The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Hour 2: Not At All What I Was Trying To Say (feat. David Samson)
Date: April 9, 2026
Guests/Regulars: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, David Samson, Chris Cody, Greg Cody, Mike Rubello, Jonathan Zaslo and assorted voices
Episode Overview
Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this hour finds Dan, Stugotz, David Samson, and the usual cast winding through a rapid-fire, chaotic tapestry of sports humor, media critique, and on-air blunders. The core theme is embarrassment—particularly dissecting Jonathan Zaslo’s on-air gaffe with basketball coach Dusty May—and the unique dynamic of public workplace failure. Woven in are musings on baseball’s youth movement, the increasingly analytic nature of sports, and a shot at media culture from inside and outside the ESPN universe.
Key Discussion Points & Segments
1. Funniest Sound of the Week Contest
(00:26 - 02:58)
- The show kicks off with a chaotic montage contest where the crew nominates and plays “funniest sounds” from past recordings, including Papi singing, Tony botching a championship intro, and a haunting rendition of “Luol Deng.”
- The highlight is Zaslo’s now-infamous question during a live stream: “Coach, did the winning feel better than losing in the Final Four with FAU?” setting up the segment’s comedic throughline.
Memorable Quote:
- “Did the winning feel better than losing in the Final Four with FAU?”
—Jonathan Zaslo (02:02)
2. Deconstructing Zaslo’s On-Air Blunder
(02:58 - 07:44)
- The team gleefully unpacks Zaslo's question to Coach Dusty May, debating what he actually meant, whether it was valid, and why it was so awkward.
- Both playful and relentless—the group replays and mocks the question, with everyone lawyering up to defend (or roast) Zaslo.
- Chris Cody insists “winning is better than losing,” while David Samson tries to inject nuance.
- Greg Cody points and laughs at Zaslo, then leaves Zaslo to “stew in the worst mistake of his career.”
Quotes:
- “Not at all what I was trying to say.” —Jonathan Zaslo (02:30)
- “You keep lawyering up for Zaz. That’s not what happened. Your client doesn’t want this defense.” —Dan Le Batard (03:06)
- “There hasn’t been a single championship where I’ve been like, well, this sucks, because let me tell you something that sucked: losing to Indiana.” —Chris Cody (04:17)
3. Workplace Schadenfreude and Show Culture
(07:44 - 10:49 and 16:15 - 18:13)
- The show pivots into whether it’s ever okay to revel in a colleague’s mistake.
- Samson blames Dan for cultivating an “attack culture” for on-air errors, framing it as both a show driver and a source of fun.
- Greg Cody’s overt delight (“Leonardo DiCaprio meme”) at Zaslo’s flub is scrutinized.
Quotes:
- “You created an atmosphere where you want that to be the reaction… so it would not be Greg who would have a problem. It would be you, Dan.” —David Samson (17:15)
- “That’s the whole plausible deniability. You create the atmosphere and then revel in the atmosphere.” —David Samson (18:13)
4. Baseball: Youth Movement, Contracts, and Analytics
(09:25 - 13:01; 25:55 - 34:36)
- Samson explores MLB’s embrace of young talent, noting lucrative contracts for players like Connor Griffin and Chourio, and the risk teams assume for PR hits.
- Pushback on big contracts for unproven players: “I love paying people for performance. I don’t like throwing away money.”
- Discussion of analytics taking over all aspects—roster selection, pitch calling (see below), and even sleep monitoring.
- Mad Dog Russo’s rant about the Marlins catchers no longer calling their own games (26:20) leads to Samson’s clarification: more than just Miami, it’s analytics shaping the future.
Quotes:
- “You will get a better result if you take pitch calling away from the catcher and let him focus on receiving... That’s just analytics.” —David Samson (28:29)
- “You can’t fight City Hall. There are no more human beings making decisions.” —David Samson (31:00)
5. The Tipping Incident: Beer at the Ballpark
(20:12 - 21:12)
- The team weighs in on how much to tip for an obscenely expensive beer at a ballgame. Samson says he just “drops the 20” on an $18.50 beer for expedience, sparking playful judgment.
