The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz XX
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[14] This is the Dan Levatore show with the Stugats podcast.
[15] Today's episode is sponsored by Draft Kings.
[16] Stay tuned because you'll hear more about Draft Kings and all it has to offer throughout the show.
[17] Draft Kings, the crown is yours.
[18] The show is playing hurt today.
[19] We've had a sickness outbreak around here, and it allows us to have a great blessing.
[20] in August, the real Hooper's no show of Tony, Amino Hassen, and Izzy Gutierrez, not Mike Ryan.
[21] What?
[22] Not Mike?
[23] Mike Ryan has announced that he is incapable of an interesting Miami Heat opinion.
[24] He does not have anything interesting to say on the Miami Heat.
[25] You have to announce that.
[26] He did announce it.
[27] It was about six months after the rest of us realized it.
[28] Hear you.
[29] He is out of opinions on the Miami Heat.
[30] I am excited, though, because we've got Izzy Gutierrez, we've got a mean Al -Hasson, and we have the ability to talk about an assortment of things today, basketball included, and the rare thing of in an hour, we're going to break news.
[31] And I want to know the enthusiasm of the group.
[32] I don't want to over -tease it.
[33] I want to under -promise and over -deliver, but we have a news -breaking item that will be interesting to a certain segment of people.
[34] an hour.
[35] How would you guys help me classify this without ruining the surprise and over -promising so that I'm not teasing people with expectation who are expecting something that is too big a news, but for this show and for this show's obsession with a certain thing, what we're announcing in an hour is going to be pretty interesting to our constituency.
[36] Well, I've seen several things aggregated about this one topic, and I will say that people forget.
[37] People forget that several years ago a promise was made from one artist to another yes that something was ours and today we rightfully take it tell the tale okay not the tale we're not a storyteller we're not going to tell the tale right now but in an in an hour just the idea of climbing to a mountain top and seeing this old wise you know hermit of a of a monk and he looks into your eyes and he says i give this to you it is it feels a little religious and a little spiritual what is being given to us in an hour to share with the world exclusively.
[38] It's also a beautiful thing in that in a complicated world of digital video and rights issues and whatnot, not to get too far ahead of ourselves, that this is just as simple as one word was given and it is being honored again from one artist to another.
[39] And that's important in this crazy age where lawyers want to get involved in everything.
[40] We kept it simple, and today this tree bears fruit.
[41] It's a bit of a treasure, and it's adjacent to one of the things that I wanted to start with.
[42] We'll get to Olympic coverage in about a half hour when Andrew Siciliano will join us, and we're going to make a foray, hopefully, if the video works and the technology and the sound, and we're going to talk to a breaker, B -boy Ronnie, who is going to explain to us some things that we absolutely need to know as breaking begins at the Olympics.
[43] He's bailing you out again because you're the one that should be telling us about breaking.
[44] And I haven't heard not one update from you on breaking.
[45] By the way, I have an update.
[46] The U .S. medaled in weightlifting for the first time since 1984.
[47] Wow.
[48] So that is my beat.
[49] Consider that covered.
[50] I have not covered breaking at all.
[51] Never mind well.
[52] I consider it covered for you.
[53] I did see that the Jamaican relay team lost to the Chinese because they screwed up the baton.
[54] That has to hurt when you train.
[55] you train that way for once every four years and then you don't qualify in the in breaking and no in the it's not it is not the four by four relay in breaking that would have been hot it's track and field i i am uh i'm gonna wait into these waters because i'm worried about this take because there have been certain moments in sports where i'm like how are they doing this sometimes it's during the tour de france sometimes it's during the world cup where Spain is trying to outpass Russia but Russia seemingly has six lungs per player something's going on over here with China.
[56] You know what I feel like Mike with regards to that during these Olympics, the one person no one seems to be asking that question about Snoop.
[57] How's he doing this?
[58] That's very true.
[59] How is he at every event?
[60] How does he have custom clothing?
[61] He had Noah Liles winning the gold team?
[62] Where?
[63] There's a deep fake, Snoop.
[64] Come on.
[65] They've got to be carbon copying him, right?
[66] Fencing, he's in a fencing costumes, in the equestrian costume, he's in a Greco -Roman costume, he's in a beach volleyball costume.
[67] Some of these shots may be pre -taped.
[68] He's sitting next to Asia Wilson at the USA game.
[69] No, it's not because I'm telling you there are things that it's like holding up a newspaper.
[70] He's at the USA game with Asia Wilson.
[71] Then he's somewhere else wearing a Team USA jacket that has no allows winning the gold in the 100 meters.
[72] Like, how is that possible?
[73] So you want him to hold up a newspaper to prove that it's the same date that he is there?
[74] like in a hostage video?
[75] No, I'm saying he's already doing that with his actions.
