete trope that you hear, go out there and understand the business, he hasn't made his money in this league yet. So I don't think that's necessarily... We're dealing with a very human thing. I think because it's framed in sports, everyone feels like they can disassociate how awkward that must be as someone that has previously walked into a building where he knew with full certainty that he wasn't necessarily welcome there or wanted there at that time. I understand how difficult it is to go about your job and to to try to maintain a level of professionalism that then again, you are contracted to actually play. I don't know how much he's participating in some of the other stuff, though. I'm sure there'll be a big investigative piece on it, and hopefully it comes out on the other side, but I'm willing to not rush to judgment here.

But I do hear a lazy trope on social media when it comes to spoiled athletes, and I don't think that applies here. He's not this multimillionaire.

Well, especially because his story is so interesting interesting, right? He was a guy who played junior college basketball and then transferred two more times before ending up at Tennessee. And then a first-round pick who had moments. He had nine threes in a game for the Lakers. During the summer league, he was like white boy of the month for the NBA, where everybody was obsessed with him. And oh, my God, look at this dude hitting threes in the Laker. Yeah, he was supposed to be the steal of the draft after the draft had happened. Everybody's upset that they passed on him. He's going to be the spectacular player. And then a little bit of struggle as a rookie, and then all of a sudden you're shipped to a team in Charlotte that's one of the worst teams in the league. You had just been playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It's a strange thing to happen to a young 20-something, and he's not someone who has been through the business in the same way. He's not even the type of guy who we're going to start seeing who dealt with NIL in college and so saw some of what the business was like.

This is basically Duncan Robinson. But if Duncan had so much at Michigan to be able to also be a first-round pick, so it was the coolest story in the Lakers that embraced him, and then all of a sudden, he's discarded. I can understand how he would want to take a moment and take a beat before returning to the team.

I've been told that Tony has a hot take that's too hot for this room. So, Tony, we've prepared a place where you can formulate this hot take and unleash it on the feature. It better not be with Arbrials. It's not. But we are sending you away to Asana, I believe. I love the Asana. So you can deliver this take.

Oh, I'm jealous.

Yeah, I'm sorry, suckers.

I love Asana. This better be the hottest take I've ever heard in my life. It better be.

And it better be focused on the NBA because as I've already said-I know you haven't been watching, so I want to get you up to speed with something that you may hear at first and be like, Well, yeah, of course.

But then I'm going to give you some extra stuff, a little extra heat.

Okay. Thank you. All right. Well, let's get over there. I want to inject the story lines now in the NBA because is, as I've stated, sports in Shambles, just lost the face of the league, has a terrible All-Star game. Miami Heat or crap.

You could have started with that one. The Miami Heat or crap? Because the rest trickle out after that.

No doubt, and I will readily admit this, it's awfully convenient for me to say the NBA is in shambles when my team is no good. I know. Yes, I'll wear it. My investment in this league was my team being good as the sport itself got less feeling to watch for me. When the team started going about the regular season a certain way, I responded in kind. Then it was very disheartening to know that I knew better about the direction of the franchise and the franchise did. And so that's where I'm at. And then I start seeing all the other flaws. If I'm not invested to watch my own team, I'm certainly not invested to watch other people not care about their sport. So that's where I'm at with it. And hopefully, there's peaks and valleys. Baseball figured something out. I watched that World Series. Granted, it was New York versus LA. But look, Yankees, we got on Groomed Beards now. Still can't believe that. We did stuff to the shift. The games are moving faster. And the NFL a couple of years ago was at the same point. The sport wasn't as watchable. They had to change the rules.

You had the Kaepernick stuff. There was politics. Everybody was just exhausted. You had people saying, The UFC is going to be bigger than the NFL. The NBA is going to be bigger than the NFL. The I think they'll figured all that stuff out. I think that the NBA is at one of those points where they need to bring it in tight, do what's best for business, and change something. But I'm a little distracted by what I'm seeing right now because I wasn't fully prepared. I was not fully prepared for how this was going to go down for Tony's hot take. All right, that is a bit of a shock.

