The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: "Jeff-Initely or Jeff-Initely Not?"

Date: November 19, 2025
Setting: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Chris Cody, Zaslow, Louis, Reese, Eddie

Episode Overview

This episode of the "Local Hour" is signature Le Batard Show: a rapid-fire, spirited, and absurd trip through college football outrage, committee conspiracies, Miami sports, NBA injury debates, and nostalgia for athletic glory (and mediocrity). Behind the tongue-in-cheek banter lies real discussion about subjectivity in sports rankings, the modern NBA landscape, and how generational memory shapes sports conversation. There’s plenty of Miami homerism, meta-commentary on made-for-TV arguments, and a generous helping of sports-adjacent nonsense, all delivered with the show’s familiar irreverence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cream Cheese, Grit of Death, and the Vibes of the Room

[02:20] The show opens post-ads with Dan discovering a half-eaten bagel slathered with cream cheese, a mystery tied to Zaslow’s breakfast habits.
[03:07] Cream cheese policing in the studio: Ethan questioning Louis on cream cheese usage.
[03:24] Zaslow is serving a “grit of death” punishment, dressed as a "pope who really likes his cream cheese" and apparently a Chicago White Sox fan.

2. College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee: Outrage and Absurdity

[03:34] Mike Ryan's visible CFP-related hostility sets the tone.
[04:27] Dan’s analogy: “This is like complaining about the judges in boxing… The whole thing that college football is is feed the argument, feed the outrage before it even matters. Let’s do a television show on total contrivances.” [Dan – 04:27]
[05:11] CFP committee compared to open scoring in boxing; outrage as sport.

Key Segment:

[07:14 – 13:54] Extended argument over CFP rankings, especially the lack of consistency:
- Why is Notre Dame’s loss to Miami viewed as a moral victory, while Miami’s win over Notre Dame is disregarded?
- Year-to-year, criteria change (one year it’s “quality wins,” another it’s “quality losses”).
- “Why in the hell is Notre Dame ranked ahead of BYU?” [Stugotz – 10:15]
- “Because this year, for whatever the reason, they're measuring the losses.” [Dan – 11:25]
- Betting lines as "the ultimate judgment of quality": "When it comes to the judgment of money, Miami will be favored in all of its games." [Dan – 16:03]

Notable Quotes:

“It’s made-for-TV gymnastics... If you’re gonna make something for television, entertain me, man.” [Dan – 09:08]
“They went to this committee because we were upset with the computers…but there is no consistency.” [Stugotz – 09:24]

3. Notre Dame Bias, Miami Homerism, and CFP Conspiracies

[16:48] “Why does everyone love Notre Dame so much?” [Reese – 16:48]
“Sometimes the Pope knows why everyone loves Notre Dame so much.” [Dan, mocking Zaslow in costume – 16:52]
[17:29] Running gag: Does Notre Dame give a “kickback to the Vatican”?
- “Put it on the poll plays at @LeBatardShow: Does Notre Dame have to kick back to the Vatican?” [Dan – 17:37]
- “I’m Christian. But, yes, I do believe that there is a little bit of kickback back to the Vatican. Like, it’s tied in.” [Eddie – 22:55]

4. Human Judgment vs. Computers in Rankings

[24:06] Should the CFP use AI/computers instead of humans? AI would be less biased, but could they consider “head-to-head” if we write it into the algorithm?
- “Here we are, 20 years later, and the committee that was supposed to be a guardrail against bypassing Head to Head is once again bypassing Head to Head.” [Stugotz – 24:35]
- “Now it's like having a conversation with you.” [Mike Ryan on AI's sophistication – 25:07]

5. Meta Commentary: Arguing for the Sake of Arguing

[25:29] Dan’s awareness: Debating rankings in November is just content filler.
- “It’s just something we do to entertain ourselves during the week, during a content week where you need stuff to feed on.” [Dan – 25:29]

6. John Oliver References – Death Metal Beauty Pageant

[26:29] Dan references John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight”: “...a talent portion of a beauty contest... the woman... was just doing death metal.”
Followed by a bit on "robots on TV committees" and slapstick robot fail videos.

