Dan Creates Some Terrible Optics | Postgame Show

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dan Creates Some Terrible Optics | Postgame Show

The Dan Le Batard Show
Host: Dan Le Batard
Date: August 3, 2026
Location: Live from the Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Episode Overview

This Postgame Show episode was filled with the usual blend of silliness, South Florida flavor, and sports-pop culture banter that defines The Dan Le Batard Show. Dueling arm-lifting challenges, viral video missteps, and a comical debate over elevator dog etiquette all set the backdrop for a session rife with memorable quotes and sharp, signature wit. The team also dug through the latest audience poll results, riffing and reacting to each in turn.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Arm-Lifting Challenge and “Terrible Optics”

• The bit begins with Dan and Amin attempting to hold their arms over their heads for as long as possible, presenting a visual challenge (00:02).
  • Dan: “I’m going to try and do it as well throughout the entirety of this segment here, lead from the front.” (00:46)
  • Juju Smith-Schuster joins in, joking about his “25 inch pythons” making it harder (03:12).
• Mike Ryan interjects early, dryly noting:
  • “I think these optics are bad.” (00:42)
• The group humorously competes to see who can hold out longest, with Dan insisting:
  • “Now with my victory, I’m going to put my arms down slightly longer than Amin.” (06:03)

2. Viral Video Fools the Internet – Misreporting a NASCAR Fight

• Dan brings up a weekend internet phenomenon where an old NASCAR fight is re-circulated as new, showcasing how even media pros are sometimes duped (01:01).
  • Dan: “I did enjoy this weekend that it appears I was not wrong all of these times. I was just early on being fooled by the Internet.” (01:01)
• Mike Ryan explains that many—Pat McAfee included—fell for a dramatic John Hunter Nemechek/Cole Custer fight from 2016 (01:24).
  • “NASCAR was off this week. … There was a very dramatic fight, do we have video from 2016?” (01:24)
  • “He basically edge spears him like a spear out of nowhere. And everyone fell for it.” (02:00)
• Chris Cote: “In our defense, this video not AI real, just 10 years old.” (02:09)
  • Commenting on the way the show’s production mistakenly queued up dog footage instead of the NASCAR video, drawing more laughs (02:21).

3. Dog in the Elevator: “Two Americas” and Assigning Blame

• Dan revisits an incident where his dog escapes in their hotel lobby—unpacking the discomfort around who, if anyone, is at fault (03:38).
  • Juju Smith-Schuster humorously reframes this as a “two America situation,” emphasizing cultural differences in how people handle random situations (03:38).
    • “One thing about us black folks, what we gonna do? We gonna mind our damn business, man. We get on the elevator, it’s a strange, random dog…Where the hell is your owners at? Please. To place blame on this brother is a shame.”
• Dan clarifies his stance:
  • “My objection is just that. What I’m telling you is there’s no way for the dog to get out of the lobby unless a human being lets him out of the lobby. And he shouldn’t have let him out into the street. The street has traffic.” (04:45)
• The group explores the nuances, with Chris Cote asking if stopping the dog in the lobby would have been fine (04:38).

4. The Poll Results: Silly, Insightful, and Gross

• Juju Smith-Schuster takes over to reveal the daily audience poll results, serving as both survey and vehicle for running jokes (06:15–08:58).
  • Notable polls and responses:
    • “Do young people have any use for baseball on the radio?” 70% say no (06:15)
    • “Is it hard to type when you’re up in arms?” 95% say yes (06:26)
    • “Has instant replay diluted the joy of seeing a manager ejected?” 92% say yes (06:37)
    • “Should you grab the community sausage with your fingers, not the tongs?” 63% say no;
      • Juju: “Y’all boys is disgusting, man.” (07:40)
    • Chris Cote: “I love a wet sausage.” (08:58)
    • “Are you disgusted by someone who touches the communal microwave with their wet sausage fingers?” 86% say yes (08:11)
    • “Does Batman take out the common criminal with a gazil that makes you question him?” 85% say yes (08:27)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike Ryan (on the Internet being fooled):
  “It’s a doldrum right now going on in sports. ... Look, people fighting. We like that. This is a race. ... But yeah, 10 years old.” (02:38)
• Juju Smith-Schuster (on cultural differences and dog etiquette):
  “What we gonna do? We gonna mind our damn business, man ... To place blame on this brother is a shame.” (03:38)
• Dan Le Batard (on the arms challenge):
  “This arm over the head thing is harder than people think. … My shoulders, though, are they are now burning. They are. This is not an easy thing to do.” (03:06, 06:00)
• Chris Cote (adding comic relief on poll results):
  “I love a wet sausage.” (08:58)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:02–03:28: Arm-lifting challenge and optics
• 01:01–02:58: Discussion on the viral 2016 NASCAR fight video
• 03:38–05:27: Dog in the elevator debate and “two Americas”
• 06:15–08:58: Reading and riffing on poll results