Hey, good for Mally.

Yeah. Now, Mally is sleeper.

We're not showing it yet. We're waiting. He was right. They're still previewing the shots. They don't reveal it yet, guys.

Mally is sleeper. Oh, man, the cockles of my heart are warmed right now as I'm watching first take and Steven A. Smith have to formulate hockey opinions. This is great. This is actually a great proving ground for him as he's going to have to one day possibly talk about the Balkans.

Well, they're doing it through the prism of, how can this impact other sports? So they're like, Hey, Steven A, just bring it to other sports.

Yeah, which is why they're dragging out PK and Damian Woody as well.

Damian Woody was there, too.

Well, Damian Woody is an Alana fan, so I can I'm going to pass. But Steven A Smith?

Well, it's particularly interesting as MLB and ESPN have announced their mutual separation moving forward after the season.

Is that Amazon?

I'm not sure where it goes. Amazon or Apple do seem like the logical places, and that Apple has already created a TV package around MLS and has learned how to do that.

And they have an MLB game.

And they have an MLB game already. Amazon, obviously, just announced a partnership with the network regionally that carries so many teams and allows-Well said.

Well, avoiding some things there. We're giving you credit, though. Thank you. You keep it going. I appreciate it.

That was Ernest. I'm totally stopped. I said it in my sarcastic voice, but it was Ernest. Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Well said.

That's better. Is that It's a lot better, actually.

That's much better.

It felt condescending, but it wasn't.

The first one, it couldn't have sounded more condescending.

Well said.

I think everyone understands your position. Thank you.

There's so many confused people listening, though.

Nonetheless-for people like me that once they realized, Oh, you're going to charge me what for that? No, thanks.

There's a package for that network to be on Amazon Prime video now. With that, you would think that that's a space where a certain network in Amazon Prime might be interested in getting in with MLB. Clearly, Major League Baseball, in what their statement was, this was a mutual thing. They talked about ESPN being a declining network. As they try to figure out how to discuss hockey, they're leaning away from talking about baseball. This is one of the most interesting inflection points in all sports. Nfl is the only thing that we understand exactly how it works in terms of TV nationally, and it's going to stay that way. But hockey has had recent changes. Base is about to go through a change. Basketball is about to go through a change, going with Amazon Prime and NBC, which you can only hope those two networks will know how to market the game better than ESPN has in the last 15 years. Because all ESPN has done is react to the decision and decide that, oh, ratings go up the decision, let's make everything about transactions.

Mls went through this change as well, and I don't think it was a good change.

Yeah, it's not always a good one. That's what's interesting here.

I don't know how Sporting Kansas City is eligible for the Concacaf Champions Cup. That's not a thing that happened to me before when these games were more accessible. Now, I couldn't really follow most of the league because the way that they stacked their games was a lot in the same window, but I was locked in on what Inter Miami were doing. Now, I'm just living my life once I got priced out of those season tickets. I got to tell you, there is an accessibility factor.

A hundred %. That's why the NFL is the NFL, right? You're getting it on CBS, on Fox. You're getting it nationally televised on broadcast television, where Dan brought up yesterday or maybe several days ago that the Heats ratings are down 56 %. A lot of that has to do with fans who no longer are able to access the games via whatever their cable subscription might be and don't want to pay for whatever the monthly subscription is, and in turn, have been priced out regionally, and the Panthers are no longer on that network. So if you're a Panthers fan, you're watching via a different means. We're not factoring in all of those things.

That is a key one because if- That's a huge one.

There are plenty of Panthers and Heat fans who were watching Heat games as a result of the fact that they felt they needed to watch every Panthers game. And obviously at a time, that would have worked vice versa as well. But when you have the Panthers holding things up, there's There's some people there. There's some people with cable networks. So these things are shifting in a way that's really fascinating right now. In the next five or so years, for several of these different league are going to show us who is the second league after the NFL.

