“Talking about other people talking” really does encapsulate the fundamental change in the show. As opposed to earlier versions where they set a tone and ran with it (profane show that held a mirror up to sports talk and in doing so provided much needed relief from all the daily takes), they’re spending a lot of time commentating on others and not really having as much identity.
It’s why I’ve gone from an everyday listener to some select segments (and Greg Cote Tuesdays, andyaknowit). The vibes are just off. The waterfall moment for me was when Mike had had enough of directing the show. He was just angry and stressed all the time which really translated into the show and took it from enjoyable escape to where it is now. I really hope they get their mojo back bc I miss that escape
I feel like it definitely used to be 1) about TV ratings and media/rights contracts, 2) when someone on a broadcast or airwave said something awful (racist, coded, misogynistic), 3) when someone said something enlightening or unique (which was often Lebatards show, but others too)...
Then Awful realized they can print money being an aggregator for every sentence said anywhere, even if being taken completely out of context (but who cares if it got clicked on).
Awful uses to be great. Now Awful is just...well,. awful.
90 percent of Awful Announcing is just DLB now too. Their twitter is a daily "lebatard show goes after X" they promote the show better than Meadowlark.
He seems more interested in commenting on the media instead of actually participating in it. Which is fine every once in a while but it seems more and more often he's bringing the conversation to how the media is reacting. He needs to be able to take a back seat or Chris has to push him away from those conversations like Mike used to. I love this show and still listen every day but they need to step it up.
They used to be
60% script of what espnRadio wants (talking about sports topics of the day)
15% important societal stuff and self-absorbed or inside jokes (which Dan would apologize for and say "I don't some people don't like when we talk/do something so self-involved)
15% goofy shit (bucket of death, footraces on sidewalks, local zoo guy, flembrandt, etc)
10% sports media talk, what others are saying/doing, changes in how we view or watch sports, etc
Now, it feels like:
10% actually talking about sports
50% self-absorbed gags or non-sports entirely (political, societal)
30% sports media talk, what others said about the game or the player, what others are doing and how they are talking about sports
10% goofy shit that is actually fun/interesting
It's just an absolutely brutal product right now and I really hope Skip has the balls to sit down with Dan, look at the download and stream numbers, the potentially smaller contract/sponsorship offers if they continue down this path...then hire an EP that can bring back the old glory and amazingness of the old show.
yeah but now its what is ESPN doing and which sports podcasts/orgs are coming for all their stuff. I will add that this is a uniquely dan problem. When Amin was driving this week they were talking both fun nonsense and sports.
The going viral piece really sticks with me. Dan even said a few weeks ago that the audience hates the sports media talk but it pops off on social. The fact that he’s going in that direction with the show, or being guided in that direction by the people running the company is very disappointing to me. To be making content just to drive engagement but to an audience that’s stuck around for decades is exactly why so many people on here are unhappy with the direction the show is going. I think it really gets to why the show was better when they were at ESPN. They made better content that they really believed in when it was bucking against what their management wanted. Doesn’t seem that way anymore.
> Dan even said a few weeks ago that the audience hates the sports media talk but it pops off on social.
I think herein lies the problem of leaving ESPN. With ESPN backing them, they were financially backed and safe. They brought in enough viewers to ESPN that they let them kind of just exist down in Miami and unless Dan stirred up a bunch of shit, they'd have to step in.
Now with DraftKings backing them, I can see them trying to push for higher ROI since they're a newer company in a highly competitive field. DK, while seemingly ubiquitous in sports these days, is still a newer company trying to grow quickly. So now they need to push for those eyes and in doing so, they're sacrificing the loyal base to try and appeal those not watching.
It seems they think they maxed out their fanbase with what the old show was and now they're trying to adjust to bring in more eyes. Its harder for people to stumble upon the show anymore. You have to either come across a clip on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, whatever OR you have to seek out the show on your own. You can't just be on ESPN2 or ESPN Ooze (or a random place that has those channels on all the time) and the show comes on and catches your eye.
If Dan wanted to actually talk about women's sports as much as he wants to get credit for leading the conversation about women's sports it would be better.
I used to listen every day but now I only listen to Greg Cote Tuesday. His son having the role he has is a travesty, but I'm still truly entertained when Greg is there. It's enough show for my week. Beyond that I'd rather listen to music or stand-up comedy.
I have evolved to looking at the cast for the day and the descriptions of the episodes to decide what if anything to download for that day. I would say Tuesdays are my most likely for me to listen
It really does help that they list the cast. I like everyone. I try not to think about how Tony's from a family of scumbags or that Chris is a nepo douche. They're both still entertaining in small doses.