[76] I'm saying that we have a pooty tank situation where they hired a bunch of lookalikes for Snoop and then they just insert him in different places.
[77] Pooty tank.
[78] Tracking back quickly to the China thing.
[79] This is very clearly my American superiority complex speaking here and also the fact that contextually there is a tainted meat scandal.
[80] All right.
[81] The U .S. always takes a gold in that relay.
[82] Always.
[83] Not this year because a bunch of tainted meat swimmers decided to craft.
[84] the party.
[85] And if I were afraid of Chinese bots, I'd say off of X altogether.
[86] But what I'm saying here is, we're going to revisit all of this.
[87] I'm taking mental notes.
[88] Okay, very good.
[89] Mike Ryan has threatened you with mental notes are being taken, China.
[90] He's not afraid of whatever your retaliation is to his mental notes.
[91] I'm not on TikTok for a reason.
[92] You don't have my data.
[93] When you say tainted meat swimmers, do you mean these are swimmers who have eaten tainted meat, or are they meat swimmers who are tainted?
[94] Meat M -E -E -T?
[95] Oh, never mind.
[96] I didn't even consider that.
[97] So they tested positive for elevated levels of things that help them in the pool.
[98] I think that is the actual term.
[99] What, gills?
[100] What are things that help you in the pool?
[101] Why are we still talking about swimming?
[102] Swimming is over.
[103] I've got this Olympic fever, and I'd like to talk about a couple of events, but I'm a little thrown off here.
[104] And I say little is because, and those looking on the screen, is I've never felt smaller than I feel right now sitting next to Tony.
[105] Tony does this, you know, bully move or he stands up and wants to sort of, you know, I mean, look.
[106] You do look tiny.
[107] You look so tiny.
[108] You look like here.
[109] You look like Billy sitting next to Derek Henry.
[110] But now watch me stand up.
[111] It's not any better.
[112] I'm still tiny.
[113] We got a Tony Scott this.
[114] Get an apple crate for Tom Cruise.
[115] I don't know what to do here.
[116] I just feel like a gymnast compared to, I don't know, a catholic or a decathlet or something.
[117] He does look giant.
[118] I'm surprised because we've been hurt by sickness here today to hear something that Amin said right before we turn the microphones on because some of it's sickness and some of it is August vacation.
[119] Amin said something I've never heard before.
[120] He said he hates extended vacation time.
[121] I've never heard anybody say that.
[122] What does he mean by that?
[123] What do you mean by that?
[124] So I am a creature of routine.
[125] I crave the routine.
[126] I like doing, I get up, I do this, or whatever, right?
[127] And so my elite version of a vacation is, it's not really a vacation, it's just I work less.
[128] I don't stop working, but I do a little bit every day.
[129] When I go off the grid, as I did for the last couple of weeks, I find it so hard to get back into the routine.
[130] I don't want to do any of this.
[131] Ladies, I don't want to be here today.
[132] Like, on the way to the airport.
[133] That is not the way to sell when we're doing it.
[134] Danny's wearing a T -shirt that says day drink.
[135] I just, look, I need to.
[136] vacation from the vacation it's a real thing i in a perfect world i would go on vacation and never come back that's it that's not a vacation that is a vacation that's the ultimate vacation the ultimate vacation right but i put it on the poll juju is death the ultimate vacation the i'm not i don't want to make it seem like oh i hate being here depends on where you're going wait you made it sound like you hate being here No, no. I just hate working after I haven't worked.
[137] I like working.
[138] If I had just been coming all along, I'd be fine.
[139] But the fact that I tasted what freedom is actually like.
[140] And then it's like, all right, back to the salt mines.
[141] Like, oh, no, not this again.
[142] I'd rather just be digging a little less salt and then more salt.
[143] You cannot be describing what you are presently doing as back to the salt mines.
[144] Like, you cannot.
[145] There's no. Copper.
[146] No, I mean, come on.
[147] What do you hit?
[148] Cobalt.
[149] I'm a little salty.
[150] What are you doing with this?
[151] There are the people watching and the people listening to this, many of whom have real struggles in real jobs, have to be looking at you and be saying, like, what is he talking about?
[152] Well, like, what I would say to all those people is, first of all, thank you for your service, where's my camera, thank you for your service.
[153] We really appreciate everything that you do for us as a society.
[154] I don't know what you do, but I appreciate it.
[155] You're making it less personal.
[156] No, this is very, I'm speaking to the camera.
[157] I know, but you're saying I don't know what you do.
[158] Pretend like you do know what they do.
[159] I know what you do, and I appreciate it.
[160] And so does everyone else hear.
[161] What I'm saying is this.
[162] I would rather be doing my job, whatever my job is, continuously, and then in a vacation time, just do it a little less.
[163] So you're speaking specifically to salt miners right now?
[164] Just that portion of our audience.
[165] Absolutely.
[166] And the cobalt miners, too, right?
