Hour 1: The Villanova Knicks
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The tequila that invented tequila. Go to Cuervo.com to shop tequila or visit a store near you. Cuervo, now's a good time. Trademarks owned by Bekle. SAB, the CV. Copyright 2024. Proximo. Jersey City, New Jersey. Please drink responsibly. This is the Dan Levitar Show with the Stugatz Podcast. Stugatz just said to me as we got David Sampson lined up here, man, Sampson sounds terrible.

He said you sound sick. You were sick during the most recent episode of The Sporting Class. I urge everyone here to listen to that. David Sampson, John Skipper and Pablo Torre do a very good job with that. It is by consensus the most universally applauded thing that we have around here that doesn't get a whole lot of criticism. And he also does nothing personal every day. He starts at 8 a.m. every day doing it. But are you sick?

I am, but I was supposed to be in St. Louis last night doing a live show and I could not make it on the plane. So it was postponed to July 22nd. I have never not posted like that, which Dan should give you an idea of how bad it is. Yeah, you don't miss stuff. Duty and responsibility are things that you take very seriously. So what is happening with you? Because you're working very hard, doing the daily show every day is quite a lift. What's going on with you?

I'm not sure. I think it doesn't matter. Let's talk. There's so many great things to talk about right now that I don't want to talk about it. There are many people in way worse shape than I am. I'm doing just fine, Dan. Thank you very much, though. OK, well, he says you sound terrible. And so I just wanted to at least pretend to show something in the way of concern. We'll move on to two topics of the day. Yeah, he doesn't want it.

He doesn't want it, so I'm taking it back. And now I'm claiming that I'm... You're no longer concerned, all right. Well, I was pretending to be concerned, and now I'm just claiming to pretend to be concerned. The Panthers win the Stanley Cup, and I was talking before you came on here about what a unique opportunity this is to build something the way that Tampa has built something so that Florida ends up feeling a little more like Canada.

Can you explain to us what you think the opportunity is in front of the Panthers right now because they've got a team that's built to last? Well, there's two types of opportunities. The first is on ice, and I think that DraftKings has them as the favorite to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. We know how difficult that is to repeat as anything. The real thing

issue for me is how are they going to off the ice change the fortunes of the team? And this group with Matt Caldwell and Vinny Viola, they've done a great job. It's not like the your mark days. They're not giving tickets away. The corporate sponsorship deals are much more on market and mark to market than they used to be.

But right now, you've got to convert your season ticket holders into bigger packages, meaning full 41-game packages. You need to increase your prices, and you need to get your menu of corporate opportunities increased. And then the hope is that people will continue to buy your product, and then you've got to win on the ice again. And not necessarily a Stanley Cup, but you've got to back this up with deep,

NHL playoff runs over the next two out of the next three years, three out of the next five years. Then you're talking about a dynasty. The problem is South Florida has never proven to be able to actually support any sort of team long term year after year other than the Dolphins.

And I'm not even sure I can say the Dolphins, given they've been so bad for so long. You could say the Heat. The last 20 years, they've got more sellouts than anybody. What are you shaking your head no about? No, I actually would remember a time in between Shaq and LeBron. Did they not? And I'm not making this up. I don't believe I believe they closed the upper deck. 400 level had a curtain covering it. Yeah.

Over the last 15 years, they've done nothing but sell out every game. Over the last 15 years. Yeah, since LeBron was here, that curtain has gone away. I haven't seen the 400-level curtain at all. Even in the in-between years where it was no LeBron and no Jimmy Butler. But David's saying when they're bad, no one shows up, essentially.

I'm saying that what makes a sports city one of the best is that by hook or by crook, you are going to have lengthy 30-year windows where your revenue continues to increase, where the value of your team continues to go up, and fans are so engaged with your team that it doesn't matter if you have a moment.