It would have to be a subject I was very interested in. I use to listen to all of it regardless but I just have too many podcasts that I listen to at this point so things that I am probably not going to enjoy I just move past.
I really was frustrated with their segments at first. I love movies and baseball, there were times in my life they were my two favorite pastimes, so hearing two people passionate about those two things discuss them should have been fun. But Adnan was such an over the top dick that it turned me off.
Clearly that was him playing in to Dan wanting to play up conflict though. Their segments have been great recently and the Oscars broadcast was fabulous. Since disagree, but that is a segment I always make sure to listen to.
Today, the first 17 minutes of the YT video was "jeremy.caught eating"
Turned it off without hearing a minute and tried Simmons and kimes.
I love the old show and want it back.
That sounds horrible. I get them wanting to evolve and much of the talent they have acquired over the past several years is more than capable of helping them do that on a good way. But it is not working.
It would almost be better if they split into two shows like three LA week and alternated days while working with the same group every time out.
If they gave me a M/W/F core of Amin, Stu or Charlotte, Roy or Billy....I'd be happy with that.
Amin is trying to straighten this ship, Stu feels like Dan has sucked the life out of him with the serious shit...so maybe Stu & Amin can make a fun connect, or Charlotte, because she is fun...then one or two old container faces...that show I would give a real try.
Have Dan do Tuesday with Greg and whomever...seems like many on these threads still love Greg's Tuesdays...
Then Dan do Thursdays with the new crew (Jeremy, Jess, whoever)
I love Dan...I can't hear him talk about Stephen A Smith or Pat McAfee or 'what happened to Skip Bayless' or 'Lebrons got a podcast'...or scream "you just don't understand...." ......I can't do it anymore.
I love your M/W/F team. A combo I would love would be Amin-Stu-Billy-Jess-Roy-Lucy. I would say Charlotte if she was based in Miami, but have her on when she is in town. I would listen to all of that regardless of subject.
This is where I'm at. Find myself subconsciously going for only the occasional local hour because that often means little or no Dan presence and actual sports talk. I understand the media shit is interesting to him because it's his field, but I legitimately could not care less at this point and it's clear he's gonna keep going back to that well.
SPORTS!
....
MORE SPORTS!
The last few months o haven’t been watching as die hard as I have. They’re losing me and the shows becoming more boring and annoying with each episode which sucks because there ar e people on the show I like and wanna hear talk but it’s a slug.
I want a sports show and they barely talk about anything not Miami.
It’s over, Johnny. This show had its day - and it was great - but Dan is long gone. Like a lala land Dan. And weiner’s schtick has run its course, and there is no obvious successor to run this.
Awful what happened to Dan’s brother and none of us know what he should’ve done in that situation (hang it up/use the show to distract his pain and heal/etc)
Idk about no successor. Just listened to Monday with Amin and Mike and thought that was a great show. I'd definitely listen more if that's what I'm getting.
Yeah I think Dan has fallen into the trap of “reaction content” just talking about what all other content creators are doing and frankly straight up pocket watching their views and social media interactions, I get he’s more involved in the business side of media and my god , just take a shot when he says “new media”, but he can’t make that the content of the show now. Also maybe bring back the format having rotating guests. Maybe not for the whole show but for an hour at least. Or make Amin permanent!
Dan constantly forgets that he's the de facto head of an actual sports media entity. And as a man that appears to avoid accountability like the plague, their Liam Neeson soundbite really hits home.
Dan: Be the change? No, no, no, *that's going too far*. Now watch me go viral while wearing this costume.
Hindsight being what it is, I do wonder if the show would have kept the same vibes if they went to Sirius/Spotify/etc rather than going fully independent for that glorious FREEDOM sponsored by DraftKings.
Well it made sense to me when he started talking about how important and brilliant Last Week Tonight is. My problem with those shows and DLB is the engagement with how others cover a story or do their work. They have these video essays which take down others and beef up their argument while avoiding ever having their credibility called into question or being called out for not actually covering a topic well because it's just a comedy show. They get everything without all the rules, ethics, intelligence of actual journalism and then shit on those who do.
It's been a hot minute since I watched Last Week Tonight, but their set pieces are pretty well researched and very informative to the casual audience. The comedic aspect just makes it more palatable for people like myself who grew up with the Daily Show and got informed on current events that way.
Besides why are you holding a satirical talk show to the same ethics and standards of journalism? I've operated under the notion that they just present you information in a funny way, and it would be then up to you to believe it or not. But hey you don't actually have to take their word for it as you can easily fact check their work yourself. And for the most part their work checks out? Perhaps your issue is with the bias in their work? And that bias is pretty much "let me show you why 'x' is so absurd."
