The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: It's MVP, Not MVT (feat. Michelle Beadle)
Date: March 31, 2026

Episode Overview

This hour of The Dan Le Batard Show, live from Miami’s Elser Hotel, features Dan, Stugotz, the regular crew, and special guest Michelle Beadle. The conversation ping-pongs from irreverent sports analysis and inside jokes to thoughtful commentary on player behavior and mental health in sports, with plenty of self-aware tangents. The main topics include hockey’s code of honor after dirty hits, the NBA MVP ("most valuable player," not "most valuable team") debate, and the intersection of fandom and player myth-making, particularly around Victor Wembanyama ("Wemby"). The hour also features Beadle’s signature candor, mockery of hot takes, and a deep-dive into the evolving NBA narrative landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Miami Marlins, Attendance, and Local Color

• Jeremy delivers answers to lingering questions from earlier in the show, including the Miami Marlins’ “Rally Rooster” (01:50) and Chris Paddock’s dramatic, cowboy-themed player entrance debut—which ended with "eight runs in four innings" in front of only "6,515" fans.
• Greg Cody quips about Paddock’s sartorial choices:
  [04:15] Greg Cody: "I'd like to describe the jacket that this guy wore on the way into the building as a very David Sampson-esque selection."
• The segment is filled with classic Le Batard Show ribbing, poking fun at minor league atmospheres and the local sports scene.

2. Old-School Hockey Justice: Radko Gudas' Code

• The show dives into Radko Gudas’ return from injury for the Anaheim Ducks just to “take his lumps” for an earlier dirty hit on Auston Matthews (05:04).
• Notable moment capturing the hockey code: [06:07] Dan (co-host): "Max Domi drops the gloves and heads over to Radko Gutis, who also responds in kind. However, here's the interesting part about it. Radko absorbs all the punches, doesn't throw a single punch because he's basically admitting, yeah, I did you dirty there. I'm literally going to take my lumps."
• Greg Cody is skeptical of the machismo:
  [07:27] Greg Cody: "I'm not gonna give you brownie points. I went out there and I got my ass whooped because I am a man of honor. Shut up. Shut the hell up."
• They also riff on "hard-ass" culture, referencing General Custer and John Tortorella (08:45), and debate whether hockey’s grind-it-out ethos is healthy or outdated.

3. Michelle Beadle Joins: Jaden Ivey, Mental Health, and Internet Pile-Ons

• Beadle is introduced as the host of "Run It Back" and immediately thrust into the controversy of Jaden Ivey’s "crash out" from the Bulls following controversial social media posts (09:56).
• Beadle reflects on the social media era’s permanence: [09:56] Michelle Beadle: "Look, he crashed out and I miss the days when we didn't have to crash out on the Internet. And it lives forever... As far as his actual thoughts and feelings, I put no stock in it. We live in a time of complete and total lack of rules, morals, laws."
• They debate sports media’s competency discussing player mental health: [11:36] Michelle Beadle: "I think we treat some of these words...very lightly and flippantly... There's a lot of chemistry involved that the, the civilian is probably not supposed to diagnose. And we're getting better about treating mental health with a little more sensitivity and realism."
• Discussion circles around whether this will end Ivey's NBA career: [13:18] Michelle Beadle: "Yeah, at 24 years old, was the number five pick. Like, that's a crazy quick fall. We've seen falls before, but completely self-inflicted, which is a bummer."

4. NBA MVP Debate: Luka? Jokic? SGA? Wemby?

• Dan asks Beadle for her current MVP pick (17:06).
• Greg Cody wonders if Beadle's Spurs fandom biases her takes—she embraces it but claims calm about Wemby’s future victories:
  [17:32] Michelle Beadle: "I don't feel the pressure to sort of go out and be super passionate about Wemby being the MVP because I truly feel calmly that he will have several of those when it's all said and done."
• Beadle shares her favorite "Wemby is different" moment (19:08):
  [19:08] Michelle Beadle: "Showing up in Washington Square park in the rain to play chess with strangers... That's just different, especially at that age."
• The group jokes about how fan biases warp the interpretation of player quirks.
• Self-campaigning for awards? Not a problem for Beadle: [20:28] Michelle Beadle: "When I was in high school running for treasurer, they said, if you don't vote for yourself, who will? And I love everything about it."
• Dan and Beadle discuss whether Jokic can be denied another MVP during perhaps his best statistical season despite "Jokic fatigue": [21:14] Michelle Beadle: "It's weird to say it's quiet because those numbers are gaudy and he's doing it on a consistent basis... It is crazy that statistically what he's doing...I think he is playing at his peak in a time where there are a lot of dudes that are absolutely fantastic." [22:08] Dan Le Batard: "You can't not give it to Jokic when he's your reigning mvp, several times over, is having a better season than he's ever had, and those other guys haven't closed that gap."
• They lampoon Nick Wright and J.J. Redick for calling Luka the MVP: [22:50] Michelle Beadle: "Nick, I don't know what kind of Robitussin he takes in the morning... Luca's not it. There are way better players on way better teams. Sorry."
• Title of the episode explained:
  [23:09] Dan (co-host): "When we talk about the mvp, Michelle, it's not the mvt. We talk about the teams, but this is like a person. The most valuable player, not the most valuable team."
  [23:20] Michelle Beadle: "That's why I think the best argument is what happens if you take Jokic off Denver..."
• On how rare and wide-open the MVP race feels now, with multiple genuine candidates.

