Transcript

Zyn Advertiser (0:01)

Love the night Reach for Zinn After Dark, a limited cocktail inspired series for those who get up when the sun goes down. Try Zinn's Mojito Spiced Cider and Espresso Martini Nicotine Pouches. Find them at select retailers available while supplies last. Zyn After Dark, Bring on the night Warning this product contains nicotine. Nicotine is an addictive chemical.

Home Depot Advertiser (0:30)

Spring is in the air, which means now is the time to save during spring Outdoor Power deals at the Home Depot. Make cleanup easier when you go cordless with the Milwaukee M18 string trimmer, designed to deliver more runtime, more speed and maximum performance. Then grab a select Milwaukee fuel attachment like the pole saw, edger or brush cutter included, at no extra cost when you buy the Milwaukee M18 String Trimmer Shop seven days of spring Outdoor Power deals at the Home depot. Now through April 29th.

Comcast Advertiser (1:01)

Comcast is delivering extraordinary experiences in live sports through the incredible broadcast and storytelling from NBC, innovative and personalized viewing features on Xfinity and Peacock, and the country's most reliable WI Fi viewers can enjoy every game changing play faster and more seamlessly than ever, all in a network built to deliver unforgettable moments as close to live as possible, the ultimate experience for the American sports fan. Learn more@comcastcorporation.com sports Cody's come in hot

Dan Le Batard (1:31)

today because I just asked him if he apologized in his column for his Draft Day reaction to what the Dolphins did, and he said, I didn't apologize. I was wrong, but I didn't apologize. And then it escalated to the point where he just dismissed me with a middle finger and said,

Greg Cote (1:52)

now that was a different subject.

Dan Le Batard (1:55)

It was the same area of conversation. But he dismissed me before the middle finger by calling me. He just said of me, you analytic freaks, Right?

Greg Cote (2:06)

Yeah, you all get carried away with dissecting everything. Like if I tell you that, wow, the Heat. Heat was second in the league in points scored this year. A fact. If it's a fact, I got to check that. I think they were second. And then you're going to dissect it like, well, you know, that doesn't come. No, no, it was impossible.

Dan Le Batard (2:25)

It's not that. You wrote in your column about Riley and Shula. You said, after an awful, embarrassing playoff exit two seasons ago, the Heat improved by six wins this season and had the highest offensive rating in club history.

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Dan Reacts To Greg Cote's Miami Dolphins Apology | Local Hour

Date: April 29, 2026

Episode Overview

Broadcast live from The Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this Local Hour centers around a fiery and humorous internal debate: Greg Cote’s public (and somewhat reluctant) apology and reversal over his Miami Dolphins NFL Draft reaction. The crew digs into the local sports scene, especially the Dolphins’ and Marlins’ current state, debates the value of “junk” (in all its forms), and spins off into a hilarious sidebar about couches and home comfort struggles. As always, the show blends sports debate with banter, South Florida inside jokes, and a heavy dose of self-aware media critique.

Main Segments & Key Discussions

1. Greg Cote’s Draft Reaction, Apology, and Dolphins Debate

Timestamps: 01:31–05:11, 21:38–44:41

The Spark:
Dan Le Batard calls out Greg Cote for not apologizing for his negative instant Draft Day take on the Dolphins’ pick—despite later admitting in his column that he was wrong.
- Dan (01:31): “He just dismissed me… with a middle finger and said, ‘You analytic freaks.’”
- Greg Cote (03:12): Clarifies that gesture was for someone else but doubles down on his skepticism about analytics culture.
Heat Stats & Analytics Argument:
The show digresses to dispute Greg’s claims about the Miami Heat’s offensive rating, with hilarious real-time fact-checking and a mini-takedown of old-school vs. analytics approaches:
- Dan (02:25): “You’re not accounting for the pace of play… You’re not accounting for general offensive explosion all over the league.”
- Greg Cote (04:28): “But only one team was better at scoring points than Miami… I’m not apologizing for the season.”
- Billy (04:55): “In Greg’s defense, offensive rating does adjust for pace.” (everyone erupts)
The Dolphins Draft Pick U-Turn:
Dan grills Greg for being “shocked” on draft night that Miami passed on local hero Reuben Bain for offensive lineman Kaden Proctor, but then reversing his opinion in print.
- Dan (23:30): Reads directly from Greg’s column that admits: “I was part of the parochial knee-jerk opinion… I was wrong.”
- Greg (24:27): Tries to defend his flip-flop: “The only thing I regret… is using the phrase ‘dust has settled.’”
- Dan (24:05/44:09): Keeps pressing: “How can your opinion already be wrong… three days later, when nothing has happened?”
Debating Fan Sentiment vs. Team Need:
The group weighs the value of selecting a local star (Bain) for emotional investment versus a more “need-based” pick (Proctor).
- Dan (37:12): “What you don’t get is what this team doesn’t have, which is a local guy that people just care about… It was gift-wrapped.”
- Mike Ryan (38:15): Offers nuance, contending the overall draft class inspires trust and calling out the team’s improved talent-acquisition strategies.
On Journalistic Contrition:
Dan refuses to let Greg off the hook, “Look into this camera right here. And apologize to the Miami Dolphins for you being so shocked… that you had the immediate wrong opinion.”
Greg, reluctantly: “When someone admits they were wrong… you should be giving me credit. Nobody in journalism does this.” (31:50)