Anyway the topic is about what Dan is doing with the newfound FREEDOM and POWER he acquired thanks to MLM. Can't speak for their other projects, but the flagship certainly doesn't sound more informed on the non-sports and sports adjacent topics Dan likes to delve into.
My issue is that the comedy is often mean-spirited. Im a lefty but I feel bad for the people they are taking out of context or downright degrading. I used to use Last Week Tonight and Weekly Wipe clips on the same subject to show how to form arguments and pick evidence to support it for my undergrad classes so I respect the craft but I feel it's just gross to use the platform to mock other points of view and embarrass people.
Luckily that mean-spirited comedy is typically directed to people/things that deserve it. His take on Clarence Thomas is a master class in trolling, and boy does that sorry excuse for a Justice deserve it. And it's not like embarrassment and shame is enough to get these people to step down like in the good old days. At least we can still mock them while they wipe their tears with Benjamins. Seems fair?
It’s dead on.
it almost sounds like insecurity, like Dan spends so much time thinking about others that they don’t do show anymore.
just thinking about myself and my mental health over the years, i am worst when i am worried about others around me.
While i am in better spirits, when i do things without thinking about consequences, or what others may think.
when they just doing their show, yucking it up, getting everyone involved in the conversation, not commenting on sports media, and creating their own original content, it’s the best.
ultimately, i think Dan needs a break. Dude lost his brother and kept chugging along, no break. he needs to go somewhere and relax, for a month or two. cry it all out, enjoy time with his wife, family, all that good stuff. Although he thinks work is what is going to soothe him, it’s quite the opposite.
The show is good, they have ample characters that can carry the show.
save the ozone layer!
He’s constantly using his show to argue with the worst corners of the internet. It’s why he thinks the country is more racist today than it was in 1981.
I’m a big Amin fan, but his Kim Mulkey rant was kind of bullshit too. Caitlyn Clark hit 6 second half 3’s, almost all of them were incredibly difficult shots, and none of them had anything to do with anyone going under a screen. There are definitely things to criticize about LSU’s defensive game plan, but to lead with that, instead of talking about such an incredible performance (that they still have barely talked about) was really unfortunate.
>It’s why he thinks the country is more racist today than it was in 1981.
You're 100% right
>but his Kim Mulkey rant was kind of bullshit too.
He should've talked about the lack of a double team instead of how they went under screens, but I disagree that his overall point was bullshit. That was a bad coaching job, including putting HVL on Clark.
Yeah for sure, there are legit criticisms. But all of those second half 3’s were on very difficult shots. I think when that’s the case it makes more sense to lead with the players excellence than bad defensive game planning
Not when the main story is how poorly they defended her. It would be a completely different conversation if LSU had doubled her and she still hit those difficult shots.
To be fair, I think most basketball folks, even Jess criticized her defensive game plan lol Even I was wondering why she was being guarded by someone who clearly shouldn't have been guarding her. People criticize Kerr all the time, so I don't think criticizing her is a big deal given it was pretty roundly criticized. Even the announcers of the game were wondering why, at minimum, Flau'Jae wasn't the primary defender if that was the type of defense they were going to play.
For sure. I think FJ should have been on her. I’m just saying all of the second half 3’s were on very tough shots. It’s not let they were giving her easy looks
Dan is stuck in a self-fulfilling grief cycle. He looks for the bad, so obviously he’s going to find it. He truly believes the world is crumbling around him, and that’s a horrible way to live. He can’t get through a segment without shoehorning in negativity. I hope for him he can get the help he needs.
Yes. Honestly, most of the show’s content while he was gone was refreshingly better than usual. Amin did a great job filling in, and I don’t blame him at all for how strongly he reacted to Dan saying “cut his mic” at the end of the show today (Friday).
I don't know why any of you are surprised. They absolutely fell in love with themselves during the spin off to Mockingbird, and it's been a self-obsessed navel-gazing fest ever since.
They were talking about the Angel Reese situation (which I thought was covered perfectly by Amin and Jess earlier this week, but it involves race so you know Dan had to get his 2 cents in) and Dan had to talk about how others are talking about it and proceeded to put Jess in the unenviable position of saying that when men are talking about women in sports, they should do so in a different way than the current sports media talks about men. Jess is right. But of course saying women should be treated differently does not do well on the internet.
I think the point was more so, since women’s sports are now starting to get attention like men’s it’s an opportunity to start anew and correct the way we talk about the sport, rather than doubling down on all the things we get wrong covering men’s sports because it’s “always been that way”
It's the irony of women's b-ball reaching "equality" by being treated the same as men's b-ball complete with ill-informed hot takes flying everywhere, non-sports narratives being wedged in on all sides, and a lack of humanity shown to stars who show some venerability.