Quote:
- “I don’t want the dollar bill that was given by the last schmuck who was online. So I’m just dropping the 20, taking the beer, and going.” —David Samson (20:39)
6. Baseball Managerial Protocols: Sandy Alcántara & the Ninth Inning
(31:49 - 34:14)
- Recap of the recent Marlins’ game: Coach McCullough pulls Sandy Alcántara early.
- Samson criticizes the optics—not the actual decision. The correct “theater” would let Sandy feel part of the process. Instead, McCullough makes a “rookie” mistake by signaling to the bullpen before reaching the mound.
Quote:
- “You’re supposed to give your player that opportunity… you don’t put your right hand up when you’re going out to get one of your stars.” —David Samson (33:14)
7. ESPN, Wokeness, and Dan’s Power (or Lack Thereof)
(36:09 - 38:23)
- Samson and the crew address recent media coverage about “wokeness” at ESPN and Dan's supposed influence, pushing back against right-wing articles.
- Chris Cody: “We are the living embodiment of how much little power Dan actually had. In the end, the only power we had was to not get fired. And that went away the second John [Skipper] left.” (37:27)
- Playful, public-domain-music-backed parody of Dan’s “power” and the media depiction of his tenure.
8. Aging Sports Legends & Augusta
(39:37 - 41:13)
- Light segment observing the frailty of Jack Nicklaus at 91 during the Masters.
- The group reflect on the shock of seeing legends grow old, using Nicklaus’s and Tom Watson’s appearances as comic fodder.
Quotes:
- “Are you surprised that age finally caught up to Jack Nicklaus at 91? What are you talking about?” —Inner Monologue Voice (39:53)
Notable Quotes - Attributed & Timestamped
- “Did the winning feel better than losing in the Final Four with FAU?” —Jonathan Zaslo (02:02)
- “Not at all what I was trying to say.” —Jonathan Zaslo (02:30)
- “You keep lawyering up for Zaz. That’s not what happened. Your client doesn’t want this defense.” —Dan Le Batard (03:06)
- “There hasn’t been a single championship where I’ve been like, well, this sucks, because let me tell you something that sucked: losing to Indiana.” —Chris Cody (04:17)
- “You created an atmosphere where you want that to be the reaction… so it would not be Greg who would have a problem. It would be you, Dan.” —David Samson (17:15)
- “That’s the whole plausible deniability. You create the atmosphere and then revel in the atmosphere.” —David Samson (18:13)
- “I love paying people for performance. I don’t like throwing away money.” —David Samson (11:23)
- “You can’t fight City Hall. There are no more human beings making decisions.” —David Samson (31:00)
- “You’re supposed to give your player that opportunity… you don’t put your right hand up when you’re going out to get one of your stars.” —David Samson (33:14)
- “We are the living embodiment of how much little power Dan actually had. In the end, the only power we had was to not get fired. And that went away the second John left.” —Chris Cody (37:27)
- “Are you surprised that age finally caught up to Jack Nicklaus at 91? What are you talking about?” —Inner Monologue Voice (39:53)
Memorable Moments
- The show’s gleeful, multi-layered teardown of Zaslo’s question to Coach May—played no fewer than three times and dissected to bits.
- Greg Cody pointing, laughing at Zaslo’s mistake, and leaving the room (07:20 - 07:43).
- David Samson’s grumpy, transactional take on tipping for ballpark beer (20:12 - 20:39).
- Samson’s high-detail, almost pedantic breakdown of “correct” managerial behavior when pulling an ace pitcher (31:49 - 34:14).
- The playful parody musical segment skewering media depictions of Dan’s “power” at ESPN (38:02 - 38:44).
Conclusion
This episode weaves humor, sports inside-baseball, and blunt workplace psychology into a tapestry only the Le Batard Show can: post-morteming a co-host’s gaffe turns into existential questions about media, sports analytics, empathy, and the merciless pursuit of content. Workplace failure is both the joke and the theme—the show manages to be both an inside joke for super fans and an accessible, honest meditation on the increasingly data-driven (and publicly embarrassing) world of sports and media.
