The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – "Hour 2: Baker’s Chocolate"

Featuring: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Jessica Smetana, Adnan Virk, Mike Ryan, Chris Cody, Alex, Jeremy
Date: February 19, 2026
Recorded at: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

The second hour of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz is a lively, chaotic blend of sports banter, pop culture hot takes, Olympics oddities, confectionery controversy, and passionate nostalgia for baseball. Featuring Jessica Smetana and Adnan Virk, the crew debates the crisis in Reese’s peanut butter cups, unpacks heated curling scandals at the Winter Olympics, and closes out with the return of their enthusiastically nerdy baseball trivia game, “Pitch Clock Jeopardy.” The episode captures the show’s trademark style: a blend of irreverence, playful arguing, and genuine expertise.

Key Discussion Points

1. Programming Announcements & Olympics Coverage

Timestamps: 00:07–01:13

• Stugotz announces his upcoming absence for a week, with Zaslo and Damoshek covering.
• Jessica is dubbed the “Winter Olympics correspondent,” updating on the US-Canada women’s hockey showdown.
• Diplo is flagged for a future guest spot (“South Beach Session”), reportedly involved in the Olympics Closing Ceremonies.

2. Fred Hoiberg Clip & Accountability in Sports

Timestamps: 01:13–02:56

• Dan raises a scenario, speculating if Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg would have lost his job if, in a rage, he struck a student instead of a staffer.
• Dan: “If in his rage, he had hit that student in the head, I think he wouldn’t have a job today.” (01:13)
• Mike and Jessica dissect the incident, joking about bad aim:
  • Mike: “If his aim is that bad... maybe he shouldn’t be a basketball coach to begin with.” (02:19)

3. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – Recipe Change Scandal

Timestamps: 03:00–05:24

• The panel passionately debates allegations that Reese’s has changed its iconic chocolate and peanut butter formula:
  • Mike cites Brad Reese (descendant of the Reese’s founder), who claims a “compound coating” has replaced real chocolate and “peanut butter style creams” have taken over the filling.
• Chris Cody: “This is an affront to America.” (05:09)
• Mike switches allegiance to Justin’s peanut butter cups:
  • Mike: “The Reese’s cups no longer taste like chocolate-covered peanut butter. They’re just…” (04:45)
• They debate the evolution of taste buds and what qualifies as “milk chocolate.”

4. What Counts as Candy? The Chocolate vs. Candy Debate

Timestamps: 05:24–07:13, 10:24–11:46

• Jessica asserts a Hershey’s Kiss is “a chocolate, not a candy.”
• Mike brings in FDA labeling requirements for “milk chocolate”: at least 10% chocolate liquor, 12% milk solids, and 3.39% milk fat.
• The group riffs on the tricky nomenclature and rules around chocolate and candy, leading to a poll suggestion:
  • Stugotz: “Is chocolate candy? Yes or no?” (10:24)

5. Baker’s Chocolate – What Is It?

Timestamps: 11:46–13:14

• Dan, Jessica, and the crew try to define baker’s chocolate, its culinary purpose, and why no one eats it straight.
• Mike notes it's essentially pure chocolate with no stabilizers; Chris adds it’s “more like the unsweet type.”
• Chris Cody: “It’s unpleasant.” (13:14)

6. Winter Olympics: Curling Scandals & Oddities

Timestamps: 13:36–18:12

• Mike describes a scandal where Sweden accuses Canada of a double touch (touching the stone past the hogline) in curling.
• Swedish fans caught it on alternate camera angles, shaking the sport known for its “gentleman’s code.”
• Mike Ryan:
  • “It’s really put a damper on things in the curling world.” (15:02)
  • “Do I have a take on it, Dan? Yes. I would say stop touching the stone past the hogline, and we’re all good here.” (16:08)
• The panel jokes about not understanding curling strategy and the volume of curling events at the Olympics (“It’s never gonna end”).