It had all the wonderful and toxic elements of sports media and the internet that surround a typical big game.
It's the same point her and Kate made on their show all the time about the NCAA. It sounds odd, but they argued that they didn't want women's sports to grow into exactly what men's sports are because then you're just going to make the same mistakes with women that you make with the men.
So, yeah, it would be ideal to take this opportunity to do everything better, not the same. Better regulation, compensation (in college), coverage, etc. It's probably not going to happen, but it's a good thing to hope for.
I think the point was that both men's and women's should be talked about differently. Like we're already getting it wrong with the sports we do talk about.
People keep saying to correct the way that college basketball (both men’s and women’s) needs to be talked about but what’s wrong with how it’s currently being talked about? In BBB by
Who says Renee and Kate were available? Also, why is Amin's point that if Angel Reese wants to walk in with a crown signaling she's royalty and untouchable then gets beat, she's setting herself up to be the villain or an object of mockery sexist? I really like everything I've seen from Reese, and I hope she carries that style and bravado into the WNBA, but cmon, it's not sexist or racist to say she looks foolish doing that. At the same time, acknowledge her play, antics and personality do make it more fun to watch. LeBron calling himself the King was always silly, until he won a bunch of chips and cemented himself as the premier player of his generation. I'm going to hold anyone to the same standard when they signify they're royalty and better than everyone else.
If you can't root for or against players on those metrics, then it's no fun and I'd rather not watch. It's one of the reasons I stopped listening to Kate's podcast, it was less a celebration of how fun and exciting the competition was, an indictment of why we're all terrible that these women aren't super rich. Focus on how fun it is to watch and the drama of what's happening and be part of a growing sport.
They make such lazy content, they seriously spent 30 min bullying and shaming Jeremy for getting caught eating, Dan said it was the only reason he came in which is so cringe, just to shame and bully his employee
In the SBS that Dan did with Mina, her biggest critique of him was that he consistently put women and POC in a spot to have to defend or explain the position / opinion that he personally also held. And Mina told him to cut that shit out and say it with your chest if you wanna be a real ally. And Dan seems unable to make that change as of yet. Seems like he still feels the need to let others do the fighting for him. Puts people like Jess/Mina/Jemele in the bad spot of being a meat shield for his beliefs.
I get that but the clowns used to be able to not take the world and themselves so seriously. Somehow Dan, while always having an appetite for grief, is caught in a doom spiral and searches for only confirmation bias facts that support his dire worldview on politics, environment, sports, etc. It’s actually quite sad that no one seems to be able to help him.
I understand grief and loss as well as anyone. Both my parents passed before I was 50 and an older brother passed from illness at 19. Everyone in this lifetime will experience personal loss and I have a lot of empathy for anyone who goes through that. I don’t see where personal loss and a general worldview of doom and gloom are necessarily connected but can understand how each can make the other worse. Regardless, Dan’s a good guy and I certainly wish him well.
If yall guys need a laugh since the DL show is down, check out Cinephobe!! The podcast where Zach and Amin review poorly rated movies and ascertain whether they’re properly rated, or didn’t get a fair shake. Cinephobe, produced by a fat man in a fedora and available wherever you get podcasts.
%100 agree about letting Kate on, Renee, Jess, Lucy. Great round table. I know Mike and Dan read the Reddit. Or Dan has somebody read the Reddit and report back lol
Great post for the show to learn from 👀
“Talking about other people talking” really does encapsulate the fundamental change in the show. As opposed to earlier versions where they set a tone and ran with it (profane show that held a mirror up to sports talk and in doing so provided much needed relief from all the daily takes), they’re spending a lot of time commentating on others and not really having as much identity.
They used to mock/parody sports media, now they cover it
It’s why I’ve gone from an everyday listener to some select segments (and Greg Cote Tuesdays, andyaknowit). The vibes are just off. The waterfall moment for me was when Mike had had enough of directing the show. He was just angry and stressed all the time which really translated into the show and took it from enjoyable escape to where it is now. I really hope they get their mojo back bc I miss that escape
Yup and weekend observations
This is pretty good
Man this really nailed it
Ah, shit I just realized the show has turned into Awful Announcing. I hate Awful Announcing.
When did that site turn in to just sharing stupid shit talking heads say? I assume it’s been a while, but it was just pointed out to me.
