The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 2: Walt Weiss Has a Black Belt

Date: April 8, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Host(s): Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Greg Cody, Michael Smith, Jeremy, Joe

Episode Overview

This hour of the “Dan Le Batard Show” delivers a lively mix of NBA trade machinations, baseball brawls, tennis temper tantrums, and college basketball coaching moves. The hosts and regulars oscillate between playful banter and smart sports analysis, centering on the Celtics' surprising dominance without Tatum, the chaotic spectacle of MLB fights (with special focus on Walt Weiss's black belt heroics), and the implications of Michael Malone’s move to UNC. True to the show’s ethos, the episode blends insightful debate, incredulous hypotheticals, and memorable moments of comedic bravado.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NBA: Celtics, Giannis Trade Speculation, and Front Office Boldness

(Begins ~01:42)

• Celtics’ Aggressive Front Office & Potential Moves

  • Dan praises Boston's executive evolution, likening their front office ambition to the Spurs and OKC.
  • Brad Stevens’s transition from coach to GM is highlighted as emblematic of Boston’s dynastic vision.
  • Quote (Dan): "That town has been very lucky with its executives. Theo Epstein, very young, ends up winning titles... Brad Stevens makes the journey from an unusual journey at his age... when you could be the beneficiary of everything that's happening here as the coach. But you wanted to be in the front office." (02:12)

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Hypotheticals

  • Discussion on whether Boston would, or should, trade Jaylen Brown (coming off an MVP season) for Giannis.
  • Mike Ryan and Michael Smith emphasize the rarity and difficulty of landing Giannis without parting with Brown or Tatum, noting the contracts and market realities.
  • The crew debates whether supporting cast and picks (à la Pritchard, Derrick White) could tempt Milwaukee, but ultimately, unless Boston parts with a superstar, the deal seems improbable.
  • Age, contracts, and asset pools from other teams like the Knicks and Heat are compared—concluding Boston's "pie in the sky" ideas might not match reality.
  • Quote (Michael Smith): "If they put [Jaylen Brown] on the table, like, that's an easy win for Milwaukee..." (04:26)

• Surprising Celtics Season

  • High praise for Boston’s resilience given Tatum’s Achilles injury and their league-best record.
  • Shock at how dominant they've remained, comparing their mathematical three-point strategy to a form of inevitability in seven-game series.
  • Quote (Dan): "For all that Atlanta and Detroit have improved, ...most of the people listening to this thought that this was not going to be something that the Celtics were going to be able to overcome. The Tatum injury." (12:05)

Timestamps:

• Celtics/Front Office/Giannis talk: 01:42 – 14:17

2. Baseball: The Jorge Soler-Reynaldo Lopez Fight & Walt Weiss’s Takedown

(Begins ~17:31)

• Breakdown of the Fight

  • Dan narrates the wild altercation between Jorge Soler and Reynaldo Lopez, focusing on Lopez comically throwing punches without dropping the baseball from his pitching hand.
  • Walt Weiss, age 62 and a black belt in Taekwondo, delivers a surprisingly athletic (and controversial) NFL-style tackle to break things up.
  • Debate ensues: Is it more dangerous to punch while gripping a baseball? The consensus is that Lopez was acting out of fear and adrenaline, not logic.
  • The team references iconic past coach/player scuffles, notably Jeff Van Gundy’s infamous attachment to Alonzo Mourning’s leg.
  • Discussion about the form and implications of Weiss’s intervention—was it heroic or reckless?
  • Quote (Dan): "Walt Weiss did tackle him from behind at the legs. ...It was an NFL style tackle. And I haven't actually seen a coach or person of that age do exactly that since Jeff Van Gundy was hanging from the calf of Alonzo Mourning..." (20:20)

• Suspensions & Baseball Brawls Logic

  • Likely suspensions for throwing punches, whether or not the ball is in hand.
  • The visceral, illogical rage present in baseball (and life): "Crimes of anger or passion sometimes have a lot of lack of logic in them." (24:01)
  • Joke about form: “If you're entering a fight and trying to maximize damage, would you hold the baseball or discard it?” (22:51)

• Walt Weiss’s Martial Arts Credentials

  • Revelation that Weiss is a Taekwondo black belt, fueling debate over tackling form.
  • Some see Weiss as heroic; others worry about injury risk and managerial boundaries.

