The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz—Hour 1: Amin’s Method Acting (feat. “Kash Patel”)

Date: February 23, 2026
Recorded live from: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz
Featured guests: Amin Elhassan, Mike Ryan, Ethan, (Amin as "Kash Patel")

Episode Overview

This episode is a quintessential Dan Le Batard Show hour, mixing irreverent sports talk, sharp political observations, and meta commentary on American fandom. The main themes circle the aftermath of Team USA’s dramatic hockey gold, the problematic blending of sports and politics as seen in the viral moments from the US men’s hockey locker room, and larger societal moments where those spheres collide. The group also riffs on locker room culture, sports movies, and the ever-shifting nature of public perception regarding athletes, politicians, and media.

Breakdown of Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Team USA’s Olympic Win and Culture Clash (01:26–05:59)

• The group reacts live (and somewhat drowsily) to Team USA men’s hockey thrilling finish, interspersed with jokes, disbelief, and stream-of-consciousness play-by-play.
• Locker Room Aftermath: Outrage and amusement over FBI Director Kash Patel partying in the locker room, including Matthew Tkachuk hanging his gold medal around Patel’s neck.
  • Amin Elhassan: “Just like, morally, from a diplomatic standpoint, we do not deserve this.” (03:04)
  • The crew discusses general surprise at “how cool everybody is with the current situation and that person in particular” (Amin, 05:56) and why, in this political moment, the lines between sports and state are blurred intentionally.
• The immediate debate: Is this government overreach? Mere fandom? A violation? Or just an inappropriate but inconsequential moment?

2. Amin’s “Kash Patel” and Satirical Interlude (06:13–07:59)

• Amin leans into a deadpan impression of “Kash Patel,” delivering comic gems:
  • Amin (as Kash): “I was on FBI business in Milan and it just so happened they had a hockey game going. So you can bet on that.” (06:13)
  • Pokes at plans to hit Miami club “11” for more “FBI business.”
• The conversation lampoons the normalization of political officials in sports moments, the potential for future embarrassment, and the shifting standards of what is considered inappropriate.

3. Sports and Politics: Can (or Should) They Be Separated? (08:00–14:28; 16:28–23:25)

• Clips are played of the men’s US team talking to Donald Trump in the locker room, and everyone reflects on what it means—historically and as spectacle.
• Notable quote (Dan): “The director of the FBI chugging beers in the locker room, I’ve never seen that. Not Republican, not Democrat, not…I've never seen that.” (23:25)
• Extended discussion on “the Doc Rivers Press Conference Laugh”—over-the-top deference to whoever holds power in a group or institution.
  • Dan: “That was the Doc Rivers press conference laughter and you can bet on that.” (09:00)
• The crew wrestles with America’s desire to see sports as a pure, apolitical refuge, but acknowledges both fans and politicians continually break that barrier.

4. “Patriotism,” Locker Room Dynamics, and Shifting Norms (17:26–20:52)

• Ethan and Amin express conflicting feelings: joy at the representation by a Jewish, Pride-supporting player (Jack Hughes), but also disappointment at how “the right” has monopolized expressions of patriotism:
  • Ethan: “It feels like the right sort of hijacked the concept of patriotism, and it was cool to see someone on that stage who happens to line up politically with where I am...express that patriotism.” (18:39)
• Both lament how challenging it is for dissenting voices (players or fans) to speak up without causing a backlash or being labeled unpatriotic/snowflakes.

5. Sports Media, Virality, and Political Clout (32:08–41:36)

• The panel pivots to Josh Pate’s interview with Trump on a sports platform, analyzing the motives (“It is a massive thing. And we live in a time where that economy of attention is more important than ever…” — Dan, 32:27) and the consequences for both the guest and the host.
• They discuss how, with traditional gatekeepers gone, the incentives for viral moments—even if problematic—are higher than ever.
• Commentary on Trump’s sports “hits” and how political figures use sports platforms to soften or broaden their appeal.

6. Legacy, Regret, and the New Normal (25:48–31:46)

• Speculation on whether the players in the viral locker room pic will regret it in years to come (“Is that going to be a thing, you know, two years, five years, 20 years from now?” — Mike, 25:48).
• Dan notes that societal shame or disavowal is much less prevalent today: “Now everything is denied. Deny, deny, deny. It'll be 10 years from now, these people can be convicted and sent to prison and these guys are still going to be like, it was all a vast left wing conspiracy.” (26:38)
• Amin observes: “I don't think this administration's going to age particularly well.” (31:46)

7. College Hoops Nostalgia & Lighthearted Finish (42:04–end)

• The show shifts to a lighter, classic mode with Georgia Tech and college basketball nostalgia, dropping references to Kenny Anderson, Chris Jackson, and others.
• Dan: “You go [to The Varsity] once, and you never go again. Everyone I went to school with...you go once, you never go again.” (42:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Amin (on politics in sports): “This administration makes it incredibly difficult to separate the two. They are very smart about how they use sports to normalize themselves as personalities and officials.” (05:18)
• Dan (on the ‘Doc Rivers Laugh’): “It’s just the boys. That’s the point of those shows. It’s like, hey, imagine the locker room if it were on TV, even though it’s nothing like the locker room. But that’s what people want to believe.” (09:57)
• Ethan (on representation in sports): “It was a special, probably the best moment for left-leaning American Jews in sports since Sandy Koufax.” (12:28)
• Dan (on shifting standards): “The job that you have as a high ranking person in the US government is you have to comport yourself with some modicum of decorum. Even if they're all doing it, you gotta go, ha ha, good job guys. Even if you want to.” (24:02)
• Amin (on locker room dynamics): “The implication is you have to let Kash Patel in. You have to roll with it, even if you're not comfortable because being against it causes a scene.” (28:14)

Important Segments w/ Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:26–03:18 | Live reactions to Team USA goal and postgame chaos | | 04:15–06:13 | Kash Patel in the locker room, discussion of propriety and politics | | 06:13–07:59 | Amin’s method acting as Kash Patel pokes fun at the moment | | 08:00–10:24 | The locker-room laugh, Doc Rivers comparison, and how power works in sports settings | | 12:28–13:29 | Ethan celebrates Jack Hughes as a symbol for left-leaning Jews | | 17:26–19:35 | Are politics and pride mutually exclusive? How patriotism gets portrayed in sport | | 23:25–24:55 | Dan draws the line: “FBI director chugging beers in the locker room—I’ve never seen it” | | 25:48–31:46 | Will these moments age poorly? Is denial the new norm in politics and fandom? | | 32:08–41:36 | Josh Pate’s Trump interview, sports media’s viral attention economy | | 42:04–44:50 | College hoops memories and closing nostalgia |

Summary & Tone

• Style: Candid, self-aware, frequently veering from serious analysis to absurdist comedy, with plenty of inside jokes and cultural references.
• Underlying message: The show both revels in and mourns the inescapable interconnectedness of sports, politics, and identity in 2026 America. The crew uses humor and personal experience to grapple with the complexity of patriotism, spectacle, and dissent, all while giving room for the everyday joy and argumentation that comes with being a sports fan.
• Signature lines: “You can bet on that.” “Doc Rivers press conference laugh.” “It’s just the boys.”

Useful for:

• Listeners seeking a multifaceted discussion on contemporary sports/political culture
• Fans wanting context for the Team USA story, the viral Patel photo, and the echoes in sports media
• Anyone interested in how one of America’s most distinctive sports podcasts navigates the blurred lines between games, government, and fandom—often with a smirk and a sigh.