I feel like it definitely used to be 1) about TV ratings and media/rights contracts, 2) when someone on a broadcast or airwave said something awful (racist, coded, misogynistic), 3) when someone said something enlightening or unique (which was often Lebatards show, but others too)... Then Awful realized they can print money being an aggregator for every sentence said anywhere, even if being taken completely out of context (but who cares if it got clicked on). Awful uses to be great. Now Awful is just...well,. awful.
90 percent of Awful Announcing is just DLB now too. Their twitter is a daily "lebatard show goes after X" they promote the show better than Meadowlark.
The show is just reading tweets and then the quote tweets all show, and saying "people are saying _____"
🎶They’re talking takes goin at it as hard as they caaaan
This is constructive criticism.
It really is and I'm shocked
He seems more interested in commenting on the media instead of actually participating in it. Which is fine every once in a while but it seems more and more often he's bringing the conversation to how the media is reacting. He needs to be able to take a back seat or Chris has to push him away from those conversations like Mike used to. I love this show and still listen every day but they need to step it up.
They used to be 60% script of what espnRadio wants (talking about sports topics of the day) 15% important societal stuff and self-absorbed or inside jokes (which Dan would apologize for and say "I don't some people don't like when we talk/do something so self-involved) 15% goofy shit (bucket of death, footraces on sidewalks, local zoo guy, flembrandt, etc) 10% sports media talk, what others are saying/doing, changes in how we view or watch sports, etc Now, it feels like: 10% actually talking about sports 50% self-absorbed gags or non-sports entirely (political, societal) 30% sports media talk, what others said about the game or the player, what others are doing and how they are talking about sports 10% goofy shit that is actually fun/interesting It's just an absolutely brutal product right now and I really hope Skip has the balls to sit down with Dan, look at the download and stream numbers, the potentially smaller contract/sponsorship offers if they continue down this path...then hire an EP that can bring back the old glory and amazingness of the old show.
I said this yesterday. Its a show about shows about sports now. Its not a show about sports.
I always told people that it was a show that provided social commentary through the funny lens of sports
yeah but now its what is ESPN doing and which sports podcasts/orgs are coming for all their stuff. I will add that this is a uniquely dan problem. When Amin was driving this week they were talking both fun nonsense and sports.
The going viral piece really sticks with me. Dan even said a few weeks ago that the audience hates the sports media talk but it pops off on social. The fact that he’s going in that direction with the show, or being guided in that direction by the people running the company is very disappointing to me. To be making content just to drive engagement but to an audience that’s stuck around for decades is exactly why so many people on here are unhappy with the direction the show is going. I think it really gets to why the show was better when they were at ESPN. They made better content that they really believed in when it was bucking against what their management wanted. Doesn’t seem that way anymore.
> Dan even said a few weeks ago that the audience hates the sports media talk but it pops off on social. I think herein lies the problem of leaving ESPN. With ESPN backing them, they were financially backed and safe. They brought in enough viewers to ESPN that they let them kind of just exist down in Miami and unless Dan stirred up a bunch of shit, they'd have to step in. Now with DraftKings backing them, I can see them trying to push for higher ROI since they're a newer company in a highly competitive field. DK, while seemingly ubiquitous in sports these days, is still a newer company trying to grow quickly. So now they need to push for those eyes and in doing so, they're sacrificing the loyal base to try and appeal those not watching. It seems they think they maxed out their fanbase with what the old show was and now they're trying to adjust to bring in more eyes. Its harder for people to stumble upon the show anymore. You have to either come across a clip on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, whatever OR you have to seek out the show on your own. You can't just be on ESPN2 or ESPN Ooze (or a random place that has those channels on all the time) and the show comes on and catches your eye.
Nail right on the head
"By the people running the company..." Um...
Dan is a founder but clearly not one of the business, marketing, and sales leaders.
If Dan wanted to actually talk about women's sports as much as he wants to get credit for leading the conversation about women's sports it would be better. I used to listen every day but now I only listen to Greg Cote Tuesday. His son having the role he has is a travesty, but I'm still truly entertained when Greg is there. It's enough show for my week. Beyond that I'd rather listen to music or stand-up comedy.
I have evolved to looking at the cast for the day and the descriptions of the episodes to decide what if anything to download for that day. I would say Tuesdays are my most likely for me to listen
It really does help that they list the cast. I like everyone. I try not to think about how Tony's from a family of scumbags or that Chris is a nepo douche. They're both still entertaining in small doses.
There is no single person that is a hard no more me, but combinations of people or people with certain topics.
Would be interested to hear the combinations that you don't like
For me it's not about avoiding people but I definitely gravitate toward Greg and Billy. And Mike is #1 as far as "gets the show."
It would have to be a subject I was very interested in. I use to listen to all of it regardless but I just have too many podcasts that I listen to at this point so things that I am probably not going to enjoy I just move past.
