Local Hour: The Biggest Game in the History of Big Games
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And I've got an Africa vacation planned at the end of the week because I planned for this. I planned for the possibility that there would be a Game 7 and a parade. And my question to you, Billy, is where's Stugat? I don't know. I heard that his flight was canceled this morning, but I don't know. But flight to what? Flight home. He was gone. Yeah, he left.

I don't know if you caught this past week's episode of God Bless Football. Stugatz wasn't there either because I found out the day before he just couldn't record, even though he told me that he had two guests scheduled this week. Don't worry, buddy. We're good. I said, okay, perfect. And then the day before, I got a, I'm flying. I can't record this week. Why don't you just handle it by yourself? And that I did, but I don't know where he is. Well, that's not true. He's in Las Vegas. He's watching the Sphere again because, you know, what they say. Got to see that more than once.

I did see God Bless Football, and I felt wholeheartedly for you attaching yourself to something that does that because you ended up doing the show by yourself, which is not what God Bless Football is.

Are you saying it was a bad episode? I'm just saying. What are we implying here? Hold on a second. I thought that I did all things considered. I did a bang on top. Incredible job, Billy. Yeah, very short notice. I got some guests on, promoted some charitable work. Billy and Mikey A were dancing with that chemistry. What are we talking about? I'm sorry. Is this a shit on Billy parade? Because you guys...

Used to that after what you did to Greg Cody last Friday, which was horrible. That public Gregsecution that you guys decided to pull off? Thank you, Billy. Ridiculous. Billy's got that, man. Greg, let me tell you a story. Billy was supposed to be in on Friday, and at 6.40 a.m., they said, Billy, don't come in. And they knew that they were going to try to commit a murder. And they didn't want any defense for Greg whatsoever. Oh, wow.

OMG. OMG is right. OMG. I could have used you, Billy. Believe me, I could have used you. I'm going to tell you something. There's a funny little game that's being played here where it's like we want everybody involved on the Panthers bandwagon. We want everybody to enjoy this Panthers run until Billy Gill tries to get credentialed to cover the Panthers. And then there's a big blockade of that. And then it's like, well, all right, game six, one of the biggest games in franchise history.

Billy's excited to come in and celebrate the Panthers right along with everybody else. Another blockade because they're planning this Gregsecution that they pulled off the other day. Lest you think that this ends here.

On the other side, in the production side over there, there's also some blockades going on. The group there goes together. They watch the games at this bar. And I've been told... No invite to me. That's fine. I understand that. That's okay. It's all right. But I've been told that there's some gatekeeping going on there where they're actively keeping people away that have gone to them saying, you're bad luck. You're no longer allowed to go to this.

Billy, what's happening around here concerns me. It concerns me because there are a whole bunch of people around here now being proprietary about their bandwagon. Crazy. And blaming others for their misfortunes. Poor Greg catches all these strays when, if I remember correctly...

Greg wrote an article, and then the Panthers won three straight games, if I remember correctly. And then all of a sudden, people start breaking their routines, and the Panthers start losing, and it's all Greg Cody's fault. How does that check out? You know, Billy, as always, is right. Thank you, Greg. And in this case...

That is my absolute defense, okay? Because I'm going to admit it right here. If I wrote what I wrote... It's a big if, first of all. If you wrote the if. If I wrote what I wrote and the Panthers got swept... If you wrote what you wrote up 3-0, I'd kill you. If he wrote it. Or that. Or that. But I write it in advance. They get a 3-0 lead.

I'm not taking the credit, but they get a 3-0 lead. That's magnanimous of you to not take credit. But that's important to say because just like I didn't take credit for 3-0, I'm not going to take blame if they end up losing. I'll remind you all, Greg is a journalist. He doesn't really have a horse in this race. He's just writing things as he sees them, previewing games as he sees them. And you're trying to attach some sort of curse, some sort of fandom, really anything you can't.

It feels like you guys are just throwing a bunch of shit at the wall and hoping it sticks on Greg. And Greg's the wall here. Thank you. And by the way, I've had a dream that my racehorse calmly actually was trotting around the ice during a Panthers game. How'd it go? Beautiful dream. Oh, love that. But you're right. Other than that, I don't have a horse in this race. So the horse was able to run on ice. Yes. Beautifully. It was so cool. It was so great.

Put it on the poll, Juju, at Leviton Show. Getting a horse run on ice. It was great. This has escalated to an uncomfortable place. I need to get an update on what's going on with you and Mike Ryan. But thankfully, Stugatz, it's very disappointing that he's not here for legitimately one of the biggest games ever played. But heroic Greg Cody and his two-and-a-half-week-old mustache are here.

This is the Dan Levitar Show with the Stukas Podcast. Today's episode is sponsored by DraftKings. Stay tuned because you'll hear more about DraftKings and all it has to offer throughout the show. DraftKings, the crown is yours. Probably going to be the loudest ring I've ever been in my life is what I'm expecting. I can't even express the feeling of excitement around the city right now with everybody. You know, the buildup throughout this whole season and throughout the whole playoffs is

which comes down to this so i'm expecting it to to be as loud as any building i've ever heard in my life i hate serious anthems

What a great night we're headed into. Hell yeah. Game seven at home. The thing you dream about. Greg Cody of the Miami Herald, the ultimate South Florida historian on sports. No one in our market has covered bigger games more. No one. In the history of our market, Edwin Pope's got him beat. But living?

