The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 1: Dan Doesn’t Preview Games

Date: September 19, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

This episode of the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz opens with a deep dive into the recent suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, government censorship, and the precarious intersection of media, business, and free speech in modern America. Dan, Stugotz, and the crew weave in late-night television history, touch on the NFL-Disney merger, and spend the back half riffing on South Florida sports nostalgia, college football expectations for the Miami-Florida clash, and frustrations with modern sports broadcasting and fan access.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jimmy Kimmel, Government Censorship, and Corporate Responsibility

• Dan and Stugotz express dismay and alarm over the government interference in Jimmy Kimmel's suspension, emphasizing the erosion of First Amendment protections and the chilling effect on media voices.
• The conversation traces the tradition of late-night comedians as counterweights to power, with Dan reminiscing about David Letterman’s groundbreaking willingness to challenge his own employer publicly.

Important Quotes & Moments:

• Dan Le Batard [04:38]:
  "I'm also not really willing to entertain talking about government censorship as if it's a thing that is going to happen when it just happened. We're there, we're here. The alarm bells that were sounded months ago, it's led up to this."

• David Letterman (clip) [06:36]:
  "This is misery. And in the world of somebody who is an authoritarian, maybe a dictatorship, sooner or later everyone is going to be touched... It's managed media and it's no good. It's silly, it's ridiculous. And you can't go around firing somebody because you're fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian criminal administration in the Oval Office."

• Letterman (clip) [08:02]:
  "Beating up on these people, rightly or wrong, accurately or perhaps inaccurately, in the name of comedy, not once were we squeezed by anyone from any governmental agency, let alone the dreaded FCC."

Timestamps:

• Kimmel censorship discussion opens: [02:08]
• Letterman audio segments: [06:36] & [08:02]

2. Corporate Silence vs. Speaking Out

• The hosts debate whether Disney/ABC should publicly explain Kimmel's suspension and admit government pressure.
• Stugotz demands truth and transparency over corporate "no comment" tactics, likening it to expecting accountability from athletes.
• Dan counters that corporations face enormous financial and legal pressure (including mergers and federal scrutiny), saying tact is needed but agreeing it’s a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation.

Quotes:

• Stugotz [17:42]:
  "Can you not come out and say, Jimmy Kimmel has been suspended indefinitely, but it's not because of anything that he said. It's because we're under duress from the federal government on our licenses and we've suspended him indefinitely to protect him and this show and our merger. Can you be honest?"

• Dan Le Batard [23:03]:
  "If I'm Bob Iger, if I'm abc, if I'm Disney, I also work towards a solution that gets Jimmy Kimmel back on the air as quickly as possible so he can speak for himself... I think that this is a situation that calls for tact."

3. Late Night’s Role & Precedent

• The hosts reflect on the unique American tradition of comedians mocking those in power, emphasizing that past Presidents never weaponized agencies against free speech in this explicit way.

Quotes:

• Letterman (clip) [08:02]:
  "Attacked these men mercilessly... not once were we squeezed by any governmental agency, let alone the dreaded fcc."

4. Sports Talk & South Florida Nostalgia

• Shifting from media and politics, the show pivots to the struggles and glories of University of Miami football, nostalgia for Heisman winners, and the oddity of past stats compared to today.

Timestamps:

• Miami football nostalgia and Heisman talk: [25:04]
• Gino Toretta and Vinny Testaverde stats debate: [25:12] - [28:13]
• Canes vs. Gators preview state-of-the-program: [30:18] - [37:35]

Quotes:

• Dan Le Batard [24:45]:
  "You only talked about a 20 year old murder and a 30 year old football team, when Miami has its best team in 20 years playing Saturday night."

• Zaslo [26:22]:
  "For the younger Canes fan, Gino Toretta was so good. I remember and I'm afraid now that you're about to... You're about to make..."

5. Streaming, Fan Access, and Wrestle Palooza

• Frustrations are voiced about digital access and the ever-increasing cost barriers for fans—especially around big events like Wrestle Palooza.
• Discussion of new ESPN digital app barriers, YouTube TV, and Xfinity blackout issues.

Timestamps:

• Streaming/Wrestle Palooza: [39:12] - [40:47]

Quotes:

• Stugotz [40:47]:
  "It's a bit flabbergasting to watch the customer bleeped again and again in sports."

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

• Dan Le Batard [04:38]:
  "I'm also not really willing to entertain talking about government censorship as if it's a thing that is going to happen when it just happened. We're there, we're here."

• David Letterman (clip) [06:36]:
  "...it's managed media and it's no good. It's silly, it's ridiculous..."

• Stugotz [17:42]:
  "Can you not come out and say, Jimmy Kimmel has been suspended indefinitely, but it's not because of anything that he said. It's because we're under duress from the federal government..."

• Dan Le Batard [23:03]:
  "I think that this is a situation that calls for tact. And my objective is letting the person that is presently banned from taking the air get back to air."

• Stugotz [40:47]:
  "It's a bit flabbergasting to watch the customer bleeped again and again in sports."

Memorable Moments

• Letterman's passionate clip draws a straight line from past tradition to present crisis, highlighting the normalization of managed, censored media ([06:36]).
• Gino Toretta/Heisman nostalgia segment, where stats are compared and memories are humorously crushed by new context ([25:12] - [28:13]).
• The candid debate about corporate cowardice versus business survival, with Dan acknowledging he’s been in “pickles” before ([24:20]).
• Streaming woes and wrestling fandom collision laughs ([39:12] - [40:47]).

Structure and Takeaways

• First Half: Serious discussion about media freedom, government pressure, and what responsibility “big bosses” like Disney’s Bob Iger have in defending (or not) free speech and their talent.
• Second Half: Pivot into sports, focusing on University of Miami football, college football history perspective, and how the fan experience is shifting—and often frustrating—in the digital streaming age.
• The show closes with a reminder that amid all the chaos and heaviness, their humor and nostalgia for South Florida sports, and their knack for revealing the ridiculous in the serious and the serious in the ridiculous, remain their signature tone.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode is a blend of urgent, timely debate over the future of free speech and media in America (using Jimmy Kimmel as a catalyst) and a comfortable, even wistful dip into sports talk. It balances outrage and skepticism with the warmth of shared sports memories and the laughs that come when nothing—neither politics nor nostalgia—escapes the show’s irreverent lens.