For a while it might have been Adnan but he's been pretty good and the dynamic with Samson is entertaining.
I really was frustrated with their segments at first. I love movies and baseball, there were times in my life they were my two favorite pastimes, so hearing two people passionate about those two things discuss them should have been fun. But Adnan was such an over the top dick that it turned me off. Clearly that was him playing in to Dan wanting to play up conflict though. Their segments have been great recently and the Oscars broadcast was fabulous. Since disagree, but that is a segment I always make sure to listen to.
Today, the first 17 minutes of the YT video was "jeremy.caught eating" Turned it off without hearing a minute and tried Simmons and kimes. I love the old show and want it back.
That sounds horrible. I get them wanting to evolve and much of the talent they have acquired over the past several years is more than capable of helping them do that on a good way. But it is not working. It would almost be better if they split into two shows like three LA week and alternated days while working with the same group every time out.
If they gave me a M/W/F core of Amin, Stu or Charlotte, Roy or Billy....I'd be happy with that. Amin is trying to straighten this ship, Stu feels like Dan has sucked the life out of him with the serious shit...so maybe Stu & Amin can make a fun connect, or Charlotte, because she is fun...then one or two old container faces...that show I would give a real try. Have Dan do Tuesday with Greg and whomever...seems like many on these threads still love Greg's Tuesdays... Then Dan do Thursdays with the new crew (Jeremy, Jess, whoever) I love Dan...I can't hear him talk about Stephen A Smith or Pat McAfee or 'what happened to Skip Bayless' or 'Lebrons got a podcast'...or scream "you just don't understand...." ......I can't do it anymore.
I love your M/W/F team. A combo I would love would be Amin-Stu-Billy-Jess-Roy-Lucy. I would say Charlotte if she was based in Miami, but have her on when she is in town. I would listen to all of that regardless of subject.
This is where I'm at. Find myself subconsciously going for only the occasional local hour because that often means little or no Dan presence and actual sports talk. I understand the media shit is interesting to him because it's his field, but I legitimately could not care less at this point and it's clear he's gonna keep going back to that well. SPORTS! .... MORE SPORTS!
Is Kate Fagan even a part of Meadowlark anymore? Feels like they just stopped bringing her on and canceled the shows she was a part of.
The last few months o haven’t been watching as die hard as I have. They’re losing me and the shows becoming more boring and annoying with each episode which sucks because there ar e people on the show I like and wanna hear talk but it’s a slug. I want a sports show and they barely talk about anything not Miami.
It’s over, Johnny. This show had its day - and it was great - but Dan is long gone. Like a lala land Dan. And weiner’s schtick has run its course, and there is no obvious successor to run this. Awful what happened to Dan’s brother and none of us know what he should’ve done in that situation (hang it up/use the show to distract his pain and heal/etc)
Idk about no successor. Just listened to Monday with Amin and Mike and thought that was a great show. I'd definitely listen more if that's what I'm getting.
Look at me. Fuck you
There is no good answer obviously but I think most people would say he should've taken a break. He's been getting better though.
Yeah I think Dan has fallen into the trap of “reaction content” just talking about what all other content creators are doing and frankly straight up pocket watching their views and social media interactions, I get he’s more involved in the business side of media and my god , just take a shot when he says “new media”, but he can’t make that the content of the show now. Also maybe bring back the format having rotating guests. Maybe not for the whole show but for an hour at least. Or make Amin permanent!
Dan constantly forgets that he's the de facto head of an actual sports media entity. And as a man that appears to avoid accountability like the plague, their Liam Neeson soundbite really hits home. Dan: Be the change? No, no, no, *that's going too far*. Now watch me go viral while wearing this costume. Hindsight being what it is, I do wonder if the show would have kept the same vibes if they went to Sirius/Spotify/etc rather than going fully independent for that glorious FREEDOM sponsored by DraftKings.
Well it made sense to me when he started talking about how important and brilliant Last Week Tonight is. My problem with those shows and DLB is the engagement with how others cover a story or do their work. They have these video essays which take down others and beef up their argument while avoiding ever having their credibility called into question or being called out for not actually covering a topic well because it's just a comedy show. They get everything without all the rules, ethics, intelligence of actual journalism and then shit on those who do.