[167] I just don't want to be off completely and then be asked to come back on because it is so hard to train my body.
[168] and my mind back into a let's get work done mentality.
[169] Put this on the poll as well, Juju, please, at Lebitard Show.
[170] Do you find yourself needing another vacation as soon as you return from vacation?
[171] Summer's the best time to run the way you want.
[172] Dial it up with new challenges and programs and bring your workouts with you to make the most of outside sunny days.
[173] Stugats, guess what?
[174] What?
[175] You know what you can do with Peloton?
[176] What?
[177] Get the app.
[178] Go outside, ride a bike.
[179] Well, I thought you'd ride Peloton inside.
[180] 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.
[181] Maybe it's too hot.
[182] It's summertime.
[183] Go outside.
[184] I record a lot from my office with you.
[185] And you've noticed it's sitting there yet it hasn't been used to time.
[186] Summer's the best time to start.
[187] That push, Stugatz.
[188] Right.
[189] Can we do it together?
[190] Not on the same bike, but we could join a class together.
[191] I used to do that.
[192] We used to do that.
[193] We used to have Guillemotan.
[194] I'd invite people.
[195] We'd all take a class together at same time.
[196] So I think you're starting to get concerned about my health and my age, Billy.
[197] I sense that with you.
[198] We're beyond starting.
[199] Okay.
[200] Whatever road lies ahead, your training starts here with Peloton Tread and Tread Plus.
[201] It's not just a bike, a treadmill too.
[202] I'm going to go outside.
[203] I'm going to get in shape.
[204] I'm going to do it with Billy Gill.
[205] I want to be in your class.
[206] I want you to be my instructor.
[207] You don't want to spend more time with me. No, I can schedule a class and we can ride together.
[208] I won't be the instructor of the class.
[209] We can have Camila could be our instructor.
[210] I like the Grateful Dead class.
[211] My daughter, she uses the Peloton.
[212] She was on it once and an instructor who was playing Grateful Dead tunes.
[213] Let's do that.
[214] Okay.
[215] Why don't we go for a run outside?
[216] 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 one peloton dot com slash running all right don lebertard again started on the breakfast flan oh man i've been singing a song to myself all morning long breakfast flan do no no no stugats have you never heard the breakfast flound no no hit me with it okay i wish i had some breakfast flan da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da where can i find a breakfast like that.
[217] This is the Dan Levitar show with the Stugats.
[218] The thing that I wanted to talk about with you guys that is basketball related.
[219] It's a couple of different topics, actually.
[220] One is in Charles Barclay's return to TNT, which surprised me. Did it?
[221] It did surprise me that he returned to TNT?
[222] Yeah, because they're not going to.
[223] have games.
[224] Look, man, I understand that the people who got suggested this.
[225] Oh, just do it without the games.
[226] You need highlights.
[227] Like, you need the rights.
[228] You need to have to be able to play basketball video that you can talk about.
[229] You can think you can do a four -hour show without that video.
[230] You cannot do a four -hour show, basketball show without that video.
[231] Well, a couple things.
[232] One, it wasn't a four -hour show.
[233] It was a little bit here, and then they play the game, and a little bit of halftime.
[234] Like a means vacation.
[235] Exactly.
[236] Exactly.
[237] That's exactly how it is.
[238] Number two, you can't do a show without basketball video or basketball highlights.
[239] Someone hit this guy to a little thing called Oddball every day but Monday right here on Draft King's Network.
[240] We do it every day.
[241] And then, the point that you're making is a valid one, but that also sounds like Turner's problem because Charles is just going to honor this contract.
[242] But they're going to create reportedly a show around some of the other sports that they're doing there.
[243] And what I'm saying, I mean, I'm not saying you can't do a basketball.
[244] show without video, I'm saying they can't do that show without video and without being able to react live to all the things that have just happened in a basketball game and then be able to show them to you.
[245] First of all, I would disagree with that also because if you think of many of the best moments of inside the NBA, it's them just sitting around riffing, you know, or interviewing someone.
[246] Remember the Dwight Howard interview that went like 12 minutes long, which is unheard of on TV for a post -game show or for a live basically event like that, they did it because they have the freedom and they have the chemistry to have those kind of conversations and they hold viewers.
[247] And so I think they can absolutely do because all you really need is Ernie full screen, still shot as, you know, like LeBron going like, this Lakers lose another one and then let them rip Charles and whoever else is on.
[248] But more importantly, I'm not here to argue the logistics of how you do a show without showing any video.
[249] I'm here to say, do you really believe Charles Barkley is going to do like seven more years of non -NBA coverage?
[250] Well, yeah, but he doesn't have to just do non -NBA stuff, too, because without highlights, you can still, first of all, it's a show on TNT.
[251] They're going to get rights to a 15 -second clip, right?