Well, I thought it was going to be the NBA. Globally, they are still- It still is, and it probably will be. Yeah. Well, I mean, if we look globally, the NFL isn't even first. It's soccer. Of course. We're talking in the United States. Which is so strange that soccer can't make a dent here despite loads investment. But the NBA, because of its global reach, because of the fact that its best players are international, you would think that that is in a really good spot. But here in home base, where the sport was invented, it's at a troubling time right now in its history. But I think Tony is here to rescue the sport somehow by pushing a topic that can be talked about on cable television and promote big games. So, Tony, we now have you in the sauna. Hey, Mally, congratulations, pal. That's a good job by You can tell a lot by who decided to go with the towel around the waist and the towels over the shoulders. But, Tony, what is your hot take that we sent you to a sauna for?

Well, me and the boys are here in the sauna just hanging out. We got Mike, we got Mally, obviously here flexing, doing his thing. We've got Ethan, who's... Sorry, a lot of sweat here. Ethan in a jersey for some reason inside the sun.

Just never stops wearing a hockey jersey.

A lot of jersey there for the kid. All right, Mike, you haven't been paying attention to the NBA, but I want to tell you this, okay? Sga minus 500 to win the MVP. Really? Minus 500 to win the MVP. He's not good. He's been arguably the best player on the planet. The reason why I am going to make this a hot take is because I don't think he should win the MVP. Shane Gillis Alexander, or Shane Gillis Alexander, as Dan likes to call him, should not win the MVP. The MVP should go to Nikola Jokić. Now, I know you're going to tell me, Mike, I know you're not watching the NBA. Obviously, he's the best player on the planet. He's the best player in the world. Of course, he should win the MVP. The reason why, and I want to bring in Jeremy, too, to help me with this because I know he's in on the analytics and the numbers. Jokić, when he's on the floor A lot of sweat in the sauna. It's more of a steam room than I'm.

I can't stop looking at Mali.

I haven't heard a word that Tony said right now. I'm just looking at the top four abs of Mali.

All right, so Jokić... Don't touch me, Mali. Jokić is the best player on the planet and his offensive rating when him and the Nuggets are on the floor together, when he's on the floor, is one of the greatest of all time. The best net offensive rating were the Celtics of last year, When Jokić is on the floor with the Nuggets, they are the best team offensively, maybe ever. When he's off the floor, they are as good as... Here you go, Maly. Use that, buddy. But watch out. Here you go. Thank you. When Jokuj is off the floor, they are basically the equivalent of the 2015, 2016 Philadelphia 76ers who were obviously the tank teams who were terrible. So Jokić, even though he's won three out of four MVPs, Man, it's a lot of sweat.

Even though it is hot. It's getting hot in here, too.

Ethan, why don't you take off that sweater? There you go. Ethan's going to take it off now. Here we go.

Do you think Mally-He's got another shirt underneath of him. Do you think Mally shaves his chest?

Do you shave your chest, Mally?

Hell, yeah, Ethan.

He does. That's more my speed.

I'm more Ethan's speed.

Oh, a little chest hair on the boy. Okay. With that, Nicole Jokić should win a fourth MVP in the last five years because he is literally the greatest player on the planet. If you take him off the nuggets, they are terrible. They are the worst team maybe in the last decade of offensive rating. Jeremy, can you back me up on these claims?

Yeah, I mean, their disparity when he's on the floor versus off the floor is dramatic. They're the number two seed in the Western Conference, a Western conference that has been unbelievably competitive. Now, the one thing, Tony, to Shay's advantage would be that they are running away with the Western conference, and he has been so efficient and so dominant. But the Jokits are not a team with a great supporting cast around Jokić, and it's proven in the numbers you're talking about. Back in November, we were talking about this, and I brought up that when he was on the floor, they had the greatest offensive rating of all time. In history. When he was off the floor, they had one of the worst offensive ratings you would ever get over a full season. That's the disparity of when he's there. He's such a singular dominant force. When you're talking, like we've spoken about on this show before about value, there's nothing more valuable than someone who literally makes you one of the best teams ever when he's on the floor and one of the worst teams ever when he's off of it.