7. Olympics Highlights: Dogs & Drama

Timestamps: 17:56–19:00

• Mike shares a viral story: A dog named Nazgul ran through the finish line during the cross-country skiing event in Italy.
• Jessica is skeptical: “I don’t trust that dog whatsoever.” (18:08)
• They look ahead to the women’s figure skating finale and the US-Canada women’s hockey gold medal game, noting skater Alyssa Liu’s comeback story.

8. Banter: Baseball, Pitch Clock, and “Pitch Clock Jeopardy”

Timestamps: 21:35–41:30

• A Jeopardy-inspired baseball trivia game, “Pitch Clock Jeopardy,” between Chris Cody and Jeremy, with Dan acting as host.
• Categories include: Steroid Suspicions, Hall of Famers, Old Faces Final Places, Stat Leaders, Name That Face.
• Classic Le Batard Show barbs about the buzzer system, “Name That Face” boasting, and deep-dive stat questions.
• Notable banter:
  • Dan: “Next time, I’m going to make sure we have a daily doubles and final Jeopardy. Buzzers that work.” (41:30)
  • Chris Cody (mid-battle): “We can break down the tape.” (30:49)

9. Adnan Virk on MLB Hot Topics

Timestamps: 26:12–37:02

• Tigers’ Offseason Moves & Framber Valdez’s Deal:
  • Tigers are “all in” for a World Series run, giving out big money contracts.
  • Adnan: “We’re going all in on this season and try to win a World Series.” (26:12)
• Bryce Harper and Phillies Drama:
  • Debate over Harper’s “elite” status and public call-outs by GM Dave Dombrowski.
  • Adnan: “Bryce Harper will always speak from the heart… He needs to bounce back after a disappointing year.” (27:42)
• Player Support for Dodgers’ Spending:
  • Machado, Harper, and even Aaron Judge support LA’s big payroll.
  • Commentary on MLB CBA and recent union news.
• Spring Training Overrated & Overlooked Teams:
  • Phillies: Overrated due to back-to-back postseason stumbles.
  • Pirates: Overlooked, hoping for a .500 season and breakout prospects.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Dan Le Batard (on Hoiberg incident):
  “If in his rage, he had hit that student in the head, I think he wouldn’t have a job today.” (01:13)
• Chris Cody (on Reese’s):
  “This is an affront to America.” (05:09)
• Stugotz (on ‘chocolate as candy’):
  “Is chocolate candy? Yes or no?” (10:24)
• Mike Ryan (on curling scandal):
  “It’s really put a damper on things in the curling world.” (15:02) “Stop touching the stone past the hogline, and we’re all good here.” (16:08)
• Jessica (on baker’s chocolate):
  “I don’t use candies.” (12:17)
• Chris Cody (on Pitch Clock Jeopardy technics):
  “We can break down the tape.” (30:49)
• Adnan Virk (on Tigers’ moves):
  “We’re going all in on this season and try to win a World Series.” (26:12)
• Adnan Virk (on Bryce Harper):
  “He needs to bounce back after a disappointing year.” (27:42)

Segment Highlights and Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|-------------| | Show Announcements, Olympics, Hoiberg | 00:07–02:56 | | Reese’s Recipe Scandal, The Candy Debate | 03:00–07:13 | | Baker’s Chocolate | 11:46–13:14 | | Curling Scandal & Curling 101 | 13:36–18:12 | | Olympic Oddities (Nazgul the Dog, Liu) | 17:56–19:00 | | "Pitch Clock Jeopardy" Segment | 21:35–41:30 | | Adnan Virk’s MLB Analysis | 26:12–37:02 |

Conclusion

This episode is quintessential Le Batard Show: spirited, digressive, and brimming with inside jokes. Whether they're hotly debating the legitimacy of a candy bar, clowning the idiosyncrasies of curling, or stoking the competitive flames of baseball trivia, the crew delivers entertainment and insight in equal measure — with just enough off-kilter energy to keep fans and newcomers hooked.

If you want to know what’s up with Reese’s, curling ethics, MLB drama, and who can recognize obscure 2000s baseball faces the fastest, this episode delivers it all, alongside the banter and laughter fans expect.