[252] And when you watch the highlight shows, they're reacting to one moment from the game.
[253] They're not reacting to a series of moments from the game.
[254] And then even if you don't show the moment, fine.
[255] Quick explanation, maybe even have people acted out.
[256] Maybe that could be their thing.
[257] But in terms of talking about it, they don't need much.
[258] Watch video.
[259] That's a Kenny Smith thing.
[260] Don't give away the goods.
[261] Christ, man. Season two down the drain.
[262] That show in sports history, there have been very few shows ever.
[263] I know that the stars get a lot of credit for that show that has had better production than that show.
[264] So I would trust them to be creative with incredibly funny things like reenactments of a play because they don't.
[265] I watched that before I watched the highlight.
[266] I would watch the reenactment.
[267] I would stop talking about.
[268] this, please.
[269] You guys have done a great job in highlighting some of the challenges that face Turner and Charles, the whole cast and crew of that show.
[270] But at the heart of the matter is Charles will never retire as long as there's huge piles of money around.
[271] We told you this before.
[272] He's talked about retiring longer than he's actually been doing this stuff.
[273] It's crazy.
[274] He just doesn't retire.
[275] And I know for a fact, because I've overheard him, he seriously considers these things.
[276] I don't doubt that.
[277] But it always comes back to, I'm not retiring.
[278] I'm taking those easy money.
[279] What do you mean you've overheard him?
[280] I've snuck around people on the phone with Charles Barkley and I've eavesdropped.
[281] And yeah, I'm reporting this exclusively.
[282] Charles Barkley, he means it when he says he seriously considers these things.
[283] And I mean it when I said, bullshit, you're never retiring.
[284] You're taking that easy money.
[285] I don't know how I feel about Mike eavesdropping on my phone conversation.
[286] They didn't teach that in journalism school.
[287] I got to say, Mike.
[288] That is some sketchy journalism.
[289] I was just legitimately hurt by the fact that Mike revealed something that he overheard in a conversation that I was walking around.
[290] Whoa, I didn't reveal my sources.
[291] You did.
[292] And I would say, just as a caution to anybody, stop talking on speakerphone for everybody to hear you.
[293] That's weird.
[294] I was in a private room you walked into.
[295] And I overheard it, and I am but a journalist.
[296] Sput.
[297] Speaking of which, at some point here today, please remind me, because Colorado football is really mad at us, and I want to get back to something we've done the last couple of days.
[298] Let me say right now, the list of people who are.
[299] are mad at y 'all is very lengthy and i'm having to put out fires i'm not going to say about where or who but i do know that i have received communicates saying what's the deal and i say hey man you just that's just them i've had to smooth over some things why don't you want to tell us what some of those things are unlike you dan i am not leaky unlike mike ryan over here I am not snitching all over the airwaves.
[300] I know what the value of discretion is.
[301] I am discreet.
[302] The listeners would love to know in your discretion, because what you've done now is just tease the listener and then not giving them information.
[303] The listener would like to know who's mad at us.
[304] You're going to tell me during the break, and then I'm going to leak it or talk to somebody and Michael overhear it and he'll leak it.
[305] It'll get leaked somewhere around here.
[306] But just remind me before we get out of here today, to talk about everything that's happened with Colorado because it reminds me so much of everything that happened 30 years ago with the University of Miami.
[307] It's the modern version of us against the world in Colorado where they think they have this precious thing that the rest of the world doesn't understand and it just makes them all the stronger in their unity.
[308] Minus the success.
[309] Now, Mike, I want to ask you hearing that, does that feel like the ultimate like victory over Florida State is that Dion Sanders went and stole you guys' culture and brought it to Colorado I understand how people get defensive Lord knows I'm a very defensive Miami Hurricane It wasn't He forget about kneeling It wasn't a fumble Not enough people talk about this That's also true But what I will say is Colorado if you're struggling with this You gotta toughen up Like there was a report out there That spoke to anonymous people You're lucky mainstream We're like the most mainstream entity that picked up on this story.
[310] Networks have their journalistic standards.
[311] Maybe it didn't meet that.
[312] That's totally fine.
[313] But like this is not anything close to what Miami endured.
[314] Everybody was pretty unified in, this program has to go.
[315] It goes on the cover of magazines that mattered at the time.
[316] They need to end this.
[317] If you're having difficulty with this, I wish you luck this season.
[318] because you actually meet real adversity and you're getting sensitive about this.
[319] Maybe you're not cut out for it.
[320] We will get to all of that because Miami got cut out for it after 20 years of enduring it.
[321] And it, you know, Dennis Erickson, with all the winning in the world, was still throwing up into buckets before games with fever blisters because once you have everybody on your neck rooting against you and you lose, it doesn't feel very good.
[322] But it's also a fallacy.
[323] I kind of feel like most big media companies are rooting for Colorado because they benefit from the prime bump.