And the Panthers have not proven that, nor have the Marlins, nor have the Heat, nor have the Dolphins, really. I could say that. And I'm not in any way impugning Miami as a sports city. Man, we're so successful. We have so many championships in our group of four professional teams, forgetting Inter-Miami trying to become one of the top four, and maybe already is, although Inter, Fort Lauderdale, whatever you call them. So Miami's fantastic, but I'm talking about

In terms of actually the support, the problem with Florida is the corporate support on this side of the state is just not what it is elsewhere. David, how real, I guess, in your opinion or with your expertise is a sellout streak like that? Because like I've never found it hard to get heat tickets if I wanted to get them.

it's something that's really good pr if you can say you have a sellout streak and then you just choose a day where you're going to stop it they did that at fenway park and and you can look and even when they're sellouts there are pockets of seats at upper levels that are not used but you can buy those tickets during the course of the game yourself which is what i used to do but not to make it a sellout i just would do it to increase the announced attendance

but it's supposed to make you feel good about being in a cool place. And what Florida has done a great job, the Panthers, it's cool to be in sunrise. You guys tried to make it uncool by showing nobody around, but that's your shtick. Like Greg's parade in front of nobody, that's your shtick. But as a team executive, you want it to be cool to be a part of the Panthers' world, and that's what you're going to see next year, hopefully. David, there are actually rumors already that they want to move to Fort Lauderdale. Should they?

They're not going anywhere for at least 20 years. No, they've got a long-term lease. Where are these rumors coming from? I saw on the local news the other day that they were looking at arenas. They're looking at places and plots of land in Fort Lauderdale because they don't like being out in Sunrise. And I've got to be honest with you, that's an insult to the great people of Sunrise who have supported that hockey team and the surrounding area. Davey, Plantation, up at Parkland, Coral Springs. They're not going out.

Billy, what is he doing? You'll see what's happening. You created a lie and now you're offended on behalf of people for this lie that you created that doesn't actually exist? They're looking at Fort Lauderdale just off of Las Olas. Look it up. Did you look to see where the parade route was? And you're like, oh, they're going to do the parade in Fort Lauderdale. All right, look it up is the move that he gives you when he doesn't want to look something up. I don't have to look it up. I saw it.

The team is not moving to Fort Lauderdale. We'll see. That is a conversation for like 20 years from now. Save it, though. We'll pick it up then. Samson, Vlad Guerrero and not being traded to the Yankees. What is happening with that story? Vlad Guerrero's son...

of Vlad Sr. You know, he is in Toronto and he is a bit of an icon there. That family name means something in baseball there. What is happening with him in the Yankees?

We get to talk baseball. It's time right now. You guys should do like a baseball segment and podcast. It is Vlad Guerrero plays for the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays are a very disappointing team. And he went on the record saying, I will never play for the Yankees. And he said, it's a family issue. The Yankees are dead to me. And then yesterday he said, well, you know, if they want to trade for me, I spoke to my dad and I guess his dad, our

former player of Vladimir Guerrero, former expo. Yeah, I guess I would play for the Yankees. It's absolutely ridiculous. He's got one year left next year before he's a free agent. The Blue Jays ought to be selling, but I don't think they will.

because their owner is a conglomerate called Rogers and they don't need to cut payroll. They don't need to retool during the course of the season that way. But the Yankees do need a first baseman because Rizzo's hurt and stinks and they've got Rice who's new but not good enough.

So Guerrero would help the Yankees. And it's very nice that he would say, I'd like to play or I would accept playing for them. But of course, players don't have a choice short of a no trade clause, which arbitration players do not have if they trade him to the Yankees. He's a Yankee.

Can you explain to me what the business reasoning is between the Marlins offering to pay for the fans streaming bill for a couple of months? Did you see this, Billy? Are you doing this? Are you going to get the Bally's app for night that you get to sign up because you live in Florida? The Marlins will pay for you to stream their games in the market.

So I, before the season, coming off of a playoff appearance and high, paid for the season pass. So I already have it. Interesting. Are you despondent now that you're not getting the $38 or $40 from the Marlins?

Does it bother you that other people are getting it free and you're not? Well, it wasn't until now. Should it? What should I do? Do I sue someone? No, what you should do is cancel your streaming app right now. I paid in advance. And then re-sign up through the Marlins and you can get the rest of the season free. But I paid in advance for the entire season because it was discounted. It was like 15% off. I don't think I could get a refund. You can get a refund or you can get accredited to next season. He loves a refund. Hold on a second. Let me read this.

