The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Best of DLS: Merry Thickemas – Remembering Alan Thicke

Date: December 25, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Chris Cody
Guest: Alan Thicke (archival interviews)

Episode Overview

In this festive holiday "Best Of" episode, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and team pay tribute to the late Alan Thicke — iconic TV dad, songwriter, and self-professed hockey fanatic. With a mix of humor and nostalgia, the episode spotlights two classic interviews with Thicke, covering stories from his sitcom days (especially “Growing Pains”), songwriting, celebrity hockey adventures, and personal life, including his Canadian pride and sharp comic timing.
The show’s tone is playful, affectionate, and sometimes irreverent, fitting the “Merry Thickemas” theme and Thicke’s indelible legacy as both entertainer and friend of the show.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Alan Thicke’s Entertainment Legacy

• Introduced as one of the all-time great TV dads and theme song writers.
• Dan is amazed to reveal that Thicke wrote classic TV themes including for “Diff’rent Strokes” and “The Facts of Life”.
  • Quote: “It can be argued, yes, successfully, Alan, that you were more successful as a writer of songs than you were as an actor, even though you were successful at both.” (Dan, 04:42)
• Thicke discusses denying his musical artistry (“I had four, four or six chords that I kept recycling”) and credits his son Robin’s greater musical talent. (Alan Thicke, 05:16)
• Thicke jokes about theme song revenue being “enough to have three prenups” (05:49).

2. Personal Life, Humor, and “Pimp” Banter

• Alan tells how he met his wife at a Miami Marlins fundraiser he hosted, turning the anecdote into a running joke about “procuring hookups” and being “selfish” (“I'm more selfish than that.” 07:37).
• Exchanges with Dan are playful, poking fun at sitcom dad stereotypes and reputation:
  • Quote: “You’re kind of a pimp, you know.” (Dan, 07:24)
  • “The pimp would be procuring hookups for somebody else. I'm more selfish than that.” (Thicke, 07:27)

3. “Growing Pains” Nostalgia and the End of the Family Sitcom Era

• Alan reflects fondly on playing Dr. Jason Seaver and the show’s values.
  • “I'm proud of that role. It was, you know, there was some family values that we all try to aspire to. And so, you know, we had seven great seasons. And if that goes on my tombstone, I'm happy with that.” (Thicke, 07:59)
• Observes the decline of traditional TV dads and “family hour TV,” comparing it to the multi-TV household era (08:23, 08:55).
• Favorite current sitcom is “Modern Family,” likening Ed O’Neill’s character to his own life (09:04).

4. Theme Song Creation & Lasting Impact

• Alan breaks down the creative challenge of writing catchy, explanatory sitcom themes in “24 seconds” (10:07).
  • On “Diff’rent Strokes”: “On different strokes. I sang that theme. That's my voice. Probably an octave and a generation earlier, but that was paid.”
• He shares an anecdote about college kids competing to recite TV lyrics — “that's how I make my money these days.” (11:09)
• Live, tongue-in-cheek mini-performance of “Diff’rent Strokes” theme (14:54), and playful roleplay with Dan as President Bush singing “Facts of Life” (15:35).

5. Parenting, Celebrity Offspring, and “How to Raise Kids Who Won’t Hate You”

• Thicke promotes his parenting book with characteristic sarcasm, admitting the title is “a false premise” but reflecting on strictness, family, and fame (“they're going to hate you for…a minute or a week…” 16:34).
• Looks at child stars and the pitfalls (“Every kid who got fame on Different Strokes ended up being some kind of maladjusted.” 16:19).
• Leveraging jokes to blend book discussion and serious, relatable parenting observations.

6. Sitcom Secrets: Writers’ Room Moments

• Shares behind-the-scenes trivia, from high school mascot “the Dewey Hooters” to getting the nickname “Boner” on air (17:45).
  • Thicke attributes this to naive censors (“removed from contemporary colloquial sexual references”) (18:27).

7. Unfulfilled Sports Dreams and Canadian Hockey Love

• Alan laments failing as a sports reporter, recounts playing and “career-ending” football injury (19:02).
• States his dream sports job would be LA Kings color commentator, and shares anecdote of singing the anthem at Tampa Bay Lightning’s first home game (19:45).
• Playfully acknowledges his womanizing reputation as it relates to sporting events and team functions (20:08).

8. Hockey Stories, Celebrity Perks & Canadian Identity

• Thicke’s passion: lifelong “hockey groupie” — practice sessions with legends (Orr, Esposito), fantasy camps with Gretzky, and playing with Michael J. Fox, Alex Trebek (29:25, 31:25).
• Recounts hockey injuries as badges of honor (“five teeth knocked out,” 21:29; “nose broken with Gordie Howe and Stan Makita,” 31:47).
• Tells “I wet the other guy’s pants” joke after a midget hockey fight (29:02).
• Montages of Thicke’s celebrity hockey team formation and participation in hockey’s wildest moments, including near-riots and brushes with the law (33:25–34:43).

