The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: Dan Wants To Guillotine The Shipping Container (feat. Matthew Berry)
Date: September 26, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Overview

In this episode, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and The Shipping Container crew gather in Miami to deliver their signature blend of sports, pop culture, and layered humor, featuring a recurring focus on Miami teams and notable national stories. The hour is highlighted by the group’s irreverent eulogy for the Miami Marlins’ season, debates over the impressiveness of home run records, deep dives into college football matchups, and a rapid-fire, highly practical fantasy football segment from Matthew Berry. Riffing on topics from weather delays to creative freedom in media, the show is packed with sharp commentary and inside jokes, all wrapped up in the show’s familiar chaotic energy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Miami Marlins Season Postmortem

Timestamps: 01:55–04:23

• Billy delivers the shortest possible update: "Thanks, Dan. It's over." (02:30)
• Mike Ryan presents a tongue-in-cheek eulogy for the Marlins, celebrating their unexpected competitiveness and their role as a sports-season bridge in Miami:

  "They got us from basketballish hockey season to the NFL, had us smile, had us laugh, had everybody in Miami doing the fish one more time." (03:21)

• The crew jokes about the apathy of Miami towards the Marlins and lament the anticlimactic end, referencing rain delays and a lack of memorable player moments.
• Dan pokes fun at being lured back into baseball just to experience another Marlins letdown:

  "Not the greatest hook for me to make my return to baseball here." (03:53)

2. Weather Woes in Sports

Timestamps: 04:23–06:09

• The group notes an uptick in college football weather delays, linking it to climate shifts and hurricanes affecting Florida.
• Dan reminisces:

  "Back in my day, we would just brave the elements, play through lightning. I don't remember… games being suspended for like two hours." (04:51)

• Billy humorously recounts advice from his dad’s baseball coach:

  "When the lightning’s there, just hold that metal bat higher. Show the lightning who's boss." (05:10)

• They joke about hurricane models and the impossibility (unlike in sci-fi movies) of two storms merging into a “super hurricane.”

  Stugotz: "That's not the way Sharknado." (05:55)

• A quirky stat mentioned: Despite constant rain, the Rays finished a roofless season with zero rainouts. (06:33)

3. Start of the Day: Intentional Walks and Home Run Chases

Timestamps: 07:25–11:54

• Mike Ryan highlights Aaron Judge’s new AL record for intentional walks, but compares it to Barry Bonds’ superhuman 2004 season:

  "In 2004, Barry Bonds had 120 intentional walks." (07:54)

• The team discusses how steroid scandals have shifted perceptions of home run achievements, with Bonds’ “pharmaceutically aided” feats forever tainting new power displays.
• The novelty and difficulty of the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh (aka "Big Dumper") potentially hitting 60 home runs as a switch-hitting catcher is debated:

  Billy: “You could argue that just simply as a home run hitter, this is the most impressive season there has ever been in the history of baseball.” (11:20)

• They address changing standards for what counts as an impressive home run total and the impact of ballpark factors.

4. College Football Preview: Georgia-Alabama and SEC Nuances

Timestamps: 15:23–19:22

• The upcoming Georgia vs. Alabama game is discussed, with surprise over a small point spread:

  Stugotz: "When I see a point spread that I don't understand, I simply assume I'm wrong." (16:31)

• Stugotz reflects on the reputation of SEC powers and expresses doubt about reading too much into betting lines.
• The crew analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of both programs, citing connections, transfers, and the unpredictability of the season so far.
• Inside joke polling: “Do we all know what Isaiah Horton is capable of?” (19:22)

5. Fantasy Football Blitz with Matthew Berry

Timestamps: 21:44–28:12

• Format: Stugotz challenges Berry to deliver as much actionable fantasy advice as possible, as quickly as possible.
• Berry’s Highlights:
  • Raiders bad vs. deep pass; start Bears' Caleb Williams. (22:11)
  • Broncos yielding 89+ rush yards to an RB every game—start Chase Brown. (22:25)
  • J.K. Dobbins (Denver): High rushing share, Bengals give up tons of yards—Dobbins week. (22:54)
  • Omarion Hampton: RB1 usage, locked in as a top-five fantasy back. (23:02)
  • Garrett Wilson: At least 37% target share in every game. (23:15)
  • Dolphins allow a WR TD every game—start Chris Olave. (23:17)
  • Matthew Golden (Packers) is due for a big game vs. the Cowboys. (23:25)
  • Patriots’ Hunter Henry: good TE streamer, Panthers can’t defend TEs. (23:30)
• Berry reflects on his season so far, noting hits (Omarion Hampton) and misses (James Cook success despite limited touches). (24:32–26:18)
  • Particularly honest about Cook:

    "It's one of those weird things where I was completely right about all the reasons why he shouldn't be picked high, but yet he still is because he's getting just insane touchdown usage." (26:18)

• Quick hits: Outlook on Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy, plugging Berry’s shows/podcasts/newsletter. (27:11)
• Club Cedric Tillman ("Club Set") update – "Always open!"—Matthew Berry. (27:57)

6. Pop Culture & Meta Media Commentary

Timestamps: 29:31–35:59

• Reflection on South Park’s unique relationship with deadlines and creative freedom—missing a scheduled episode for the sake of quality.
  • Dan: "I was wildly impressed by the amount of power that you have to have to just simply blow deadline, not show up for a scheduled appearance because your work's not ready." (29:31)
• Discussion about constraints in Hollywood, referencing Adam McKay's experience on “Don’t Look Up”: Fiction being eclipsed by real-time, surreal world events, and the limits of creative freedoms as imposed by studio contracts.