7. NBA Road Woes, Schedule Complaints, and Resting Stars

[27:51] Focus shifts to the visiting Golden State Warriors: Steve Kerr complaining about the toughest road trip ever.
“I never expect a star to play in that league.” [Stugotz, discussing expected absences of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler – 28:30]
[29:25] Mike Ryan’s take: The NBA’s rest/injury rules are easy to game – “If you just start the lie a little earlier…” [29:25]

Notable Quote:

“What is the league gonna do, fly doctors in? Like, open your mouth, stick out your tongue... No, they're just gonna take your word for it.” [Mike Ryan – 29:25]

8. The Pace and Injury Problem in NBA Basketball

[34:44] – [36:26] Steve Kerr soundbite and discussion:
- More pace, more possessions = more injuries (mostly soft tissue/non-contact, not “physical” injuries)
- “Players are running faster and further than ever before…We’re trying to protect them, but basically have a game every other night and it’s not easy.” [Steve Kerr – 34:44]
Developmental debate: Single-sport focus (AAU) vs. playing multiple sports to avoid overuse injuries (Gretzky, Jerry Rice, Jordan anecdote) [37:04–38:35]

9. NBA Softball League Tangent

[39:00] Who’d be the #1 pick in a fictional NBA men’s softball league?
Banter about NBA players’ athleticism and size (with comical takes on Victor Wembanyama’s “strike zone”).

10. “Stat of the Day” and Basketball Nostalgia

[40:38] Stat: Steph Curry has 47 games with 9 or more three-pointers made (next closest: Damian Lillard with 14).
Reminiscing about Brian Shaw’s 10-threes game as a groundbreaking event, compared to today’s barrage.

11. TV Show Wars: “Get Up” vs. Le Batard Show

[44:03] Mike Ryan (half-mocking): “Dan, Get Up is doing a better show than you right now.”
Introduction of the bit: "Jeff-initely or Jeff-initely Not?" inspired by ESPN’s programming.

12. Legacy and Generational Amnesia in Sports & Comedy

[45:08] – [46:46] Will Eddie Murphy be remembered by Gen Z the way older generations remember Richard Pryor or George Carlin?
Dan’s point: “None of you saw Babe Ruth play, but you all know who Babe Ruth is.” [46:11]
Mike Ryan pushes back: “Kids nowadays don't know shit about anything that happened before they were alive. These are people who have never watched The Godfather.” [47:07]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Dan’s boxing analogy on CFP outrage:
“Let’s do a television show on total contrivances. It’s like doing a television show after the third round in boxing by asking the judges what they think so far.” [04:27]
On CFP’s lack of consistent criteria:
“We went to this committee because we were upset with the computers…there is no consistency.” [Stugotz – 09:24]
On betting lines as truth:
“When it comes to the judgment of money, Miami will be favored in all of its games...they are always expected to win every single game they play this season.” [Dan – 16:03]
On TV argument culture:
“It’s just something we do to entertain ourselves during the week, during a content week where you need stuff to feed on.” [Dan – 25:29]
On NBA injury landscape:
“[Injuries are] not like, ‘Oh, I got hit and then my chest caved in or whatever.’ It's soft tissue injuries... due to wear and tear.” [Mike Ryan – 36:41]
On generational memory:
“Kids nowadays don’t know shit about anything that happened before they were alive.” [Mike Ryan – 47:07]
On NBA players in a softball league:
“He would help you, though. Anything that is a ground ball to the infield, anywhere in the infield, he just stretches and you can just flip him... the third baseman. Can you picture that visual?” [Dan – 39:23]

Timestamps for Important Segments

02:20–04:00: Cream cheese banter and Zaslow’s “pope” grit of death costume
04:27–09:24: CFP outrage, boxing analogy, and committee critiques
13:17–16:48: “Quality losses” vs. “quality wins” and betting lines as justice
16:48–17:43: Notre Dame Vatican “kickback” conspiracy
24:03–25:07: Should computers run the playoff rankings?
26:29–27:25: John Oliver’s death metal beauty queen; “robots on the committee”
28:28–30:51: NBA star rest/injury politics, league fines, and loopholes
34:44–36:41: Steve Kerr on NBA pace and injuries; multi-sport athlete advantage
40:38–41:30: “Stat of the Day” – Steph Curry’s dominance from three
44:03–44:33: TV programming wars: “Get Up’s” ‘Jeff-initely or Jeff-initely Not?’
45:08–47:24: Comedy legacy, sports memory, and generational disconnect

Overall Tone and Style

The episode is breezy, irreverent, and hyper-local in flavor, mixing serious sports analysis with surreal bits, inside jokes, and Miami-centric pride. The tone swerves easily from genuine frustration about college football’s subjectivity to playful mockery and pop culture tangents.

Recommended Listen If...

You want:

Sharp, funny commentary on the absurdities of college football rankings
A little NBA injury/pace nerding
Miami sports talk plus TV/media self-awareness
What it sounds like when a group of friends continually challenge each other on “what really matters” in sports

(End of summary)

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: "Jeff-Initely or Jeff-Initely Not?"

Date: November 19, 2025
Setting: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Chris Cody, Zaslow, Louis, Reese, Eddie

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cream Cheese, Grit of Death, and the Vibes of the Room

[02:20] The show opens post-ads with Dan discovering a half-eaten bagel slathered with cream cheese, a mystery tied to Zaslow’s breakfast habits.
[03:07] Cream cheese policing in the studio: Ethan questioning Louis on cream cheese usage.
[03:24] Zaslow is serving a “grit of death” punishment, dressed as a "pope who really likes his cream cheese" and apparently a Chicago White Sox fan.

