The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Local Hour: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GREG COTE!
Date: September 10, 2025
Podcast Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Greg Cote, and friends
Location: Live from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami

Overview

This "Local Hour" of The Dan Le Batard Show centers around Greg Cote’s 71st birthday, blending the crew’s usual freewheeling banter about South Florida sports, radio vs. print media dynamics, and communal ribbing, with more thoughtful moments of sports nostalgia and local media history. Notable threads include a celebration of Greg Cote’s legacy, a spirited “soup-off” competition, a deep dive into beloved South Florida soccer icon Ray Hudson, and a tense, impassioned debate about the Miami Dolphins’ rocky start to the NFL season.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

🎉 Celebrating Greg Cote’s 71st Birthday (03:45–09:00)

• Greg’s Age Revealed

  • After decades of secrecy, Greg hints at turning 71:

    "A year ago, I rented a yacht to celebrate my 70th birthday. So you need to do the math on this one." (04:00, Greg Cote).

  • The show shares stories from the “sad yacht” party, teasing Greg about the less-than-glamorous state of the yacht’s interior.

• Running Jokes and Greg’s "Back in My Day" Identity

  • Playful pushes for Greg to embrace his “back in my day” persona, both as a sportswriter and as a generational voice on the show.

    "He got tired on ESPN radio... He quit on that long before back in my day. But this is a bonafide banger right here." (05:36, Dan).

• Warmth Amidst Roasting

  • The crew recognizes Greg's enduring role in the show, both for his quirks and sincerity:

    "The gift of Greg Cody on this show over those years should turn today in a, into a party." (10:34, Dan).

🎙️ Print vs. Radio vs. Podcast: The Media Banter (12:16–17:00)

• Print vs. Radio Rivalry

  • Stugotz and Greg play up their respective media backgrounds, with Greg defending print’s legacy and Stugotz extolling the pressure and prestige of live radio:

    Stugotz: "Between the two of us, you're a print guy, I'm a radio guy. Between the two of us, you tried to get into my business. I never tried to get into your business." (13:03) Greg: "Yeah, because you couldn't have... that requires putting words in a particular order... in a way that's entertaining." (13:14)

  • Chris Cody reframes the fight, noting that Greg became a "podcaster long ago," suggesting that the boundaries between media types are now blurry.

• Dinosaurs and Komodo Dragons

  • The team playfully discusses which medium is "extinct":

    "Dinosaurs are beloved... My kid has never said, hey, can you get me a toy Komodo dragon?" (13:53, Chris).

🥄 The Chef's Hat & Soup-Off Rivalry (27:45–32:30)

• Greg’s Chef Identity

  • Greg shows up wearing a custom chef’s hat (“Greg Cody Show” logo and all), and the group ranks him as the best cook among them—except in competitions, where he’s winless.
  • Mike Ryan, surprisingly, challenges Greg to a “soup-off,” with the two outlining their recipes:
    • Greg: "Sausage and lentil with a little bit of kale... It's not as foofy." (30:13)
    • Mike: "Thai food. Curry, ginger, chicken, farro. We got coconut milk in it." (30:42)

• Good-Natured Trash Talk

  • Mike critiques Greg’s culinary techniques:

    "I saw him over there chopping [red pepper] into a fine dice. Hey. Worry about your own soup." (31:11, Mike)

  • Greg is animated, joking about losing to Roy and Dan in past cook-offs and recounts indignantly losing a pumpkin-carving contest:

    "Jessica beat me on that and should not have. I carved by hand. She had a machine!" (29:20)

⚽ Honoring Ray Hudson: South Florida’s Soccer Legend (17:34–23:17)

• Ray Hudson’s Impact
  • Greg reflects on Hudson’s influence:

    "He was the first athlete who I associate with my big break in journalism... covering the Fort Lauderdale Strikers... all of a sudden, a year after covering... high schools... I'm in Vancouver covering the Strikers." (18:33, Greg)

  • Hudson is celebrated as a flamboyant player, coach, and, above all, broadcaster:

    "This is the greatest sports voice to have ever come out of South Florida... his voice has internationally resonated with flamboyance..." (20:35, Dan)

  • Sample Ray Hudson commentary:

    "Vinicius on the wit, like Dracula that will play the liver...." (21:17, Greg doing Hudson impression)

  • Dan proposes a daily 30-second tribute to Hudson until the World Cup.