7. Political Media Ecosystem & Information Overload

Timestamps: 35:59–41:27

• Satirical but serious discussion about political news cycles (“flooding the zone”), using Steve Bannon and Project 2025 as examples.
  • Dan: “There’s like several Watergate level scandals that just don't even get covered anymore because of how crazy the news cycle has been.” (35:59)
• Reflects on being targeted by Breitbart and the way scandals no longer have cultural staying power amidst constant distraction.
• On free speech and Kimmel’s recent controversy, noting divisions in creative communities and media consolidation.
  • Satirical observation: “America’s core principle right now… is just selfishness.” (39:12)

8. Phone Problems & Modern Tech Grievances

Timestamps: 46:45–48:37

• Mike Ryan confides his frustration with a persistent iPhone notification bug, sparking a discussion about the embarrassment of needing help with simple tech problems.
  • Mike Ryan: "My phone… continues to make sounds. But I don’t want to go to a phone store… they’ll fix it in three seconds." (47:20)
• They joke about planned obsolescence, iPhone generations, and small class-action settlements.
• Broader riff on consumer frustration and aging with technology.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Billy’s Eulogy for Marlins' Season (03:21):
  "Had everybody in Miami doing the fish one more time."
• Dan on Returning to Baseball (03:53):
  "Not the greatest hook for me to make my return to baseball here."
• Classic Coaching Advice (05:10):
  "When the lightning’s there, just hold that metal bat higher. Show the lightning who's boss." — Billy's dad’s coach, Skip Mart.
• Stat of the Day Musings (07:25–07:54):
  (Multiple voices) “Start of the day. Start of the day. It is the start of the day…”
• Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Football Run (23:02):
  "Anytime you score over a 90, you earn RB1. He’s locked in as a top five fantasy football running back."
• Berry’s Brutal Honesty on James Cook (26:18):
  "I was completely right about all the reasons why he shouldn't be picked high, but yet he still is because he's getting just insane touchdown usage."
• Dan on Media Freedom (29:31):
  "I was wildly impressed by the amount of power that you have to have to just simply blow deadline… everyone’s going to have to wait, not just your employer. America is going to have to wait."
• Dan on Information Overload (35:59):
  "There’s like several Watergate level scandals that just don't even get covered anymore because of how crazy the news cycle has been."
• Mike Ryan’s Tech Lament (47:20):
  "My phone…continues to make sounds. But I don’t want to go to a phone store… they’ll fix it in three seconds."

Additional Highlights

• Ongoing Jokes: The difference between fantasy “Guillotine League” and “Survivor League,” with Stugotz and crew expressing faux confusion.
• Polls and Audience Engagement:

  "Put it on the poll please: Do we all know what Isaiah Horton is capable of?" (19:22)

• Songs & Musical Bits: A Springsteen parody about 60-homer seasons, referencing McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, and nostalgia for more “magical” records. (44:43)
• Meta Jokes: Constant self-deprecation about the crew’s commitment, knowledge gaps, and personal quirks.

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------|---------------| | Marlins' update & eulogy | 01:55–04:23 | | Weather delays in sports | 04:23–06:09 | | Stat of the Day & HR record debates | 07:25–11:54 | | College football & SEC preview | 15:23–19:22 | | Guillotine League fantasy confusion | 19:47–21:44 | | Matthew Berry's fantasy football advice | 21:44–28:12 | | Pop culture/media creative freedoms | 29:31–35:59 | | Political media/social commentary | 35:59–41:27 | | Phone problems & technology grievances | 46:45–48:37 | | Home run record musical parody | 44:43–46:04 |

Episode Tone

Lively, irreverent, and self-aware, the tone oscillates between sardonic reflection and enthusiastic debate. The show’s layered humor, deep Miami roots, and self-deprecating camaraderie create an accessible space for both casual and devoted listeners.

For the Uninitiated:

This episode is a classic Le Batard blend: if you want sharp sports commentary mixed with pop culture, social insight, and plenty of running gags, this hour delivers. Matthew Berry’s fast-paced fantasy football takes are especially valuable for fantasy players looking for start/sit guidance, while cultural discussion around sports, media, and politics is treated with both absurdity and substance.
No single subject dominates—expect to laugh and leave with a wide-angle snapshot of the current sports and media moment.