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Summary

This Postgame Show epitomizes The Dan Le Batard Show vibe: sports content treated as a vehicle for camaraderie, observational humor, and sharp commentary on the absurdities of both sports media and daily life. The episode jumps seamlessly from the arm-raising bit to Internet pitfalls, social commentary, and audience engagement via silly, pointed polls—always with a wink and plenty of self-deprecation.

Listeners are treated to a fast-moving, laughter-filled conversation that’s quintessentially Le Batard: earnest but never too serious, and always framed by the playful, irreverent chemistry of the crew.

Transcript

[Dan Le Batard]

Amin has sent us what he is alleging is his arm still not going down. He is holding his arm over his head. Juju, how long do you believe that you could successfully hold both of your arms over your head? Do you think you can do so for the entirety of this segment?

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

Absolutely. That's not necessarily hard for the kid, but salute. I mean, if you want me to do it, I can do it. You dig?

[Dan Le Batard]

Sure, let's try it. This is not likely to last as long as I did it for, which is slightly longer than Amin did it for. And Amin is still doing it. But I believe noticing a pattern, your shoulders will get tired over the course of us doing this.

[Mike Ryan]

I think these optics are bad.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'm going to try and do it as well throughout the entirety of this segment here, lead from the front. Why did Juju put down his arms? You just. You just put. Juju just put down his arm. Because of optics.

[Mike Ryan]

When I'm the voice of reason.

[Dan Le Batard]

I enjoyed this weekend and before we get to the polls and before we get to Juju subject matter. I did enjoy this weekend that it appears that I was not wrong all of these times. I was just early on being fooled by the Internet because it seems that everybody this weekend was fooled by a video that is. How many years old, Mike?

[Mike Ryan]

10 years old. Fines for the entirety of the Internet content creators. Did our show fall for this as well? There was a very dramatic fight between Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek, two Cup series drivers. NASCAR was off this week. There was no race, so I wasn't watching NASCAR in 2016, so it was new to me too. But I also realized, wait a second, that's a cup. That's not cup series driving, that's truck series. We're off this week. What's going on here? Yeah, there was a very dramatic fight. Do we have video from 2016? John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer getting into it.

[Producer/Announcer]

And.

[Mike Ryan]

And he basically edge spears him like a spear out of nowhere. And everyone fell for it so fine across the Internet.

[Chris Cote]

In our defense, this video not AI real, just 10 years old.

[Mike Ryan]

Also in our defense, this video not ready. So that panic that Dan was talking about when he lost his dog, you feel it right now?

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, what was funny about is the fact that instead of the video that you requested, what I saw the video team call up was the video of my dog in the elevator instead. The 10 year old video of. So who got fooled by it? Who got fooled by everybody?

[Mike Ryan]

Pat McAfee, all the the sports aggregators look It's a doldrum right now going on in sports. I think something. Yeah, look, people. People fighting. We like that. This is a race. It was a great fiery end to a race. They were like colliding across the finish line and then they took it into their hands afterwards and fought. But yeah, 10 years old.

[Chris Cote]

Celebrating the 10 year anniversary.

[Mike Ryan]

Yeah. Not, not. Not something that happened last year or maybe, you know, four years ago. Maybe this happened during COVID No, this was 2016.

[Dan Le Batard]

This arm over the head thing is harder than people think. Like juju. You're not. You're not suffering this at all. This is easy for you.

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

It's not necessarily easy because I do have two 25 inch pythons strapped to my arm. So it's a bit heavy, but I'm getting through it. I know we was going to be talking about all this. I thought I was going to go through my segment that rearranged the time in my head.

