The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – "66 Nuggets" (feat. Jessica Smetana) – Hour 1
Air date: November 5, 2025
Broadcast from the Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

This lively episode serves up the signature blend of sports discussion, absurdity, and rapid-fire banter for which "The Dan Le Batard Show" is known. The main throughline is an ongoing challenge where Chris Cody attempts to eat 99 chicken nuggets in one show—a feat which inspires debate, concern, and comic relief throughout. Jessica Smetana joins to break down the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season, while the crew also dives into college football officiating, New York City politics, and their usual offbeat takes on sports and pop culture headlines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chris Cody’s Nugget-Eating Challenge

• Premise: Chris Cody is tasked with eating 99 chicken nuggets during the show (“He’s up to 49 right now, which is actually great pace.” – Dan Le Batard, 02:18).
• Debate on ‘Passing Grade’:
  • Jessica Smetana expresses concern for Chris’s health and questions if 99 nuggets is punitive or just a free lunch. She suggests a lower target (75) might suffice (04:22).
  • The crew debates the dangers of sodium intake and the logistics of eating so many nuggets (03:41–05:05).
• Comic Updates:
  • Chris describes eating progress: “The first 25, I was cooking... The last 25 have been a struggle.” (03:15)
  • As the show progresses, Chris’s physical and emotional decline is vividly narrated and lampooned by the crew: “His face is getting rounder. He looks like a nugget with sunglasses.” (34:11)
  • Concern mounts over use of ‘performance enhancing drugs’ (THC gummies) (32:46).
  • The challenge is ultimately ‘corrupted’ by bribes: “Chris went back there and gave $20 to the studio team, and now the graphic says 99 nuggets.” (43:22)
  • Memorable quote: “If you lay him on his side, he won’t choke.” – Amin Elhassan (33:00)

2. College Football Playoff Rankings (w/ Jessica Smetana)

• Who Feels Snubbed?
  • Jessica predicts Miami fans will feel aggrieved (05:18), citing a poorly timed loss and bad officiating.
  • Discussion of officiating controversies involving Miami, Wake Forest, Auburn, and others (05:49–06:25).
• Miami’s Path:
  • Mike Ryan notes that Miami simply hasn’t performed well and their complaints are limited if they don’t win out (07:05–07:47).
  • Amin points out that for Miami to make the playoff, a highly improbable scenario (3 ACC teams getting in) would have to unfold (07:47).
• Committee and Conference Structure:
  • Critique of ‘mega conferences’ and unbalanced schedules; Jessica calls 17-team, divisionless conferences “stupid” (12:20).
  • The gang discusses how conference scheduling can hide flaws and artificially boost certain teams, particularly Oregon in the Big Ten (10:00–11:36).
• Notable Quote:
  • “The mega conferences are stupid … we are seeing just the evidence of that, second year in a row.” – Jessica Smetana (12:20)

3. Officiating and Accountability

• Controversies:
  • Dabo Swinney’s post-game comments after a Clemson loss lead to a group discussion about referee accountability and the impact of legalized sports betting (24:51–29:01).
  • Jessica: “It feels like the coordinator hires are definitely not working out ... it’s just been a mess there.” (26:44)
  • Mike Ryan laments: “If they told me this game was rigged five years from now, I’d totally believe it.” (28:09)
• Solutions and Fan Service:
  • Calls for full-time officials in high-stakes games (26:49).

4. New York City Politics and the Mayoral Election

• The End of Eric Adams’ Mayorship:
  • Jessica reports the celebratory mood (“The vibe was definitely celebratory. I stayed up late to watch the Zoran Mamdani speech...” – 20:34) and discusses memes and online reactions.
  • Curtis Sliwa, one of the more colorful third-party candidates, is discussed in the context of New York’s history of quirky political figures (22:32–23:47).

5. Sports and Pop Culture Silliness

• Chicken Nuggets Taxonomy:

  • What differentiates a nugget from a tenders or popcorn chicken? Length, width, and shape, per Dan and Jessica (18:52–19:29).

• NBA Rapid Fire with Amin (‘You Know About That?’ Segment):

  • Quick takes on the Sixers, Zion Williamson, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Orlando Magic.
  • Dan’s take on Embiid era: “He doesn’t look good … what good is it to keep trotting him out for 20 minutes at a time?” (35:56)
  • Zion-Greg Cody comparison for style and availability (36:41).
  • Fun, fast banter underscored by the show’s new theme music for this bit (35:23–43:14).

• Red Panda’s Comeback:

  • Legendary halftime performer Red Panda’s return is debated. Dan is worried about her legacy (“I don’t want her career to end on a sour note…” – 42:55) while Jessica is optimistic (“I don’t think there’s anything she could do to ruin her legacy at this point.” – 42:43).

6. Miscellaneous Banter

• Pet Antics:
  • Percy the dog is present and becomes involved in several bits, including threats to eat Chris Cody if he expires from nugget overload (32:32).
• Shoes and Hygiene:
  • Ethan inadvertently tracks dog waste into the studio (“he walked upstairs and then realizing that and washed his shoes in the bathroom after the fact”). (39:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

The Nugget Challenge

• “I’m concerned... the salt could kill him. I don’t want this to be an onion situation.”
  – Jessica Smetana (03:46)
• “His face is getting rounder. He looks like a nugget with sunglasses.”
  – Dan Le Batard (34:11)
• “Performance enhancing drugs.”
  – Chris Cody (32:49)

College Football Playoff & Officiating

• “The officiating across the board in college football this year has been pretty bad.”
  – Jessica Smetana (05:49)
• “You gotta handle your business. There’s not going to be anything more difficult than winning four games.”
  – Mike Ryan (07:47)

NBA Roundup

• “If Jaylen Brown’s your best player, your team may not be that good.”
  – Amin Elhassan (38:19)

Red Panda

• “I don’t want her career to end on a sour note, right? Because she got, God forbid, an injury worse than what the last one was.”
  – Dan Le Batard (42:55)
• “I don’t think there’s anything she could do to ruin her legacy at this point.”
  – Jessica Smetana (42:43)

Absurdity & Pet Antics

• “If Chris expired right now, Percy would eat him.”
  – Jessica Smetana (32:32)
• “Don’t bring your dog to work. That’s disrespectful.”
  – Jessica Smetana (39:16)

Notable Timestamps

• [02:18] – Nugget challenge progress and logistics; Jessica weighs in.
• [05:18] – Who feels most slighted by CFB rankings? Jessica on Miami.
• [05:49–06:25] – Officiating controversies in college football.
• [07:47] – How Miami could (improbably) make the playoffs.
• [12:20] – Jessica critiques mega conferences.
• [18:52] – What makes a nugget a nugget?
• [32:46] – Chris Cody’s performance-enhancing drug confession.
• [34:11] – Chris reaches 62 nuggets, described as “a nugget with sunglasses.”
• [35:23–43:14] – NBA rapid-fire “You Know About That?” segment.
• [42:43–42:55] – Debate over Red Panda’s legacy and comeback.

Summary

In classic Le Batard Show style, this episode weaves together sports analysis, hijinks, and irreverence. Chris Cody’s cartoonish nugget challenge is both a physical ordeal and a through-line for comedic banter, while Jessica Smetana elevates the sports discourse with sharp insights on college football’s playoff picture and its officiating woes. NBA talk is fast and fun, New York City’s political chaos is lampooned, and even halftime legends like Red Panda are given thoughtful (if tongue-in-cheek) scrutiny. There’s no better snapshot of the show’s ability to oscillate from absurdity to insight—and back—often within the same breath.