🏈 Dolphins Panic: A Heated Breakdown (35:06–48:53)

• Doom and Gloom Over the Dolphins
  • Dan, Stugotz, and the panel debate the Dolphins’ disastrous season opener and the wave of panic gripping fans:

    "I can't remember something that felt quite like this this early in the season..." (35:06, Dan) "By far the worst performance in the NFL in week one... But it's a gross over exaggeration and knee jerk to say they're done." (36:45, Greg)

  • The crew discusses what a second straight loss (“O-2”) could mean—potentially leading to a major shakeup, with some calling for firing GM Chris Greer or even contemplating a Tyreek Hill trade.
  • Chris Cody injects much-needed reason:

    "Everyone knows this is just like a middle of the road team... The window closed. But... did the window ever even really exist?" (47:26, Chris)

  • The tension between "nuance/perspective" and "fan panic" is stark:

    "You guys are attacking a columnist for trying to show some level of nuance or, like, perspective here. And, like, you should be more of a fan and just fire everyone immediately." (43:20, Chris)

  • Stugotz and Mike press Greg on whether this week's loss cements a "collapse":

    Mike: "If they show up unprepared again... someone's paying for it." (39:27) Dan: "This is built on something that's really flimsy and everyone around it is... howling: this is the beginning of the end, obviously." (45:22)

  • Greg stands firm on not panicking after one game:

    "The Dolphins are not as bad as they looked in the opener... I'm just saying it's one game and you can't refute that." (46:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Greg Cote’s Age:

  “A year ago, I rented a yacht to celebrate my 70th birthday. So you need to do the math on this one.”
  – Greg Cote (04:00)

• On the Print vs. Radio Rivalry:

  “Between the two of us, you tried to get into my business. I never tried to get into your business.”
  – Stugotz (13:03)

  "Yeah, because you couldn't have... that requires putting words in a particular order, making... paragraphs in a way that's entertaining."
  – Greg Cote (13:14)

• Ray Hudson Tribute:

  “This is the greatest sports voice to have ever come out of South Florida. We can go all nationalities, all languages…”
  – Dan Le Batard (20:35)

• On Dolphins’ Panic:

  “You’re in a burning building saying that Mike McDaniel’s got a sprinkler over here. That a Patriots win solves the way they lost in game one…”
  – Dan Le Batard (37:18)

  “The Dolphins are not as bad as they looked in the opener... I'm just saying it's one game...”
  – Greg Cote (46:56)

  “You guys are attacking a columnist for trying to show some level of nuance or, like, perspective here...”
  – Chris Cody (43:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Greg Cote’s Birthday and Yacht Stories: 03:45–09:00
• Print vs. Radio vs. Podcast Argument: 12:16–17:00
• Ray Hudson Tribute and Soccer Memories: 17:34–23:17
• Soup-Off Competition & Chef Talk: 27:45–32:30
• Dolphins Meltdown Debate: 35:06–48:53

Tone and Atmosphere

As always, the tone is irreverent, warm, and occasionally combative—equal parts affectionate roast, sports debate, and meta-commentary on Miami’s unique sports/media scene. Greg Cote is both the butt of jokes and the emotional anchor, his story celebrated even as his attention (and chef hat) wane.

For the Uninitiated

This episode typifies the show’s blend of comedy, sports nostalgia, and self-satirical media insiderism. You don’t need to be a Miami sports expert or lifelong listener to enjoy the spirited arguments, the local color, and the way the crew bounces from Dolphins despair to a soup contest, always with a wink.

(Summary excludes ad reads and sponsor messages.)