So the back story here, Dan, is that the Marlins. I believe, hold on a minute. I believe we have found the one place anywhere in conversation where you will get nothing in the way of dispute from anybody. Everyone, by consensus, loves a refund. There are no people out there. At a price, though. Like, it depends the hoops they make you jump through for the refund. Well, what are they doing? What are the Marlins doing here?

so the background is this there's a dispute if you have Comcast in South Florida you know you haven't seen the Marlins games because Bally's which is your bankrupt Network showing Marlins games is not on Comcast anymore and that's because Comcast wants you to pay extra to put Bally's on a higher tier not like a basic cable tier

And Bally's is saying, no chance. We want to be on the regular tier. So Comcast said, fine, we're not going to show your network at all. So the Marlins are saying, wait a minute. No one's watching our crappy team. No one ever watched even when we were good. It's just not great ratings, not great number of households watching games. It is what it is. And so the Marlins said, we've got a PR idea.

We'll pay for people to watch games in market two months worth. And if you don't cancel, like the old Columbia House records where you have to cancel, where they keep sending you one of those balloons. What a great old reference. You are simply incapable of references that are modern day references. The clearinghouse balloons are not from this century. Right.

The Columbia discs where they would keep sending them to you if you didn't cancel. That's what Bally's is. And if you if you sign up to get the two free months and you forget to cancel, they'll just keep charging you. And then you've got the ability to stream. And the thought is that people will take advantage of this opportunity to get the two free months. Bally's doesn't.

care because it's the Marlins paying for it. The Marlins owners get to announce, hey, look at how nice we are being to our fan base that we are giving this to you, the fan for free asterisk. You're going to pay for it later. And it's all in the name of trying to get a bad product being watched by more people. I'd, of course, go the opposite way. I want fewer people watching crap. David, you're familiar with the Mandela effect, right?

The greatest example of the Mandela Effect, Mandela Effect is basically a large group of people assume, like there's an example of this. Everyone swears there's a movie in which Sinbad plays a genie. Never happened.

There's the greatest example of this is Ed McMahon and Publishers Clearinghouse. You will have people swear up and down that they got mail with Ed McMahon's face on it for Publishers Clearinghouse and it never happened. Mandela effect. Ed McMahon was never associated with Publishers Clearinghouse. And I believe that to be a lie because he absolutely was. I got those letters in the mail.

So then what's the Mandela effect? Because I got those two. I thought Ed McMahon was associated with that. Put it on the poll, Juju. Look it up. What's the Mandela effect that you're accusing? Put it on the poll, Juju, at Levitard Show. Is there a movie Sinbad played a genie in? That first package of free records, though, David, what a day. I mean, seriously. It's the greatest.

And then all of a sudden you forgot to cancel. And it's before your parents credit card or whatever credit card you were using and you get the charge and then you have to be on hold for like 20 minutes trying to cancel. And I learned how to be the president of a team from Columbia Publishing, where we made it so hard for people to get refunds. We wanted to keep their money and use it for future tickets.

All of that goes back to Columbia. I had a situation where I had ESPN Plus where I was subscribed and then I got a cable. I do like Hulu with live sports. So it comes like in my package, right? And then I couldn't cancel my other subscription because it makes you go on and sign in, not with like the original email, the original device you use.

So I'm going through all of my devices trying to figure out which device did I sign up with this on? I couldn't figure it out. And eventually I think I just canceled my card or something because I'm like, I cannot keep doing this forever, keep paying double subscriptions because I don't remember how I subscribed for this.

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as they block out the noise and put in the work. Hydrate your grind with Powerade. Grab a pack today on Amazon or at a store near you. See product label for additional details. It takes more. Don Levitard. Go pee-pee. Stugatz. Go pee-pee. This is the Don Levitard Show with the Stugatz.

Mike, how is your search going right now for the questions that you're being asked from every corner of the shipping container? I've got the Mandela effect here. There's several different examples, but Ed McMahon and the Publishers Clearinghouse is one of them because apparently all of these people remember Ed McMahon showing up on doorsteps, handing oversized checks to people, and it never happened. It's just an example of something that everyone collectively remembers,

But didn't actually happen. Sort of like how everyone thinks the Monopoly man had a monocle, but he's never had a monocle. Put it on the poll, please, at Levitard Show. Did the Monopoly man ever have a monocle? Yes or no? Because I also thought that he had a monocle and I would have sworn I would have sworn Ed McMahon gave out those checks.

My recollection is that he's on the mail that comes to you, not that he actually went to the house. He may have been in a commercial at some point giving people the oversized check. How many of you thought you won publishing clearance house? I'm OK to admit it. I got the letters and I was young enough where I actually thought that I was a winner. And it turns out that I wasn't.

