The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Hour 2: The Hot Dog & An Empanada (feat. Amin Elhassan)
Date: February 17, 2026
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Guests: Amin Elhassan, Tony, Greg Cody, Mike Ryan, Jeremy, Zaslow, Chris

Episode Overview

This fast-paced episode focuses on the aftermath and spectacle of NBA All-Star Weekend, featuring Amin Elhassan's on-the-ground insights and the show’s signature blend of irreverent sports talk, pop culture riffs, inside jokes, and listener engagement. The panel debates March Madness futures, NBA All-Star Game intensity, rumors surrounding NBA stars and social media, and celebrates the collision of food, culture, and sports. The episode closes with a heated and hilarious debate over Leonardo DiCaprio’s best films.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bet the Castle: March Madness Futures

(00:35) Tony lays out his March Madness pick: the Houston Cougars at +750, emphasizing their strong defense and rising star Kingston Fleming.
- Notable quote:
  “If you’re going to build a March Madness winner, you need a star. And then you need a great team around them of guys that'll never make it to the NBA. And that’s what I like looking at. Houston, great defensive team.” (01:24, Tony)
Value in betting after a team loss is discussed, highlighting betting strategy over pure sport prediction.
- Notable quote:
  “That's why I get 'em after a loss. We need you. Exactly right. You get them after a loss, you get more juice on it.” (01:58, Tony)

2. College Basketball State of Play

(02:42) Michigan Basketball gets its due—Dusty May's impact, Michigan’s dominating performances, and their strengthening odds on the national stage.
(03:06) Mike Ryan notes the renaissance in college basketball, where more players stick around and “develop,” enhancing the season's excitement.

3. All-Star Weekend Reflections with Amin Elhassan

(03:49) Montage launches, featuring Amin's interviews and reactions from players, focusing on the competitive spirit (or lack thereof) in the All-Star Game.
- Quote:
  “The intensity the older generation been talking about, I don’t know if I seen it." (03:49, Amin Elhassan)
Wembanyama’s impact:
- “Wimpy set the tone…he came out playing hard, so it’s hard not to match that.” (04:05, Amin Elhassan)
Funny exchange about what to give up for life, Twitter or video games.
- Quote:
  “I'm gonna go Twitter. Cause they don’t deserve to hear this God level talk. I’m giving to them. They take it for granted.” (04:36, Amin Elhassan)

4. NBA Twitter & Kevin Durant's Burner Accounts

(07:04) Jeremy and the crew ponder KD’s supposed burner accounts after All-Star Weekend, ultimately agreeing that the social media frenzy is likely circumstantial, not evidential.
- Insight:
  “It is too complete. The sentences are too complete. It’s not even his Twitter style.” (07:52, Greg Cody)

5. Adam Silver, NBA Economics & Tanking

(08:20) Discussion pivots to Adam Silver’s recent comments about not losing sight of fans, with Mike Ryan positing it’s primarily about rights holders and gambling partners, not genuine fan concern.
- Quote:
  “I think the people that are actually going to bring about change are the people that are pumping the big money, the billions of dollars into the league.” (09:13, Mike Ryan)
(09:25) Amin details why the NBA’s "egregious tanking" is problematic not just for fans but for gambling and sponsorship integrity.

6. All-Star Game Venue & Experience

(10:39) Greg Cody and Amin debate the logistics and vibe of All-Star Weekend in LA versus other venues. Amin credits LA’s Intuit Dome as “the most technologically advanced sports arena in the galaxy.”
- Traffic and spread-out events undercut the experience, despite the arena’s quality.
- Quote:
  “La la land. The All Star game—most watched since 2011, probably because everyone was stuck in traffic in the Intuit Dome. The most technologically advanced sports arena in the galaxy.” (17:03, Amin Elhassan)

7. All-Star Game Intensity: What Fans Want

(11:31–13:42) Extended discussion about the desired intensity level for NBA All-Star Games. Most agree they don’t want playoff-level defense, but rather the effort shown in high-end summer pickup games.
- Quote:
  “We asked for you guys to play as hard as you do in the summer pickup games… That’s the level of intensity we were looking for. And they delivered.” (12:00, Greg Cody)

8. Amin's All-Star Weekend Observations (Weekend Notes)

(16:45) Amin delivers rapid-fire, humor-laced observations on LA traffic jams, bizarre food combos (“Hot dog and an empanada—the most unlikely pairings. Symbolism. Bring the country together.”), and social media viral moments.
- Commentary on his own viral “broken jumper” video and internet culture’s tendency to decontextualize clips.
- Roasting Austin Rivers’ response to his criticism:
  Quote:
  “Don't say my opinion doesn’t matter. When you and multiple people surrounding you who I shall not name, but you know, who have contacted me one way or another.” (23:39, Amin Elhassan)