[324] Everyone saw this.
[325] Ratings were up across the board.
[326] Anytime anybody did anything with Colorado, as long as they were winning, it meant Buku ratings.
[327] So there isn't this huge conspiracy of people gathering around, if anything, they're trying to shoo this story away because no one's actually covering it.
[328] So I don't think that argument holds water at all.
[329] It's the Floyd Mayweather thing, right?
[330] Like, everyone, where it feels like there's a large, loud contingency that wants to see failure, but it all hinges on him being successful in order for us to root for failure.
[331] No one wants to root for failure for a failing organization or a failing, you know, an entity.
[332] It only works when they're really good.
[333] If you dig into any program that maybe is high profile, that maybe is struggling a little bit, doing worse than they expected, getting a lot of transfers.
[334] You'll probably find a lot of stories about this.
[335] You'll probably find stories dotted with guns.
[336] You'll probably find some stories about violence, you know, teammates, budding heads.
[337] I don't think it's unique to Colorado unless Dion's allowing this stuff.
[338] But I think what's unique is that he brings all the attention.
[339] And so there are people, even Athlon Sports, digging in.
[340] We will get to that.
[341] But where I would stop you is the objection is it runs along a really, interesting journalism fault line to me. They're not objecting to it being covered.
[342] They're alleging that it's all made up, that it's not overblown, that it's all made up, which is a different way of doing it in 2024 when you simply don't understand how journalism vetting works.
[343] But this particular reporter, anathlons sports, which is from a different time, doesn't have the credibility you need to withstand what is presently hitting it.
[344] We'll get to that.
[345] We'll get to that later.
[346] The guns thing is interesting though because I do remember watching with Butch Davis one of the University of Miami movies on ESPN where Butch Davis was revealed on the screen to have said he gets here and says he's going to change the culture and he says I want all the guns.
[347] I need all the guns and I remember I'm sitting next to him in the theater and he leans over to me and says I didn't even get half of a yes.
[348] Shame on you.
[349] That was a private conversation.
[350] I just leaked it.
[351] I want to play some draymond green sound for you guys because i can't believe this is the messenger on this particular message listen to this but y 'all chasing the game like all young dudes do come down i need to get a three and ain't nobody step currie but everybody want to get to three shooting well but you took three bavals in a row or you took two one of y 'all took another one right and then y 'all cried about every call that was called i get a lot of text so I'm actually fucked up on that part, but it's also cost me $2 .5 million, which is more money than probably everybody in here preparing to make that ain't a risky.
[352] It's probably 50 times the amount of money my mom made in their life.
[353] So it'll cost you.
[354] And also, what have y 'all done to get calls?
[355] I was this close from, by the way, not giving y 'all one.
[356] And there's nothing any of y 'all can say.
[357] So why are we crying about calls?
[358] It's pick up.
[359] He didn't say nothing about a file.
[360] He ain't say nothing about a file.
[361] Say, yo, we still had the ball.
[362] And y 'all crying about every call.
[363] Why?
[364] Who's done something?
[365] I just want to know which one of y 'all done something.
[366] Quite frankly, I don't think any of y 'all have done anything.
[367] But that's just me. I mean, it's amazing to have him talk about crying about calls.
[368] And he's explaining to you why he thinks he's entitled to it.
[369] It's just because he's done something.
[370] Yes.
[371] I mean, like, I don't think he said anything untoward.
[372] By the way, the done something he's talking about isn't winning four championships, winning defensive player the year, being an all -star, being all -N -B -A, all -defeas team, all those things.
[373] It's, I'm an NBA player.
[374] You're in high school.
[375] Did he just finish an NBA game, by the way, because he was sweaty and out of breath and he's coaching?
[376] What is going on?
[377] He was watching cops.
[378] Man, let me tell you something.
[379] Playing with kids, man. That shit is tiring, man. Because they just have pools of energy that aren't natural.
[380] I'm like, how do you keep doing?
[381] What is this?
[382] You're just running around.
[383] It has no rhyme or reason to it.
[384] Juju, put it on the poll, please.
[385] Who has more energy?
[386] NBA players or toddlers?
[387] Or kids?
[388] But I was thinking, I was thinking toddlers are even more exhausting than just kids.
[389] Am I wrong about that?
[390] That might come back 100%.
[391] Might be the first one ever.
[392] I also wanted to get into what Draymond said and his dedication to hating, just saying of Rudy Gobert.
[393] you cannot be an NBA player and benched by an Olympic team that isn't Team USA that is that's a bar it is a bad look Evan Fornier is playing a ton on that France team and when's the last time he saw the NBA floor dude it seems like the adjustment for France was let's get some of these NBA players out of here can we do what I asked and make the in -season tournament truly international and bring it like just make that an actual in -season tournament.
[394] Like a Leagues Cup.
[395] Would you bring in another league from another country?
