The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Local Hour: The Aaron Judge Discovery

Date: March 26, 2026

Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their ensemble explore a blend of sports, pop culture, and their signature offbeat humor. This "Local Hour" episode pivots around Opening Day in Major League Baseball, the quirks of sports fandom, the rise of streaming in live sports (especially with Netflix and MLB), and a running fascination with athlete ages—especially Aaron Judge. The crew also dives into fan stories, Heat basketball, and the oddities of international sports culture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Most Surprising Places to Encounter Fans

Theme: How far the show’s influence and sports fandom stretches globally.

• Dan LeBatard marvels at unexpectedly finding fans in Australia, and especially the Philippines, attributing the latter to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra ("Filipino Jackson") making Miami culturally relevant there.
  • "I’m always surprised at the reach of some of this..." (01:15)
• Mike shares he was "Hawaii’s national morning sports radio show" for a stretch.
  • "The place that surprised me the most in terms of sheer volume was when I was in Hawaii..." (02:35)
• Zaz and others share their awkward fan encounters—bathroom stalls included.

2. "Looks Like" Game and Heat/NBA Talk

Theme: Blending sports banter with music and humor.

• Musical segment riffing on "Looks Like His Back, Jack," playfully comparing sports figures to unlikely lookalikes.
• Dan nudges Jeremy for not getting a baseball-themed version for Opening Day.

3. Baseball Opening Day & Aaron Judge Age Revelation

Theme: Baseball’s kickoff, fantasy baseball, and the shock over players’ ages.

• Jeremy Teshe and crew relive Opening Day: Yankees beat the Giants despite Judge going 0-4 with 4 strikeouts.
  • "Aaron Judge hadn’t looked like that in a baseball game in more than a year." (05:41)
• Mike stuns the crew: "Do you know he’s 33?... Ohtani’s two years younger than Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge is 33 years old." (06:12)
• Ongoing segment where cast discovers Aaron Judge is older than various surprising athletes: Anthony Davis, Jonas Valančiūnas, Jarvis Landry, and many more.
  • “He’s older than Bert Kreischer.” (30:03)
• Dan: "Put it on the poll... Are you shocked that Ohtani is two years younger than Aaron Judge? And also, are you shocked that Aaron Judge is 33 years old?" (06:36)
• Discussion of fantasy baseball rules involving Shohei Ohtani being split into two separate players—hitter and pitcher.

4. The Philippines, Viral Memes, and AI-Generated Sports Fandom

Theme: Sports memes, international fandom, and confusion over what's real.

• Le Batard describes being perplexed by a viral building banner in the Philippines celebrating an 83-point Bam Adebayo game with a photo of Dwight Howard instead ("It’s blue jersey. It’s not even Dwight Howard recently..."). (08:41)
• The crew unpacks the oddities, AI-like nature, and "proud of you" message in the meme.
• Zaz: "People in different parts of the world, they play by different rules... You know who we love? We’re gonna throw him in a Michael Jordan thing with Kobe..." (11:08)

5. Heat Basketball: Up-and-Down Performances & The "Turd Quarter"

Theme: Miami Heat rollercoaster, fan anguish, and NBA trivia.

• Recap of Heat’s win over the Cavaliers, rare praise for Khalil Ware, and ongoing jokes about Miami’s infamous third-quarter slumps ("The Turd Quarter").
  • Dan: "I’ve been hearing it called the turd quarter for four years." (13:16)
• Insistence that this bizarre third-quarter phenomenon "has to be totally random" and unexplainable (13:42).

6. NBA Statistical Oddities & Boredom with Greatness

Theme: Outlandish NBA achievements, especially Nikola Jokic and Luka Dončić.

• Dan: "Jokic again last night... He leads the NBA in rebounds per game, assists per game, triple-doubles... he goes 23-21-19." (14:36)
• Only Jokic has multiple 20+ point, 20+ rebound, 15+ assist games.
• Dan: "We’ve become... I’m so indifferent." (15:31)
• Luka Dončić has more 40-point games than Kawhi and Larry Bird combined.
  • "Luka now has 60 40-point games. That is more than Kawhi and Larry Bird combined." (20:04)
• Historic Timberwolves comeback against Houston: erasing a 13-point overtime deficit, a statistical first (21:27-22:35).