9. Pop Culture: Shia LaBeouf’s New Orleans Rampage

(25:58) Recap of bizarre reports on Shia LaBeouf’s shirtless, cashless, and belligerent escapade through New Orleans.
- Quote:
  “There's three types of people in this world. People who show up to the bar with a shirt on and people who don't. I show up with the shirt.” (26:34, Greg Cody)

10. Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Debate

(29:30–36:52) Zaslow presents his top five Leo movies (heavily debated), sparking a roundtable with Dan, Mike, Stugotz, and Amin re-ranking and re-litigating DiCaprio’s filmography.
- Points of contention: Shutter Island in the top five (“Nobody puts that in his top five.” – Greg Cody, 30:31), Departed’s “rat” ending, The Revenant (“That movie sucks.” – Dan, 32:55), and whether Margot Robbie’s nudity counts toward Wolf of Wall Street being #1.
- Amin’s pick for Leo’s most underrated role: “Django Unchained. None of us had ever seen Leo as a villain and he played it to the hilt.” (34:44, Amin Elhassan)
- Gangs of New York gets Amin’s nod as the snubbed masterpiece.
- The panel pokes fun at each others’ "movie guy" credentials, with Dan’s approach—balancing Leo’s performance and "hotness" factor—coming under attack.

11. NBA: Celtics’ Chemistry without Jason Tatum

(37:41) Tony and Amin discuss Jalen Brown’s subtle shade toward Jason Tatum on social media, questioning if the Celtics can be just as good without their superstar.
- Insight:
  “Celtics have a great chance to go back to the finals this year, even if Tatum doesn’t play a second. And I don’t have a problem with [Brown] feeling that way. But perhaps not the best teammate move to post that online.” (38:02, Amin Elhassan)
(39:45) Panel agrees team chemistry is high, and leadership will wisely integrate Tatum back in “slow,” post-injury.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Hot Takes & Humor

Tony’s betting wisdom: “You get them after a loss, you get more juice on it.” (01:58)
Amin, on explaining NBA All-Star Weekend:
“Highlight of my weekend—explaining to someone in a crowded bar what All-Star Weekend is, then having to explain what an All-Star is.” (19:20)
Panel, on The Departed’s ending:
“The lack of subtlety there really undid the entire thing for me.” (30:02, Mike Ryan)
Amin, on Gangs of New York:
“The Departed is nothing more than an apology because Gangs of New York got snubbed.” (35:21)
Greg Cody, on Shia LaBeouf:
“Three types of people in this world: people who show up to the bar with a shirt on and people who don’t. I show up with the shirt.” (26:34)

Cultural Observations

Weekend Sports Pop Culture: Hot dogs, empanadas, viral videos, and March Madness under one roof.
NBA Gossip & “Burner Account” Mania: Spectatorship of celebrity activity on social media taken to sometimes absurd lengths.
Odes to Traffic: LA’s gridlock becomes its own character during All-Star Weekend.

Timestamps for Important Segments

Bet the Castle & CBB Futures: 00:35–02:30
All-Star Game Reflection & Montage: 03:45–06:29
Kevin Durant Twitter/Burner Accounts: 07:04–08:20
Adam Silver, NBA Sponsorship, Tanking: 08:20–11:11
All-Star Weekend Logistics/Traffic: 10:39–12:20
Intensity Wanted in NBA All-Star Game: 11:31–13:42
Amin’s Weekend Observations: 16:45–23:17
Viral Moments & Austin Rivers Beef: 23:17–24:31
Shia LaBeouf in New Orleans: 25:58–26:34, 27:56–28:03
Leonardo DiCaprio Top 5 Debate: 29:30–36:52
Celtics Chemistry & Jalen Brown/Tatum Discussion: 37:41–41:07

Overall Tone

The episode is characteristically playful, insightful, and occasionally chaotic, with quick pivots from sports analysis to pop culture and meta-commentary about media and virality. Amin's dry wit and deep NBA knowledge flavor a strong episode for listeners who value the blend of serious sports talk and absurdist wit.

Recommended For:
Listeners who want a rundown on NBA All-Star Weekend, college hoops fate, inside-basketball banter, and podcast hosts riffing like friends at a bar—only with more hot takes, cultural asides, and passionate movie arguments.