[396] Hockey's doing this.
[397] Interesting games.
[398] Hockey's doing this with the Four Nations.
[399] NBA is talking about doing that too.
[400] We may...
[401] They got that idea for me. Have a breaker from Paris next.
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[418] Dan Levatard.
[419] Amino Hassan.
[420] Stugats.
[421] This is the Dan Levatar show with the Stugats.
[422] I was assigned the task of covering.
[423] breaking on behalf of the show from the Olympics.
[424] I have failed.
[425] I have not had the bandwidth to get as updated as I should have gotten, but we're bringing in an expert.
[426] I do know you're not supposed to call it break dancing.
[427] That's about all I know.
[428] You're supposed to call it breaking and B -Boy Ronnie.
[429] Ronnie Abaldonado is with us.
[430] He's a legend in the scene.
[431] He's been breaking for three decades.
[432] He's a judge.
[433] He's been a judge for the sport.
[434] And he's going to be one of the official commentators for NBC Sports.
[435] Are there any curiosities the room has on this?
[436] Because I mean, I'm sure you, is New York and cardboard on sidewalks before your time?
[437] No, that's the New York of my childhood.
[438] Okay, that's the New York of your time.
[439] And so this is where I was introduced to break dancing and the evolution of it, obviously, athletically, is a total insanity.
[440] Mike learned the other day that you don't know what song you're going to break to, which which seems crazy, and he says, you know, it's odd if they throw a, you can call me Al at you before you're expecting it.
[441] I don't think you're allowed to do that, but Ronnie is here to explain it to us.
[442] So thank you, Ronnie, for joining us.
[443] And I'll begin with how much ignorance are you confronted with.
[444] People are about to be delighted when this finally starts on Friday, and they discover what is a novelty sport, because it's not going to be at every Olympics, but it is at this Olympics and this has to be exciting for people like you and people from this community.
[445] Yes, definitely.
[446] Thank you guys, first of all, for having me. Yes, breaking, you know, this is a milestone for the breaking community.
[447] We're very excited that it's finally going to be in the Olympics.
[448] I feel like it should have been a while ago, but, you know, everything's about timing.
[449] And now that breaking is going to be in the Olympics, we have like the best of the best from around the world representing.
[450] What is going to stun people?
[451] What are they going to be surprised by one of the great things about the Olympics has been all the awe and discovery and wonder of people like being, holy shit, how do those water polo people survive playing that sport?
[452] Well, you know, it's very close to gymnastics.
[453] You know, we took a lot of inspiration from, you know, a gymnast from martial arts and vice versa.
[454] If you were to watch some of the floor exercises and gymnastics, they actually got inspired from some breaking moves.
[455] We have a move called the air flares, which they now do in the Olympics, and they actually give credit to breaking.
[456] And vice versa, we took the Thomas flares, right?
[457] So I think breaking has evolved so much in the past 40, 50 years, and it's just undeniable that it's going to be, you know, groundbreaking.
[458] And it's definitely a breakthrough for the hip -hop culture.
[459] Ronnie, speaking of the culture, when you think about breaking, like Dan said, it's something that originated on the streets.
[460] It was, it was, it was.
[461] It was free, it was unencumbered, unregulated.
[462] And now you bring it to something like the Olympics, which is the epitome of the establishment, and people are going to score it and grade it and all that.
[463] How does the culture react to that transition from this is our thing to this is something that we're going to be basically calculated on?
[464] Yeah, well, you know, we're at the elite level now.
[465] It's not confined to the streets.
[466] It almost graduated to sports and to the Olympics.
[467] and there is a structure behind breaking.
[468] It's not like breaking just jumped onto the Olympic stage.
[469] You know, you have huge competitions that have been going on for like the past few decades.
[470] You have competitions like freestyle session, battle the year, Red Bull BC1, and these are world -class events.
[471] And they have different point systems.
[472] Specifically for the Olympics, it's a comparative judging system that they're using that's judged on five different categories.
[473] So it's very structured.
[474] They're going to be judging on technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality.
[475] And, of course, you have professional judges on the panel.
[476] Well, walk me through that, though.
[477] What does musicality mean?
[478] Musicality is obviously rhythm.
[479] If you're on beat, you know, you're not dancing with two left feet, right?
[480] So you have to be dancing because it's really important that, you know, everyone understands that even though they're doing acrobatic moves, that this is still a dance.
[481] at the end of the day.
[482] And it's part of a hip -hop culture.
[483] So there's a bigger picture.
[484] You know, breaking is the dance element of the hip -hop culture along with DJing, emceeing, and graffiti.
[485] What does vocabulary mean?
[486] Vocabulary.
[487] Like, what does that mean?
[488] Vocabulary is like your quantity of moves, you know, because there is a structure in breaking, like I was saying.
[489] There's the foundation of breaking.
