The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 2: Best Stugotz Dismissal (feat. DeMaurice Smith)

Aired: August 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode blends two main themes:

1. Celebrating "Best Stugotz Dismissal" – A tongue-in-cheek look at Stugotz’s signature style of sports pundit apathy, featuring his best/worst hot takes and dismissals from the past year.
2. Interview with DeMaurice Smith – The long-serving former NFLPA Executive Director joins to discuss his new book (“Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America’s Game”) and offers candid insights into league power dynamics, union battles, owner egos, lingering regrets, and the business of football.

Episode tone: irreverent, self-aware, heartfelt, witty, and at times, incisive.

Key Segments & Timestamps

I. The “Best Stugotz Dismissal” Hall of Fame ([01:38]–[09:53])

- Setup and Context ([01:38])

• Greg Cody notes the show’s penchant for “actively enraging” its own members as content and sets up the bit: a roll call of Stugotz’s most absurd, aggressive, or dismissive takes.

- The Nominees (Rapid-Fire Dismissals) ([02:38]–[09:53])

• Sequence of Stugotz’s annual “lifetime achievement award dismissals” across the sports world. Each take is delivered with his trademark mix of bluster, irony, and exasperation.

Highlights:

• David Samson – “Who’s asking for more Samson? Nobody, is the answer.” (Dan Le Batard, [02:59])
• Lionel Messi in MLS
  Stugotz on Messi scoring a hat trick: "He is playing in a lesser league. I mean, only the world's greatest soccer player could do it. It's like doing it against children." ([03:05])
• Robert Saleh – “Robert Saleh should be fired. I would've fired him today.” (Dan, [03:24])
• Bill O’Brien (re: head coach dream): “You know what the B in Bill O’Brien stands for? Bullshit. Nobody…has ever dreamed of being the head coach of Boston College.” (Dan, [04:04])
• Chris Paul – “20 years, played 82 games, huh? No rings. What’s more impressive…who cares?” ([04:24])
• Mike Vrabel – “He’s an overrated coach. The fact that we’re treating him like Hank Stram is absurd.” (Dan, [04:39])
• Shohei Ohtani – “Do it in a big spot…do it before the game is out of reach.” ([05:13])
• Leagues Starting Seasons Overseas
  Stugotz: “Start your season in the United States and end your season in the United States. Dublin does not deserve to get college football’s opener.” ([05:32])
• Philadelphia Eagles fans – “I don’t care what Philadelphia is tired of. I’m tired of their fan base.”
  Rant targets specific radio hosts: Spike Eskin and Angelo Cataldi ([06:08])
• Cooper Flagg – “Get out of here. That guy is not good enough…NBA, for me, his game does not trade.” ([06:57])
• Draymond Green – “That guy has no reason to be as confident as he is. Steph Curry’s his reason. Put him on the Wizards, what kind of career does Draymond Green have?”
  Greg Cody and Tony push back, Dan: "He’d be a Shanghai Shark." ([07:37])
• Simone Biles – “She won gold for simply being Simone Biles…Dan, I need you to stick the landing. I don’t like any hops, okay?” ([08:19])
• Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade – “This is a nothing trade…two middling teams and two superstars who barely play.” ([09:02])

Memorable Moment:
Throughout, DeMaurice Smith can be heard howling in the background at some of the more absurd references, notably likening Mike Vrabel to Hank Stram.

II. DeMaurice Smith Interview ([12:34]–[42:26])

Books, Burnout, and Big Egos

- Post-NFLPA Life and Relief ([13:04])

• “You know, I didn’t know how beat up I was until I got done with the job…not having the daily stress…I know it’s going to come as a shock, my bff Roger Goodell and I don’t spend as much time together.”
  — DeMaurice Smith ([13:27])

• Reflects on his 14 years as NFLPA head, joking about his two-a-day workouts now, and relief from constant tumult.

- Owners and Goodell: Petulance and Power ([13:54]–[16:30])

• On NFL Owners:
  “These owners to a certain extent are among the most petulant people I have ever met. I mean…I would expect in a junior high school, you know, ring.”
  — Smith ([14:34])

• On Goodell:
  “He literally works for those guys. So at the end of the day, he has to deliver for some of the people who can just be petty.”

• On which owner he respected:

  • Robert Kraft: smart and big-picture (“Robert will press you up against the wall and try to take it from you”)
  • The late Mr. Rooney: “really good to me before he passed”
  • Admits: “Other than that, I think I’m out of good guys. There’s not a lot of good guys, my friend.” ([15:52])

- Media Critiques and Union Myths ([16:30]–[18:07])

• On ESPN reporting (Wickersham & Van Natta):

  • Defends himself: “Never a day in my life that I didn’t go to the frickin’ line for our guys.” ([16:46])
  • Criticizes journalists for citing off-the-record billionaire sources.

• On recent union “disarray” post-Smith:
  “Miss me yet?…I never shied away from the war that has to happen between players and management.”

  • Warns: League is “done” paying pensions in future CBAs.
  • The next fight is over the 18th game: “If the players aren’t ready to fight for $2.5–3 billion for that game, the league is going to bring the fight to them.” ([18:07])

- Why Revenue Can't Always Be Tied to Team Valuations ([20:13])

• Explains that franchise valuations only matter when teams are sold, making it an unreliable metric for collective bargaining.
• Prediction: private equity’s arrival in the NFL is bad news for coaches, staff, and facilities.