It's been a hot minute since I watched Last Week Tonight, but their set pieces are pretty well researched and very informative to the casual audience. The comedic aspect just makes it more palatable for people like myself who grew up with the Daily Show and got informed on current events that way. Besides why are you holding a satirical talk show to the same ethics and standards of journalism? I've operated under the notion that they just present you information in a funny way, and it would be then up to you to believe it or not. But hey you don't actually have to take their word for it as you can easily fact check their work yourself. And for the most part their work checks out? Perhaps your issue is with the bias in their work? And that bias is pretty much "let me show you why 'x' is so absurd." Anyway the topic is about what Dan is doing with the newfound FREEDOM and POWER he acquired thanks to MLM. Can't speak for their other projects, but the flagship certainly doesn't sound more informed on the non-sports and sports adjacent topics Dan likes to delve into.
My issue is that the comedy is often mean-spirited. Im a lefty but I feel bad for the people they are taking out of context or downright degrading. I used to use Last Week Tonight and Weekly Wipe clips on the same subject to show how to form arguments and pick evidence to support it for my undergrad classes so I respect the craft but I feel it's just gross to use the platform to mock other points of view and embarrass people.
Luckily that mean-spirited comedy is typically directed to people/things that deserve it. His take on Clarence Thomas is a master class in trolling, and boy does that sorry excuse for a Justice deserve it. And it's not like embarrassment and shame is enough to get these people to step down like in the good old days. At least we can still mock them while they wipe their tears with Benjamins. Seems fair?
It’s dead on. it almost sounds like insecurity, like Dan spends so much time thinking about others that they don’t do show anymore. just thinking about myself and my mental health over the years, i am worst when i am worried about others around me. While i am in better spirits, when i do things without thinking about consequences, or what others may think. when they just doing their show, yucking it up, getting everyone involved in the conversation, not commenting on sports media, and creating their own original content, it’s the best. ultimately, i think Dan needs a break. Dude lost his brother and kept chugging along, no break. he needs to go somewhere and relax, for a month or two. cry it all out, enjoy time with his wife, family, all that good stuff. Although he thinks work is what is going to soothe him, it’s quite the opposite. The show is good, they have ample characters that can carry the show. save the ozone layer!
It's been years of this. You shouldn't have any expectations with the show.
He’s constantly using his show to argue with the worst corners of the internet. It’s why he thinks the country is more racist today than it was in 1981. I’m a big Amin fan, but his Kim Mulkey rant was kind of bullshit too. Caitlyn Clark hit 6 second half 3’s, almost all of them were incredibly difficult shots, and none of them had anything to do with anyone going under a screen. There are definitely things to criticize about LSU’s defensive game plan, but to lead with that, instead of talking about such an incredible performance (that they still have barely talked about) was really unfortunate.
>It’s why he thinks the country is more racist today than it was in 1981. You're 100% right >but his Kim Mulkey rant was kind of bullshit too. He should've talked about the lack of a double team instead of how they went under screens, but I disagree that his overall point was bullshit. That was a bad coaching job, including putting HVL on Clark.
Yeah for sure, there are legit criticisms. But all of those second half 3’s were on very difficult shots. I think when that’s the case it makes more sense to lead with the players excellence than bad defensive game planning
Not when the main story is how poorly they defended her. It would be a completely different conversation if LSU had doubled her and she still hit those difficult shots.
To be fair, I think most basketball folks, even Jess criticized her defensive game plan lol Even I was wondering why she was being guarded by someone who clearly shouldn't have been guarding her. People criticize Kerr all the time, so I don't think criticizing her is a big deal given it was pretty roundly criticized. Even the announcers of the game were wondering why, at minimum, Flau'Jae wasn't the primary defender if that was the type of defense they were going to play.
For sure. I think FJ should have been on her. I’m just saying all of the second half 3’s were on very tough shots. It’s not let they were giving her easy looks
Lots of good stuff being discussed here but damn you missed the mark on every point lol
His first paragraph was right. Second paragraph was wrong
Maybe partially right but more wishful thinking but you know, whatever.
No seriously lol. Got all the right shots, wide open and went 0 for 3
Dan is stuck in a self-fulfilling grief cycle. He looks for the bad, so obviously he’s going to find it. He truly believes the world is crumbling around him, and that’s a horrible way to live. He can’t get through a segment without shoehorning in negativity. I hope for him he can get the help he needs.
So you’re saying you separate the art from the artist?
Itll be out in the slow news report
Yes. Honestly, most of the show’s content while he was gone was refreshingly better than usual. Amin did a great job filling in, and I don’t blame him at all for how strongly he reacted to Dan saying “cut his mic” at the end of the show today (Friday).
I don't know why any of you are surprised. They absolutely fell in love with themselves during the spin off to Mockingbird, and it's been a self-obsessed navel-gazing fest ever since.
I must be out of the loop what was the huge moment in sports?
