The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Local Hour: Bigger. Bigger! BIGGER!!! (feat. Mike Ryan)
Date: January 8, 2026
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Overview of the Episode

This episode revolves around the Miami Hurricanes’ long-awaited opportunity to compete in the College Football Playoff and the overwhelming sense among the show's cast (especially Mike Ryan) that this is not just a sports moment, but the “biggest game in 20 years” for Miami. The conversation, true to the show’s tone, fluidly bounces between hyped-up sports talk, personal investment, inside jokes, and sharp socio-political commentary, especially regarding current news in America. The “bigger” theme punctuates Dan’s demands that both the team behind the show and the city itself rise to the occasion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Demand for “Bigger” and Show Dynamics

• Dan’s Frustration with Complacency

  • Dan expresses frustration that the show didn’t seize the opportunity to do something huge to match the Miami Hurricanes moment, pushing for a “24-hour livestream” and reminiscing about the original 'shadow show' concept.
  • “Bigger. The game needs to be bigger.” (Dan, [02:11])
  • Others (including Mike Ryan) push back, noting fatigue and personal responsibilities, but Dan remains adamant: “Challenging Meadowlark Media—live the entire way.” ([06:37])

• Mike Ryan’s Personal Investment

  • Mike Ryan’s passion for the Hurricanes is on full display—he’s traveling with the team, financially and emotionally invested.
  • “There isn't a passion that matches this. The only thing that comes close […] was my former love for the Cleveland Browns, and I just took that passion and doubled up on my Hurricanes passion.” (Mike Ryan, [08:14])
  • Mike admits to moving money he used to spend on Inter Miami to Hurricanes Athletics. ([09:10])

2. Miami’s Moment & Media’s Role

• The Biggest Game in Decades

  • The hosts agree that this is the biggest football event Miami (college or pro) has seen in 20 years. Dan insists the city, fans, and the show must rise to meet the moment.
  • “This is the biggest thing. Football is the biggest thing. And in 20 years, they have not mattered—either team… Not really. Not like this.” (Dan, [07:01])

• Roots of Hurricanes Fandom & Show Content

  • The panel discusses how the show is entwined with Miami’s frequent heartbreak, debating if another loss is really "best for content."
  • “Over the course of its 20 plus years, [the show has] had enough of Miami sadness… I think 21 years in, we can finally have a happy ending.” (Mike Ryan, [22:16])

3. Crosscurrents: Sports, Distraction, and Real-World News

• Pivot to Current Events: Minneapolis Shooting & Government Response

  • The show confronts the day’s major news: a white woman being shot by law enforcement in Minneapolis, sparking significant outrage.
  • Mike Ryan and Dan argue about using the show’s platform to not ignore this moment, equating its significance to prior watershed moments like George Floyd.
  • “We cannot let this be okay. We cannot let life go on and not address what's happening right now.” (Mike Ryan, [10:17])
  • Dan denounces both the act and the political response: “You can't have fake police… You can't shout 'fake news'... and then have this, what you have happening right now in America.” (Dan, [29:55])

• Balancing Levity, Distraction, and Moral Responsibility

  • The hosts reflect on how their show often provides a needed distraction, but sometimes silence on national trauma becomes complicity.
  • "There are times for levity and there's times for transfer portal and there's times for the Verbo Fiesta Bowl. Maybe we can do all those things at the same time. But now is absolutely a time to use your microphone and say: this is not right." (Mike Ryan, [16:07])

4. Political and Media Critique

• Collapse of Norms: Media & Government Critiqued

  • The conversation turns toward the collapse of mainstream media and the dangerous way government actions are justified and reported.
  • “Mainstream media has already collapsed… CBS, home to 60 Minutes… is afraid of the mad king.” (Dan, [20:35])
  • “When you do a military action in a foreign land, saying it’s under the auspices of law enforcement… and then you announce the successful operation by saying, ‘we're going to run Venezuela’... that's not law enforcement, that is imperialism.” (Amin, [35:41])