Barely. Living, coughing and wheezing. Greg Cody is a historian in South Florida. And I want to ask you and the group, give me the other games that rise to this level that have been played in this city for this city. One game for your life. That have been played in this city? Actually, no.

South Florida has not had a Game 7 for a championship on the road. True. So they've all been – all the Game 7s that have been for championships have been in this market. I'm thinking Super Bowls on the road. I'm thinking about national championship football games on the road. Yeah, but you don't – let's put the single –

games aside, the single one singular championship game, like seven game series, 97 World Series, which actually did have a little bit of blueprint to it because you knew that Huizenga was going to break up that team. So that felt for a lot.

That felt like really, really big. Game 7 with the Miami Heat and Spurs was a bit of a different series because they had Game 6 and Game 7 at home. The Ray Allen shot. And the Heat had won the championship the year before, so the pressure of the blueprint wasn't on there. It was just, can you win a second straight one? Oh, but no, the pressure that was on that, ultimately, the reason that this feels so giant to me is because, and this does not happen to me,

I was sick all weekend. Like, I felt sick from what had happened and that's the best feeling. I have not had that feeling in 10 years where I've got to sit with something and then I've got to wait to see if I'm going to get the medicine. When you talk about blueprint games, the heat, those four years, it ended up being a fight with American at the end of it. Shake hands. Okay, push, push, push.

That series that you're talking about, they could have gone one and two on championships and everything would have been threatened in blueprint. This is not a blueprint game. It's the biggest hockey game in the history of South Florida, obviously. I think it's bigger than a blueprint because there aren't modern references for it.

3-0 being surrendered and losing the series. Even though it's happened in this sport. It happened in the Boston Bruins in an Eastern Conference Final in the very next year. I think they went on to win the Stanley Cup. Pulling off a pretty big comeback in their own right, but it's not something that people remember. That whole NBC Sports era of the NHL after lockouts, it's not really something that is talked about. I think the pop culture reference is the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead. This...

What's on the line tonight for the Florida Panthers isn't just the Stanley Cup. That's on the line for both teams. One team's playing with house money. It's you either win the Stanley Cup or you become one of the biggest jokes in professional sports history. There is no in-between. I don't think that anyone's going to reference the Panthers blowing a 3-0 lead over the Golden State Warriors. What?

In America? You think America loves hockey that much that they're going to say you guys are the Florida Panthers in 2024? Okay, fine. I think that blowing a 3-0 when the only time we've ever seen that in this sport is in the 1940s. Yeah, I do think that it becomes like... I think it enters the conversation with 28-3. And again, that was a single game sample. I think this is remembered as one of the biggest...

pro sports chokes of all time. It's what people will associate the Panthers with now. It's what they become remembered for as a franchise. Yeah, but in terms of pop culture reference, the Warriors and Cavs is still a bigger thing than the Panthers. Yeah, NBA is bigger than hockey, but this is 3-0. This is...

most people will go their entire lives many people have have lived in a hearty old ages and not seen the scenario that's playing itself out right now so you either win your first title as a franchise or you become the biggest joke in the sport no in between if the panthers don't go on to win this do you start questioning is paul maurice the guy to get this done because back to back stanley cup i don't want to do this well i'm just asking a question okay that's good ask it uh tomorrow

or Wednesday. Tomorrow he may not have a job. Ask it when I'm in Africa. When I'm in Africa, ask it. That's a good time to ask that question. Today is not a good time to ask that question. I'm glad we have South Florida's preeminent sports historian here. I asked him six minutes ago what his thoughts were. I would like to hear them. I think you sold him short, by the way. I think you'd

Because of the heat run, Edwin Pope wasn't there covering those. I think you've probably covered—you've had a long, illustrious career. I think you've covered more big games than Edwin Pope at this point. It's possible, and thank you for that. I think of a handful of the biggest, most momentous games in South Florida sports history.

would mention a couple of them. I would eliminate the Heat Game 7 at home for a championship only because they had already run twice. They were already a two-time NBA champion. I might eliminate the Marlins' 97 championship only because they were just coming out of their expansion era. They were a fifth-year club. These weren't long-suffering fans. Happy to be there. There wasn't that element.

I think back to the 83, if we're going college instead of pro, in addition to pro, I think back to the 83 UM football championship. But in that game...

They came in as the fifth-ranked team, and even beating Nebraska on a last-second play, there was no guarantee coming out of that game that they were going to be the national champion that night. That was a pleasant surprise a couple of days later. In this case, it's all or nothing, and the stakes could not be more extreme. Teams in NHL history that have had a 3-0 lead in a series are 206-4,

That's more than 98%. In the final, as you all know, it's 27-1. And the lone exception, anything that happened before I was born is officially ancient history. The lone exception is 1942.

So, this is the most extreme final we've ever had in terms of the weight of it, the stakes of it, and for that reason, I think you can call tonight the biggest night in South Florida sports history. Wow, okay. I will quibble. I can quibble. I don't want to quibble at the moment because Roy is out with the Panthers, and let me tell you a little bit about what Roy has been through because this is an atrocity.

Roy went from Fort Lauderdale to Houston to Denver to Edmonton for 16 hours, then came back Toronto to Montreal to Miami for 13 hours, then went Miami, Chicago, Calgary, drive to Edmonton for 11 hours, then Calgary, Charlotte, Miami for another 11 hours. Two, see his team outscored 13 to 2.