5. Over/Under Wemby: Will He Outdo Tim Duncan?

• Dan playfully puts Beadle on the spot: Will Victor Wembanyama win more championships than Tim Duncan (who has five)? (24:44)
• Beadle pauses, then admits:
  [24:44] Michelle Beadle: "That's tough. I mean, we are currently in a race for sace, but that's getting. That first one's gonna be tough. You know what I'm gonna say under that hurts."
• Some friendly Spurs-relief banter follows.

6. Greg Cody’s TV Conspiracy and Rooster Riffing

• Greg claims Bill Lawrence based Steve Carell’s new TV character "Greg" in "Rooster" on him (29:38), citing generational Gregs and joking about copyright infringement.
• The crew mercilessly teases, and Roy wonders if the Florida Panthers references on the show are also nods to Le Batard Show lore.
• Dan and the crew lampoon the idea, and Greg self-amuses until he coughs [32:13].

7. NBA Tangents: Hawks, Coaches, and Prank Shows

• Discussion unexpectedly jumps to the Atlanta Hawks’ recent turnaround post-Trae Young, depth on defense, and coach Quinn Snyder's playoff rep (38:08).
• A running gag ensues about declaring, "Say he's a good coach. Say it!" with everyone eventually mumbling that Snyder is, in fact, pretty good.
• Greg attempts to trace the history of prank shows back to "Candid Camera" [37:00].
• Off-the-wall digressions about Anthony Davis hosting a prank show; Impractical Jokers crossovers; and whether Mike Trout will get a singing competition (34:16, 38:00).
• Classic Le Batard Show: seamless blend of sports, pop culture, meta-commentary, and goofing around with fan theory.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the cruelty of the modern sports/media pile-on:
  “I think we also have this sort of morbid desire and hunger to like, oh, let's watch another person crash out on the Internet. Like it's. We may not want to say that, but it's there. We watch it.”
  —Michelle Beadle [12:53]

• On fandom and Wemby’s charm:
  “Wemby makes me feel very calm. Like I don't feel like I need to be enraged and maybe that's also age. But he'll be fine. He's going to win all of the awards multiple times. And to say that with such certainty Is it's a lovely place to live. I wish all sports fans could be a spurgeon.”
  —Michelle Beadle [17:32]

• Dan, on MVP arguments:
  “You can't not give it to Jokic when he's your reigning mvp, several times over, is having a better season than he's ever had.” [22:08]

• Beadle, mockingly on MVP discourse:
  “Nick, I don't know what kind of Robitussin he takes in the morning before he goes to. I don't know what his schedule is. But no, Luca's not it.” [22:50]

• On over-read self-references in media:
  “I'm believing that Bill Lawrence, in naming the Steve Carell character, thought of me as A Greg he peripherally knows through this show... I think the Steve Carell character may have been patterned after me, because the Steve Carell character, it was like looking in the mirror watching those episodes.” —Greg Cody [30:00]

• On Quinn Snyder’s reputation:
  "Say he's a good coach. Say it." —Multiple voices [40:11-41:06]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:50 | Jeremy wraps up lingering show questions, local Miami/Marlins color | | 05:03 | NHL code on fighting, Radko Gudas incident discussion | | 09:56 | Michelle Beadle joins; Jaden Ivey situation and media responsibility | | 11:36 | Beadle on mental health in male athlete communities | | 13:18 | Should (or will) Ivey's behavior be a career ender? | | 17:06 | NBA MVP debate begins | | 19:08 | Michelle Beadle on falling in love with Wemby ("Washington Sq. chess") | | 20:28 | Wemby self-campaigning for MVP and Beadle’s pro-campaign stance | | 21:14 | Jokic’s overlooked MVP candidacy; statistical dominance | | 22:50 | Beadle lampoons Nick Wright and Luka MVP takes | | 23:09 | “It’s MVP, not MVT” title segment/clarification | | 24:44 | Over-under: Wemby vs. Tim Duncan championships | | 29:38 | Greg Cody on Bill Lawrence, "Rooster," and generational Gregs | | 38:08 | Atlanta Hawks' post-Trae Young transformation; Quinn Snyder’s rep | | 40:11 | Running joke - "Say he's a good coach" - on Quinn Snyder |

Energy & Tone

• Playful: Nonstop razzing (especially of Greg Cody), self-aware sports nerd humor, and a willingness to lean into tangents and faux conspiracies.
• Candid/Thoughtful: Especially during Beadle’s segments, the tone deepens for honest talk about mental health and the psyche of professional athletes.
• Nerdy: Deep-dive stats about NBA and NHL; bantering about MVP race minutiae.
• Absurd: Wild fan/host theories about TV shows, self-referential "copyright infringement," and playful segment transitions.

Conclusion

This episode masterfully blends sharp sports critique, empathetic social commentary, and comedic chaos. Beadle’s presence sharpens the show’s NBA analysis, especially around the MVP race, Wemby’s fan phenomenon, and the dangers of quick media pile-ons. The rest is classic Le Batard: informed and irreverent, with inside jokes, spurious TV theories, and the unmistakable energy of friends both riffing and reflecting on the wild world of sports and beyond.