The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: Happy Birthday To Me From Me (feat. Jessica Smetana)

Date: September 10, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Jessica Smetana, Mike Ryan, Greg Cody, Billy Gil, Chris, Jeremy, Zaz

Episode Overview

This lively episode, recorded on Greg Cody’s birthday, is a quintessential slice of the Le Batard universe: an extended, hilarious, and sometimes contentious deep-dive into the team's annual soup cook-off, Greg Cody's birthday grievances, college football analysis, the absurdities of TV sports programming, and classic “Back In My Day” and top fives. With Jessica Smetana as a prominent guest, the crew oscillates between sports debates, workplace chaos, and lovingly relentless teasing of Cody, whose culinary pride is bruised, his mood seething, and his birthday (arguably) ruined.

Key Topics & Discussion Segments

1. Soup Cook-Off Fallout & Greg Cody’s Birthday Meltdown

Timestamps: 02:46 – 09:00; 27:01 – 39:40

• The Cook-Off Results:
  The team holds an on-air soup-tasting competition between Greg Cody and Mike Ryan. Greg is devastated after losing yet again (now “0-for-4” in show food contests), and his disappointment manifests as quiet but palpable anger. Mike Ryan’s soup, enhanced with lime zest (“I spent 40 minutes zesting limes like a madman this morning,” Mike, 03:50), is a hit, while Cody’s homemade feel is appreciated but less popular.

• Greg’s Reaction:

  • Greg, visibly upset, considers the outcome unjust and claims the verdict was a comedy fix.

    “I thought it was an unjust decision. I don’t think it should have been close. And I feel cheated. And I think it was done just for the sake of comedy. I don’t think it was a legitimate verdict.” (Greg Cody, 07:14)

  • His colleagues try to cheer him up with a birthday song and a hastily written “soup song,” but Cody remains mostly unmoved and sullen throughout.
    • “He’s not happy. Not even a song about himself on his birthday, sung by himself. He steamed throughout it.” (Jessica, 08:54)
    • “I know everybody who voted against me. That will never be forgotten.” (Greg Cody, 09:06)

• Soup Analysis & Banter:

  • Cody takes issue with Mike’s lack of coconut flavor (“Did you think his soup was poorly made?” Jessica, 34:47).
  • The debate devolves into playful barbs over culinary technique and authenticity, with Mike defending his choices and Greg maintaining, “Farro does not go in that soup.” (Greg Cody, 37:00)
  • The gloves come off in the final verdict:

    “I thought it was a bit gamey. It tasted like a soup made in a forest. I didn't think it was a very good soup at all. If you told me you were squirrel, I'd believe that more than it was sausage.” (Mike Ryan, 38:04) “Did you make me squirrel?” (Billy Gil, 38:19)

2. CFB Talk: Week 2 Surprises, TV Schedules, & Coaching Antics

Timestamps: 09:58 – 27:01

• Jessica’s CFB Insights:
  • Jessica expresses a hot take that Week 2 of the college football season offered “more meat on the bones” than the flashy but thin Week 1. She cites overtime games and wild upsets: “There were more even matchups in week two than week one.” (Jessica, 10:18)
• Arch Manning, Poop-Gate, & QB Growing Pains:
  • The group laughs over a soundbite about Texas QB Arch Manning “pooping his pants” under pressure, with Jessica relishing the rare honesty and awkwardness.

    “Anytime you say that there’s a pooped your pants, that’s a good description, but it’s usually not an ally of a description.” (Jessica, 11:50)

• Big Ten Realignment & Late Kickoffs:
  • The panel lambastes new late-night conference games with USC vs. Michigan State kicking off at 11pm ET.

    “Who was like, we need conference realignment so we could say Michigan State and USC in conference? ... If you’re a Michigan State fan living in the eastern time zone, your game’s going to end at like 2am. How is this good for anyone?!” (Zaz, 16:50)

• Fran Brown & CFB Coaches as Characters:
  • Mike critiques Syracuse coach Fran Brown’s motivational tactics: “Sometimes he says too much and tries too hard. This is the most look-at-me-Louis display from a head coach since Sark tried to ice his own kicker.” (Mike Ryan, 17:48)

3. Sports TV Absurdities & Tom Brennaman Redux

Timestamps: 20:27 – 23:13

• College Football on The CW:
  • The team pokes fun at the spectacle of significant college football games airing on The CW, with campy lead-ins like “Supernatural” reruns, and the ongoing career of controversial announcer Tom Brennaman.

