Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 1: The Modulated Voice is Revealed

Date: September 3, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, plus Regulars (Greg Cote, Roy, Billy, Mike, Chris Cody)
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

Broadcasting from Miami, the Le Batard crew dives—sometimes irreverently and sometimes with surprising sincerity—into a range of topics: blockbuster NBA investigations, old-school and modern sports media dynamics, college football surprises, classic show games with a new technological twist, and a sidebar on podcast copyright confusion. The episode is marked by tangents, inside jokes, and the ever-present tension between sports talk and general mayhem.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pablo Torre NBA Report & Clippers/Ballmer Response

Timestamps: 03:11–05:04

• Dan opens with fallout from Pablo Torre's bombshell NBA report:
  • "The alleged violations in this incredibly detailed Pablo Torre report are staggering and without precedent. A story that has shaken the NBA already like very few." (03:13, Dan)
  • The Clippers categorically deny any wrongdoing regarding salary cap circumvention: "Neither Mr. Ballmer nor the Clippers circumvented the salary cap or engaged in any misconduct..." (03:56)
• The show's panel pokes fun at the formal, almost regal way the Clippers refer to Steve Ballmer as “Mr. Ballmer,” and riffs on the futility of reporting when billionaires simply deny everything.
  • Dan: "Traditional media versus a billionaire. I know how this one goes." (05:04)

2. Shannon Sharpe, Ray Lewis, and Sports Media Beef

Timestamps: 05:10–13:43

• Dan pivots to a “gossip” vein hitting sports media:
  • Shannon Sharpe, recently ousted from ESPN, feels hurt by comments from former teammate Ray Lewis criticizing Sharpe’s turn toward "gossip" content.
  • Ray Lewis audio (played by the crew): "That route is to become so worldly that you become popular because you're talking about ignorance. Right. A lot of times, a lot of these gossip conversations that they're having... I'm not in the business for that." (07:14, Ray Lewis quoted by Dan)
  • Shannon Sharpe's response, with Chad Ochocinco:
    • "I'm going to say my thing, whatever transpired, I bite my tongue. I'll be the bigger person. I'll walk away... Y' all got me. It's all right. Yeah, it's okay. We gonna be all right." (09:35, Sharpe)
    • Ochocinco’s “sidekick” role is lampooned by the hosts as being particularly elliptical and unhelpful.
  • Dan and the panel reflect on empathy for Sharpe, especially after ESPN released news of his dismissal during his brother’s Hall of Fame weekend, stealing his family spotlight.
    • "Who doesn't understand loving your brother? It's his big day...and that week you're the news, not your brother." (12:27, Dan)
  • But there’s friendly debate about how much empathy the public has for Sharpe’s situation ("empathy bandwidth").

3. Revealing the Modulated Voice: Game Time

Timestamps: 18:00–22:24

• The segment turns meta and self-referential:
  • The crew brings back a classic show game: trying to guess who is speaking through the show's infamous “voice modulator.”
  • “Do I still want to play the game suggests I want to play the game from the start.” (18:21, Dan, with typical grumpy humor)
  • Multiple failed attempts and in-jokes about who is doing the voice or moving around; the tech does not impress ("We stink at voice modulation. All right, game over." 19:45, Stugotz).

4. NFL & College Football Weekly Predictions

Timestamps: 20:48–29:15

• Dan introduces Greg Cote: 35 years of NFL picks experience.
  • There’s a comedic, slightly contentious reveal about Greg’s actual record: “My record against the spread is over 500. I want to say about 525, 518, 522.” (22:07, Greg)
  • Dan points out the reality: picking at just over 50% doesn’t actually beat the Vegas “vig” and would "cost you money." (22:27)
  • Cote defends his method: "You like the pros better than college, don't you?...It's the NFL where the biggest points of the week are like 7 or 8. It's ridiculous...Anybody can beat anybody." (23:28, Greg)
  • Discussion transitions into college: Miami, Florida, and FSU all ranked top 15, but skepticism about judging teams after just week one.