When he's traveling 15,000 miles all over North America to see his team outscored 13-2. I will ask the audience this question at Levitard's show. Does it feel like the Panthers are down 3-3 at Levitard's show?

I believe that momentum is that night's goalie. I believe you have game seven at home. You dream about this. It's what you want. Please, dear God, let my team play game seven at home. But it doesn't feel like that because, weirdly, it's not just that it's gone from 3-0 to 3-3. It's that it's

The first three games of the series, Edmonton scored four goals. They haven't scored fewer than five goals in any game since. They're outscoring the Panthers in the last three games, 18-5. You're so fortunate to be down 3-3 in a series where you've been outscored 18-5 in the last three games. You have a game for a championship and you haven't seen your team play well. Not win a game, play well in about a week and a half. Yes.

Roy Bellamy is there. He is at the Baptist Health Iceplex. He is standing outside it. It looks a bit like a car dealership. Roy, give me all the sights and sounds at the Baptist Health Iceplex.

Well, it's a hot day and I'm wearing a hoodie and I haven't gone inside yet because we were busy setting up for this shot. And right now I am not feeling well. I am because of all the, as you said, 15,000 miles I had to go through over the past week. And yeah, right now it is silent.

A few fans coming in just to put on some rented skates so they can skate in the other rink over there. Yeah, right now I would just like to go inside and escape this heat. I see the enthusiasm buzzing through South Florida outside of that car dealership that you're standing in front of. Can you please tell us whether or not officially you are scared? No, I am not scared. Bold.

He's a journalist, Dan. Bullshit. It's just bullshit. Why are you angry? Why are you angry? Probably because it's tied 3-3 when we had a 3-0. I say we as if I'm part of the Panthers. When the Panthers had a 3-0 lead. So, Roy, it's tied now. So just to ask you directly, you're angry that you haven't seen your team play well in a week and a half and not scared because you haven't seen your team play well in a week and a half.

Exactly, Mike. You are exactly right. I'm angry right now. I'll take you for what you're saying, but I'm scared. How can you not be scared? I'm pretty terrified. You have to be. Look, if it's not the biggest game in the history of South Florida sports, what it can be because it's here right now is the greatest fear a South Florida sports fan that has cared about this

That team, whatever that team is, this is the greatest fear that's been felt because the Heat had this same thing. Mike, when it was the Heat, they also had everyone's going to laugh at you. If you lose, everyone's going to laugh at you. Yeah, which is associated with this, and I think that there was more – there was just so much –

More hostility and the NBA in this country, as Billy pointed out, is bigger than the NHL. And you are losing to your rival. This is a team that you've never had history with in Edmonton. The only thing that registers like what I'm feeling right now, and I'll admit,

it was worse back then, was Game 6 Eastern Conference Finals at Boston where the entire blueprint was on the line, where everybody would be making fun of you is on the line. That is the only thing in the stratosphere of what I'm feeling right now because, Roy, there is so much. I haven't seen a Florida Panther pick his chin up

in three days. The videos surrounding this team, the people that have seen them at practice, and you compare it to what you're seeing from Edmonton, they look like they're opening up a 90s sitcom. They got coffees in hand, thighs out, skies out attitude. Can you cut the tension with a knife around that iceplex you're standing in front of? Yeah.

Yeah, it's about as thick as the humidity outside right now. And it's not, well, I wouldn't say it's looking good right now outside, but maybe that's a different scenario inside. All right, we'll find out shortly when you go inside and get us yet more buzz. But speaking to what it is that Mike Ryan is saying there, this is why I think that the feeling around this, if you're someone who cares, not just about sports in South Florida, but cares about this hockey team, when Mike Ryan brings up

Game six in Boston. The reason this rises to that level to me, even though it's not the blueprint is going to get blown apart if you lose, is because and I cannot believe I am saying what I'm about to say, but it's parallel for both teams.

The fact that nobody wants the Panthers to win this series, that's been the case throughout the series, and now after being 3-0, it's escalated to nobody thinks they will win this series.

Like now for it to go like that on you as a fan base, when you're watching the coverage all over North America and you're like, wait a minute, it's me against everybody. Everybody wants McDavid. And then you allow four goals in three games. You go up three, nothing. And wait, we're going to, it's going to be easy. This trophy is going to be easy to get.

What this fan base has had done to it over these games escalates this to the greatest feeling that is known in sports, where the stakes are so high that you've just kept doubling down on your team. And what I believe, as I've believed all season, is give me the team that has been best all season, who has a goalie I believe in more, who's...

who's playing the game at home in a Game 7. But if there were anything to shatter my conviction in that, it would be the way the last three games have gone. Yeah, I see that point. You do play an entire season for the opportunity, winner take all, Game 7 on home ice in a vacuum. Granted, this is a kooky series in a vacuum. You take that. I don't think I would have taken that entering this series, but whatever. We're here. I think...

One of the things that separates that game six headed to Boston and this one was, at least in that series, you had the player. You had the generational player that wins those type of games, especially in the history of this sport. That player wins this game.

Summer's the best time to run the way you want. Dial it up with new challenges and programs and bring your workouts with you to make the most of outside sunny days. Stugatz, guess what? What? You know what you can do with Peloton? What? Get the app, go outside, ride a bike. Well, I thought you ride Peloton inside. Well, you do. You can ride Peloton inside if it's a rainy day or if it's cloudy or you just don't want to get outside. Maybe it's too hot.