2. College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee: Outrage and Absurdity

[03:34] Mike Ryan's visible CFP-related hostility sets the tone.
[04:27] Dan’s analogy: “This is like complaining about the judges in boxing… The whole thing that college football is is feed the argument, feed the outrage before it even matters. Let’s do a television show on total contrivances.” [Dan – 04:27]
[05:11] CFP committee compared to open scoring in boxing; outrage as sport.

Key Segment:

[07:14 – 13:54] Extended argument over CFP rankings, especially the lack of consistency:
- Why is Notre Dame’s loss to Miami viewed as a moral victory, while Miami’s win over Notre Dame is disregarded?
- Year-to-year, criteria change (one year it’s “quality wins,” another it’s “quality losses”).
- “Why in the hell is Notre Dame ranked ahead of BYU?” [Stugotz – 10:15]
- “Because this year, for whatever the reason, they're measuring the losses.” [Dan – 11:25]
- Betting lines as "the ultimate judgment of quality": "When it comes to the judgment of money, Miami will be favored in all of its games." [Dan – 16:03]

Notable Quotes:

“It’s made-for-TV gymnastics... If you’re gonna make something for television, entertain me, man.” [Dan – 09:08]
“They went to this committee because we were upset with the computers…but there is no consistency.” [Stugotz – 09:24]

3. Notre Dame Bias, Miami Homerism, and CFP Conspiracies

[16:48] “Why does everyone love Notre Dame so much?” [Reese – 16:48]
“Sometimes the Pope knows why everyone loves Notre Dame so much.” [Dan, mocking Zaslow in costume – 16:52]
[17:29] Running gag: Does Notre Dame give a “kickback to the Vatican”?
- “Put it on the poll plays at @LeBatardShow: Does Notre Dame have to kick back to the Vatican?” [Dan – 17:37]
- “I’m Christian. But, yes, I do believe that there is a little bit of kickback back to the Vatican. Like, it’s tied in.” [Eddie – 22:55]

4. Human Judgment vs. Computers in Rankings

[24:06] Should the CFP use AI/computers instead of humans? AI would be less biased, but could they consider “head-to-head” if we write it into the algorithm?
- “Here we are, 20 years later, and the committee that was supposed to be a guardrail against bypassing Head to Head is once again bypassing Head to Head.” [Stugotz – 24:35]
- “Now it's like having a conversation with you.” [Mike Ryan on AI's sophistication – 25:07]

5. Meta Commentary: Arguing for the Sake of Arguing

[25:29] Dan’s awareness: Debating rankings in November is just content filler.
- “It’s just something we do to entertain ourselves during the week, during a content week where you need stuff to feed on.” [Dan – 25:29]

6. John Oliver References – Death Metal Beauty Pageant

[26:29] Dan references John Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight”: “...a talent portion of a beauty contest... the woman... was just doing death metal.”
Followed by a bit on "robots on TV committees" and slapstick robot fail videos.

7. NBA Road Woes, Schedule Complaints, and Resting Stars

[27:51] Focus shifts to the visiting Golden State Warriors: Steve Kerr complaining about the toughest road trip ever.
“I never expect a star to play in that league.” [Stugotz, discussing expected absences of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler – 28:30]
[29:25] Mike Ryan’s take: The NBA’s rest/injury rules are easy to game – “If you just start the lie a little earlier…” [29:25]

Notable Quote:

“What is the league gonna do, fly doctors in? Like, open your mouth, stick out your tongue... No, they're just gonna take your word for it.” [Mike Ryan – 29:25]

8. The Pace and Injury Problem in NBA Basketball

[34:44] – [36:26] Steve Kerr soundbite and discussion:
- More pace, more possessions = more injuries (mostly soft tissue/non-contact, not “physical” injuries)
- “Players are running faster and further than ever before…We’re trying to protect them, but basically have a game every other night and it’s not easy.” [Steve Kerr – 34:44]
Developmental debate: Single-sport focus (AAU) vs. playing multiple sports to avoid overuse injuries (Gretzky, Jerry Rice, Jordan anecdote) [37:04–38:35]

9. NBA Softball League Tangent

[39:00] Who’d be the #1 pick in a fictional NBA men’s softball league?
Banter about NBA players’ athleticism and size (with comical takes on Victor Wembanyama’s “strike zone”).

10. “Stat of the Day” and Basketball Nostalgia

[40:38] Stat: Steph Curry has 47 games with 9 or more three-pointers made (next closest: Damian Lillard with 14).
Reminiscing about Brian Shaw’s 10-threes game as a groundbreaking event, compared to today’s barrage.