That's the steam you hear, by the way.

I was trying to figure out what that was.

I didn't know if it was a flush.

He's making it hotter in there.

I didn't know if it was a Dukey bomb. I don't know what happened there.

Sounds like a Dukey bomb.

You would think from this bit that Finland won the Four Nations Cup.

You would think that.

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Just to To be clear, we did the sponsored segment for a hot take, and the hot take was the best player in the world should win the MVP. Yes.

Yes. Theoretically, yes, which is why it's a hot take. You go full circle on, well, he's the best player in the world. Obviously, he should win the MVP, but then there's somebody who's got more... Damn it. Mally's just sweating all over the place. Mike, you want to come in here and switch place with me so you can be next to Mally?

Mally can come into this studio. I'll tell you that right now.

What's going on in that tab?

I feel bad for the podcast audience because the only reward for this segment, it seems to be the visual component, and Mally has won it.

This is a star-making turn. Mike, you have an ab now. Why are you in there?

I have two. I think I have two now. Thank you for the shout-out.

I told you I would give your abs a shout-out for the courtside seats.

I appreciate that. That was just for the close friends, but they wouldn't know that because Taylor had to pick that photo earlier in the show. All right, Tony, come back in here because I want to talk UFC with you as we try to de-politicize sports for a moment. I'd like to talk about UFC Miami. You can feel free to wear your wardrobe. But Jess, you mentioned you're doing your deep dive on the Oscars and how time-consuming that is. I'm in a similar boat. I've got a lot to watch, so I need you to essentially cut out two films. Now, I'm pretty sure Amelia Perez, that's done. We're not doing that one. But I need another one that you just know that I'm not going to jive with because I know I got to watch Conclave. I've had way too many people tell me that Conclave is a banger. So what What should be next on my chopping block?

Conclave is a banger. Have you seen Anora?

I loved Anora. Okay.

I knew you would.

More sex in that film than I've ever seen in my entire life. Really? Yeah. I read this article that said the Oscars are afraid of sex because certain films didn't get nominated. And I'm like, there is more sex in Anora than you can possibly imagine.

There is a lot of sex in that film. It's a very good movie. I haven't seen it yet, but I've heard Don't waste your time with The Brutalist.

So The Brutalist is like three and a half hours long. Exactly. I think it just went on a video on demand. I need to see The Brutalist. Man, It was the odds on favorite. And then this AI controversy spring around the brutalist, which I don't get all too much. I saw the director speak on this AI controversy, for those that don't know, in postproduction, they used artificial intelligence to refine Hungarian accents to make it more authentic rather than just let the performances speak for themselves, which sometimes is a good thing. Look, if you watch Blake lively in the town, you wish that they use some artificial intelligence because I don't know what that accent was.

Oh, man. I know you haven't seen the new season of White Lotus yet, but Parker Posey and Jason Isaacs are getting killed for their Durham accents, which I love.

Sometimes Yeah, accents can be a huge distraction. I don't know how many people would be nitpicking the Hungarian accents, but this seems to be a big betrayal of artistry. But I thought the director acquitted himself nicely in that, Look, we're trying to make an authentic film that speaks to certain people, and you literally want to speak to them. You don't want them to be turned off. Yeah.

I also get people that are concerned with the AI creep into the arts. But yeah, there is a lot of AI used for certain programs on computers and cameras and things like that that are widely accepted. But I think it's a worthwhile to borrow Chris and Steve Outz's line. I think it's a worthwhile debate, and it's still something that I don't know if anyone has really a perfect answer for yet because there's helpful uses for it, but also we should maintain some humanity in the arts.

We should have had this entire discussion with Mally Shirtless.

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