    “There’s been some big games on the CW … Our buddy Tom Brennaman has been doing it for the last couple years, so that’s interesting, too.” (Zaz, 20:35)

• Playing the Infamous Brennaman Apology/Castellanos Clip:
  • Jessica introduces the now-classic apology/home run interruption by Brennaman as “the single funniest thing to happen at any point during the pandemic.” (Jessica, 21:07)
    • The crew marvels that Brennaman is back calling big games, with Mike Ryan drily observing:

      “What do you see in all the way back is you not playing that clip every time we say Tom Brennaman?” (Mike Ryan, 23:13)

4. Back in My Day: Greg Cody Tackles Adultery

Timestamps: 31:55 – 32:22

• A brief moment of classic Cody, as he begins a signature “Back In My Day” segment—this time, on adultery. Details are light as he’s interrupted by the chaos of fines for his buzzing birthday phone and the crew’s continued riffing.

5. Top Five Lists: Players Who Look Like They Belong

Timestamps: 39:49 – 41:47

• Top Five Players Who Look Like They Belong on Their Team:
  • Justin Herbert (Chargers), Max Crosby (Raiders), Dan Quinn (Commanders), Andrew Van Ginkel (Vikings), Tyler Warren (Colts).
• Top Five Who Look Like They Belong Elsewhere:
  • Fred Warner (Ravens), Baker Mayfield (Cowboys), Hollywood Brown (Dolphins), Amon-Ra St. Brown (Panthers), Deebo Samuel (Steelers).
• Top Five Who Should Be New England Patriots:
  • “White guys.” (Jessica, 41:38) Cooper Kupp, Adam Thielen, Cam Scadaboo, Lad McConkey, Hunter Renfrow.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Greg Cody’s Disappointment:
  • “I’m far more disappointed than I am angry. I thought it was an unjust decision. I don’t think it should have been close. And I feel cheated. And I think it was done just for the sake of comedy.”
    (Greg Cody, 07:14)
• Jessica on Greg’s Mood:
  • “He was seething. He didn’t even look up from his computer ... He’s embarrassed that Mike beat him and he’s embarrassed that we let it happen.”
    (Jessica, 06:32)
• Mike Ryan’s Smack Talk:
  • “If I want to make a second place soup, I’ll take your advice.”
    (Mike Ryan, 38:53)
  • “No one puts farro in a Thai soup. Have you ever had a Thai soup with farro?”
    (Mike Ryan, 37:09)
• About Fines:
  • “Because of the amount of birthday texts coming in here, you continue to derail everything we’re doing. Can I have the money, please?”
    (Jessica, 32:36)
  • “He shouldn't be paying for anything!”
    (Dan Le Batard, 33:10)
• College Football on CW:
  • “There’s some insane advertisements ... The lead-in programming is like Supernatural reruns, but otherwise it’s been fantastic.”
    (Zaz, 20:35)
• Brennaman Apology:
  • “Castellanos to lead things off ... I made a comment earlier tonight that I guess went out over the air ... I can’t begin to tell you how deeply sorry I am. That is not who I am.”
    (Tom Brennaman, 21:18, clip)

Show Atmosphere & Tone

• Chaotic, loving, and irreverent: Despite the sports talk, the true content is the group dynamic—teasing, rivalry, and the aftermath of micro-betrayals, all wrapped around genuine affection.
• Jessica and Zaz shine as insightful and comedic voices on college football and media oddities.
• Greg Cody is simultaneously the butt of humor, sympathetic everyman, and an unrepentant, old-school presence.

Summary Timeline

| Timestamp | Segment/Theme | | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | 02:46–09:00 | Soup cook-off fallout, Greg’s birthday blues | | 09:58–12:13 | CFB Week 2 takes, Arch Manning’s growing pains | | 16:12–17:48 | Big Ten realignment, late-night matchup furor | | 20:27–23:13 | CFB on The CW, Brennaman clip & meta-commentary | | 31:55–32:22 | “Back in My Day” (Adultery) starts (cut short) | | 39:49–41:47 | Three top fives—players/teams & Patriots cliches | | 34:47-39:14 | Soup cook-off post-mortem, raw assessments |

Final Notes

• The hour is a character-driven tapestry: food as sport, sport as comedy, and old grievances as entertainment.
• Greg Cody’s birthday is rendered epic not by celebration but by soulful sulking and friendly undermining.
• For the sports-hungry, there are real and contrarian CFB insights from Jessica and Zaz.
• For the fans of Le Batard chaos, it’s classic gold—equal parts sports talk and comedy of personal dysfunction.

For the full Le Batard Show vibe, listen for the performative grievances, the pointed kitchen criticism, and the ways even sports talk becomes wonderfully absurdist when filtered through this crew.