5. Miami vs Notre Dame, College Football Paranoia

Timestamps: 24:35–29:15, 33:49–38:42

• The group analyzes Miami-Notre Dame and other college results:
  • Key analytical insight: One game doesn’t reveal season-long truths; both teams looked good, but it's too early for conclusions.
  • Major Miami-ND takeaway: “What we did see is a team with a two turnover disadvantage have maulers on the offensive and defensive line...I can tell that this offensive line can't handle this defensive line.” (34:47, Dan)
  • The emotional angst of Miami fans: "The loudest people who aren't satisfied with a win over Notre Dame...you didn't like that you were scared at the end of the game." (38:34, Dan)
  • The fun of college football as overreaction and paranoia after just one week is a theme.

6. Alabama, DeBoer Stat of the Day Bit

Timestamps: 30:14–33:15

• Stat game time, with Dan and Chris tossing stats about Saban and Kalen DeBoer's early Alabama record.
  • Little actual stat drama—Chris already knows the “start of the day” answer (four losses to unranked teams in 230 games), which irks Dan and saps comedic potential.

7. Podcast Bits & Notable Moments

Timestamps: 41:51–43:50

• Le Batard show voice appears in a Wall Street Journal podcast about Cracker Barrel, catching the panel by surprise.
  • "Yo, that's me...That was me. What was this?" (42:31, Zaslow)
  • The crew debates whether they’re owed money for clip use, poking fun at the modern content landscape and A.I. voice replication paranoia.
  • "They stole that sound from our show. Copyright. Yo, that sounds like some AI nonsense. I'm entitled to some kind of monster money." (43:26, Zaslow)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan on media-vs-billionaire disputes:

  • "Traditional media versus a billionaire. I know how this one goes." (05:04)

• Ray Lewis (via Dan) on modern sports media:

  • “You're going to take that route. I can't go that route...That route is to become so worldly that you become popular because you're talking about ignorance.” (07:14)

• Shannon Sharpe's weariness:

  • “I bite my tongue. I'll be the bigger person. I'll walk away...Y' all can have it...Y' all got me. It's all right." (09:35)

• Dan on empathy and family:

  • "Loving your brother? It's his big day. And look at what you've done. You're the news, not your brother." (12:27)

• Game debacle humor:

  • “We stink at voice modulation. All right, game over.” (19:45)
  • "As a company, we stink at voice modulation. Let's continue to see if we can get better at this as we go along, shall we?" (19:50)

• Greg Cote on NFL pools:

  • "This is king sport...Anybody can beat anybody. And I'm slaying the dragon." (23:28)

• Dan on Miami-ND and fandom:

  • "I can tell that Miami's offensive line can handle this defensive line. If I give that team a two turnover advantage, put them at home, they're not kicking for the game with a minute left..." (34:47)

• Stat bit fizzle:

  • “He just asked the question, how do you do any research? ... He undercut the whole bit. I knew it.” (32:24)

• Podcast copyright confusion:

  • “They stole that sound from our show. Copyright. Yo, that sounds like some AI nonsense. I'm entitled to some kind of monster money.” (43:26, Zaslow)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |:--------------------------------------:|:---------:| | NBA/Pablo Torre/Clippers | 03:11–05:04 | | Ray Lewis vs Shannon Sharpe Media Beef | 05:10–13:43 | | Voice Modulator Game | 18:00–22:24 | | NFL Predictions/Greg Cote | 20:48–24:32 | | Miami/Notre Dame Analysis | 24:35–29:15, 33:49–38:42 | | Stat of the Day (Saban/DeBoer) | 30:14–33:15 | | Cracker Barrel Podcast Bit | 41:51–43:50 |

Tone & Style

• Playful, sarcastic, occasionally deeply sincere.
• Sports talk serves mostly as a jumping-off point for culture, nostalgia, and show meta-commentary.
• Hosts and regulars are willing to undercut sentimental moments with humor and vice versa.

This episode is classic Local Hour fare—South Florida-centric but universal in its curiosity, irreverence, and willingness to let sports anxiety spiral into comedy and reflection.