Can you explain? You just told us, you mentioned ESPN Plus, and ESPN is trying to keep up during the streaming days. That happened to me once with a Taco Bell Batman Forever promotion, which I got Bruce Wayne twice, and I swore I wanted Batmobile, but instead I just wanted Mountain Dew. Every single time I got Park Place, I thought, man, I'm just one boardwalk away from winning McDonald's Monopoly, just to find out everyone got Park Place, and then finding out in a documentary, oh, it was rigged.

I'm fairly certain I won that Batmobile and I got screwed over by an employee that's driving around Westchester with a Batmobile. That documentary was good. I like that documentary. I like anything. There's a Price is Right documentary, too, on how it is. That guy was robbed. That guy was robbed. Did you see? I don't remember what it was for, but it was another contest documentary where someone

was entitled to a fighter jet because he jumped through all the hoops that he needed for the fighter jet. And they said, nope, never mind. That was Pepsi, wasn't it? Wasn't that a Pepsi promotion? I think it was Pepsi. I reviewed that on Nothing Personal, and it turns out that it wasn't an actual fighter jet, but he spent his life trying to get the actual fighter jet.

Well, he got enough. He got enough Pepsi or whatever it is that he needed to get in order to qualify for something that the people who created the fighter jet promotion never considered as a real thing. You can't give away a fighter jet. They never imagined someone would do it? You can't. You've got to have somewhere in the small print the fighter jet thing is a joke.

We have the Pepsi fighter jet commercial. All right, let's play for the people the Pepsi fighter jet commercial. You tell us whether you believe that somebody should have, under these circumstances, if they collected enough redeemable things, should have indeed gotten a fighter jet courtesy of Pepsi. That seems to have some liability issues attached to it. Do we have volume?

Okay, we don't have that. Billy, I would caution you in that seat ever. Don't listen to video. It's dangerous to listen to video without knowing that they have their stuff in order. I mean, he has to trust them once in a while. No, I say that we've got enough evidence there that it's a risky proposition. Video, you want to try again to play the Pepsi video? Give him a second. I've got a question for David in the meantime. David, I don't know if you're following along this billboard saga that we have. Our show is once again embroiled in a billboard saga.

I am. Dan wants to put up some billboards. Has he reached out to you for your advice in this stuff? I am very much, let's stop trying to rile up the city of Edmonton. They care deeply and I understand why they're saying no. Dan, I guess is doing what he should be doing and he's exploring every route. Where do you side on this whole thing?

Mike, I'm not worried about anybody there. I heard earlier in the show this morning, you describing your concern for the safety of people and you don't want to in any way poke the bear. And I understand why you're doing that. But on the other hand, it is inexcusable to me that the billboard company will not take Dan's money. I wouldn't take Metalworks credit card necessarily, but I would certainly take cash from Dan for sure. And,

That billboard is not in violation of anything. Community standards and practices. It's like a joke. Community standards and practices are not about Greg Cody holding a cigar and saying, you know it. I mean, it's absolutely absurd. It's about upholding the standards of a community. It's about upholding the standards of a community. And that community cares deeply about standards. They don't want to get. Go look at this.

sex offense website. I'm sure there's plenty in Edmonton like everywhere else. Give me a break. Community standards is the ultimate subjective line. They get to decide what is the community standard.

As president of a company, I'm deciding on revenue. And I cannot imagine in a industry that is in the toilet, the billboard industry, the fact that, Dan, you talk about old references, the fact that you want to do billboards makes me laugh. But you should certainly be allowed to do it. David, as president of the Marlins, what was the closest to the line that you accepted money for that you're like, I don't know about this? Well, we put opposing teams sponsored logos in the urinals.

And if you're an old Marlins fan, a pro player, you may remember that it was urinal pads with National League East teams. And we got in trouble with Major League Baseball.

Because they thought it was unacceptable that our fans, however many there were, were going pee-pee on logos of teams and other team presidents and owners complained to Commissioner Selig. And he and Jeffrey called me and said, you have to have them removed from every urinal. Yeah.

It's a true story. Well, who was the sponsor? The Urinal Cake Company or something? It's a great idea. Oh, yeah. We got paid for it. It was a marketing deal. And I thought it was brilliant. Like, you were a Marlins fan. We're going to go to the bathroom all over these NLEs teams. But apparently it did not land as well as I expected it to. But if the Mets or the Phillies or the Braves, they wanted to do traditional advertising with the Marlins, would you have taken their money?