It's summertime. Go outside. I record a lot from my office with you and you've noticed it's sitting there yet. It hasn't been used. Well, now's the time. Summer's the best time to start that push. Right. Can we do it together? Not on the same bike, but we could join a class together. I used to do that. We used to have Guillermo Tan. I'd invite people. We'd all take a class together. Okay. So I think you're starting to get concerned about my health and my age, Billy. I,

I sense that with you. We're beyond starting. Okay. Whatever road lies ahead, your training starts here with Peloton Tread and Tread Plus. It's not just a bike, a treadmill too. I'm going to go outside. I'm going to get in shape. I'm going to do it with Billy Gill. I want to be in your class. I want you to be my instructor. You know what? I won't be your instructor. You don't want to spend more time with me. No, I can schedule a class and we can ride together. I won't be the instructor of the class. We can have Camila could be our instructor. I like the Grateful Dead class. My daughter, she uses the Peloton. Mm-hmm.

She was on it once and an instructor who was playing Grateful Dead tunes. Let's do that. Okay. Why don't we go for a run outside? Guided run. Peloton. Me and you. That's something we can do together. Okay. Turn on the app. Me and you go outside. Enjoy the summer. Call yourself a runner with Peloton at onepeloton.com slash running. All right.

Don Levitard. You have some hot takes today. Joe Chestnut's a fraud. Oh, he's on fire. He called Connor McDavid overrated before the show. What the hell was that, Greg? Yeah, no. I love it. Stugatz. Roy, let me explain it to you. You know more about hockey than I do. And this is coming from a guy that's watched Connor play six times. Right. If that. This is the Don Levitard Show with the Stugatz.

Edmonton is coming into this game in a position that you can argue a road team in a game seven has never felt quite like this, where we have steamrolled you for three games. We believe we have figured something out. We got your goalie benched in game four and nobody here is scared of him after he shut out Edmonton.

the Oilers in game one and allowed one goal in game two. All that mystique is gone and North America expects Connor McDavid to hold up everything tonight. That's what's expected. They're a favorite, correct? It's a pick-em game. It's a pick-em game, which is kind of unheard of. In another quirk, the team that has been hosting game seven in the last three times is 0-3.

in the Stanley Cup final. Again, we're in crazy single sample land right now. None of this makes sense. This series has been really odd. But you can just say that as a casual sports fan. Team blows 3-0. They're a mess. But this stuff, if you've just been following this series, it's very clear Florida Panthers have been taken out of their game. They cannot...

a zone entry to save their life. They're getting in each other's way. Instead of making a simple pass because they've been burned on fast, on breakaways going the other way, they're trying to drive the puck through traffic and turning the puck over. And Carter Verhage looks like a totally different player right now. They're just so outspoken

out of their game to the point that they're pretty much unrecognizable. And if you have faith in your team to win on home ice, last year when the Heat blew a 3-0 lead, they lost a buzzer beater. They at least looked good that game six.

and they were an eight seed. It was a totally different situation. This kind of feels like the Tampa Bay Lightning series where they got swept. Mackenzie Wieger started making all those mistakes. They are just so taken out of their game that it's hard to work up conviction other than we're just on home ice. Yeah, Verhege has looked so out of sorts that you almost think that after the fact they're going to announce he had some sort of an injury that he was playing through or something. Yeah.

What's unfortunate is he actually had an assist on that offside, which I think was a valid offside. But you never know, could that get that player going in that instance? They're making changes. Tarasenko, who's won a Stanley Cup in his career, comes in as a veteran who's been eating pucks and I think impressed lately. He's now getting power play one minutes. They used to go to Carter Verhage because, yeah, he was –

He was unrecognizable. Sam Reinhardt is totally missing. Gustav Forsling is coming off of a bad game. It's not a recognizable team right now. If you told me, do you have faith in the Florida Panthers' winner-take-all home ice Game 7? Yeah, I'd believe that. But then you apply the context of how exactly they've looked over the last three games –

And I don't really know how anyone can work up outside of just your fandom and belief how they can actually apply a reason to why they would win tonight. When you're going into Game 7 and you can make an argument that your series MVP is Evan Rodriguez, good for Evan Rodriguez. But what that means is your top players have not been top players consistently enough. And Barbarofsky, his...

His save percentage since the third period of Game 3 is less than 80%. Really bad. Edmonton has been shooting more than 20% accuracy on him. And it's not all him. That's the defense as well. A team that prides itself for defense first. I have a Sergei Bobrovsky stat of the day if you would like it. Make you feel better or worse. Okay, that's not really telling us much. Well, I'll give you this. I'm waiting for the open, yeah.

Start of the day, start of the day, it is the start of the day.

In Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final this season, Sergei Bobrovsky allowed three goals. The empty net allowed two. Makes you wonder.

Paul Maurice, maybe, coaching for his job, has some strategizing to do. All right, you keep working on your stat of the day. We will see if you do it well one day. To his Bob point, though, they have been managing. Paul Maurice has been managing Sergey Bobrovsky a little bit differently. He did not make Bobrovsky available for the media after losing Game 6. Bob had a day off yesterday. He was not at practice yesterday.

all these things are kind of weird, or you can choose not to look into it. Now seems like the time to practice if you're him. Well, I think...

