The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 1: Happy Thanksgiling Pt. 3!
Date: November 27, 2025
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz (with regulars Chris Cote, Roy and the crew)

Episode Overview

The first hour of this Thanksgiving episode from Miami serves up the show’s signature blend of irreverent sports talk, personal stories, and comedic tangents—centered mostly on recent controversies in the NBA, the shifting landscape of football (college and NFL), and reflections on sports media authenticity and empathy. The hosts touch on everything from the Pablo Torre NBA investigation and reactions from Steve Ballmer and the Clippers, to the ongoing dialogue around Shannon Sharpe and Ray Lewis. There’s also a spirited breakdown of Miami’s recent college football victory, tangential debates about empathy for public figures, and the crew’s usual inside jokes and playful banter.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Pablo Torre NBA Report & Ballmer/Clippers Statement

• Topic: Debrief of Pablo Torre’s detailed NBA exposé, with specific attention to alleged violations and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer’s response.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • The crew reads and lampoons the official statement from the Clippers:
    "Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap... Any contrary assertion is provably false..."
    – [03:00]
  • They riff on the formality of referring to Ballmer as “Mr. Ballmer,” with Dan poking fun at the gravitas and capitalized “Mr.” in all references.

    Dan: "The funniest part of this statement is the Mr. Ballmer is capitalized...not Steve Ballmer, it’s Mr.—capital M—Mr. Ballmer." [03:59]

  • The tone is playful cynicism, highlighting media vs. billionaire PR strategies:

    Dan: "Traditional media versus a billionaire. I know how this one goes..." [04:38]

2. Ray Lewis vs. Shannon Sharpe - Authenticity in Sports Media

• Topic: Recent public comments by Ray Lewis critiquing Shannon Sharpe’s tone/content in modern sports media.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • Ray Lewis expresses surprise at Sharpe’s approach:

    Ray Lewis (audio): "I’m shocked at his content. In a million years…I would never believe Shannon would say or do anything [like that]." [06:45]

  • Lewis says media has become "so worldly" that it becomes popular for "talking about ignorance" and refuses to engage in "gossip conversations." [07:00]
  • The hosts discuss whether Shannon Sharpe is truly inauthentic, defending his public persona as consistent with his past as an outspoken player.
  • Shannon, joined by Ochocinco, responds to criticism with vulnerability, feeling like “low hanging fruit”:

    Shannon Sharpe (audio): "Everybody want to get a lick now because, well, your boy was doing good…a lot of people didn’t have a whole lot to say." [08:52]

  • Dan and Chris debate whether Ochocinco’s role as a sidekick adds or detracts from the Sharpe podcast dynamic.
  • Memorable Moment:

    Dan: "I care about this even less than when it started." [09:58]
    Chris: “He’s saying he’s low hanging fruit; everyone’s taking their shots and he’s hurt by Ray Lewis.” [10:01]

3. Empathy, Public Figures, and Family Embarrassment

• Topic: Following Sharpe’s ESPN departure, the group addresses Shannon’s regret that his firing overshadowed his brother Sterling Sharpe’s Hall of Fame induction.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • Chris Cote makes a case for empathizing with Sharpe, referencing the discomfort of overshadowing a sibling’s big moment:

    Chris: "Anyone can understand, though, embarrassing your family…Who doesn’t understand loving your brother? It’s his big day and look at what you’ve done..." [12:03]

  • Dan is more ambivalent, noting that empathy for Sharpe is "not going his way," and personally not feeling it:

    Dan: “I just don’t care. I just, just don’t care.” [13:12]

  • They debate the idea of "empathy bandwidth" and for whom we feel it most.

4. NFL Predictions, The Legendary Greg Cody, and Betting Reality

• Topic: Greg Cody’s long history (35 years) of NFL predictions, with questions about his overall success.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • Greg (in studio) estimates his lifetime picking success:

    Greg: "Not the spread...in the neighborhood of 650 to 660. Against the spread is over 500...about 525-518, 522..." [20:56]

  • Dan calculates that, with the "vig," Cody’s historical record would amount to being a "career loser in money."

    Dan: "Basically if you had been doing that with your money, it would have cost you money..." [21:22]

  • They agree: anyone claiming a 73% win rate is “lying or hallucinating.” [22:06]
  • Preference is stated for NFL over college picks due to parity and unpredictability in pro football.

5. College Football: Miami, FSU, Notre Dame—Victories, Mirage or Momentum?

• Topic: Breaking down the recent victories by Miami, Florida State, and Florida, and what the early season polls mean.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • Dan and Chris stress that week 1 college football polls are unreliable: anyone in the top 10 is there by "a lot of people who don't know anything." [25:09]
  • They cautiously praise Miami’s win over Notre Dame, pondering whether it’s a long-term “signature win” or could fade if Notre Dame disappoints.
  • Discussion of Notre Dame’s young QB, C.J. Carr:

    Dan: "When CJ Carr took his helmet off on the sidelines ... that is a young, that car. Carr looks very young…” [38:24]

  • The crew agrees that, for Miami, pulling out a close win means more than blowing out Notre Dame, suggesting a test of mettle rather than dominance:

    Chris: "The fact that they were able to respond in a tight game and pull that out, that to me meant something. I think it means more than a blowout victory." [37:36]

  • Special note: The improvement on Miami’s offensive and defensive lines signals a positive trajectory.