We would we would go to New York companies all the time and say, why don't we put let's do a behind the plate deal just for when we're playing the Mets. So we would sell things and counterparts like that. Absolutely. You have to have a sales department willing to get money from the enemy, quote unquote, because money is money. What's the difference?

Where would your line? So Stugatz told a story about how when he ran 790, the ticket, he didn't take money from AshleyMadison.com. Is that something where you could have like the AshleyMadison.com Bermuda Triangle at Pro Player Stadium? I didn't realize that you were in the chair today. That's the movie I'm reviewing today. Is that why you're asking? It's not.

That's funny. I apologize. I looked at that email that we get with the staffing and I thought Chris was in the chair. Anyway, Dan, do we have time to get to the movie review so I can answer Billy's question at the same time? Well, you've wasted the last 40 seconds asking questions of Billy that could have been just reviewing the movie. Ashley Madison, Sex, Lies and Scandal is a documentary. Ashley Madison is a website where you if you're married, you go and you find people to have sex with who are also married and

And it turns out it's for affairs and everybody's having affairs anyway. You might as well have a clearinghouse where you can find people to do it. And there's no issue until all of their information got hacked. And until it turns out that many of the women on the Ashley Madison website were bots and not actual women who were interacting with these married men.

And the release of personal information led to suicides. Not funny. It led to marriage breakups, whatever. And the entire documentary, three episodes, fascinating if you don't know anything about it. And in terms of sponsorships, the answer is yes. When we were negotiating with the county, we were not allowed to do Ashley Madison strip clubs, cigarettes, tobacco. And I fought for all of them because why be so limiting to

If you go back and look at old tape, there's big Marlboro doing advertisements everywhere. What do you think? I don't know what cigarettes are if I don't see an ad for it, or I don't know what cheating is if I don't know that I can go to a place where in theory I can find other cheaters. It's absurd. So the answer is, of course, I would take money from Ashley Madison.

I actually watched this documentary, David. This is the first time we've ever had to watch the same thing. The Ashley Madison doc, the part that like made me laugh, and maybe it's because I'm kind of cynical now, was that the main couple they featured was like a YouTube family couple. Like they had made their entire living off documenting how they were such a happy married couple and putting it on YouTube. And then they were at like a VidCon type of deal and it was dropped

that day that he was on the Ashley Madison site. They went really viral because his wife peed and didn't flush the toilet and then he stuck a pregnancy test in there so he told her she was pregnant and they became this internet sensation the whole time he was on Ashley Madison.

And they were also people of God. They were good Christian people. If I had a nickel for all the good Christian players who did stuff outside of being Christian, I'd have a lot of nickels. So that was also part of the documentary that this was a God-fearing man who, of course, was not just on Ashley Madison. At the end of the documentary, it turns out

He was lying about way more than being on Ashley Madison. Just to be clear, for those of you doing the math at home, he would have $4.25 if he had a nickel for every time somebody did something unchristian. What did Chris and Yellich do? And also put on the poll, is everyone having affairs already at Levitard Show? I hope not, man. Good talking to you, Samson. Thank you for being on with us. We appreciate it.

See you later. We have declined your request for advertising. Part of our creative approval process includes aligning with community standards and respecting the sensibilities of all stakeholders, including our audience, who in this case are the citizens of Edmonton, as well as our partners and

And this messaging does not meet those standards. I can't believe Mike Ryan. Great job. I wish this town cared that much. This town needs to care that much. We need to meet them there. Stop taking Florida collective dollars. Samson was taking money from the NL East. You side with big billboard. It's offensive to me.

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Take the guesswork out of buying tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Again, create an account. Redeem code DAN for $20 off. Download GameTime today. Last-minute tickets. Lowest price. Guaranteed. Don Libetard. Sub-500 seasons, it's been lonely. Now the best players on our side. Been losing and losing for much too long.

But now we're back with New York Pride. Stugatz. Jalen. You've got us on our feet. Jalen. We're gonna win the East. Jalen. Without Randall, we're still doing fine. This is the Dan Levatard Show with the Stugatz. WFAT.

Yes, the return of F.A.T. We're joined by our senior Knicks correspondent, the commissioner of fandom. He's got a new special. It's called You've Changed. It debuts July 9th on Prime Video. And he's with us because the Knicks have gotten Mikkel Bridges and a 2026 second rounder for Boyan Bogdanovich, an unprotected first in 2025, unprotected first in 2027, unprotected first in 29. Hold on, hold on. Sam dropped.