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bet the Castle: March Madness Futures

(00:35) Tony lays out his March Madness pick: the Houston Cougars at +750, emphasizing their strong defense and rising star Kingston Fleming.
- Notable quote:
  “If you’re going to build a March Madness winner, you need a star. And then you need a great team around them of guys that'll never make it to the NBA. And that’s what I like looking at. Houston, great defensive team.” (01:24, Tony)
Value in betting after a team loss is discussed, highlighting betting strategy over pure sport prediction.
- Notable quote:
  “That's why I get 'em after a loss. We need you. Exactly right. You get them after a loss, you get more juice on it.” (01:58, Tony)

2. College Basketball State of Play

(02:42) Michigan Basketball gets its due—Dusty May's impact, Michigan’s dominating performances, and their strengthening odds on the national stage.
(03:06) Mike Ryan notes the renaissance in college basketball, where more players stick around and “develop,” enhancing the season's excitement.

3. All-Star Weekend Reflections with Amin Elhassan

(03:49) Montage launches, featuring Amin's interviews and reactions from players, focusing on the competitive spirit (or lack thereof) in the All-Star Game.
- Quote:
  “The intensity the older generation been talking about, I don’t know if I seen it." (03:49, Amin Elhassan)
Wembanyama’s impact:
- “Wimpy set the tone…he came out playing hard, so it’s hard not to match that.” (04:05, Amin Elhassan)
Funny exchange about what to give up for life, Twitter or video games.
- Quote:
  “I'm gonna go Twitter. Cause they don’t deserve to hear this God level talk. I’m giving to them. They take it for granted.” (04:36, Amin Elhassan)

4. NBA Twitter & Kevin Durant's Burner Accounts

(07:04) Jeremy and the crew ponder KD’s supposed burner accounts after All-Star Weekend, ultimately agreeing that the social media frenzy is likely circumstantial, not evidential.
- Insight:
  “It is too complete. The sentences are too complete. It’s not even his Twitter style.” (07:52, Greg Cody)

5. Adam Silver, NBA Economics & Tanking

(08:20) Discussion pivots to Adam Silver’s recent comments about not losing sight of fans, with Mike Ryan positing it’s primarily about rights holders and gambling partners, not genuine fan concern.
- Quote:
  “I think the people that are actually going to bring about change are the people that are pumping the big money, the billions of dollars into the league.” (09:13, Mike Ryan)
(09:25) Amin details why the NBA’s "egregious tanking" is problematic not just for fans but for gambling and sponsorship integrity.

6. All-Star Game Venue & Experience

(10:39) Greg Cody and Amin debate the logistics and vibe of All-Star Weekend in LA versus other venues. Amin credits LA’s Intuit Dome as “the most technologically advanced sports arena in the galaxy.”
- Traffic and spread-out events undercut the experience, despite the arena’s quality.
- Quote:
  “La la land. The All Star game—most watched since 2011, probably because everyone was stuck in traffic in the Intuit Dome. The most technologically advanced sports arena in the galaxy.” (17:03, Amin Elhassan)

7. All-Star Game Intensity: What Fans Want

(11:31–13:42) Extended discussion about the desired intensity level for NBA All-Star Games. Most agree they don’t want playoff-level defense, but rather the effort shown in high-end summer pickup games.
- Quote:
  “We asked for you guys to play as hard as you do in the summer pickup games… That’s the level of intensity we were looking for. And they delivered.” (12:00, Greg Cody)

8. Amin's All-Star Weekend Observations (Weekend Notes)

(16:45) Amin delivers rapid-fire, humor-laced observations on LA traffic jams, bizarre food combos (“Hot dog and an empanada—the most unlikely pairings. Symbolism. Bring the country together.”), and social media viral moments.
- Commentary on his own viral “broken jumper” video and internet culture’s tendency to decontextualize clips.
- Roasting Austin Rivers’ response to his criticism:
  Quote:
  “Don't say my opinion doesn’t matter. When you and multiple people surrounding you who I shall not name, but you know, who have contacted me one way or another.” (23:39, Amin Elhassan)

9. Pop Culture: Shia LaBeouf’s New Orleans Rampage

(25:58) Recap of bizarre reports on Shia LaBeouf’s shirtless, cashless, and belligerent escapade through New Orleans.
- Quote:
  “There's three types of people in this world. People who show up to the bar with a shirt on and people who don't. I show up with the shirt.” (26:34, Greg Cody)

10. Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Debate

(29:30–36:52) Zaslow presents his top five Leo movies (heavily debated), sparking a roundtable with Dan, Mike, Stugotz, and Amin re-ranking and re-litigating DiCaprio’s filmography.
- Points of contention: Shutter Island in the top five (“Nobody puts that in his top five.” – Greg Cody, 30:31), Departed’s “rat” ending, The Revenant (“That movie sucks.” – Dan, 32:55), and whether Margot Robbie’s nudity counts toward Wolf of Wall Street being #1.
- Amin’s pick for Leo’s most underrated role: “Django Unchained. None of us had ever seen Leo as a villain and he played it to the hilt.” (34:44, Amin Elhassan)
- Gangs of New York gets Amin’s nod as the snubbed masterpiece.
- The panel pokes fun at each others’ "movie guy" credentials, with Dan’s approach—balancing Leo’s performance and "hotness" factor—coming under attack.

11. NBA: Celtics’ Chemistry without Jason Tatum

(37:41) Tony and Amin discuss Jalen Brown’s subtle shade toward Jason Tatum on social media, questioning if the Celtics can be just as good without their superstar.
- Insight:
  “Celtics have a great chance to go back to the finals this year, even if Tatum doesn’t play a second. And I don’t have a problem with [Brown] feeling that way. But perhaps not the best teammate move to post that online.” (38:02, Amin Elhassan)
(39:45) Panel agrees team chemistry is high, and leadership will wisely integrate Tatum back in “slow,” post-injury.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Hot Takes & Humor

Tony’s betting wisdom: “You get them after a loss, you get more juice on it.” (01:58)
Amin, on explaining NBA All-Star Weekend:
“Highlight of my weekend—explaining to someone in a crowded bar what All-Star Weekend is, then having to explain what an All-Star is.” (19:20)
Panel, on The Departed’s ending:
“The lack of subtlety there really undid the entire thing for me.” (30:02, Mike Ryan)
Amin, on Gangs of New York:
“The Departed is nothing more than an apology because Gangs of New York got snubbed.” (35:21)
Greg Cody, on Shia LaBeouf:
“Three types of people in this world: people who show up to the bar with a shirt on and people who don’t. I show up with the shirt.” (26:34)

Cultural Observations

Weekend Sports Pop Culture: Hot dogs, empanadas, viral videos, and March Madness under one roof.
NBA Gossip & “Burner Account” Mania: Spectatorship of celebrity activity on social media taken to sometimes absurd lengths.
Odes to Traffic: LA’s gridlock becomes its own character during All-Star Weekend.

Timestamps for Important Segments

Bet the Castle & CBB Futures: 00:35–02:30
All-Star Game Reflection & Montage: 03:45–06:29
Kevin Durant Twitter/Burner Accounts: 07:04–08:20
Adam Silver, NBA Sponsorship, Tanking: 08:20–11:11
All-Star Weekend Logistics/Traffic: 10:39–12:20
Intensity Wanted in NBA All-Star Game: 11:31–13:42
Amin’s Weekend Observations: 16:45–23:17
Viral Moments & Austin Rivers Beef: 23:17–24:31
Shia LaBeouf in New Orleans: 25:58–26:34, 27:56–28:03
Leonardo DiCaprio Top 5 Debate: 29:30–36:52
Celtics Chemistry & Jalen Brown/Tatum Discussion: 37:41–41:07

Hour 2: The Hot Dog & An Empanada (feat. Amin Elhassan)

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Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bet the Castle: March Madness Futures

2. College Basketball State of Play

3. All-Star Weekend Reflections with Amin Elhassan

4. NBA Twitter & Kevin Durant's Burner Accounts

5. Adam Silver, NBA Economics & Tanking

6. All-Star Game Venue & Experience

7. All-Star Game Intensity: What Fans Want

8. Amin's All-Star Weekend Observations (Weekend Notes)

9. Pop Culture: Shia LaBeouf’s New Orleans Rampage

10. Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Debate

11. NBA: Celtics’ Chemistry without Jason Tatum

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Hot Takes & Humor

Cultural Observations

Timestamps for Important Segments

Overall Tone

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bet the Castle: March Madness Futures

2. College Basketball State of Play

3. All-Star Weekend Reflections with Amin Elhassan

4. NBA Twitter & Kevin Durant's Burner Accounts

5. Adam Silver, NBA Economics & Tanking

6. All-Star Game Venue & Experience

7. All-Star Game Intensity: What Fans Want

8. Amin's All-Star Weekend Observations (Weekend Notes)

9. Pop Culture: Shia LaBeouf’s New Orleans Rampage

10. Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Debate

11. NBA: Celtics’ Chemistry without Jason Tatum

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Hot Takes & Humor

Cultural Observations

Timestamps for Important Segments

Overall Tone