Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: "Best of DLS: HEEEEEELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOO"

Date: December 31, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Main Theme

This "Best Of" episode captures the chaotic, comedic energy of The Dan Le Batard Show, with Dan, Stugotz, Chris Cody, Greg Cody, and company riffing on emotional vulnerability, father-son dynamics, Miami Heat basketball, and the inner workings of Greg Cody’s family. Blending sports analysis, irreverence, and heart, the crew offers nostalgia, genuine connection, and sharp sports takes to launch the new year.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Greg Cody’s Emotional Year and the Family Cane

• Nostalgia & Emotion: The start of the episode revolves around Greg Cody's increased emotional openness and iconic vocal quirks, celebrated as part of the show's fabric.
  • Quote:

    “Great year for Greg Cody. Great 2025. Looking forward to having him in 2026.” — Dan (03:00)

  • Timestamps: [03:16-06:50] Emotional spectrum, [21:52-24:45] Cane story.
• Father-Son Banter: Dan and Chris Cody needle Greg about using his late father’s cane—not just for practical reasons but as a sentimental artifact.
• Ruling:
  • Zaslow is brought in to judge whether Chris Cody "desecrated" the family cane by using it for a highlight league costume rather than its emotional value.
  • Result: “It's a disgrace...Forgivable. Unforgiven.” — Zaslow (16:10)
• Greg’s Vulnerability: Greg shares, honestly and to his own embarrassment, that he kissed the cane, finding comfort in a rare tender moment.
  • Quote:

    “I was alone in my house one day, and I kissed the cane and embraced it, and it just...it felt good to do that.” — Greg Cody (22:18)

2. The “Tears of Tears”: Defining Emotional Terminology

• A lengthy, teasing debate emerges about levels of crying: weeping vs. sobbing vs. bawling vs. wailing vs. blubbering.
  • Chris asserts: “Weeping is the stop before sobbing.” (05:06)
  • Greg insists weeping “has an emotional level to it that sobbing does not.” (09:06)
• Historical sports crying moments are recalled, from Thomas Hill’s “ugly crier” after the Christian Laettner shot to Udonis Haslem in the locker room.
  • Timestamps: [04:57-11:53]
  • Memorable Moment:

    “Blubbering has to be above sobbing, doesn’t it? Although sobbing has some blubbering, does it not?” — Chris (10:13)

3. Greg Cody’s Pet Problems & Family League Drama

• Greg’s dog, Jumping Charlie, is teased for being overweight and unruly—an analogy for Greg’s own decline and family chaos.
• The “PFPI Commissioner” drama is recounted: Greg, as league commish, is “betrayed” by his own son and granddaughter on a deadline punishment vote.
  • Quote:

    “I was betrayed by my youngest son, Michael, and by my granddaughter. I anticipated both of their support and got neither. I need your support.” — Greg (27:00)

• Hilarious footage of the bickering dog and cat derailing a serious podcast segment.
  • Timestamps: [24:57-29:13]

4. Cane Usage — Right or Wrong?

• Physical therapy advice is hotly debated: should the cane be on the side of injury, or the opposite?
  • Physical therapist says: opposite the weak/injured leg.
  • Resolution:

    “According to Google AI, Greg Cody is right. You hold it in the opposite hand of your weak or injured leg. Hello.” — Dan (31:18)

• Greg relishes being correct, belting a victory “HELLO.”
  • Timestamps: [30:21-32:48]
  • Celebration:

    “I want to get that off the ground as a celebration. When you are maximum right about something, you summon some Ethel Merman, some Shirley Temple, and you just say HELLO.” — Chris (31:36)

5. Miami Heat Basketball: Norman Powell, Coaching, and Identity

• Analysis of Recent Game: Dan and Jeremy break down Miami's buzzer-beating win over Cleveland, including Donovan Mitchell’s almost-game-winner and Heat’s final play.
  • Praise for Norman Powell’s impact post-trade (for Kevin Love and Kyle Anderson), his All-Star snub status, and Miami’s player development.
    • Quote:

      “Norman Powell must be frustrated, snubbed for the All Star Game last year that he had to be in the shadow of three guys with the Clippers who now flail without him.” — Dan (35:03)

  • Timestamps: [34:20-39:48] Play-by-play and context.
• Heat as “Positionless” Revolutionaries: Debates about whether a true “number one” (a la Butler) is needed in playoff crunch-time, or if Miami’s egalitarian, flow-based attack signals a new evolution.
  • Chris: “Who’s your dog? Who’s your alpha guy? Who’s going to go get you a bucket in crunch time?” (45:19)
  • Dan: “But number one is the standard. Not eight seed, not six seed, but this team is good enough to be a four seed in the East.” (44:07)
  • Timestamps: [44:07-47:37]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Greg’s vulnerability about missing his father:

  “I was alone in my house one day, and I kissed the cane and embraced it, and it just...it felt good to do that.” — Greg Cody (22:18)

• On emotional tears:

  “Weeping is the stop before sobbing…weeping is a single file line of tears one at a time, sobbing is like, they're everywhere.” — Chris (06:07)

• 'Desecration' ruling:

  “It's a disgrace...Forgivable. Unforgiven. That's all I needed to hear.” — Zaslow (16:10)

• Greg on finally being right about his cane technique:

  “All the cane people out there, all my canes stand up, but carefully.” — Greg (30:54)
  “According to Google AI, Greg Cody is right. You hold it in the opposite hand of your weak or injured leg. Hello.” — Dan (31:18)

• Dan on the Heat’s player development philosophy:

  "What Miami has done in the interim is what it usually does, which is guy you thought was nothing gets here and is better than that. Or guy you may have thought was underrated gets here and becomes a lot better than that." (35:03)

• Chris celebrating Greg’s "heater" of content:

  “What a heater… He’s throwing 107 out of the bullpen. I’ve missed him so much. He’s never been weaker or stronger.” — Chris (32:04)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• 03:16–06:50: Emotional hierarchy (weeping, sobbing, etc.)
• 09:06: Greg’s claim about weeping’s supremacy over sobbing
• 13:03–17:05: Family cane story and “desecration” ruling
• 21:52–24:45: Greg’s embrace of the cane, sentimental reflection
• 27:00: Greg’s “betrayal” in the family league
• 30:21–32:48: Cane hand debate and “HELLO” celebration
• 34:20–39:48: Deep dive on Miami Heat’s win over Cleveland
• 44:07–47:37: Discussion of Heat's team construction and playoff future

Tone & Style

• Irreverent, playful, and self-deprecating — rapid-fire joking is interspersed with surprising moments of warmth, especially regarding family and aging.
• Insightful on sports — while comedic, the crew’s breakdown of basketball and Heat culture offers real depth and perspective.
• Celebratory — the show toasts both its roots (family, nostalgia, Miami) and its evolution, perfect for a year-end capstone.

For New Listeners

This episode delivers everything defining The Dan Le Batard Show: inside jokes, multi-generational ribbing, and a blend of seriously good sports analysis with unserious delivery. It’s a perfect entry point — sentimental yet irreverent, informative yet wild. You’ll walk away knowing as much about Norman Powell’s game as you do about Greg Cody’s relationship with his late father… and where to put a cane.