His Zoom froze and he dropped. It was a really good intro, though. Yeah. Is it Boyan? Is it Boyan? It is Boyan. It's not Bogdan. No, it's not Bogdan. Yeah, but it's a soft J. Boyan Bogdanovich. So it was pretty good.

Yeah. We should have just kept going. We should have just kept going. We could keep going. I think we're doing this. I would have been like, these are difficult names. Let's keep the intro. Maybe pause and then go. An unprotected first round pick in 2031. An unprotected pick swap in 2028. A top four protected 2025 first round pick via the Bucs.

and a second-round pick in 2025 for a zero-time All-Star. Who cares about 28, 29, 2030? The Knicks are going for it right now. Some rice just flew out of my mouth. It doesn't matter. This is all going to get cut anyway. This is a dress rehearsal, you know? It's a practice run. It's interesting. They've...

Seeing people make this observation, it is like they've built a super team of role players. Lucy has been eating an apple the entire time, so this is not something that would ever air, obviously. I think it's fine. I'm not chewing into the microphone.

Sam, that's a lot of picks. That's a lot of picks to give up for a zero-time All-Star. I mean, the Knicks' last four picks have been R.J. Barrett, O.B. Taupin, Frank Nittlockina, whatever the hell his name is. I don't care what his name is. And Kevin Knox. Who cares about the picks? I mean, seriously. All right, Sam, your thoughts as the commissioner of fandom and the senior Knicks correspondent here on WFAT.

I mean, how could you not be excited to get Mikael Bridges? I mean, it's the final infinity stone. It's a big deal. I heard what you said about him never being an all-star. You know who else never was an all-star until this season? Jalen Brunson. These guys bring out the best in each other. You can't measure good vibes. We felt that last year it's only going to get better. Got to bring back OG. Really hope we find a way to still bring back Hardenstein, too. I think he's essential. But if we do, damn, we're deep.

were scary to get Bridges out of Brooklyn is so nice he looked more depressed every time we played each other than a guy in like an ISIS hostage tape

You know, the difference is I think people actually watch ISIS hostage tapes. No one watches the Brooklyn Nets. So glad he's here in New York City. Glad he's on the right side in the right borough. Let's go, Knicks. OK, you say keep all those people, but this is a quote from Woj. The Knicks are still determined to keep OG and free agency sources tell ESPN. But the ability to resign center Isaiah Hartenstein becomes more difficult now. The Knicks are loading up.

on wings to match up with the NBA champion Boston Celtics. Yeah, I mean, I think I hear that. And, but, you know, Woj also said that Dan Hurley was going to be the next coach of the LA Lakers. So Woj doesn't know everything. Let's slow down, Woj. Hardenstein, there's good vibes going there. I think, like, if it's the difference between two mil a year, I think he could stay here. You know, we're really good with Hardenstein. I hope it works out.

Stephen A. just reported just moments ago here that KD and the Suns are looking to trade KD. He says that the Suns are looking... Usually it would go the other way around, and maybe because Stephen A.'s got really good relationships in the Kevin Durant camp, but he went to first take, and he said the Suns want to trade Kevin Durant right now. And there is...

We're on the precipice of some big moves right now. There's a lot of stuff going on, Dan. A lot of moves before the moves. Jeremy has been hard at work. We got something for you later, Dan. Mike, you want him? Stephen A. Smith also said that no Villanova –

players in that draft would have a good NBA career. And now the Knicks have four solid NBA players from Villanova. I don't care what Stephen A says. And maybe he does have good relationships throughout the league, but New York is not a fan of Stephen A. You just sabotaged our gas bag of the week sound here that we had all queued up to play you. So let's go ahead and do that now for Sam. Gas bag of the week. ♪

And now let's play that Stephen A video that Sam is referencing, please, about him saying that none of the Villanova guys are going to be pros and now all of them are on the Knicks. Villanova doesn't have a real NBA prospect on their squad. Skip Bayless in there.

Who was agreeing with that? Pay him $90 million. He's worth it. I mean, it's amazing you can get this kind of money and be wrong all the time. He's really the Sean Hannity of sports. Wait a minute. They had agreement on the show about something, and the agreement was about that? They didn't agree on anything for like a decade. The one thing they agree on? No NBA players on this Villanova team.

