The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 2: Flip Cup?

Air Date: March 26, 2026
Featured Guests: Senator Mark Kelly & Adnan Virk
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

This hour dives into a timely and lively mix of politics and sports, starting with an extended interview with Senator Mark Kelly on the state of U.S. governance, the war with Iran, and the spread of misinformation. The latter half shifts gears to celebrate baseball’s Opening Day with Adnan Virk, who delivers analysis, trivia, and playful banter about the upcoming MLB season. Throughout, the show’s trademark style brings humor and candid insights on serious and fun topics alike.

Key Segments and Insights

1. Interview: Senator Mark Kelly Tackles War, Governance, and Misinformation

(01:39–17:55)

Political Landscape & War with Iran

• How Did We Get Here?
  • Senator Kelly criticizes the U.S. President’s decision-making, particularly leading into war with Iran:

    "We got here because we have a president that has a hard time thinking more than one step ahead... people who really shouldn’t be in these jobs." (02:22, Mark Kelly)

  • Kelly highlights overly optimistic and simplistic strategic planning:

    "He thought we’d drop a few bombs... the administration would fall in Tehran, and we’d have a new government that would be supportive of the United States. Incredibly optimistic thinking. And I’m generally an optimist... but I’m not that optimistic. These things tend to go sideways." (02:44, Mark Kelly)

Best and Worst Case Scenarios in Iran

• Escalating Consequences
  • Best case: slim chance for diplomatic resolution
  • Worst case: Lengthy closure of the Strait of Hormuz, global economic impact, potential Iranian nuclear escalation

    “The worst case scenario is that we wind up with the Strait of Hormuz shut down for, who knows, months, years... Even beyond that... them rushing to get a nuclear weapon.” (03:53–04:51, Mark Kelly)

Critique of Leadership

• On Presidential Honesty and Cognitive Health

  "I think there needs to be a new entry in the Guinness World Book of World Records that includes Donald Trump for the lies and the falsehoods." (04:55, Mark Kelly)

  • On cognitive decline:

    "At the beginning of this administration, I noticed it was... like from one week to the next. Now it seems to be more like from one minute to the next minute." (05:25, Mark Kelly)

Dysfunction in Congress and Loss of Respect

• Partisan Disappointment

  "Over my time here... I kind of wonder, how’d they get this job?... They don’t seem to know much about a number of things." (07:37, Mark Kelly)

  • Despite this, Kelly emphasizes he still works with many Republicans productively.

Homeland Turmoil — TSA, ICE and Shutdowns

• Discusses the dire state of U.S. airports due to government shutdown, blaming political gamesmanship and misallocation of resources:

  "ICE has a $75 billion slush fund... We want to see some changes to ICE, TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard. We could go down to the floor and offer another vote here, but somebody would block it. That's happened over and over again." (06:19–07:28, Mark Kelly)

Hope, Leadership Metaphors, and American Resilience

• Kelly shares a vivid metaphor for perceived presidential incompetence:

  "Is this guy playing chess or checkers?... He’s not even playing checkers... I think he’s playing with a couple of those solo cups. Right. Flip cup." (12:24–13:07, Mark Kelly)

• Despite pessimism, Kelly remains optimistic about America's potential if political dysfunction is resolved:

  "We need to get rid of the, you know, the children out of the way. I don’t literally mean that... We need to focus on science and data and facts and get rid of a lot of the bullshit." (13:10, Mark Kelly)

Misinformation & the AI Age

• On the threat of disinformation operations:

  "When you get to election time, probably a third, maybe half of what you see online... comes from the Russians, the Chinese, the North Koreans, and the Iranians... Go to a trusted source..." (16:26, Mark Kelly)

End of Interview Banter

• Playful self-deprecation on sports predictions:

  "Last time he was on, he said Kyler Murray was going to remain a Cardinal and was great." (17:30, Dan Le Batard) "That was a bad take." (17:39, Mark Kelly)

2. Baseball Banter & "Pitch Clock" Trivia with Adnan Virk (21:04–36:34)

Opening Day Energy & Trivia

(21:04–32:02)

• The crew kicks off Opening Day with a "Pitch Clock" trivia contest focusing on the 2006 and 2020 Miami Marlins opening day rosters, challenging each other on deep baseball knowledge and positions.

