The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: Herald Emeritus

Date: October 20, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts/Contributors: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Greg Cody, Jonathan Zaslow, Billy Gil

Episode Overview

This Local Hour episode zeroes in on the current state of Miami sports, with deep dives into the turmoil surrounding the Miami Dolphins, the University of Miami Hurricanes’ recent struggles, and a meta-discussion about local sports media, leadership, and accountability. The cast debates whether the Dolphins’ or Hurricanes’ woes should lead the hour, unpacks the saga of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and playfully roasts Greg Cody for his chronic tardiness and “delayed” sports takes. Along the way, they riff on the cyclical pain of Miami fandom, the futility of seeking a franchise quarterback, and the dubious honorific of “Herald emeritus.”

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. What’s Wrong with the Dolphins?

[01:59–07:56]

• Dolphins Debacle: The crew expresses collective exasperation at the Dolphins’ latest collapse against the Browns, focusing especially on head coach Mike McDaniel (“might be fired today”—Zaslow at 02:57) and the performance of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
• Historical Perspective: The show bemoans 20+ years of failed quarterback searches, referencing names like Tannehill and Jay Fiedler and observing that this “rinse repeat” pattern is now Miami’s professional football legacy.
• On McDaniel:
  • “At any moment Mike McDaniel’s going to be fired today.”—Dan (02:57)
• On Tua’s Contract:
  • “Now it’s not just figuring out if you have a good quarterback. It’s figuring out how to manage having the worst contract in football.”—Dan (03:55)
  • Zaslow: “Deshaun Watson’s is the worst in football.” (04:06)

2. The Tua Tagovailoa Quandary

[07:56–16:29]

• Leadership Failings: After singing Tua’s praises for leadership last year, the group is now deeply concerned about his ability and outlook, both on the field and at the microphone.
• Cringeworthy Soundbite: Dan, Zas, and Mike Ryan dissect a rambling postgame Tua quote:
  • “All right, first of all, what the hell is he saying?” —Dan (09:40)
  • “It’s rambling nonsense. What are you talking about?” —Mike Ryan (09:49)
• Accountability or Overcorrection? The panel debates whether Tua is showing real accountability or overcompensating after his leadership was questioned in previous weeks.
  • “This is just more loser talk from a guy… you’re never gonna figure it out.”—Mike Ryan (12:53)
  • “He’s not that guy anymore.”—Mike Ryan (13:40)
• Quarterback Carousel: The fellas compare Tua’s trajectory to other QBs (Carson Wentz, Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones), framing it as another cautionary NFL tale.
  • “The league figures some guys out… there’s plenty of guys that get to that second contract. League figures you out.”—Mike Ryan (13:50)

3. Miami Sports Standards and Market Identity

[04:27–05:22, 16:16–18:46]

• What's the Real "Standard" in Miami? Dan argues that the University of Miami Hurricanes are the city’s true historic standard-bearer, even as the market obsesses over the Dolphins.
  • “What has better represented excellence in this market is the University of Miami.”—Dan (04:27)
• Local Sports Radio Rituals: Zaslow invokes old sports radio traditions (“You always start with the Dolphins”), only for Dan to counter that fans should focus more on the Hurricanes.
• Perpetual Frustration: The panel agrees that Miami's sports anguish is, perversely, part of the fan identity.

4. Greg Cody: Miami Herald Columnist vs. Tardiness Court

[26:27–33:43]

• Greg's Chronic Tardiness: A running gag takes center stage as the cast roast Greg Cody for showing up late and being “months late” to sports takes—especially his reticence on calling for McDaniel’s firing.
  • “Have you adjusted your morning schedule at all since my… suggestion to leave a little bit earlier?”—Dan (27:26)
  • “I leave plenty early enough.”—Greg (27:28)
• Who Is the Miami Herald Columnist (Emeritus)?
  • Zaslow: “Am I still a Miami Herald columnist?” (30:02)
  • Greg: “If you write once every five years, three years, you’re not a writer.”—Greg (33:00)
  • Ruling: “My ruling. Yes, he is [Herald columnist]. With prejudice.”—Dan (33:14)
• Emeritus Debate:
  • “To be Herald emeritus do you have to be dead?”—Zaslow (32:40)
  • “Emeritus is alive. You’re always the guy, even though you’re not active.”—Dan (32:51)