9. Vancouver Riots & Sportsmanship vs. Hooliganism

• Thicke compares Vancouver hockey fans to Miami Heat fans after high-stakes losses, highlighting the grace and sportsmanship of Canadian hockey crowds (“the traditional handshake between the teams at the end” 27:53).
• Disappointment in the “thugs and hooligans” responsible for Vancouver riots (26:24–27:53).
• Ends with characteristic wit: “We're sorry to see all that beer wasted. The land of Moosehead, where Moosehead is more than a beer, it's a way of life.” (37:13)

10. LeBron, NBA Finals, and Media Hot Takes

• Weighs in on LeBron James’s first Miami Heat Finals, expressing some empathy for media scrutiny and ultimately rooting for the “old guys” (Jason Kidd, etc.) (35:17–36:30).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Alan Thicke on his music:
  “I did write a bunch of theme songs… But I wasn’t really a musical artist. I had four, four or six chords that I kept recycling. And since my son has become such a wonderful artist, I don’t call myself a musician anymore.” (05:16)
• On sitcom dad status:
  “I placed in the 30s somewhere in a recent TV Guide poll, so I’ve got to go with them.” (07:45)
• Reflecting on fame:
  “My music is the soundtrack of the dark side of your life.” (09:58)
• Live “Diff’rent Strokes” performance:
  “Well, the world don’t move to the beat of just one drum, what might be right for you may not be right for some.” (14:54)
• On writing sitcom themes:
  “Your challenge was to explain the whole show and put it in context…and you had 24 seconds to do it…” (10:07)
• Parenting reality check:
  “A false premise, it can’t be done. It was just to get people in the tent.” (16:34)
• Hockey fight humility:
  “I got in one fight and I got so scared I wet the other guy’s pants.” (29:02)
• Canadian hockey groupie perk:
  “Through no fault of my own…I have gotten to play with…Howe and Gretzky. And at the 1988 All Star Game in St. Louis…I actually suited up and dressed for the pregame warmups and all. I have had lots of thrills through my affection for hockey.” (30:24)
• On Vancouver riots:
  “It was embarrassing for the city and to some extent for the country…thugs outside, you know, it was looking like a soccer crowd for a minute.” (34:48)
• Classic sign-off:
  “We're sorry to see all that beer wasted. You know, the land of Moosehead, where Moosehead is more than a beer, it's a way of life.” (37:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-----------|---------------| | 03:19 | Banter about Christmas, intro to Alan Thicke interviews | | 04:42 | Alan Thicke on theme song writing, sitcom legacy | | 05:49 | Earnings from theme songs, meeting his wife | | 07:45 | Poll rankings for TV dads | | 08:23 | Proud of “Growing Pains,” end of family sitcom era | | 09:04 | “Modern Family” comparisons | | 10:07 | Writing TV themes, memorable rhymes | | 14:54 | Alan Thicke sings “Diff’rent Strokes” | | 15:35 | Presidential rendition of “Facts of Life” | | 16:34 | Parenting book discussion, “false premise” | | 17:45 | Sitcom inside jokes (“Dewey Hooters,” “Boner”) | | 19:02 | Failed sports reporter ambitions | | 20:47 | Play-by-play hockey goal calls and lampooning | | 21:29 | Hockey injuries and groupie stories | | 24:26 | Second Thicke interview opens (Stanley Cup, Canucks, riots) | | 26:24 | Alan on Vancouver riots, sportsmanship | | 29:02 | Slapshot stories, “wet the other guy’s pants” | | 31:25 | Michael J. Fox, Alex Trebek celebrity hockey anecdotes | | 34:48 | Embarrassment about Vancouver riots | | 35:17 | LeBron James, rooting for “old guys” | | 37:13 | Canadian apology and Moosehead beer joke |

Final Thoughts

This “Merry Thickemas” episode is a fond, hilarious look at Alan Thicke’s multifaceted life: classic TV dad, prince of catchy theme songs, and unabashed hockey-obsessed Canadian. With Dan and Stugotz’s offbeat questions and Thicke’s quick, warm wit, the episode is both a celebration and a gentle roast — ideal holiday comfort food for pop culture and sports fans alike.
Thicke’s stories, jokes, and perspectives continue to endear, offering rare glimpses behind sitcoms, theme songs, and the glories and oddities of celebrity hockey fandom.