6. The ‘Start of the Day’ Game – Saban and Alabama’s Unbeaten Stat

• Topic: Playing with Nick Saban’s jaw-dropping stat of only four losses to unranked teams in 230 games at Alabama.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • Chris Cote correctly guesses the stat, undermining Dan’s buildup:

    Chris: "I'm going to say four. Four is exactly right. I do my research. My due diligence." [32:15]

  • Playful group banter about "undercutting the bit" and how Jeremy reported the stat the day before.

7. Podcasting, Voice Games, and Meta Comedy

• Topic: Extended stretches of playful, sometimes absurd, banter—including a “guess whose modulated voice” game, in which everyone involved readily admits they’re bad at it.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • Dan and Chris joke about their inability to disguise voices, and poke fun at the show’s low success rate at the bit.
  • Bit of self-deprecating humor about the broadcast’s technical difficulties and their on-air shenanigans.

    Dan: "As a company, we stink at voice modulation. Let's continue to see if we can get better at this..." [18:52]

8. Cracker Barrel Logo Controversy & Podcasting Cameos

• Topic: The Wall Street Journal includes Jonathan Zaslow’s voice in a serious piece about the Cracker Barrel logo controversy.
• Discussion/Insight:
  • Chris Cote, to his own surprise, hears his own “Cracker Barrel has made everybody crazy” soundbite in the Journal’s podcast:

    Chris: “Yo, that’s me! It would have been good to leave the trailing sound of other serious podcast voices…so people would have noticed that was you.” [42:05]

  • Crew jokes about AI, copyright, and whether Zaslow is owed any money.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard (on Ballmer’s press release):
  "It's not Steve Ballmer, it's Mr.—capital M—Mr. Ballmer... Do you think they pronounce it like 'Mister Ballmer!'? That’s how he talks, right?" [03:59]

• Ray Lewis (on Shannon Sharpe):
  "I'm shocked at his content. In a million years…I would never believe Shannon would say or do anything [like that].” [06:45]

• Shannon Sharpe (responding to criticism):
  "Everybody want to get a lick now because, well, your boy was doing good. Even here, a lot of people didn’t have a whole lot to say." [08:52]

• Dan Le Batard (on empathy for Shannon Sharpe):
  "I just don’t care. I just, just don’t care." [13:12]

• Chris Cote (on embarrassing family):
  "Anyone can understand, though, embarrassing your family though…Who doesn’t understand loving your brother? It’s his big day and look at what you’ve done..." [12:03]

• Greg Cody (on betting record):
  "Not the spread...in the neighborhood of 650 to 660. Against the spread is over 500... about 525-518, 522..." [20:56]

• Dan Le Batard (on college football week one):
  "Anyone that was in your top 10 in week one was made in your top 10 by a lot of people who don't know anything..." [25:09]

• Chris Cote (on Miami win):
  "The fact that they were able to respond in a tight game and pull that out, that to me meant something. I think it means more than a blowout victory." [37:36]

• Chris Cote (on voice cameo):
  "Yo, that’s me! …This was a serious Wall Street Journal podcast...they just dropped in Zaslow." [42:05]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Clippers/Ballmer Response & Pablo Torre Fallout: 03:00 – 04:45
• Ray Lewis on Shannon Sharpe: 06:43 – 08:52
• Shannon Sharpe’s Response & Empathy Debate: 08:52 – 13:12
• Greg Cody’s NFL Prediction Record & Betting Math: 20:36 – 22:19
• College Football Rankings & Miami/ND Recap: 23:37 – 40:47
• Saban’s Alabama Stat "Start of the Day": 32:01 – 33:29
• Guess the Modulated Voice/Meta Humor: 17:24 – 18:52
• Cracker Barrel Podcast Cameo: 41:56 – 43:40

Summary

Hour 1 of the Thanksgiving “Happy Thanksgiling Pt. 3!” episode delivers the typical Le Batard Show experience: skewering sports culture, challenging media narratives, poking fun at each other, and framing even the silliest tangents as essential. Whether lampooning “Mr. Ballmer,” dissecting Ray Lewis’s old-school condemnation of media gossip, or earnestly debating the value of empathy, the show balances levity, insight, and honest reflection on how sports—and those who cover them—shape the larger conversation. For fans of Miami sports, podcast meta-humor, or media accountability, this episode brings plenty of meat, no matter what your empathy bandwidth.