Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: "It's Today?" (feat. Tig Notaro)
Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Anthony Mase, Jeremy
Guest: Tig Notaro
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode blends the Le Batard crew's irreverent sports commentary with a funny, insightful appearance by comedian Tig Notaro, who happens to be from Mississippi—the focus because of the high-stakes University of Miami vs. Mississippi game. The conversation with Tig highlights her pop-culture oblivion, her return to touring, and her unique comedic approach, then segues back into sports: the Miami Dolphins’ coaching upheaval and the confounding state of the Washington Wizards franchise in the NBA.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tig Notaro Joins the Show: Mississippi Ambassadorship & Comic Distance (00:00–10:59)

• Why Tig?
  Dan wanted the occasion of the Miami-Mississippi game to feel "bigger" and welcomed Tig as a notable Mississippian, albeit one with no local sports knowledge.
  Dan Le Batard (00:00): “I told everyone here, bigger, bigger... Mississippi has not been talked enough about here ... I am a big fan of her... my wife is an even bigger fan...”

• Tig on Mississippi and Sports:
  Tig reveals her indifference to sports—her family and even the cats care, but not her.
  Tig Notaro (01:06): “I don't follow sports, but everybody in my house does... everyone but me.”

• The College Football Game’s Importance:
  Tig is barely aware the big game is even happening.
  Tig Notaro (01:33): “It's today?”

• Mississippi Family Ties:
  Her family is divided between Ole Miss and LSU allegiances, and she only passively tracks the drama.

• Airplane Etiquette and Tig’s Approach:
  The hosts weave in a tangent about airplane etiquette (passenger with bare, talon-like feet). Tig would discreetly notify the flight attendant rather than confront.
  Tig Notaro (03:16): “I might slip a note to the flight attendant and be like, could you have this guy ... cover ... these talons?”
  Tig Notaro (04:02): “He could have brought like a. A clothespin to put on his nose...”

2. Comedy Touring, Pop Culture Cluelessness, and Mental Health (04:16–13:12)

• Tig's Touring Hiatus:
  She’s been off tour for 2.5 years, filming a new Star Trek series (with Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti as the villain), and doing her podcast ("Handsome"). Her Florida show will mark the return to major touring.
  Tig Notaro (04:31): “I've actually been on like a two and a half year break... filming this new Star Trek series... doing my podcast, the Handsome Podcast...”

• Testing Material & Crowd Differences:
  Tig prefers working out material in LA and then seeing how it plays with other audiences—“a thrill.”
  Tig Notaro (05:29): “The thrill... is getting out of Los Angeles... Let's see what Fort Lauderdale has to say.”

• Palatability & Theaters vs. Clubs:
  She points out that in large theaters, most people already know her, so it’s not as hostile as walking cold into an unknown crowd.
  Tig Notaro (06:35): “I'm not doing comedy clubs, I'm doing theater. So people who know who I am already are... the ones buying the ticket..."

• Her “Pop Culture Blindness”:
  Dan recounts Tig’s “Funny or Die” bit where she interviewed celebrities she didn’t recognize. The producers picked celebs from headshots, invited the ones she didn’t know, and she’d interview them on-camera to figure out who they were.
  Tig Notaro (07:46): “...I don't follow pop culture. I follow music and documentaries, and that's kind of what my interests are. And I. I miss a lot.”

• Childhood TV vs. Modern TV:
  Tig liked “Good Times,” “Sanford and Son,” and “The Waltons” as a kid; mostly unplugged now.
  Tig Notaro (09:10): “I have to say I was more a Good Times and Sanford and Son Gal. ... I also dipped into, like, the Waltons from time to time.”

• Mental Health & “Disconnecting”:
  She finds life “mentally healthier” by tuning out “the silly sugar” of pop culture—endorses monitoring her well-being with an Apple Watch. Tig Notaro (10:21): “Yes, sir... I can't emphasize getting an Apple Watch enough.”

3. Tig’s Podcast “Handsome”: Creative Escape from the Noise (11:31–13:12)

• Why “Handsome”?
  A deliberate escape from negativity/news, focusing on comedy with Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin, and celebrity questions.
  Tig Notaro (11:35): “...I wanted to push out even more of the noise and the news and the politics... and that's where I came across the idea of doing this show with Fortune and Mae Martin.”

• Sample Questions:
  From deeply personal (“Can you ever truly forgive anyone?” – Sarah Paulson) to comically blunt (Sarah Silverman’s cheeky query).
  Tig Notaro (13:18): "Okay, so Sarah asked us, how do you clean your asshole?"

4. Dolphins Fire Mike McDaniel & “Coaching Messiah” Discourse (18:12–24:48)

• Miami Dolphins Drama:
  The Dolphins fired coach Mike McDaniel (who was arguably their best coach in decades) amid speculation they're clearing the deck to chase Jim Harbaugh.
  Dan Le Batard (19:20): “The Dolphins gets the keys to the entire organization ... because honestly, it is kind of crazy that at one point these two human beings from the same family coached against each other in a Super Bowl.”

• Coach as Savior is a Mirage:
  Dan questions the real impact—what’s the true difference between a top coach and, say, the #10 coach? Will “Harbaugh” instantly fix generations of dysfunction?
  Dan Le Batard (20:45): “I think it's spectacularly stupid to be in the position of desperation where you think somebody for any amount of money can just come in here and fix this.”