You mentioned Paul Maurice, and I don't think he's getting fired after this, but a lot's on the line, too. What? Stop! A lot's on the line, too. Well, Dan, it's a weird storyline to explore on the precipice of Game 7, but he is known as one of those all-time losers in that sport. He's been around the sport for a very long time, and he doesn't have the crowning achievement to his name. Okay, all right, just stop. He is 4-0 career in Game 7. That's great, and he does need to find...

because Chris Knobloch on the other side has found several things. And one of the things that was winning you this series early on was your bottom six, your depth guys being able to out-muscle their depth guys and be better. He hasn't really had to change up a lot in this series. And tactically, this seems to be the first game where he's going to start doing some things because Knobloch has totally out-tactitioned him in the last few games. Greg Cody...

I need to know where you are with Mike Ryan. A lot of people reached out to me over the course of the weekend saying that the back and forth between all of you was unpleasant to them. They did not like it. Billy has come in today lamenting that he wasn't here to prevent the Gregsecution.

Your feeling how right now about Mike Ryan? Have you guys settled with each other? I got a text here from one of Dan Patrick's producers who doesn't tell me at all what it's about. It's just a text that lands on my doorstep here that was questioning Mike Ryan and his behavior towards you last week. Yeah, I'm not surprised.

Yeah, that was very unpleasant for me as well. There may be something in the works with Mike and I. You know, it's above my pay grade. I let other people handle stuff like that. What do you mean there might be something in the works? I mean, I don't want to speak out of turn. Charity boxing? No. Lawsuit?

Well, I don't want to speak out of turn. Okay. You put me in an uncomfortable situation. All right. All right. Somebody. So, Mike, I got this. This is what I got. When I go to the studio, the fandom has to go to the back burner to some level. It can be useful when a cast member is a fan of a team, but that cast member has to be in control of it.

not vice versa. Just unsolicited advice from an esteemed producer in the industry. And it doesn't even say what it's about. I just gathered what it's about. I appreciate that. We don't know that it's about Mike, to be fair.

There's no information there. That's correct. Could be about anything. Could be about Roy. Could be about the way you're covering it. I have sincere regret. I apologize to Greg after all it... I mean, a lot of this is performative, but I did not like how that show went for me, mainly because Dan...

Yeah, Dan wanted that. He would not have stopped until he got that. I'm in control of your behavior. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm in control of your behavior. Yeah, because we've been talking about this series poorly. So does Dan apologize to you? All we had was this bit, and I thought at least with game six, hopefully this comes to an end and Dan can get what he wants.

And once again, I'm thrust in front of a microphone doing something I really don't want to be doing just to get Dan finally there. And it's a bad look for me. Quite a sacrifice Mike makes. I'm done being your pawn. A texter writes, and does anybody else think Greg only wrote that McDavid is overrated because it rhymed? What rhymed?

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This is the Don Levitard Show with the Stugats.

Shortly, we will go back out to the buzz around Roy at Edmure Sawgrass Auto Mall. Ha!

He is outside of the practice facility, outside of Bill's. Ed Morse, of course. That practice facility is really nice. It is. It's beautiful. What are we doing here? No, it's beautiful. It's in Fort Lauderdale. It's not by the stadium. You're painting a picture like you're in the Everglades right now. No. Is that a car dealership? Car dealerships in that part of the country, I'm going to say, are beautiful. I don't have any objection to Roy joining us from Bill Seidel's Nissan.

Cital saves. No objection. These are beautiful car dealerships. I'm happy that South Florida has a facility. That's a beautiful facility. If you saw what the Panthers used to practice in, because South Florida didn't know how to do ice and rinks, that wasn't a thing that was happening here when the Panthers were born. Where they initially practiced smelled so bad, I could still smell it in my nostrils. And I haven't been there in 27 years. Their facility smelled of so much mildew.

All the walls were soggy. Oh, my God. That's so true. The walls were damp. I saw a commercial the other day. It bothered me. You know that song? Everybody dance now. Thank you, Billy. Everybody damp rid.

was the song, and I got offended on behalf of, is it C&C Music Factory? I got offended on behalf of whoever it is that did that song that damp red would come in there and soil that song. It had a smell to it. That's hockey, though. It is. You want to smell that. That's like football. Exactly right. You can still smell Brian Scrudlin there. That may be the thing. Maybe the Panthers facilities are too nice and they don't want it enough.

I mean, they did start this season in the old facility and moved in kind of midway through. Wait, after game three? Didn't Tommy Hearn? He doesn't care when you're talking. No, no, I know, I know. It's okay. Didn't Tommy Hearn say it's hard to get up and run when you're in silk sheets? Maybe that's what the Panthers are going through right now. The iceplex looks like both sides of a Nissan, and all of a sudden it's like, wait a second. They should go to the old facility just to re-engage that toughness.

The Panthers moving closer to Fort Lauderdale with their training complex is not a totally coincidental thing. I think this is a team that envisions itself someday being situated in Fort Lauderdale. Where's the parade going to be? Edmonton. Everyone stop.

I have a question about the parade. So should the Oilers win today, right? That's what you're rooting for. No, that's not true. That's falsehood. He's a Panthers fan, Dan. I am. I'd argue I've already won, right? Because either my home team wins and I get to celebrate a championship or hilarity ensues. But...

I will say this, and this is actually a planning question that we should have now because, you know, we got to get the wheels moving on this, and apparently it takes six days to get to Edmonton. So Roy hosts the hockey show, not the Panthers show. Exactly right. So should Edmonton win? Should Roy go cover the parade? Oh, my God.

