The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 1: Greg Gives Chris an Ultimatum (feat. John Isner)

Date: August 26, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Greg Cody, Christopher Cody, Mike Ryan
Special Guest: John Isner
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Overview

This episode is a quintessential stew of the show’s trademark chaos: family drama, playful threats, rankings secrecy, and sports insights—punctuated by a passionate, if comic, standoff between Greg Cody and his son Chris over the sanctity of Greg’s NFL team rankings for the Miami Herald. The second half features a revealing conversation with tennis great John Isner, exploring both the physical toll and emotional aftermath of elite tennis stardom. The show blends tense and hilarious conflict, with introspection and admiration for the sports world’s mental and physical demands.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Greg Cody’s NFL Rankings Meltdown (01:33–15:16)

• The Setup:
  Greg is furiously completing his NFL team rankings, while the rest of the crew jokes about his habitual over-ranking of the Dolphins. Chris and the crew needle Greg about where the Dolphins will land this year.

• Escalation and Family Comedy:

  • Greg makes it clear his rankings are “top secret” (01:53), as the others speculate openly about the Dolphins’ place.
  • Chris teases: “I assure you… there’s no way he puts the Dolphins in the bottom half.” (02:28)
  • Tensions rise when Chris threatens to reveal the rankings, resulting in Greg issuing a now-infamous ultimatum.

• The Ultimatum:
  Greg tells Chris (and the group), “If you reveal on the air where the Dolphins rank, I am going to be genuinely pissed at you… If I don’t have that computer here in three minutes, I am not hosting the draft party Thursday night. Take that to the bank. I’m saying it on my life.” (03:14–07:02)

  • Notable Quote:

    “On my life, on my granddaughter’s life, I am not hosting this draft party unless I have that computer.”
    — Greg Cody (09:01)

• Intensity & Comic Discomfort:
  The team attempts to defuse Greg with humor and a penalty box threat, but Greg “stands on business,” refusing to budge without his laptop and escalating the drama for several minutes.

  • Chris jokes about taking “Greg Cody’s threat” to an actual bank to see if they care (03:59, 05:59).
  • Dan narrates the tension, “We are now on the clock, and it’s very dramatic.” (08:09)
  • Greg asserts over and over that this is serious—his emotions run high, and the ritual of the draft party is clearly deeply meaningful to him.

• Reflective Moments:
  Post-standoff, Chris and the group rib Greg over the “threat” itself, arguing that losing the draft party would hurt Greg more than anyone—a recurring comic motif about performative threats in families (19:39).

2. Family Banter: Respect, Foolishness, and Paywall Thunder (15:16–20:55)

• Sarcasm and Insults:
  The group lightly insults each other over who deserves credit for extending careers and whose emotions are out of control.

  • Greg to Dan: “Then you’re a giant infant, okay? You have no control over your emotions.” (15:19)
  • Greg and Chris volley insults: “You’re a fool,” “You can’t call me, you’re an idiot.” (24:57–25:05)

• Paywall Drama:
  The crew debates whether revealing Greg’s rankings actually affects his “livelihood” or is paywall “thunder.” The consensus: probably not, but the sacredness of the list is real for Greg.

• Comic Analysis:
  Chris: “You will not tell me this is not good… What he has just done is old man strength… This is the single most impressive thing I have seen Greg Cody do since he had a funeral for his 30-year-old deck shoes.” (09:46)

3. Interview: John Isner’s Unique Tennis Career & Perspective (25:20–43:42)

Isner’s Serve and Identity (25:30–27:54)

• Discussion of his Massive Serve:

  • John explains how his height lets him “create angles…most of my opponents aren’t able to pull off…When you’re almost 7ft tall… if [the serve is] not your best weapon, you shouldn’t be playing tennis.” (26:24)

• Career Path:

  • Isner didn’t plan to turn pro until late in college: “I didn’t have pro aspirations… For me, it wasn’t tough at all. I had to go to college. I just wasn’t good enough [earlier].” (27:04)

The ‘Serve Bot’ Reputation & Player Psychology (27:54–28:50)

• On irritating fellow players:
  • “Players do, and that’s a good thing. That’s what I wanted…when they can’t get a racket on my serve…that’s when I was playing my best ball.”
    — John Isner (27:54)
  • Fans joke about “serve bots”: “What do you want us to do, kick a serve and rally 30 balls with Carlos Alcaraz?” (28:20)

US Open and Medvedev’s Meltdown (28:50–32:14)

• Photographer Incident:

  • John defends the photographer whose mistake set off Medvedev, calling the reaction “a bit harsh.” (29:15)
  • On Medvedev’s mental state: “He’s just losing his marbles…mentally exhausted…That chase has just worn him down.” (30:31)