[490] You have your top rock, full work, power moves, and freezes.
[491] So essentially in a battle, you have to be able to showcase all those four elements and those are like the fundamentals of breaking so when you say originality though how surprised like how surprised do you ever get by anybody's originality as someone who has been watching judging and has expertise about this that goes back three decades exactly so you know judges they definitely have an eye for originality because a lot of these breakers especially the breakers that are going to be competing at the Olympics they have signature moves so you know a lot of them that have created their moves throughout you know, these 30 years, we know their moves, but it's also, you know, creating unique patterns, unique transitions, and innovating a lot of the foundational moves.
[492] So that's basically what originality is, is just stage presence, just having a very unique style.
[493] Charisma could be part of that, too, someone that just has a very unique stage presence, right?
[494] Like, character is very important as well.
[495] Ronnie, I'm curious.
[496] There's a lot of people around here who think they can do more than they actually can.
[497] A lot of people who think they're like Olympians in just a couple of months of training.
[498] I'm wondering what it would take for you?
[499] How easy or difficult would it be for you to teach somebody not to be an Olympic level breaker, but to kind of look like they know what they're doing?
[500] Yeah, I mean, I actually have a dance studio in Las Vegas, so we do teach lessons, right?
[501] So you have to just start from the basics.
[502] It's starting from ground level teaching your top prog, just like I was mentioning.
[503] and that's easily a two -step, right?
[504] And from there, you go to the floor, you start to teach footwork, which one of the most basic footwork steps is called the six -step.
[505] And then from then on, you start elevating, right?
[506] That's why with breaking, we always talk about before you learn how to fly, you got to learn how to, you know, crawl, walk, run, then you could fly.
[507] What's the training regimen like outside of actually practicing how to dance?
[508] Outside, well, you know, back then there was really, really no regimen because competition really wasn't that big but now that it's an olympic sport you know breakers are are training like athletes but creating like artists so i think there's you know a how could i say this there's like two different types of breakers you have your artistic breakers and you have your athletic breakers the athletic breakers the breakers that are competing for competition like the olympics you know they train every day day and day out they have um you know a diet that they go by but then for those that literally just break because they love it uh they don't count the hours you know they just break every day they we we call it a cipher right so they'll just go to the club and then they'll just have fun it's more uh leisure you know so there's there's different type of breakers and that's a beautiful thing about breaking too because there's different avenues for breaking yes there's a competition world but as you know breakers perform and shows like if you go to las Vegas there's a breaker in all almost every show.
[509] You have a breaker in Magic Mike.
[510] You have a breaker in Cirque du Soleil.
[511] You have tons of breakers in the Jabalaki show.
[512] And if you watch music videos, you'll always see that there is a breaker, you know, that's a backup dancer for an artist or a breaker that's in the movie acting.
[513] And this is not new, because in the 80s, breaking was huge.
[514] It was everywhere in the 80s.
[515] I mean, there was even breakers at the closing ceremony at the 1984 Olympics, performing with Lionel Richie.
[516] So this is nothing new, guys.
[517] respectfully if I see a breakdance cypher going on to the club I'm probably going to leave but I did want to ask you one question it's like a musical break in out of there basketball no biggie but respectfully but as a as a B -boy novice um when you guys start doing this move right here kind of before you start like you start doing the dance moves prior to the capiura fighter and Tekken right yeah you look like a couple at a come on yeah when you start doing these moves are you setting up a move or is that just like you warming up the body like what what's the idea with that?
[518] It's a combination of both.
[519] Yeah.
[520] So like I said, it's the top rock, right?
[521] The top rock is the dance element.
[522] It's the introduction to your set.
[523] So there's actually people that don't even go down to the floor, right?
[524] They'll stay up top the whole time, you know?
[525] Is there an approved whatever?
[526] Is there an approved uniform for this?
[527] Like in the 80s, it was track suits and the Adidas shoes.
[528] Is there like a standard uniform that people have for this?
[529] Or can someone get bonus points for doing this in jeans.
[530] Oh, that's a good question.
[531] Yeah, fashion is very important.
[532] I think everyone has their own style, right?
[533] So sometimes the way someone dresses kind of defines their style.
[534] And like I was saying, you have breakers that dress like athletes that wear track suits, and then you have the breakers that you would never know that they were breakers.
[535] You know, they look like they could be skaters.
[536] So, yeah, fashion is crucial.
[537] Specifically for the Olympics, I believe there is a dress code.
[538] Obviously, everyone's going to be representing their countries.
[539] But I'm not quite sure what they're going to be wearing.
[540] most comfortable are usually, yeah, like a track suit is definitely comfortable.
[541] Something light would be comfortable to wear in a competition.
[542] Any tension between the artists and the athletes?
[543] Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[544] I mean, when it was leading up to the Olympics, because they announced this like in 2019, so like five years ago is when they officially announced that breaking was going to be in the Olympics.
