The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Hour 2: Welcomed Distraction Or... (feat. Amin Elhassan)

Date: January 12, 2026
Co-hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Chris Cote, Tony
Guest: Amin Elhassan
Recorded at: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

This episode takes listeners behind the scenes of the sports and entertainment world with trademark irreverence and humor. Key themes include the evolution of sports television, the surprising comfort of Nick Saban on TV, wild ideas for football tactics, comically bad NBA defense stats, the absurdity of award shows, and a chaotic youth hockey fight. Amidst it all, the team offers both biting and self-deprecating commentary, using their dynamic chemistry and guest insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nick Saban’s TV Turn & Behind-the-Scenes College GameDay

(00:38–08:47)

• The crew discusses Nick Saban's transition to TV and how he’s winning over some longtime critics, including Amin.
  • Amin Elhassan:

    "Certainly at first I was not comfortable with how much I enjoy Saban on television...he is excellent." (02:17)

  • Saban described as likable and compelling, which surprises those who disliked him during his coaching years.
• Praise for the ESPN College GameDay production: longevity, chemistry, and reinvention.
  • Dan Le Batard:

    "The college game day Saturday experience...is the second greatest thing in the history of sports television not named the inside the NBA show for chemistry and reinvention." (02:45)

• Amin relays a story from Rhys Davis about GameDay travel on Saban’s private jet:
  • Quirk: Saban’s plane has no Wi-Fi, so they couldn't watch live games during flights (04:03–06:30). Saban just downloads coaching film instead.
  • Dan Le Batard:

    "You think Nick Saban watches games for fun?...He's working like he's still a head coach." (06:53)

  • Crew debates whether high-earning, competitive personalities like Saban and Jimmy Johnson really care about cost or just their routine and access to games.

2. Absurd Football Tactics & NFL Weekend Observations

(13:24–18:51)

• Transitioning into Amin’s “Weekend Observations,” the cast jokes about football innovation:
  • Recalls Mike Leach suggesting a little person (specifically comedian Brad Williams) being thrown for a first down.
    • Dan Le Batard:

      "You guys didn’t like that tush push by the Bills. But when the late Mike Leach suggested having Brad Williams in for short yarded situations and tossing them over the line...you all cheered." (14:23)

  • The crew runs with the absurdity:
    • "If you get like a jockey, he's like a javelin shape. So you can just toss… like a spiral." – Dan (15:24)
    • "What kind of bully do you have to be to fat shame a little person?" – Stugotz (15:09)

3. Historic NBA Futility: The Utah Jazz’s Defensive Dynasty

(16:02–18:27)

• Amin delivers the “Stat of the Day” about the Utah Jazz breaking the record for worst defensive rating in NBA history—three straight years.
  • Dan Le Batard:

    "For three consecutive years, the Utah Jazz have not only had the worst defensive rating in NBA history, they've improved on that by setting the record even further." (18:07)

  • Chris Cote calls it “historically the worst defensive basketball team there has ever been. By miles.” (18:21)
• The show riffs on the statistical misery, calling it a “dynasty” of futility.

4. Pop Culture, Award Shows, and Comedic Commentary

(24:51–28:31, 36:13–38:15)

• Brief detour to the Golden Globes and the lack of recognition for “Cinephobe,” Amin’s podcast.

  • Dan Le Batard:

    "Speaking of the Golden Globes, they gave away an award for best podcast. Cinephobe wasn't nominated." (24:51)

• Praise for Nikki Glaser as a standout awards show host, handling pressure and comedy for mainstream America.

  • Tony:

    "She seems to be the perfect person to host these events. Everybody likes her." (37:19)

  • The difficulty of live, large-scale productions (like GameDay and the Globes) is compared, praising the unseen coordination and talent.

• Mark Ruffalo’s appeal and self-image as a “leading man” are debated, with the crew poking fun at both him and themselves.

  • "You're Ruffalo. You're not supposed to think of yourself as the leading man." – Dan Le Batard (27:55)
  • The group riffs on actors' humility (or lack thereof), with Cote self-deprecatingly comparing himself to Ruffalo in “the schlubbiest ways.” (29:26)

5. Chaotic Youth Hockey Fight: Violence and Humor

(32:31–35:21)

• The group hilariously analyzes a viral video of 10-year-olds brawling during an intermission youth hockey game.
  • Tony: "They just started fighting and it became like...a melee." (32:47)
  • Amin points out two kids fighting on the same team (33:40), while Tony notes the crowd and coaches did little to stop it.
  • Cote observes:

    "That goalie is hell bent on destruction...The goalie is a menace who is being raised poorly, as all of those kids are by parents who are feeding a culture of violence that is stupid." (34:25, 35:10)

• The irresponsible hilarity of kids’ sports, the complicity of parents and coaches, and the sport’s normalization of chaos are all mocked.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Saban on TV:
  • "He is excellent...I find he comes off very likable. I like him now."
    – Amin Elhassan [02:17]
• On College GameDay’s Greatness:
  • "It's the second greatest thing in the history of sports television not named the Inside the NBA show for chemistry and reinvention."
    – Dan Le Batard [02:45]
• Saban's Jet & Film Obsession:
  • "Saban doesn’t spring for the wi-fi on his private jets...He never has to watch any live game because he watches film." – Amin & Dan [06:04, 06:53]
• Useless Football Innovation:
  • "If you get like a jockey, he's like a javelin shape. Toss it really like a spiral."
    – Dan Le Batard [15:24]
• Utah Jazz Defensive Futility:
  • "For three consecutive years, the Utah Jazz have...the worst defensive rating in NBA history...setting the record even further."
    – Dan Le Batard [18:07]
• Golden Globes & Comedy Hosting:
  • "She has like the perfect ability not only to deliver those jokes...but then throwing in the self-deprecating joke within it."
    – Tony [36:56]
• Children’s Hockey Brawl:
  • "He took out three people by just skating from one end of the rink to the other and then hitting them with all his pass....the goalie is a menace who is being raised poorly, as all of those kids are by parents who are feeding a culture of violence that is stupid."
    – Chris Cote [34:25, 35:10]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Nick Saban’s TV transformation & GameDay praise: 02:17–03:45
• Flying with Saban, no Wi-Fi story: 03:45–06:30
• Debate: Coaches watching games for fun or work: 06:53–08:47
• Insane football tactic: throw a little person for a first down: 14:23–15:32
• Utah Jazz’s historic defensive ineptitude ("Stat of the Day"): 17:11–18:27
• Nikki Glaser's Golden Globes hosting & TV production difficulty: 36:13–38:09
• Kid Hockey Brawl play-by-play and analysis: 32:31–35:21

Tone & Language

The tone is playful, irreverent, and self-deprecating—with hosts frequently riffing and pushing boundaries on sports, culture, and each other. The language stays sharp and rooted in the show's signature blend of humor and insight.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode highlights why the Dan Le Batard Show is both a unique window into sports entertainment and a relentless machine for absurd, laugh-out-loud banter. From lauding Nick Saban’s TV pivot and the magic of ESPN’s GameDay to lampooning ridiculous football ideas and award show hosts, the crew weaves insightful commentary with jokes that only their chemistry allows. The viral youth hockey fight discussion captures this perfectly—moving from mock-serious telestrator breakdowns to satirical scolding of sport parenting culture. Listeners leave entertained, informed, and probably still chuckling about the idea of a "dynasty" in defensive futility.