Timestamps:

• MLB Fight/Walt Weiss: 17:31 – 26:14

3. Tennis Meltdowns: Medvedev’s Epic Racket-Smashing

(Begins ~27:33)

• Medvedev’s On-Court Tantrum
  • The hosts riff on the theater of tennis meltdowns—singling out Daniil Medvedev’s latest racket-smashing spectacle as the pinnacle.
  • The team mock-debates who could break a racket faster—Medvedev or Greg Cody, if given an attempt.
  • Comedic play as Greg brags about being able to smash a racket more efficiently than the pro, while everyone else doubts this very seriously.
  • Quote (Dan): "This is five times he has thrown a totally mangled racket. Six times. ...If you're going to break a racket, you got to do it right." (29:42)
  • Segment closes with the group assigning meaning to the physics of racket-breaking, and reveling in how tennis offers a unique space for personal, visible tantrums.

Timestamps:

• Medvedev/racket smashing: 27:33 – 32:58

4. NCAA Basketball: Michael Malone Hired by North Carolina

(Begins ~32:58)

• The Michael Malone to UNC Narrative
  • Musing on fan perception—was the hire “desperate” for either party?
  • Analysis of job security: in college hoops, excellence (and program prestige) bring tenure, unlike the quick axing even NBA champions face professionally.
  • Quote (Mike Ryan): "The NBA outside of Miami and San Antonio—historically, it doesn't matter if you've won a championship. ...Whereas if you're successful...in college basketball, you have job security." (35:24)
  • Comparison of recruiting challenges now vs pre-NIL era: It's “easier” in that money talks, but there’s more chaos with families and outside voices now demanding payment.
  • Dan pushes back on the growing refrain that college sports are just like the pros, noting that NIL money has created problems pros don’t face (family pressure, constant transfers, lack of true control).
  • Quote (Dan): "Whatever your skill set is, whatever you think is special...none of that stuff matters. What matters is the uncle wants money, the mother wants money, the dad wants money, the brother wants money. ...You don't hear this in the pros." (38:24)
  • Debate over Malone’s real power: In the pros, players can get a coach fired. At North Carolina, Malone’s standing is unassailable by comparison, and he can “put together the Avengers year to year” via the transfer portal.

Timestamps:

• UNC/Michael Malone discussion: 32:58 – 43:49

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan, on the paradox of powerful NBA coaches vs. college:
  “Whatever your skill set is, whatever you think is special about what you do in terms of leadership development, none of that stuff matters. What matters is the uncle wants money, the mother wants money, the dad wants money, the brother wants money...” (38:24)
• Mike Ryan, on Celtics-Giannis trade: "Those players you just mentioned, polls NBA teams: Who would you rather have going from here on out, Jaylen Brown or Giannis?" (05:39)
• Michael Smith, on Walt Weiss: "Walt Weiss was basically tackling Derrick Henry...Jeremy just told me. Walt Weiss, a black belt, Taekwondo..." (24:06)
• Greg Cody, on racket-smashing technique: "It's not just about power. It's about angle and geometrics. ...You have to have your hand on that racket when it hits pavement. See, that's the key." (31:38)

Segment Timestamps

• NBA/Celtics, Giannis, Boston’s Front Office: 01:42 – 14:17
• MLB Fight (Soler vs. Lopez), Walt Weiss tackle: 17:31 – 26:14
• Tennis/Medvedev meltdown: 27:33 – 32:58
• NCAA/Michael Malone to UNC: 32:58 – 43:49

Tone and Style

The episode is classic “Le Batard Show”: irreverent, pop-culture savvy, and delighting in both absurd hypotheticals (fighting with baseballs in hand, racket-smashing competitions) and nuanced sports discussion. The hosts oscillate between sharp sports analysis and playful roast-style comedy, maintaining the show’s signature warmth, rapid-fire riffing, and off-the-cuff expertise.

For Listeners Who Missed The Episode

• Expect thoughtful speculation on big sports moves and quirky deep dives into unexpected heroes (Walt Weiss, aged 62, Taekwondo black belt!).
• The hosts skewer—and celebrate—sports’ strangest moments, like on-field brawls and the cathartic chaos of tennis meltdowns.
• Through it all, the team probes the ever-shifting lines between college and pro sports, focusing on how money and power are changing the jobs and personalities involved.
• This hour is a microcosm of what makes the Le Batard Show unique: original angles, humorous digressions, and the ability to make any sports debate feel both riotous and meaningful.