2. Marlins Talk & Shohei Ohtani vs. Janson Junk

Timestamps: 05:30–09:00

Dan bemoans the show’s lack of baseball focus and marvels at Ohtani:
“He’s a freak… there haven’t been any players in the history of doing these things.”
Greg on Marlins Wild Card hope:
“The Phillies and the Mets suck so badly… that opens up wide the NL wild card race for middling teams like the Marlins.” (07:09)
Jansen Junk Name Debate:
A playful back-and-forth erupts over whether “Junk” is a good or bad name for a pitcher, and the positive/negative connotations of “junk” in baseball.
- Dan (08:09): “That’s a bad name for a pitcher, correct?”
- Greg: “What? I think it’s a great name. Junk.”
- Team debate ensues, leading to:
  - Stugotz Top 5 List: “Top five ways the word ‘junk’ is used positively.”
    - #5: “Junk ball pitcher.” (Dan instantly: “I invalidate your list.”) (20:32)
    - #4: “Junk drawer.” (20:39)
    - #2: “Junk food.” (21:27)
    - #1: “Junk in the trunk!” (21:33)

3. The Couch Dilemma: Zaslow’s Quest for Comfort

Timestamps: 10:20–15:07, 35:39–36:35

Zaslow’s Couch Complaint:
- Zaslow explains his family room is set up for optimal sports viewing, but he hates his couch so much he’s forced to watch on a tablet in bed.
- Zaslow (10:53): “I don’t like my couch anymore. That’s a problem. I want a new couch.”
- His wife, on the other hand, sees no need since “they just finished paying it off.”
- The crew rags him and jokes about couch-renting, deep vs. shallow couches, and “mansion” titles.
- Greg (15:07): “Can you call it a mansion if you can’t afford a sofa?”
Couch Features Gone Wrong:
Zaslow describes buyer’s remorse with the fancy features.
- Zaslow (19:25): “It’s one of those deals like, ooh, you press this button and it reclines… But the reality of it is, I don’t need all that bullshit. I need a deep couch that I can just chill in.”
- Greg describes his own couch replacement after his dog Charlie ate it (19:56).

4. Meta Sports Media Jokes & Self-Deprecation

Timestamps: 11:42–13:46

Zaslow’s Audience Antics:
Jokes about being called a “cuckold” by fans/media, stemming from rampant sports media trolling.
- Dan (12:03): “It’s also a lane nobody else has in the national sports media, the one that you have. But…if you want to do the heel turn into full cuck, the audience is already treating you as if you are.”
- Zaslow protests: “I will never be a cuckold.” (12:21)
- The show mocks the audience for endless chair/room social media gags at Zaslow's expense.

5. Heat & NHL Playoffs, Quick Fire Segments

Timestamps: 18:49–19:25; 41:09–41:53

Greg Cote on Hockey:
Delivers a typically irreverent hockey take, calling Connor McDavid “overrated” (19:10), drawing mock horror from Mike Ryan and Stugotz.
Dolphins Roster Construction:
Who are the receivers? What’s the plan with Malik Willis, the youth movement, and expectations of a long rebuild.
- Dan (40:26): “There have never been lower expectations on a Dolphins season than the one that’s approaching.”

Notable Quotes

Greg Cote (04:28): "I'm not apologizing for the season. They weren't good enough…"
Billy (04:55): “In Greg's defense, offensive rating does adjust for pace.”
Dan (24:05): “You’re admitting you were wrong—even though nothing has happened…You just had one opinion, and now you have the opposite opinion three days later when nothing has happened!”
Greg (31:49): “You’ve been yelling at me as long as we’ve known each other that I never admit I’m wrong. And now, when I admit I’m wrong, you’re all over my ass about it!”
Dan (37:12): “This team has nobody you care about. The fan base does not have an emotional investment there. To me, that's worth picking him at 11, even if it's four picks early.”
Mike Ryan (35:39): “When I look at the draft as a whole, I think it deserves us trusting them, even though we got off to what seemed like a rocky start.”
Stugotz (21:01): "Junk mail. It organizes the mail I don't need."
Zaslow (10:53): “I don't like my couch anymore. So I don't want to watch in there at night. At night I want to be comfortable. This is a very big problem. I want a new couch.”

Highlight Moments

Greg Cote’s live, public reversal on his draft take, including Dan’s incredulity and lack of satisfaction with Greg’s apology (24:00–31:00)
The entire “junk” debate and Stugotz’s Top 5 list (20:28–21:37)
Zaslow’s personal misery over his couch, and the crew’s lampooning of “mansion” dynamics and home-decor priorities (10:53–15:07; 35:39–36:35)
Dan’s meta-commentary about sports media personalities and “cuck” lane (12:03–12:49)
Greg Cote’s hockey and Heat takes, plus the off-the-cuff roasting from the rest of the crew (06:34; 19:06; 19:10)

Episode Structure & Tone

Language & Tone: Rapid-fire, irreverent, steeped in South Florida sports fandom, inside jokes, and playful antagonism.
Attribution: Quotes are directly labeled with speaker attribution and timestamps.
Flow: Segues seamlessly from heated sports debate, to friendly mockery, to wild tangents on couches and language, all fueled by the show’s lively, bickering group chemistry.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is classic “Local Hour” Le Batard—combining a nuanced, honest look at sports fandom (and changing journalistic opinions) with big doses of humor and meta-aware media bits. The main story is Greg Cote’s flip-flop on the Dolphins pick, but you’ll also get debates about baseball names, couch legitimacy, and what “being a local” means for South Florida teams. The chemistry, ribbing, and wild tangents are the show at its oddball, communal best.