Adnan Virk Joins: MLB Season Preview

(25:03–36:13)

Top 3 MLB Teams Going Into the Season

1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. New York Yankees
3. Philadelphia Phillies

"They're not 112 wins, but when it's all said and done, they're the best team in baseball, obviously." (25:54, Adnan Virk)

Three Under-the-Radar "Sneaky" Teams

• Texas Rangers ("best starting pitcher ERA," improved depth)
• Pittsburgh Pirates ("if they score four runs/game... could be .500")
• Arizona Diamondbacks ("three of the best position players in baseball")

Players to Watch (Top 5, excluding Otani/Judge)

• Fernando Tatis Jr. (“Nando is the coolest guy to watch play baseball... Every time Nando’s out there, he’s the best.”) (32:02, Adnan Virk)
• Paul Skenes
• Elly De La Cruz (“At his best, could be an MVP candidate.”)
• Pete Crow Armstrong (“Best defensive... elite base runner... a 30-30 player.”)
• Bryce Harper (“Very curious what Harper does... after Dave Dombrowski called him out.”) (33:39, Adnan Virk)

Rapid Fire Predictions

(34:34–36:13)

• MVPs: Johan (NL), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (AL)
• Cy Youngs: Brian Woo (AL), Logan Webb (NL)
• Division Winners:
  • AL: Yankees, Tigers, Mariners
  • NL: Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers
• Wild Cards: Blue Jays, Red Sox, Astros (AL); Mets, Padres, Giants (NL)
• World Series:
  • Yankees over Dodgers

  "Aaron Judge finally silences the critics and has his big moment." (36:03, Adnan Virk)

Signature Moments & Notable Quotes

• Senator Mark Kelly’s Metaphor:

  “He’s not even playing checkers... I think he’s playing with a couple of those solo cups. Right. Flip cup.” (13:07, Mark Kelly)

• On Misinformation in Election Season:

  "Probably a third, maybe half of what you see online... comes from the Russians, the Chinese, the North Koreans, and the Iranians... Go to a trusted source." (16:26, Mark Kelly)

• Adnan Virk on Baseball Season:

  "There are two seasons: baseball season and waiting for baseball season." (25:12, Adnan Virk)

• Trivia Banter:

  "Baseball is for everyone. That everyone includes Adnan Virk..." (24:32, Jeremy Stugats)

Memorable, Light-Hearted Banter

• Adnan and Stugotz debate the merits of Yankees-Dodgers as a World Series for MLB’s health (36:03)
• Extended playful arguments about Marlins roster minutiae, poking fun at each other’s memory and fandom (throughout Pitch Clock segment)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |-------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:39 | Start of Senator Mark Kelly interview | | 02:22 | Kelly explains how the U.S. ended up at war with Iran | | 03:53 | Best and worst case scenarios in Iran | | 04:55 | On Trump and dishonesty | | 05:25 | On cognitive decline of the President | | 06:19 | TSA/ICE issues & congressional dysfunction | | 07:37 | Loss of respect in the Senate | | 12:24–13:07 | Flip Cup metaphor for leadership | | 16:26 | Misinformation & trusted sources advice | | 21:04 | Start of “Pitch Clock” trivia/baseball talk | | 25:12 | Adnan Virk’s MLB season preview begins | | 34:34 | Rapid fire predictions — MVPs, Cy Young, playoffs, World Series | | 36:03 | Yankees over Dodgers World Series prediction |

Episode Tone & Style

• Direct and candid during political discussions, mixing seriousness with occasional sardonic humor (e.g., flip cup and “children” metaphors)
• Playful, fast-paced, and trivia-packed during baseball segments, full of inside jokes and nostalgia for deep-cut Marlins players
• Signature Le Batard mix: irreverence, passionate sports talk, and unvarnished dives into current events

Useful For…

• Listeners wanting sharp, accessible analysis on major political/sports issues
• MLB fans looking for a lighthearted yet informed Opening Day preview
• Anyone interested in candid behind-the-scenes political perspectives