• Boris Becker Says Medvedev Needs Help:

  • Isner disagrees with the need for “professional help,” instead emphasizing rest and time with family:

    “…that dude’s made a crap ton of money…Life is all good. Take a break…he should be alright.” (31:43)

Djokovic’s Longevity and Obsession (32:14–35:15)

• Physical Toll and Novak’s Dedication:
  • Isner calls tennis “brutal” on the body:

    “What Novak is still doing is otherworldly. He’s 38…he’s sort of obsessive about his recovery, and that’s a big reason why he’s still doing what he’s doing.” (32:28-33:50)

  • Comparison to Tom Brady’s discipline and diet/fitness regimen.

Post-Career Reflections: Missing the Grind (35:15–39:54)

• Missing the Stress:

  • Isner admits he misses the “stress of waking up and having a match,” and the “pinnacle” feeling of Grand Slams.
  • He talks about staying connected through sports chats (“highlight chat,” “pickle chat”) and guest commentary.
  • On adapting post-retirement:

    “You wake up and ask yourself…the question: how am I going to get better today?…That’s what you don’t have when you retire.” (38:44)

• Venus Williams’ Longevity:

  • Greg and Isner share “mad respect” for Venus playing at 45, discussing the difficulty of leaving the sport and the desire to “gear up” for the big stage. (36:34)

• Tennis & Unfinished Business:

  • Isner empathizes with players who couldn’t win slams due to being in the “wrong” era (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic domination).

Relationship with Tennis After Retirement (39:29–41:32)

• Contrast With Other Pros:
  • Isner explains his own continuing love for tennis is unusual, estimating “40%…don’t have the healthiest relationship with this game” due to its demanding, isolating nature. (41:06)

Generational Greatness Raising the Bar (41:44–43:05)

• Isner highlights how “generational talents…hung onto the sport at unprecedented ages,” making it nearly impossible for many gifted players to ever break through.

Hypothetical Matchups (43:05–43:29)

• On serving to legends like McEnroe or Borg:

  “I could definitely hold serve against those two and make them sweat a lot.” (43:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you reveal on the air where the Dolphins rank, I am going to be genuinely pissed at you… The draft party will not be at my house Thursday night.”
  — Greg Cody issues his iconic draft-party ultimatum (03:14)

• “On my life, on my granddaughter’s life, I am not hosting this draft party unless I have that computer.”
  — Greg Cody (09:01)

• Chris Cody: “What [Greg] just did is old man strength… This is the single most impressive thing I have seen Greg Cody do since he had a funeral for his 30 year old deck shoes.” (09:46)

• John Isner on big-serve criticism: “Fans like to poke fun of us as, like, being serve bots, but, like, what do you want us to do, right? Like kick a serve in and rally 30 balls with Carlos Alcaraz?” (28:20)

• Isner on Novak Djokovic: “He’s sort of obsessive about his recovery, and that’s a big reason why he’s still doing what he’s doing at 38…He’s remarkable.” (33:50)

• Isner estimating pro relationships with tennis: “I’d give it 40% that don’t have the healthiest relationship with this game…” (41:06)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Greg Cody’s Rankings Meltdown & Ultimatum: 01:33–15:16, and 19:39–20:55
• John Isner Interview: 25:20–43:42
  • Physical advantages/serve: 25:30–27:54
  • Career beginnings & fan reaction: 27:54–28:50
  • Medvedev incident & mental fatigue: 28:50–32:14
  • Djokovic’s longevity: 32:14–35:15
  • Retirement/reflections: 35:15–39:54
  • Tennis love/hate split: 39:54–41:32
  • Era of dominance/legacy: 41:44–43:05
  • Matchup hypotheticals: 43:05–43:29

Episode Tone & Language

• The episode is a blend of mock-seriousness, authentic frustration, heartfelt sports admiration, and the show’s signature family-sparring banter.
• Greg’s anger is both very real and very performative, much to the amusement (and occasional discomfort) of his cohosts.
• The Isner interview is candid, technical, and warm, with the player’s openness contrasting with the earlier farce.

For Listeners Who Missed It

• This episode is a near-perfect encapsulation of the Le Batard show’s unique blend: family absurdity, personal stakes over the silliest things, and authentic sports insight. Greg Cody’s passionate protection of his “paywall thunder” and the ensuing standoff is as laugh-out-loud as it is telling about the show’s family dynamic. Isner’s presence adds depth and humility, with rare insight into the human cost of enduring greatness and the struggle to love one’s profession after the bright lights fade.