Dan Le Batard's plan to purchase billboards in Edmonton was rejected by the city. Screen grab: ‘The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz’
By Ben Axelrod on

It’s been 10 years since Dan Le Batard purchased billboards in Akron, Ohio, sarcastically telling LeBron James “you’re welcome” for his two championships after the NBA superstar left the Miami Heat to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

And with the Florida Panthers celebrating their first Stanley Cup title, Le Batard wanted to go back to the same playbook, only to see his efforts thwarted.

For the uninitiated, The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz made headlines throughout the Stanley Cup thanks to Greg Cote’s assertion that Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid is “McOverrated.” And while it looked like the Miami Herald columnist might wind up with egg on his face, the Panthers’ Game 7 victory allowed him to take a literal victory lap, with Le Batard attempting to up the ante by purchasing billboards in Edmonton proclaiming “Greg Cote was right. And ya know it.”

But while the digital billboards featuring a cigar-smoking Cote were set to go up on Tuesday night, Le Batard’s troll attempt hit a road block. As he revealed on Wednesday’s episode, the billboard company in Edmonton ultimately rejected his purchase, citing its standards.

Le Batard said that the response he received read as follows: “We have declined your request for advertising. Part of our creative approval process includes aligning with community standards and respecting the sensibilities of all stakeholders, including our audience, who in this case are the citizens of Edmonton, as well as our partners and this messaging does not meet those standards.”

Producer/co-host Mike Ryan Ruiz — a Panthers super fan — applauded Edmonton’s decision.

“That’s a great job by those folks in Edmonton,” Ruiz said. “Real talk, from a business standpoint, I would not be putting those up. Because those are going to get destroyed. I saw the 30 For 30 on what happened in Vancouver. No. I’m not going to be putting that up to piss up my community and have them take that out on my digital billboard. No way.”

As some might remember, ESPN suspended Le Batard for two days following the Akron ordeal, despite the fact that he had spent multiple shows talking about it before doing it. Now that he runs his own company, Le Batard no longer has to worry about such restrictions, but also finds himself unable to pull off such a stunt.

Isn’t it ironic?

[The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod