Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: The Awkward Top 5 (feat. Mad Dog Russo & Katie Nolan) | Feb 4, 2026

Overview

Broadcast live from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this hour of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz is a rollicking blend of sports nostalgia, Radio Row lore, hot sports media takes, and pop culture tributes. Featuring guest appearances from Chris "Mad Dog" Russo and Katie Nolan, the show careens through football history, evolving media landscapes, awkward interviews, and the all-important “Top 5” Catherine O’Hara moments—serving up trademark irreverence and deeply personal insights throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. Mad Dog Russo: Radio Row Royalty (00:45–14:40)

• Origins of Radio Row

  • Dan declares Chris Russo the “king of Radio Row,” prompting Russo to reflect on his long tenure in sports radio (00:49).
  • Russo reminisces about early Super Bowl coverage and the accidental invention of "Radio Row," detailing humble hotel setups in the late ’80s and early ’90s (01:12–03:11).
  • He acknowledges WFAN’s pivotal role in organizing broadcasts and increasing national presence at big games, dispelling the myth that he alone invented it (01:36, 04:11).

• Evolution & Gripes

  • The conversation shifts to how Radio Row has changed: “Lots of podcasts now on Radio Row…” (04:11).
  • Russo does not gatekeep: “Everybody is piling on. They want to do podcasts. It's the Super Bowl. … That adds to the aura…” (04:27).
  • Geographical quibbles about the Super Bowl’s location (San Francisco 49ers stadium being 44 miles from the city) spark a poll: “Should they be the San Jose 49ers?” (05:35).

• Radio Row’s Most Memorable Years

  • Russo and Jeremy recount the transition from hotel lobbies to massive media gatherings, sharing anecdotes of tense Super Bowl atmospheres—such as the 1991 Super Bowl amid the Gulf War, security concerns, and Whitney Houston’s legendary national anthem (07:23–08:48).

• Russo’s Sports Radio Philosophy

  • Dan asks: “Do you believe everything you say is interesting?” (09:27)
  • Russo’s response: “You have to be a good salesman because you have to convince the audience that what you are saying is interesting…” (10:09).
  • He credits his father’s salesmanship, personal curiosity, and love of history as key ingredients to his broadcasting longevity (10:09–12:18).

• Memorable Moment:

  • Russo’s self-deprecating take on his own broadcasting blunders: “You know, that's the thing. You can't take yourself too seriously. Be yourself. Try to be authentic. And if people think you're a nut sometimes, what's the big deal?” (13:07)

• Lightning Round with Mad Dog (13:40)

  • Best Super Bowl city: “I love Minneapolis. They took advantage and they capitalized on all the snow.” (13:51)
  • Most entertaining Super Bowl: “Dallas, Pittsburgh 35, 31. ... Thomas Henderson said Bradshaw can't spell cat.” (14:10)
  • Best Super Bowl halftime performer: “Springsteen.” (14:23)
  • Super Bowl food: “Nachos.” (14:23)
  • Predicts: “Seahawks. I'd be shocked if they lose.” (14:35)

II. Katie Nolan Joins: Radio Row Reality Check & Pop-Culture Corner (19:28–38:00)

• Radio Row Today

  • Katie reflects on the hectic, sometimes awkward vibe of Radio Row (“Just sitting at Radio Row … people are walking by looking at me, and I'm just listening and laughing. I feel very uncomfortable.”) (25:31)
  • Shares stories about surreal celebrity encounters and the tension of being “on air but not on air” as media personalities crisscross the convention floor (29:10–36:32).

• Westminster Dog Show Disagreement

  • Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo declares the Doberman Pinscher winner “if the devil had a pet dog … it would be the Westminster Kennel show champion.” (20:01)
  • Katie Nolan playfully challenges Mad Dog: “That's the point. That's what they give the award out for.” (20:45)
  • Mad Dog counters: “I want my winner to be a cocker spaniel … just something cute like you could imagine having in your own home.” (20:35)

• Tribute to Catherine O'Hara

  • The group reacts with sadness to O’Hara’s passing and celebrates her “consistent” comic brilliance (22:04–22:37).
  • Katie: “She was one of the funniest women on earth and I was deeply saddened to hear of her passing. … I haven't been like knocked over by a celebrity death like that in a while.” (22:04)
  • Jeremy’s “Top 5” Moira Rose lines from Schitt’s Creek, including the folding in the cheese scene (23:08), “I am booked up, David. You should see my schedule. I'm positively bedeviled with meetings, et cetera.” (25:13)

• Awkward Interviewing Moments

  • Katie details the anxiety of interviewing Matt Damon and Ben Affleck: “I was terrified. … I just couldn't have cared much less [about the director]. … I didn’t knock it out of the park… But it was fun, and they were awesome and everything I dreamed of and I didn’t throw up. So that’s good.” (29:40)

III. Sports & Media Takes Rapid-Fire (26:40 onward)

• Belichick’s Hall of Fame Snub

  • Katie on Belichick: “In a world where we say the phrase first ballot hall of Famer and it means something, none of this makes any sense. ... It’s absurd, it's stupid, it's embarrassing.” (26:58)
  • Katie prefers Belichick over Kraft for Hall of Fame induction and rejects ongoing punishment for Spygate: “At what point does that stop? How many Super Bowls do you have to win before they're like, okay, we don't need to punish you in this way?” (28:18)

• Tom Brady as Broadcaster

  • Katie: “I think he’s gotten much better. … I think Tom Brady has gotten a lot better, and I think, you know, in comparison to Tony Romo, I think most people are starting to see they’d prefer Tom Brady.” (33:57)
  • On Romo’s decline: “He would always talk about it like, if he were the coach, what he would have done. … We don’t care if you were right! ... It was all about [him]. … Find a new bag. This stinks.” (34:38–35:24)
  • Dan: “The laziest thing he does is that he consistently says several times a broadcast that somebody is as good as anybody in the league at doing something. … and it’s just not possible for everybody.” (35:24)

• Media Industry Banter

  • Katie and the crew discuss the oddities of working at Radio Row, running into famous personalities accidentally, and the culture of spontaneous, sometimes awkward interactions (36:22–37:24).
  • Katie describes a highlight: dinner with Mad Dog and Stephen A. Smith (“…Mad Dog throws us dinner for … everybody that works on his channel. It was just a fun little moment.”) (36:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chris 'Mad Dog' Russo:
  • “You have to be a good salesman because you have to convince the audience that what you are saying is interesting.” (10:09)
  • “If the devil had a pet dog, it would be the Westminster Kennel show champion.” (20:01)
• Katie Nolan:
  • “She [Catherine O’Hara] was one of the funniest women on earth and I was deeply saddened to hear of her passing.” (22:04)
  • “In a world where we say the phrase first ballot hall of Famer and it means something, none of this makes any sense. … It’s absurd, it's stupid, it's embarrassing.” (26:58)
  • On Affleck and Damon: “They were awesome and everything I dreamed of and I didn’t throw up. So that’s good.” (30:20)
• Dan Le Batard:
  • “He headlines Mad Dog Sports radio … He's got obviously a gift for the genius of what sports radio is.” (09:27)
  • “The laziest thing [Romo] does is that he … says several times a broadcast that somebody is as good as anybody in the league at doing something … it’s just not possible for everybody.” (35:24)
• Jeremy’s Moira Rose “Top 5” (Schitt’s Creek, rapid-fire, 23:08–25:13):
  • “‘Take a thousand naked pictures of yourself. Now, you may currently think, oh, I'm too spooky, or, nobody wants to see these tiny boobies, but believe me, one day you will look at those photos with much kinder eyes and say, dear God, I was a beautiful thing.’” (24:34)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:45 - Russo anointed “king of Radio Row," Radio Row history lesson
• 04:21 - Russo on podcasts and Radio Row’s changing media landscape
• 09:27 - Dan and Russo on what makes a great broadcaster
• 13:40 - Mad Dog lightning round: Super Bowl city/foods/performers/predictions
• 19:28 - Katie Nolan joins; the awkwardness of Radio Row and insider interviews
• 20:01 - Debate on the “devil’s dog” and the Westminster Dog Show
• 22:04 - Tribute to Catherine O'Hara; Top 5 Moira Rose lines (23:08–25:13)
• 26:58 - Katie’s take on the Belichick Hall of Fame snub
• 33:57 - Brady vs Romo as broadcasters
• 36:54 - Katie’s Radio Row highlight: dinner with Mad Dog & Stephen A.

Tone & Style

The episode maintains signature playfulness, quick wit, full-throttle sports geekery, and the show’s well-known blend of irreverence and candor. Russo’s old-school storytelling and Katie Nolan’s breezy but pointed commentary steer the mood from nostalgic to critical, always keeping the conversation lively, unpredictable, and very human.

This summary captures the essential humor, nostalgia, and inside-baseball energy for those who missed the episode, focusing on what matters: story, character, and the joy (and awkwardness) of sports radio at its highest volume.