[545] And yeah, there was a little tension between the purest, right, this traditionalist and the scene.
[546] but I think when they see that this whole culture is bigger than us, that most of them have turned their heads and they're definitely supportive.
[547] But obviously, there's going to be a few that are just cynical about breaking being in the Olympics.
[548] But definitely we've been getting a majority positive feedback.
[549] Ronnie, what can you tell us about the music?
[550] Because music choice is hugely important.
[551] And we learned earlier that these answers are going to be surprised by this.
[552] Is there a hypothetical where there is a song that gets played?
[553] that is very difficult to break dance to?
[554] Yeah, I mean, there's cases where, you know, breakers, they're very specific about the type of music they listen to.
[555] So you'll definitely have the advantage if it's a classic or if there's a song playing that you know well.
[556] And what's beautiful about the Olympics is they cleared like over 300 songs.
[557] So there's going to be like classic breaks, hip -hop.
[558] And that's a beauty about breaking too.
[559] It's just an improvisation, right?
[560] like listening to the music and just adapting to it.
[561] You know, you have to let the music kind of dictate your moves.
[562] And everyone has a different style.
[563] There's some breakers that have a set from beginning to end.
[564] And there's some breakers that just freestyle and that are in the moment, right?
[565] And, you know, that's what breaking is about too.
[566] It's about creating those moments, creating those moments that could not be, you know, recreated.
[567] So that's going to be the funnest thing to see, is just hearing the music and seeing how the breakers adapt.
[568] to it.
[569] So they cleared 300 songs.
[570] That was a big concern because break dancing and music, they go hand in hand.
[571] Yeah.
[572] Do you know all 300 songs?
[573] I'm not asking you to tip it.
[574] I'm just asking you to let me know if like Bobby McFerrans, don't worry, be happy is in here because the idea of a wild card song, like just all of a sudden, boom, chamber music, go.
[575] No, no, it's, I think there's specific genres, right?
[576] Like funk, hip -hop, some soul, you know, because we grew up listening to like songs from like James Brown, so I'm hoping they have some of those songs clear.
[577] I don't know specifically what songs, but I definitely know it's, there's going to be a curated playlist, and a lot of it are songs that are from our breaking community.
[578] And, you know, we have a very tight -knit breaking community of breakers that have been competing at some of the same events annually, and they play the same, you know, same tracks.
[579] So we're hoping that the DJ actually are going to be playing that for the Olympics.
[580] Ronnie, I got a question for you.
[581] Before you came on, I looked at your name and I went to Dan and I said, bet you 20 bucks.
[582] He's a Filipino descent.
[583] Am I my last name?
[584] I am Filipino, yes.
[585] Okay.
[586] Why is the Philippines the source of all the best breakdancers in the world?
[587] That's my unofficial, like, not an expert opinion, but from what I've witnessed throughout my 45 years on this world is the Philippines is always incredible and what nation is favored to win in men and women well he's a judge really i don't know if he's allowed to say that it's like that in karaoke music and dance is just in our DNA it's encoded in our DNA and boxing we have we have men pack you don't you don't think he's allowed as a judge to say who's favored like i you don't think i think that's i think that's incredibly prejudicial well but i mean i i think that there would be common knowledge within the expertise of the sport of if there's a champion or if there's some, in all the sports that we're watching there's a favorite.
[588] Yeah, but I don't know if the judges, like you think like a referee, like Kenny Maurer, can say, oh, I think the Celtics are going to win it again?
[589] Can you say or can you not say?
[590] Wait, what are we talking about right now?
[591] Don't try to get my man in trouble here.
[592] Fine.
[593] Women's...
[594] Are we talking I'm just talking about who's supposed to win.
[595] Like, what country is supposed to win?
[596] Historically, who's the best at this?
[597] Well, there is a Filipino American that's going to be representing Team USA.
[598] There you go.
[599] And yeah, she has a good chance.
[600] I think obviously USA has a very good chance to win.
[601] It's started in the U .S. So we're hoping that someone just brings home the gold.
[602] But Asia is doing really well.
[603] Japan, Korea, there's a competitor from Korea.
[604] And I think that's what's beautiful about breaking in the Olympics too.
[605] It's like we're bridging the age gap.
[606] You have teenagers there and you have breakers that are like in 30s and one specifically from Korea he's like pushing 40 he's 39 and he's like a three -time Red Bull BC one road champion his name is Hongtan and he's an amazing breaker and you just pushing the envelope right now appreciate you uh illuminating us the women start Friday at 10 p .m. 10 a .m. Eastern on peacock and the men are Saturday at 2 p .m. You can check out Ronnie's video on YouTube at Red Bull BC1.
[607] We appreciate the insight sir.
[608] Thank you.
[609] Thanks Ronnie.
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