• Structure Matters: "Church and State"
  Mase makes an analogy to separating church and state—owners should keep front office and coaching powers separate for checks and balances.
  Anthony Mase (21:46): “You want them to be on the same page. You do not want them to be the same person...You need a yin and a yang in this.”

• Quarterback Conundrum:
  Without a high-value quarterback, no fix is lasting; Tua's contract is an albatross.
  Dan Le Batard (23:46): “You don't have a quarterback and you're paying a quarterback a lot. It's a giant albatross...”
  Anthony Mase (24:34): “And even that, even that, like Trevor Lawrence... we could be a year and a half away from Trevor Lawrence [being an albatross].”

5. NBA: Trae Young Traded to Wizards – The Asset-Accumulation Era (25:25–37:20)

• Trade Details & Sadness:
  Trae Young, once seen as a revolutionary player for Atlanta (and Madison Square Garden villain), is shipped to the Washington Wizards—an NBA wasteland.
  Jeremy (25:25): “One of the saddest reports ever before the trade, seeing him come out just this, like across the bottom line. Trae Young says he wants [to go to Washington]...”

• Financial and Structural Moves:
  The Wizards’ cap situation makes them ideal to absorb Young; it’s less about skill and more about contracts and assets.
  Anthony Mase (26:53): “They are so under the salary floor... So having Trae Young's guaranteed money on the books actually helps them...”
  Anthony Mase (27:33): “The Wizards have the second worst defense in the history of the NBA. If there was any team that could say, yeah, give us Trae Young, it doesn't really matter.”

• Washington Wizards: a Historic Drought:
  The franchise hasn’t made a conference final since the 1970s championship. Anthony Mase (30:15): “Last time they made the conference finals... was when they won the championship in the 70s...”

• Player Development & Missed Projections:
  Amin revisits the infamous Trae Young–Luka Doncic draft comparison, asserting the Hawks’ expectations were always out of reach.
  Anthony Mase (32:12): “I said, 'This is going to be a bad trade.' ...Trae Young, he's not Luka Doncic. That guy's a generational talent.”

• NBA Rebuild Blueprint:
  Wizards’ new leadership is copying the OKC model—acquire assets, flip them, worry about wins later.
  Jeremy (34:07): “Washington ... their first team we've seen following that exact model that Oklahoma City has...”
  Anthony Mase (35:04): “President of basketball operations, Michael Winger, came from Oklahoma City. ...They know the sauce.”

• Career Management and Perception:
  Amin reflects on how player comps (Mike Conley vs. Steph Curry) can affect career paths and egos.
  Anthony Mase (36:23): “I said he could be a better Mike Conley. And it's just like, 'oh, how dare you' ... But it's like, now you think about it ... Mike Conley's great!”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tig’s Humor on Her Sports Apathy:
  Tig Notaro (01:06): “I don't follow sports, but everybody in my house does... everyone but me.”

• Tig on Air Travel Anxieties:
  Tig Notaro (03:16): “I might slip a note to the flight attendant... could you have this guy cover ... these talons?”

• Dan on Fandom vs. Pop Culture:
  Dan Le Batard (10:01): “Is it mentally healthier? Do you find that disconnecting from the silly sugar allows you to live a more balanced, stable, perspective life?”

• Tig on Pop-Culture Avoidance (and Apple Watch):
  Tig Notaro (10:21): “Yes, sir. And that's why I can't emphasize getting an Apple Watch enough.”

• Tig, Blunt as Ever:
  Tig Notaro (13:18): “Sarah [Silverman] asked us: How do you clean your asshole?"

• Dan on Coaching “Messiahs”
  Dan Le Batard (20:45): "I think it's spectacularly stupid to be in the position of desperation where you think somebody for any amount of money can just come in here and fix this.”

• Mase’s "Church and State" Coaching Analogy:
  Anthony Mase (21:46): "You want [GM and coach] to be on the same page. You do not want them to be the same person..."

• Snapshot of the Washington Wizards’ Futility:
  Anthony Mase (30:15): “Last time they made the conference finals... was when they won the championship in the 70s. Since then, they haven't exited the second round.”

Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–13:12] – Tig Notaro: Mississippi, Sports Apathy, Comedy, Disconnecting from Pop Culture
• [18:12–24:48] – Miami Dolphins Fire Mike McDaniel, The Jim Harbaugh Chase
• [25:25–37:20] – NBA: Trae Young to the Wizards, The Asset Era, Franchises in Limbo
• [39:11–42:55] – Rubber Tree Plant Song, Harbaugh Parody Song, Jeremy’s Multiple Hats

Tone & Atmosphere

In trademark Le Batard fashion: playful, unfiltered, and discursive. The crew bounces between earnest, probing questions and comic asides with both guests and each other, never taking sports (or themselves) too seriously. Tig Notaro’s deadpan humor and unique worldview fit right in, making for a fun and thoughtful episode.

For Those Who Missed the Episode

You’ll come away entertained by Tig’s wry detachment from the sports world, her comedic origin stories, and unbothered take on popular culture. For sports fans, the episode delivers sharp, skeptical analysis of the latest Miami Dolphins reset and a candid look at NBA’s new era of asset shuffling—punctuated by Le Batard’s skepticism of “savior” coaches and Amin’s NBA context. And, yes, you’ll even get to hear the origins (and lyrics) of that classic “high hopes” song.