Sam, I know you're excited. I know why you're excited. The Knicks are in the game. I think Stephen Hay just proclaimed you the best team in the NBA based on this trade for a zero-time All-Star. I know that people are getting carried away with the Knicks stuff. I know that injuries derailed a season that when OG was there, Stugatz,

They were playing during the regular season like a team. This is empirical. It's not up for debate. That had one of the best records in the league when he was there. So the bridge is acquisition. He's a very good player, even though he's a zero-time all-star. He is a very good player. That does what for your enthusiasm? You're putting them with the team that you just saw overwhelm everybody in the sport last year.

I don't know. I don't enjoy your tone right now. Keep saying zero time all-star. There's lots of players who weren't all-stars who won. Sam Cassell, I believe, won two championships before he was an all-star. You know, if this Villanova team finds a way, this Knicks Villanova squad, if they find a way to win a ring somehow in the next few years, damn, it's going to be a beautiful 30 for 30. The power of friendship is

He takes us to a special place because of his defense, and he's a great knockdown shooter. And I think we match up well with Boston if we can bring back OG. I do think we need size. So, you know, I do worry about Mitchell Robinson's health, but we get Hardenstein back, I hope.

We've got sides. We're tough. That's what I hope happens, but we'll see. It will be hard. As Woj said, who knows all, apparently. Dan, I'm sorry. Bridges is 27 years old, Dan. Two years ago, it was 26 a game. He stays healthy for the most part. Last year, it was 20 points a game. He's a great defender, one of the best one-on-one defenders in the NBA, so it does bring the Knicks closer. If they re-sign OG, they have two guys who could potentially guard Tatum and Jalen Brown.

It's an all-in move, but again, what equates to essentially six first-round draft picks and making an all-in aggressive move for a dude that isn't

a world-renowned superstar all-star type of guy i don't know it's it's ballsy you can you can praise the move is aggressive you can't dispute that this management team has fixed what ailed the knicks but okc managed to get caruso without giving up a pick and they've got a ton of picks too the knicks have still five first round picks they still have five of them they had a ton what are you smiling about sam

Yeah, OKC has a ton of picks. You know what they remind me of is that guy who saves his money their entire life and then just dies with like $40 million. And you're like, OK, I hope that was fun never spending it. Like, what are you going to do with 27 first round picks? OKC's got a hell of a team. But at some point, you've got to go all in. I give them credit. It's an impressive trade for Caruso. I would have loved Caruso in New York. He's another tough guy.

but at some point you got to go all in. And I don't know if they ever do. I think they're like pick hoarders. I will give Sam credit, and I hate to do that here about the Knicks, but it is a really smart move. If you feel like this is the...

chance that you have to build on something special and move forward and take a core and maximize what you can get out of them. You add a guy who you not only know is a really good player, maybe overpaying for him, but also a guy who you know gets along with this locker room. These guys all wanted to play together and look, is it maybe a super team of role players? Potentially, but if all these guys can play their role the right way, we've seen the way that the Knicks can maximize that.

Jeremy gives you credit. How do you feel, Sam? I feel good. Good. He only called me an asshole one time. It was one time. I feel bad about that. I think I was in the right to call you an asshole. Yeah, you were. Yeah, you were. But I appreciate what you say, Jeremy. And I think...

A super team of role players isn't fair. I think Brunson has played himself into a top 10 player. You know, Randall is still an all-star. Like, people like to shit on him. And, you know, as you just said, Bridges, 26 a game. I mean... They're going to move him, Sam. They're going to move Randall. You've got to get rid of Randall. They're going to move him. He was only that good because he wasn't there. But I'm judging as it stands right now. Correct. And Mikael Bridges...

he's a heck of a player. One of his best qualities is that he's always available. So you also look at his contract, which is they're going to have to pay him at some point. But right now, Brunson and bridges together are making less than like Kawhi, less than Jimmy Butler, less than a lot of, you know, Bradley Beal, obviously, but we all know that's a poison pill, but yeah,

You know, this is a really good contract. Brunson's a really good contract. We're going to have to probably really pay OG, but that's okay. Randall right now is a good contract. We're a team full of good contracts, and that means something too. Bridges hasn't missed a game since high school. OG's going to cost about $250 million, which hurts. That hurts. He's going to cost between $200 and $250 million. And, Sam, what I would tell you is...