[Dan Le Batard]

I made it longer just to make you suffer a little bit more and said, just have us both sink into the terrible optics of this. What do you have for us today before we get to the polls, brother,

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

I'm so hurt a little bit that your brain even allows you to place us a sentient millimeter of blame on the brother that was on the elevator with your dog, man. Like it's one. This is a two America situation, I think, because one thing about us black folks, what we gonna do? We gonna mind our damn business, man. We get on the elevator, it's a strange, random dog. Hey, man. Say, man, I don't know what this dog got going on. All I know is I'm in Miami and Fine is at the bar already waiting on me. If they keep texting me, I'm late as hell. Salute to you, Fido, but I got to go. You ain't none of my damn business. Where the hell is your owners at? Please. To place blame on this brother is a shame.

[Dan Le Batard]

My objection is not the blaming of him in the elevator. It's that you got into the lobby and then let him out into the street. It's not. My objection is not here. Although I am surprised by how relaxed he is and how relaxed the dog is.

[Chris Cote]

Would you have been fine if he stopped the dog from exiting the elevator? This is where I found you. I'm going to let the door shut. You just stay where you were.

[Dan Le Batard]

My objection is just that. What I'm telling you is there's no way for the dog to get out of the lobby unless a human being lets him out of the lobby. And he shouldn't have let him out into the street. The street has traffic. Traffic in it. All you've got to do is close the door behind you and make sure the dog stays inside. That's the only blame I have for that guy. And I'm still bothered by it in a way you can hear in my throat.

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

But look, he's. He's just on the elevator. He get on the elevator like, look, man, here go a dog. He done got on the elevator. Hey, after you, sir. Like all he doing is what's regular in this moment. Why is this damn dog on the elevator and living his life so casually? It seems as though he deserves to get a little fresh walk, you know? And it's not my fault for giving my boy one.

[Dan Le Batard]

I would have been so heartbroken coming in here today if I had not been able to find my dog for three days because of what you guys know now about abductions.

[Chris Cote]

First 24 hours, the most important. You would have had me running around the beach today.

[Dan Le Batard]

Early Joe Mantegna, Criminal Minds at Le Batard show. It seems like we've got a lot of poles and I got. Yeah, I need to let you. Let you put your arms down my. My shoulders, though, are they are now burning. They are. This is not an easy thing to do. What do you guys think is the. The average that we would assign in minutes to the amount of time the average human being?

[Mike Ryan]

I don't know, but whatever it was, you tripled it.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thank you.

[Mike Ryan]

You're so strong.

[Dan Le Batard]

I know I'm going to. Now with my victory, I'm going to put my arms down slightly longer than Amin. I did it for just there. Just a few more seconds than Amin did at Lebatard show on the polls. What do we have? Juju.

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

Do young people have any use for baseball on the radio? 70% of the audience says no, they don't.

[Chris Cote]

Shocking opinions.

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

Is it hard to type when you're up in arms? 95 of the audience says, yes, it is.

[Chris Cote]

Unexpected answer

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

has instant replay diluted the joy of seeing a manager ejected? 92% of the audience says, yes, it has. You know about those answers. Did you know that the Nationals have the best offense in baseball? 82% of the audience says, no, they did not.

[Chris Cote]

Shocking revelation.

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

Can you hold your arms up in the air for over or under eight minutes? 72% of the audience says under eight minutes. You know about those revelations. Do you think it's possible to hold your arms over Your head for 24 hours? 86% of the audience says no. It is not. I can't believe he said that. Should you grab the community sausage with your two fingers and not the tongs when they're right there? 63% of the audience says no.

[Chris Cote]

What do you say?

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

Chris? Chris? Y' all boys is disgusting, man. I'm not going to touch on it because you my friend. So I'm not going to pile on. But my brother. Can a 35 year old quarterback who's still in the league pass a field sobriety test while sober? 59% of the audience says no. They cannot. Are you disgusted by someone who touches the communal microwave with their wet sausage fingers?

[Mike Ryan]

Should be. Should be.

[Producer/Announcer]

5050.

[Chris Cote]

What do we got here?

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

86% of the audience says yes. And 12% of the audience is disgusting.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think 14.

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

More corrupt.

[Dan Le Batard]

I think your math is a little off there.

[Juju Smith-Schuster]

More corrupt. Mafioso by name alone. Gianni Infanta. Gianni Infantino or Timofey Mozgoff? 85% of the audience says Gianni Infantino. And last poll. Does Batman take out the common criminal with a gazil that makes you question him? 85% of the audience says yes. And those are your pose.

[Chris Cote]

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[Juju Smith-Schuster]

Thank you.

[Dan Le Batard]

Good night, everybody.

[Producer/Announcer]

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