5. Quarterback Graveyard: Miami's Failing Search

[19:35–21:33, 39:02–41:16]

• Who Was Miami’s Best Post-Marino QB?
  • “The best quarterback this town has had post-Marino is Chad Pennington.”—Dan (19:35)
• The Cycle of Hope and Failure: Miami’s endless cycle of investing in QBs who flash, regress, and are replaced gets compared to league-wide examples.
• “You’re Not Special”: Mike Ryan runs through a list of QBs who once looked promising but fizzled (Derek Carr, Derek Anderson, Josh Freeman, Mitch Trubisky, etc.).
  • “You’re not a special little snowflake… you’re running into the same problems every franchise does when it tries to nail the franchise quarterback but falls short.”—Mike Ryan (20:38)

6. NFL Sunday Chaos and League-wide Parallels

[44:16–47:16]

• The Giants/Broncos Implosion: [44:16–46:18] They marvel at the rarity and absurdity of the Giants blowing a massive late lead, illustrating that NFL chaos isn’t unique to Miami.
  • “NFL teams had won 1602 consecutive games when leading by 18+ points late.”—Mike Ryan (45:16)
• Around the League: Quick notes on how other teams’ QB/leadership situations mirror Miami’s struggles, and rapid-fire Giants/Colts/Broncos discussion.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You cannot spend 20 years trying to figure out whether you have a good quarterback or not.” —Jonathan Zaslow (03:32)
• “I have never seen a quarterback throw himself under the bus the way that Tua did.” —Mike Ryan (08:50)
• “What do any of those words mean?” —Dan (09:47), after Tua’s rambling quote
• “Just because when losing comes, you’re not going to be able to lead, because this will bury everyone.” —Dan (18:46)
• “The best 25 years in the last 25 years after Marino, the best quarterback this town has is Chad Pennington.” —Jonathan Zaslow (19:38)
• “This is just more loser talk from a guy… you’re never gonna figure it out.” —Mike Ryan (12:53)
• “You are not a special little snowflake… you’re running into the same problems that every franchise does.” —Mike Ryan (20:38)
• “To be Herald emeritus, do you have to be dead? … Emeritus is alive. You’re always the guy, even though you’re not active.”—Zaslow/Dan (32:40–32:56)
• On Greg Cody’s lateness:
  • “If you believe I’m going to leave at a time to get to my work on time, you’re nuts.” —Greg Cody (43:19)
  • “Everyone knows I’m good at judging things.” —Dan (43:51)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dolphins Frustration & Firing McDaniel ........................................ [01:59–07:56]
• Tua Tagovailoa Rambling Interview & Accountability ................ [07:56–16:29]
• Miami Sports Standards & Market Identity ............................... [04:27–05:22], [16:16–18:46]
• Greg Cody’s Tardiness & Herald Columnist Bit ........................ [26:27–33:43]
• Quarterback Graveyard: NFL Parallels ..................................... [19:35–21:33], [39:02–41:16]
• Giants/Broncos Meltdown & NFL Chaos ................................. [44:16–47:16]

Flow, Tone, and Extras

• The chemistry of the crew shines, with banter seamlessly switching from serious sports talk to roasts and meta-humor.
• Miami’s sports existential crisis is both a subject of angst and comic relief, with everyone taking shots at each other to soften the pain of fandom.
• Tua’s leadership and articulation are dissected in detail, with the panel noting both his accountability and his lack of clarity (and the growing sense of hopelessness at QB).
• The Greg Cody lateness/columnist debate is a classic Le Batard Show meta-narrative, poking fun at the nature of opinions, employment, and city institution status.

Conclusion

This episode embodies the essence of The Dan Le Batard Show, blending cathartic Miami sports therapy with meta-media commentary, irreverent humor, and the camaraderie of a crew that’s seen it all. For longtime Miami fans or anyone familiar with the show’s inside jokes, it’s a rich, relatable, and thoroughly entertaining listen—even if, as Greg Cody, you arrive late.