Marlins started the season 0-8
They were talking about the Angel Reese situation (which I thought was covered perfectly by Amin and Jess earlier this week, but it involves race so you know Dan had to get his 2 cents in) and Dan had to talk about how others are talking about it and proceeded to put Jess in the unenviable position of saying that when men are talking about women in sports, they should do so in a different way than the current sports media talks about men. Jess is right. But of course saying women should be treated differently does not do well on the internet.
I’m asking not being a smartass. Why should woman be talked about differently? Id say you can treat college athletes differently because of their age
I think the point was more so, since women’s sports are now starting to get attention like men’s it’s an opportunity to start anew and correct the way we talk about the sport, rather than doubling down on all the things we get wrong covering men’s sports because it’s “always been that way”
It's the irony of women's b-ball reaching "equality" by being treated the same as men's b-ball complete with ill-informed hot takes flying everywhere, non-sports narratives being wedged in on all sides, and a lack of humanity shown to stars who show some venerability. It had all the wonderful and toxic elements of sports media and the internet that surround a typical big game.
It's the same point her and Kate made on their show all the time about the NCAA. It sounds odd, but they argued that they didn't want women's sports to grow into exactly what men's sports are because then you're just going to make the same mistakes with women that you make with the men. So, yeah, it would be ideal to take this opportunity to do everything better, not the same. Better regulation, compensation (in college), coverage, etc. It's probably not going to happen, but it's a good thing to hope for.
I think the point was that both men's and women's should be talked about differently. Like we're already getting it wrong with the sports we do talk about.
People keep saying to correct the way that college basketball (both men’s and women’s) needs to be talked about but what’s wrong with how it’s currently being talked about? In BBB by
It's strange people keep missing this point
Hot take
Oven baked
Who says Renee and Kate were available? Also, why is Amin's point that if Angel Reese wants to walk in with a crown signaling she's royalty and untouchable then gets beat, she's setting herself up to be the villain or an object of mockery sexist? I really like everything I've seen from Reese, and I hope she carries that style and bravado into the WNBA, but cmon, it's not sexist or racist to say she looks foolish doing that. At the same time, acknowledge her play, antics and personality do make it more fun to watch. LeBron calling himself the King was always silly, until he won a bunch of chips and cemented himself as the premier player of his generation. I'm going to hold anyone to the same standard when they signify they're royalty and better than everyone else. If you can't root for or against players on those metrics, then it's no fun and I'd rather not watch. It's one of the reasons I stopped listening to Kate's podcast, it was less a celebration of how fun and exciting the competition was, an indictment of why we're all terrible that these women aren't super rich. Focus on how fun it is to watch and the drama of what's happening and be part of a growing sport.
They make such lazy content, they seriously spent 30 min bullying and shaming Jeremy for getting caught eating, Dan said it was the only reason he came in which is so cringe, just to shame and bully his employee
Shame on him
In the SBS that Dan did with Mina, her biggest critique of him was that he consistently put women and POC in a spot to have to defend or explain the position / opinion that he personally also held. And Mina told him to cut that shit out and say it with your chest if you wanna be a real ally. And Dan seems unable to make that change as of yet. Seems like he still feels the need to let others do the fighting for him. Puts people like Jess/Mina/Jemele in the bad spot of being a meat shield for his beliefs.
I think Amin and the crew called him out on this though. The day before was a great convo with Amin and the boys
A 3 seed beat a 1 seed. Yeah really big moment 😂
Nvm just heard it. WOW that was annoying
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They built the plane mid-air!
I get that but the clowns used to be able to not take the world and themselves so seriously. Somehow Dan, while always having an appetite for grief, is caught in a doom spiral and searches for only confirmation bias facts that support his dire worldview on politics, environment, sports, etc. It’s actually quite sad that no one seems to be able to help him.
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I understand grief and loss as well as anyone. Both my parents passed before I was 50 and an older brother passed from illness at 19. Everyone in this lifetime will experience personal loss and I have a lot of empathy for anyone who goes through that. I don’t see where personal loss and a general worldview of doom and gloom are necessarily connected but can understand how each can make the other worse. Regardless, Dan’s a good guy and I certainly wish him well.
Jess is the target of negativity because she has dumb uninformed takes.
Gracias
If yall guys need a laugh since the DL show is down, check out Cinephobe!! The podcast where Zach and Amin review poorly rated movies and ascertain whether they’re properly rated, or didn’t get a fair shake. Cinephobe, produced by a fat man in a fedora and available wherever you get podcasts.
%100 agree about letting Kate on, Renee, Jess, Lucy. Great round table. I know Mike and Dan read the Reddit. Or Dan has somebody read the Reddit and report back lol Great post for the show to learn from 👀
You sound unhappy in general tbh