11. TV Show Wars: “Get Up” vs. Le Batard Show

[44:03] Mike Ryan (half-mocking): “Dan, Get Up is doing a better show than you right now.”
Introduction of the bit: "Jeff-initely or Jeff-initely Not?" inspired by ESPN’s programming.

12. Legacy and Generational Amnesia in Sports & Comedy

[45:08] – [46:46] Will Eddie Murphy be remembered by Gen Z the way older generations remember Richard Pryor or George Carlin?
Dan’s point: “None of you saw Babe Ruth play, but you all know who Babe Ruth is.” [46:11]
Mike Ryan pushes back: “Kids nowadays don't know shit about anything that happened before they were alive. These are people who have never watched The Godfather.” [47:07]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Dan’s boxing analogy on CFP outrage:
“Let’s do a television show on total contrivances. It’s like doing a television show after the third round in boxing by asking the judges what they think so far.” [04:27]
On CFP’s lack of consistent criteria:
“We went to this committee because we were upset with the computers…there is no consistency.” [Stugotz – 09:24]
On betting lines as truth:
“When it comes to the judgment of money, Miami will be favored in all of its games...they are always expected to win every single game they play this season.” [Dan – 16:03]
On TV argument culture:
“It’s just something we do to entertain ourselves during the week, during a content week where you need stuff to feed on.” [Dan – 25:29]
On NBA injury landscape:
“[Injuries are] not like, ‘Oh, I got hit and then my chest caved in or whatever.’ It's soft tissue injuries... due to wear and tear.” [Mike Ryan – 36:41]
On generational memory:
“Kids nowadays don’t know shit about anything that happened before they were alive.” [Mike Ryan – 47:07]
On NBA players in a softball league:
“He would help you, though. Anything that is a ground ball to the infield, anywhere in the infield, he just stretches and you can just flip him... the third baseman. Can you picture that visual?” [Dan – 39:23]

Timestamps for Important Segments

02:20–04:00: Cream cheese banter and Zaslow’s “pope” grit of death costume
04:27–09:24: CFP outrage, boxing analogy, and committee critiques
13:17–16:48: “Quality losses” vs. “quality wins” and betting lines as justice
16:48–17:43: Notre Dame Vatican “kickback” conspiracy
24:03–25:07: Should computers run the playoff rankings?
26:29–27:25: John Oliver’s death metal beauty queen; “robots on the committee”
28:28–30:51: NBA star rest/injury politics, league fines, and loopholes
34:44–36:41: Steve Kerr on NBA pace and injuries; multi-sport athlete advantage
40:38–41:30: “Stat of the Day” – Steph Curry’s dominance from three
44:03–44:33: TV programming wars: “Get Up’s” ‘Jeff-initely or Jeff-initely Not?’
45:08–47:24: Comedy legacy, sports memory, and generational disconnect

Overall Tone and Style

Recommended Listen If...

You want:

Sharp, funny commentary on the absurdities of college football rankings
A little NBA injury/pace nerding
Miami sports talk plus TV/media self-awareness
What it sounds like when a group of friends continually challenge each other on “what really matters” in sports

(End of summary)

Local Hour: Jeff-Initely or Jeff-Initely Not?

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Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: "Jeff-Initely or Jeff-Initely Not?"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cream Cheese, Grit of Death, and the Vibes of the Room

2. College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee: Outrage and Absurdity

3. Notre Dame Bias, Miami Homerism, and CFP Conspiracies

4. Human Judgment vs. Computers in Rankings

5. Meta Commentary: Arguing for the Sake of Arguing

6. John Oliver References – Death Metal Beauty Pageant

7. NBA Road Woes, Schedule Complaints, and Resting Stars

8. The Pace and Injury Problem in NBA Basketball

9. NBA Softball League Tangent

10. “Stat of the Day” and Basketball Nostalgia

11. TV Show Wars: “Get Up” vs. Le Batard Show

12. Legacy and Generational Amnesia in Sports & Comedy

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Overall Tone and Style

Recommended Listen If...

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: "Jeff-Initely or Jeff-Initely Not?"

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cream Cheese, Grit of Death, and the Vibes of the Room

2. College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee: Outrage and Absurdity

3. Notre Dame Bias, Miami Homerism, and CFP Conspiracies

4. Human Judgment vs. Computers in Rankings

5. Meta Commentary: Arguing for the Sake of Arguing

6. John Oliver References – Death Metal Beauty Pageant

7. NBA Road Woes, Schedule Complaints, and Resting Stars

8. The Pace and Injury Problem in NBA Basketball

9. NBA Softball League Tangent

10. “Stat of the Day” and Basketball Nostalgia

11. TV Show Wars: “Get Up” vs. Le Batard Show

12. Legacy and Generational Amnesia in Sports & Comedy

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Overall Tone and Style

Recommended Listen If...