Because it is a historic... It's the hockey show. It's a historic and an historic achievement, right? Yeah, as a journalist. Connor McDavid wins his first cup, and this is what solidifies him in some hockey writers' minds as the greatest of this generation. Some are saying he's not without this Stanley Cup win. And if he gets it won...

I feel like we as a fan base should be blessed to see this crowning achievement here in South Florida. Greg, you should cover it and have your own float. Oh, I like that. You should have the McDavid is over. Oh, we're having something here. What's happening back there? What just happened? Someone just walked in and handed Mike a manila folder. I've been served.

What happened? Someone just walked in and handed me a moment. Who was that person who just came in? It was a random lady. Wait, wait, wait. Mike, hold on a second. Did someone come up to you right now and just say, are you Mike Ryan Ruiz? Or did they identify? Did they do that? Were you just legally processed? Yeah, which is weird because we have security here.

Wonset McGillicuddy and McGillicuddy from the offices of Wonset McGillicuddy and McGillicuddy Esquire. Please be advised that our law firm has been retained by Greg Cody. This letter constitutes notice of our client's complaint against you for your age discrimination and elderly abuse. Wow.

That's not me. That's my lawyers. Yeah. You called our client an idiot two times. You called our client pal three times. Pal? You claimed responsibility for the last 10 years of our client's career. Our client claims you were only responsible for the last eight of those. Wow.

Again, that's all legalese. I have a staff. I have a team behind me. That sounds official. There is a lot of legalese there. Our analysis of the evidence suggests settling is a prudent choice to mitigate. Well, what are they seeking? Settling on what? What is the ask? Wow, it's almost as if you have so much information about this. I'm asking questions because I don't have enough information. Looking for damages in excess of $1.2 million. $1.2 million.

$1.2 million. Yeah, sincerely McGillicuddy. All right, so hold on a second. Put that up. Let me see. The law offices are located at 1440 Zagaki Street. Wow. That's a nice logo.

I will email you back at hello at reallygreatsite.com. No, hold on a second. Put that back up there so that I can read it because this seems authentic and I can't believe Greg Cody has gone to these lengths. Let me keep reading. So we scan the document. Let me keep reading. Let me see the bottom of that, please. I want to see what...

TV's all over this today. Our analysis of the evidence suggests settling is a prudent choice to mitigate risk and cost. My client has attempted all weekend to resolve this matter with you on several occasions. Did we hire an extra? Was that something? Because I've never seen that person before in my life. We hired an extra for this? We didn't hire anybody. That person served you. I don't know where process servers come from. We will then file a lawsuit against you on behalf of my client. Party of the first party.

Party of the first part, we can indemnify and hold harmless per statutory authority P1465 Dade County versus Paul Radke. We are here to for de facto de jure de nomo, seeking ex parte damages for inculpatory evidence liquided claims. Yeah, I got to get my wife to interpret that for me. That sounds serious. You'll be hearing from my attorney, Alex Hanna. I've seen his billboards.

Yeah, you don't want none of that smoke. Okay. Mike Ryan says he will not get involved in this back and forth. No, I'm done being your toy. But what's going to happen here? Because it always builds up the same way. You're not happy. You push the gas. And then I feel the pressure of you not being happy. And I embarrass myself over the air. And it happens all the time. You've just been pulling all the strings.

I told Greg, like, I realize I'm not mad at you. You wrote the column to get attention. You got it. It's fine. Whatever. But he's very clearly the best player in the world, even though he had a pretty quiet game six. And all we've had is this. And Dan was just pushing and pushing until we got to that point. I'm sorry that it's escalated to a lawsuit. How about you take some responsibility for your own adult actions? Like, you can't push back? Like, you're real meek about pushing back, are you? Tone. Please don't take that tone with me. Because you know what you're doing, and you've done it.

And thank God I got in the way because billboards would have gone up after game three and you would have been totally hated. You should believe in your team. Totally hated. For believing in the local team. For believing the local team is going to win. You want to make fun of the fandom and the superstitions, fine. But what I feared in everybody planning all this stuff and counting their eggs, look, these are cliches. And you want to think superstitions dumb? Cool. Both teams got beards and haven't shaved for months.

It's just around the sport. Cody's got a mustache for two and a half weeks because he got on the mustache wagon. And I know what's happening here, and I'm victim of what this show has always done. It has always made fun of sports fandom, and there's a

occasionally a couple of times where the sports fandom is close to the bone. I would have thought that we would have rallied around this team when the sports fandom started to transcend, like it did with the Miami Heat. It's not the same thing. Dan cared a little bit differently. I'm not going to say more. Cared differently. And we are not heroes to this market. We are not championing this market. We are embarrassing this market. I cannot disabuse you of this notion that you care more than everybody and that you shame everyone else for not caring the way that you do. No, I didn't say more. I didn't say more. I care—

care differently. I just said care differently. You think you care better. That's what you think. Yeah, Dan, if we're getting down to it, I do think that I care more about the Florida Panthers than Billy or you or Greg. But how did all of your hockey analysis, all of the podcasts that you're snorting that make your ability to talk about this more expert than mine, how did it help you with the projection of what

would happen in this series where we now have the very best thing that no one saw coming this way. We have the very best thing and you have no idea what's going to happen tonight because tonight's just random. Yeah. But tonight is just lottery. I guess where it helped me was telling you to not do this because I know exactly how good that team is. I know exactly how good they've bounced back from losing streaks. So the only place where it kind of

helped me in terms of trying to predict where this series was was hey maybe let's not celebrate a championship up 3-0 great that's the only place and again i'm not taking the shot at you for caring less or you just care differently than i do and i'm bummed because i thought in the 20-year sample of this show when the fandom actually met our shores we would be a beacon

And we haven't been. We're here now, Mike. You're not a beacon. We're here. Greg Cody's a beacon. I just got served with a lawsuit by Wonset McGillicuddy and McGillicuddy. I'm a beacon. We are not talking to the newsmakers. We are not actually adding anything to this. The only thing we're adding is a bit of a circus. And I'm not thrilled about it, but whatever. I've made my bed. I might as well sleep in it. When the lady came in to serve Mike with these papers from McGillicuddy. Yeah.