The Knicks are all in, but the Knicks are making the first move. And this time is fascinating, Stu Gutz. This week with the NBA draft and with every other team in the league in an ecosystem that's super competitive doing what the Knicks are doing, which is how do we beat the Celtics? Because now the Warriors are said to have Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul on the market. Clay might be available. The Warriors might get involved with Paul George. All of that.

the teams that think that they're a piece away are looking at themselves the way the Knicks are looking at themselves. I mean, Chris Paul is a great player, but you talk about having a harmonious locker room. He doesn't seem like the dude. I don't know. Like if we're bringing in an old ass point guard with a fat ass, I'm thinking Kyle Lowry and not Chris Paul Villanova, bring it together. Charge machine. He's a flopper, but I still like him.

And then also, who's the other one? Wiggins. Why Wiggins for us? I don't think that makes sense. I mean, I think his stock is incredibly low. He looked incredible. My point is just that the Warriors are doing what the Knicks are doing. There are 10 teams in the league that think that there are bridges away, that they have to counter what the Celtics just did.

Yeah, I mean, look, the Celtics, this is what happens when you're the champions. They have a hell of a team. And when you have, that's what happens. I mean, I feel like last year people were building towards taking down the Nuggets, right? Now it's people building towards taking down the Celtics. The Celtics are a really tough team. Like, I mean, they didn't really even have Porzingis healthy. And they still look great with old man Horford, who's a beast, you know? Yeah.

I got to give him credit. I see why that line was so long to meet him at Raising Cane's. He's a Boston OG. He's a badass. I got to give Al Horford credit. I can't hate Drew Holiday. He's too likable. They're a tough guy.

I like the culture of what they did, but I love what the Knicks are doing. And I'm hearing a lot of NBA pundits saying right now, as stands, the Knicks are the biggest threat to the Celtics in the East. And I think that's a fair assessment. The Bucks are getting older. The Sixers are never healthy.

You know, the Heat are still tough. I'll give you that. But I think we are, as stands, if we bring back OG, we're very dangerous. You mentioned NBA pundits. Let's go ahead and play Stephen A. I don't know what Sam's going to do with this because he loves the Knicks, but he does not like Stephen A. And look at what Stephen A now says because he's very enthusiastic about this move.

I don't give a damn what it is. Right now, I'm looking at the New York Knicks, and the only team I definitively see above them is the reigning defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. Anybody else? You got some work to do, because the New York Knicks, baby, the culture, the fire, you understand the tenacity, the defense, all of that stuff is here.

It's here. This is the kind of stuff that I'm talking about right now. Great, great, great move by the New York Knicks. Absolutely love it. I don't like the first-round picks, but you do have 11 first-round picks over seven years going into this move. So you still got an abundance of first-round picks at your disposal. I love what I'm seeing. I'm incredibly happy. There's more work to do, but we took a step up last night.

He speaks for you, Sam. He speaks for you. It's very hard for me to see him happy, but if it's because of the Knicks, I guess I'm going to have to live with it, Dan. Raising pains. I'll give him one of these for this because I agree in this point. I think, you know, the Knicks have gotten better. I mean, you have to look at that. We did have an abundance of picks, and it's for a move like this, and I think he –

He just is going to fit so beautifully. I think that one of the things about Bridges is that he's a malleable player. You can kind of play him on the wing. He can knock down those threes. He can get his own shot and he's a hell of a defender. So I think this just makes everybody a little better. And it hopefully gives Josh Hart some rest for once. You know, it lets these guys get a few less minutes a game.

You mentioned earlier Raising Cane. We're all in agreement that that's a wonderful restaurant when you're drunk, correct? There is no dispute from anybody in the audience. Always. It's wonderful. It's always good. But especially when you're drunk. I don't know who our chicken sponsor is, so it may or may not be wonderful. When you're drunk is not much of an endorsement. I mean, I'll eat street meat when I'm drunk. Come on. I'll eat street meat. I know, but I will eat chicken fingers and french fries more than anything in terms of absorbing alcohol than Raising Cane. Like, what? Come on. There's nothing—

lately you look good man you look you look you look belt okay uh no one says how happy i am over the bridges unbelievable i'm sorry uh thank you sam good talking to you i appreciate it orange and blue skies the future is bright his new special is called you've changed it debuts july 9th on prime video thank you sir thanks for having me

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