“Private equity is interested in coming in and cutting overhead. Coaches’ salaries, employee salaries, facilities are all overhead.” — DeMaurice Smith ([21:20])

- The Most Difficult Crises and Owner Cowardice ([21:59])

• Kaepernick/Anthem protests:
  • “Players at their best, owners at their worst.”
  • Praises players for wise, calm conversations about race, class, and politics while owners distanced themselves.
  • On Goodell’s public change-of-heart press conference: “I am not sure he had the owner’s authority to do it. I think he did it on his own.” ([24:03])

- The Kaepernick Martyrdom and NFL History ([25:04])

• On Kaepernick: “We represented Kaepernick. We fought for him. He was not the last martyr for the National Football League.”
  • Draws historical parallels to other player-civil rights battles.
  • “When has [success and civil rights] come without someone paying a sacrifice?” ([25:11])

- The Reality and Import of Collusion ([26:18])

• On reading collusion details after leaving office:
  • “What hurt was…that was a moment when I would have filed another grievance on behalf of every player in the NFL.”
  • “This is a game of leverage…NFL owners push you to the wall.”
  • Only the union and “ability to wage an unmitigated warfare campaign that usually involves litigation” can stand up to owners. ([27:43])

- On Player Leverage and Strikes ([27:40])

• Parallels drawn to MLB and NBA union battles; labor strength comes from unity and legal pressure.

- On Current NFLPA Tactics and Willpower ([31:09])

• Won’t second-guess the current union, but advises:
  • Players should bring the fight earlier (into OTAs) because most go “for free.”
  • “I think tactically sometimes it would make sense to bring the fight to the NFL a little bit earlier.” ([32:37])

- Interlude: Movies, Dogs & TV Recommendations ([32:46]–[35:29])

• Asks DeMaurice about the new Superman movie; he replies he loves any superhero movie with a dog.
  • “Any movie where there’s a good guy and he’s got a dog, I’m in.” — DeMaurice Smith ([33:03])
• Recs: Dan likes “Bloodline”; Smith: “I’m watching Family Matters. It’s a rerun. Don’t watch it.”
• Light-hearted banter on movie choices, illustrating DeMaurice’s lighter post-career persona.

- Exploring NFL CBA Regrets and Strategy ([35:39])

• On 10-year CBA deals:
  • Pushback on academics critiquing them.
  • Argues a long deal’s strength:
    • “If we don’t have a 10-year deal, how do we get through Covid?”
    • “The length of those deals allowed the League to…absolutely crush those television deals, meaning more salary for players…”

- NFL in London/Internationalization ([37:58])

• On possibility of Super Bowl in London:
  • “I like London. Will I go the week leading up to it…? I’m always there for you, champion.”
  • Dryly jokes that “watching a movie in London, it’s the same language as watching in the States.”

- Quick Fire Personal Reflections

([38:33]–[42:21])

• Biggest “killer” owner? “Robert Kraft” ([38:40])
• Closest to a physical fight with a player? “Never. There’s a strict touching, no touching of D rule.”
• Angriest player at him? “Richard Sherman” — “We would have knock-down, drag-out fights…and I loved every one of it.” ([38:59])
• Closest to a fight with an owner? “[Jerry Richardson] called me ‘uppity’ at a meeting in front of people… He deserves a good old country slap, right?” ([40:10])
  • Details a meeting where Richardson was condescending to Peyton Manning; Smith describes players’ anger being more for Manning than for himself.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Stugotz Dismissals Montage

  • “Only the greatest soccer player could do that. It’s like doing it against children.” (Stugotz on Messi, [03:05])
  • “Bill O’Brien…Bullshit. Nobody…has ever dreamed of being the head coach of Boston College.” (Dan, [04:04])

• On NFL Owners:

  • “Among the most petulant people I have ever met…everything I would expect in a junior high school.” (DeMaurice Smith, [14:34])

• On Collusion:

  • “The owners engage in collusion as a way of business. If an arbitrator gives you a ruling…that’s when you light the fuse.” (Smith, [33:30])

• On Kaepernick:

  • “He was not the last martyr for the NFL…there is success and the protection of civil rights, [but] when has it come without someone paying a sacrifice?” (Smith, [25:11])

• On Owner Pettiness:

  • “You’ve got guys who are owners destroying each others’ suites. You got one owner pouring beer on one of his fans…” (Smith, [14:34])

• On length of CBA:

  • “A 10-year deal makes it that a collective bargaining agreement is impervious to the owners coming back and taking things away from you.” (Smith, [35:54])

Episode Flow & Tone

The episode kicks off with chaos and comedy—a raucous showcase of “best Stugotz dismissals”—before pivoting to a candid and comprehensive interview with DeMaurice Smith. The tone oscillates between witty irreverence (mocking the sports hot-take ecosystem), honest labor movement war stories filled with behind-the-scenes NFL intrigue, and warm, reflective moments about moving on from the weight of major institutional battles. Humorous pivots to movies and TV keep the conversation human and accessible, and Smith’s natural charisma stands out throughout.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

• You’ll laugh at the absurdity and sharpness of Stugotz’s “dismissals” and the panel’s banter.
• The DeMaurice Smith interview is a must-hear for anyone curious about the real power and pressure at the top of NFL labor negotiations, the dynamics of billionaires and leagues, and how the business is shifting.
• Smith’s candor and wit—about owners, players, and even his media critics—provide thoughtful, sometimes sobering perspective on the future fight for player rights and football’s soul.

Episode MVP: DeMaurice Smith’s resilience, stories, and sense of humor—even on his hardest days in the sport’s trenches.

Key Timestamps

• Best Dismissals Begin: [02:38]
• DeMaurice Smith Interview Starts: [12:34]
• Smith on NFL Owners: [14:34]
• On Collusion and Kaepernick: [25:11]–[27:43]
• Rapid Fire Reflections (“Biggest Killer,” “Angriest Player”): [38:33]–[42:21]