I almost sprung into action because I didn't know what was going on. What does that mean? What were you going to do? I was going to try and protect Mike. No, I was going to. No, he put like going with that. That's crazy. I don't know what happened there. When you take like a sharp break in your car and your natural instinct is to like protect the passenger. I saw her coming to Mike. Are you Mike Louise? I was just going to do makeup or something like a lady or something.

Yeah, so Mike Ryan's been served by Greg Cody and by the offices of Wanstead, McGillicuddy, and McGillicuddy. Right. In fairness, Wanstead is a senior partner, so refer eponymously to the firm as Wanstead more than McGillicuddy.

Can we see this replay again? Because Tony does nothing when this lady walks in. He's claiming that he tried to protect him. I was assessing the threat. Look at his posture. He's ready to attack.

I was ready to jump over the table. His neck kind of gives a twitch. Look how straight he is standing up. He is at attention. Have you seen a dog when they're kind of figuring out, hey, is this person a threat or not? They kind of stand up tall and make sure. My owner, you know, I've got to take care of my owner even though Mike's not my owner. The opposite. Look at Billy's reaction when she walks in. Just terrified. Billy is just a portal of terror. Like, I'm so glad that I'm not the one that's being served paper. I was wondering why the process server had a big grin on her face when she left. Like, what's funny about this?

I imagine. I mean, look at her. I imagine there are people that have maintained listening throughout the show despite not really liking me or my character on this show. Sure. Especially you, not so much your character. Yeah. Yeah.

All right. But... No, look. So that's me. Blame me for that, too. Blame me for that, too. He can get his shots in. I got plenty on Friday. Be careful. You were served. Yeah, you don't want to say too much. I'm good. Yeah. Now we've involved lawyers. I'm not going to do that. But I do think that there is a fair bit of karma. We enjoyed listening to Boston radio stations and all that. And when sports were really important to other people, we always took the piss. And...

It just so happens now I'm on the receiving end of that and my fandom is being magnified and no one kind of cares the same way. So the show is actually just going to remain being the show. Ratchet up the stakes to the highest possible place. Where fandom is usually a point of mockery. Ratchet up the stakes. Believe in your team. Game seven at home. Don't tell me you're not a fan. Don't tell me you're not a fan. No, I'm telling you not. Okay. I'm not. You care differently. I can take exception to it.

And we've made this series about something that is silly in the grand scheme of things. We have made this series about a number of different things. I'm glad that you get to decide what's silly for all of us. We've been talking. I can't control how P.K. Subban decides to dress when he comes on with us. It's his choice as to whether or not he wears a bathrobe or not. Fair enough. I get to decide what's silly for me. And I think whether it be on the mic or non-bit, in private communications, emails, what have you,

I haven't been feeling it because I'm connected. I'm a fan. I care deeply. And this show always goes funny. And I want to ratchet up the stakes to where they presently are, where the energy around this show today is unlike any that we've ever done the show in. Because you can careen desperately from, no matter how you care or where you care from, okay? Do you think you're failing? Um...

No, no, no. I'm saying, do you think you're failing and ratcheting up the pressure to where it needs to be? Because I think you've done it. I want all... I mean, it's not so much you as it is Chris Knobloch and Connor McDavid, but you've done stuff. I want all...

All of the maximum pressure to fall on everything in the series because this is the greatest feeling in sports to have this level of terror between you get to laugh at these people for history or you get to hold up the trophy and laugh at everybody that wanted to laugh at you. You're in the position of nobody wants you to win this trophy. It is rightfully earned by Connor McDavid who had zero shots

and zero points in the last game, rightfully earned by the greatness of McDavid. It's what North America thinks is just right.

in hockey. And now you've gone from the team nobody wants to win to the team nobody thinks can win. Take everybody out. Maximum pressure. Fight everybody. And they're going to laugh at you if you lose. Please score first. That's the risk. Please go up 4-0. And I'll still be scared because they score a lot. If we go down 1-0 in this game tonight...

I don't know what I'm going to have to do. I'm going to have to go into my holster. It would feel so over. What's in your holster? My bag of tricks. Be very careful. First goal? First goal? That's where it's been the last three games in that if you surrender the first goal, it totally takes you out of your game and you just make more mistakes. They have to score. And on top of that, you know they've been very efficient with their quality chances.

You know that you're not going to generate any. Yeah, it kind of feels like first goal win scenario. Guys, they're the best third period team in the league. All season they've been playing. We don't care if we get down in the first two periods. And you're at first goal? I'm broken, Dan. Yeah, I think that would be the takeaway from the last few games is first goal generally wins in this one. So, yeah, and seeing what's gone wrong and how it's just totally avalanched.