• False Promises & Public Disillusion

  • Amin points out the dissonance between campaign promises and current actions, referencing Democrats and Republicans alike.
  • “If you voted for him, he's letting you down. He's not letting me down.” (Amin, [39:15])

5. College Football: Matchups, Odds, and the New Landscape

• Miami’s Football Strengths & Matchups

  • Mike Ryan lays out why Miami should be favored: strong pass rush and ground game, better preparation time than Ole Miss due to coaching changes.
  • "Miami should win this game based on its advantages and will only lose if they turn the ball over." (Dan, [25:25])
  • “Our coaches have way more time to prepare for this game now.” (Mike Ryan, [27:38])
  • Miami is described as “peaking at the right time,” signaling how college football now mirrors the NFL in unpredictability and importance of late-season surges. ([42:20])

• Parody in College Football

  • Discussion highlights increases in parity in college football, dismissing the old orthodoxy that early-season losses are disqualifying.
  • “You need to look at the regular season in college football in this new age of parody more like the NFL than you used to.” (Mike Ryan, [42:20])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[02:11] Dan: "The game needs to be bigger. And then we fart out that intro yesterday. And I'm like, no, bigger! ... We've been waiting for this football game for 20 years in this town, pro or amateur, like, bigger."

[08:14] Mike Ryan: "There isn't a passion that matches this. The only thing that comes close ... was my former love for the Cleveland Browns. That would have meant a lot, but I just took that passion for the Cleveland Browns and I doubled up on my Hurricanes passion."

[10:17] Mike Ryan (on the Minneapolis shooting): “We cannot let this be okay. We cannot let life go on and not address what's happening right now… This is not a political statement. I think this is an American statement.”

[16:07] Mike Ryan: “There are times for levity and there's times for transfer portal and there's times for the Verbo Fiesta Bowl. Maybe we can do all those things at the same time. But now is absolutely a time to use your microphone and say: this is not right.”

[20:35] Dan: "Mainstream media has already collapsed and now they're picking up the pieces. Of course CBS, home to 60 Minutes, is afraid of the mad king … as he chases Kimmel and bombs Venezuela because there's a loon in charge."

[22:16] Mike Ryan: “I think 21 years in, we can finally have a happy ending. I think that.”

[25:25] Dan: "Miami should win this game based on its advantages and will only lose it if they turn the ball over."

[35:41] Amin: “…when you do a military action in a foreign land, saying it’s under the auspices of law enforcement because this guy’s a drug trafficker, and then you announce… ‘we’re going to run Venezuela’… that’s not law enforcement, that is imperialism.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:00–04:30]: Dan pushes the crew on “bigger” coverage and Miami football’s rare championship moment.
• [08:00–10:00]: Mike Ryan opens up about his personal investment in the Hurricanes.
• [10:00–14:25]: The team addresses the shooting in Minneapolis and reflects on the show’s civic responsibility.
• [20:35–21:30]: Media critique; linking the current state of journalism to the show’s mission.
• [25:25–29:12]: Deep-dive on Miami’s matchup, advantages, and why Mike is so confident.
• [35:41–39:00]: Amin’s breakdown of American imperialism and constitutional process.
• [42:20–43:32]: The evolving college football landscape: why “parity” means a two-loss champion is possible.

Tone and Style

The episode oscillates between irreverent humor and earnest intensity. Dan is fiery, demanding, and poetic about the local moment and media’s failures. Mike is emotionally raw and personally invested, while Amin offers a sharply analytical—and often exasperated—global perspective. The crew’s camaraderie and insider references foster an atmosphere both playful and pressing.

For listeners: This episode delivers a whirlwind fusion of local sports euphoria, insider fandom, comedic banter, and a frank, sometimes somber, take on an America at a crossroads. It’s a candid illustration of why the Dan Le Batard Show resides at the intersection of sports and societal conversation: both matter, both hurt, and both can be “bigger.”