They can't play their game if they're chasing. So I would say there's a lot in that first goal. What's in your bag? I can get up and go watch like I did when Alex Gonzalez hit that home run for the Marlins. Like if we're not scoring, I leave my seat. I go up and I watch from like the concession area. That's one. I could just leave.

That's two. That's if we go down like... I have to do it, okay? If we're down by three, what are my options at that point? You're going to leave? Hold on a second. Weirdo. Thank you. I'm exactly right. That's ridiculous. It worked for Alex Gonzalez. It did. You won that game. You're welcome. I have a question for you guys since Chris is going to go to this game and then leave the game or just hang out in the concourse for some reason. I said it's in my holster. What's your price? Oof.

Because we played this the other day, and you guys have said this might be the biggest game in South Florida sports history. Tickets are all over $2,000 now, right? What's your price, Chris Cody?

Ten grand for both my tickets. Really? Well, where are they? What section? What seats? Really good seats. He's got good seats. Where the Panthers scored twice. Lower level, seventh row. Shoot twice side. Yeah. I'm pretty sure those are going for... What are those going for right now, Tony? Look it up. I've looked on game time. Section 128. I'm too rich for my blood. I'm priced out. Really? Yeah. I'm priced out. I had so much invested around game five that when they lost that, it's just like, okay,

Wow, you blew your budget. I want to enjoy today. I woke up today with the goal. I want to enjoy this game seven, our barn. But as we're talking it out, I'm struggling to get there because I'm terrified. It is terrifying. The last three clinching games, every time I've woken up around like 4 a.m. And it's just the first thing I think about. I'm...

The good news in all of this is, well, if we lose, we're going to have to deal with that for a little bit. And you get to watch history, though. Everyone that cares so much about this team, their life has been so consumed. And it makes such perfect sense.

that the greatest season, I think, of many people's lifetimes because it was unbelievable from individual performances to how good and quality the teams were to this postseason. It makes sense that you get rewarded with a Game 7 with the game's greatest player on the road having come back from a 3-0 deficit against...

a team that went through an unreal path to get to it, that's back for the second straight year. This is the stuff that books are written about. And Paul Maurice has been so good with quotes along the entire way, Greg. If you want to get pacified by anything, he's like, when you're in your backyard or your frozen pond and you're dreaming about these moments, no one ever dreams about a game-winning goal in Game 4. It's always about Game 7. Can I make a proposition to you, Chris? A business decision on your behalf?

So in your section, tickets are going for $2,100 right now. But Billy, that's row 19 though. He's row 7, so we got to do some math on this. So let's say you sell your tickets for $2,500 each. You could get in for $841 in the upper deck. You could sell your two tickets and get in and still be at the game if that's what you want and make a nice profit today. Yeah.

I could, but... A lot of Panther fans are indeed selling the tickets, and they're being shamed by others for selling the tickets, for allowing anybody in Edmonton to get those seats. And there's a lot of Edmonton folks that probably went on the GameTime app. Download the GameTime app now. I see Billy on GameTime right now. That's how he was able to rattle off those prices. If he clicked individual seats...

He can see exactly what his view would be like from there. Make sure you have that all-in pricing tab clicked on so there are no surprises at checkout. Create an account. Use code DAN for $20 off your first purchase. If you've got your first purchase today, it's a good time to use that promo code DAN. Oh, you can hear the weekend in my throat. Terms apply. Last-minute tickets. Lowest price guarantee. That is game time.

Summer's the best time to run the way you want. Dial it up with new challenges and programs and bring your workouts with you to make the most of outside sunny days. Stugatz, guess what? What? You know what you can do with Peloton? What? Get the app, go outside, ride a bike. Well, I thought you ride Peloton inside. Well, you do, you can ride Peloton inside if it's a rainy day or if it's cloudy or you just don't want to get outside, maybe it's too hot.

summertime, go outside. I record a lot from my office with you and you've noticed it's sitting there yet. It hasn't been used. Well, now's the time. Summer's the best time to start that push. Right. Can we do it together? Not on the same bike, but we could join a class together. I used to do that. We used to have Guillermo Tan. I'd invite people. We'd all take a class together. Okay. So I think you're starting to get concerned about my health and my age, Billy. I,

I sense that with you. We're beyond starting. Okay. Whatever road lies ahead, your training starts here with Peloton Tread and Tread Plus. It's not just a bike, a treadmill too. I'm going to go outside. I'm going to get in shape. I'm going to do it with Billy Gill. I want to be in your class. I want you to be my instructor. You know what? I won't be your instructor. You don't want to spend more time with me. No, I can schedule a class and we can ride together. I won't be the instructor of the class. We can have Camila could be our instructor. I like the Grateful Dead class. My daughter, she uses the Peloton. Mm-hmm.

She was on it once and an instructor who was playing Grateful Dead tunes. Let's do that. Okay. Why don't we go for a run outside? Guided run. Peloton. Me and you. That's something we can do together. Okay. Turn on the app. Me and you go outside. Enjoy the summer. Call yourself a runner with Peloton at onepeloton.com slash running. All right.

Howdy listeners, it's Mike Ryan and I've told you for quite a while about GameTime, my number one destination for the secondary ticket marketplace. No one does it like GameTime. There are often times where I'm using GameTime and I'm like, man, this experience cannot get any better. And then boom, GameTime now has a new feature called GameTime Picks that makes getting tickets to see your favorite teams play even easier. GameTime filters out the fluff to only show you the incredible deals on great seats for your team so you don't have to waste time searching through thousands of tickets.

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