7. MLB’s Netflix Opening Day Broadcast: Revolution or Rejection?

Theme: The future of sports broadcasts, pushback from traditional fans, and the place for comedy in slow sports.

• Netflix’s $50 million, three-year MLB rights: Opening Day, Home Run Derby, Field of Dreams game.
• Fans reacted negatively to Netflix’s pregame coverage: comedians (Bert Kreischer), cross-promotion, lack of focus on baseball tradition.
  • Stugots: "It feels very similar to what Netflix did with WWE... it’s all about Netflix. MLB is not the main attraction..." (25:06)
  • Jeremy Teshe: "It was just an advertisement for itself..." (25:42)
• Traditionalists (and some of the crew) push for classic broadcasts.
  • Dan: "Baseball fans are the last place that wants a comedian around their broadcast... It’s the first place in sports that I want a comedian..." (27:06)
• Discussions on the balancing act between entertainment, accessibility, and respecting hardcore sports fans.

8. Athlete Names That Sound Like Candy Bars

Theme: Playful sidetrack inviting listener participation.

• Brainstorming game: Athletes whose names could be mistaken for candy bars ("Lars Nootbaar" as crowd favorite).
  • Jeremy Teshe: "Where else are you gonna get players who sound like candy bars, when Lars Nootbar comes into town?" (29:53)

9. Barry Bonds Returns, Tells Yankees Story

Theme: Baseball legend and his mythic New York almost-story.

• Barry Bonds on Netflix’s MLB coverage recounts a negotiation with the Yankees where George Steinbrenner gave an ultimatum, leading Bonds to hang up and sign with the Giants:
  • "George isn’t here anymore, so I can tell the truth, right? Well, I would have been [with] the Yankees, but Steinbrenner... you have to sign by 2:00... and I just hung the phone up." (36:36)
• Dan questions the veracity: "Do you believe that story?" (37:28)

10. Athlete Aging, PEDs, and Performance

Theme: When is the drop-off, and how much do steroids matter?

• Mike & Dan: Only outliers improve after age 33 (Paul O’Neill, Barry Bonds, with caveats)—implying fans should brace for an Aaron Judge slowdown:
  • "There’s the normal human aging process and then there’s going through the pharmacy and changing everything..." (40:23)
• Jokes about Gary Sheffield’s legendary "bat speed" and his stare-down with Pedro Martinez.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan (On global fans): "Our show’s very popular in the Philippines, and it’s because of Erik Spoelstra... Filipino Jackson and all of that stuff made him very popular in the Philippines." (01:15)
• Mike (On Hawaii Fandom): "I wasn’t aware that we were essentially, for a while there, Hawaii’s national morning sports radio show." (02:35)
• Mike (On Judge/Ohtani): "Ohtani’s two years younger than Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge is 33 years old." (06:12)
• Dan (On disbelief over athlete ages): "Put it on the poll... are you shocked that Aaron Judge is 33 years old?" (06:36)
• Jeremy Teshe (On Netflix pregame): "It was just an advertisement for itself... so many different promotions for their programming." (25:42)
• Dan (On streaming & tradition): "If you’re inviting the streaming services into the game... you’ve got to allow them to change some of what it is that you’re doing in the future. But... baseball fans are going to be more reluctant than any other fans." (27:06)
• Barry Bonds (On the Yankees negotiation): "George isn’t here anymore, so I can tell the truth, right? ... you have to sign the contract by 2:00 this afternoon. And I said, excuse me. And I just hung the phone up." (36:36)
• Dan (On performance-boosted aging athletes): "There’s the normal human aging process and then there’s going through the pharmacy and changing everything and playing until you’re 40 years old..." (40:23)

Important Timestamps

• [01:15] – Dan’s surprise at global show fandom (Australia, Philippines).
• [02:35] – Mike on "Hawaii’s national morning sports radio show."
• [06:12] – Mike’s revelation that Aaron Judge is 33 (and Ohtani is younger).
• [13:16] – Miami Heat and the "Turd Quarter" issue.
• [14:36] – Jokic’s historic stat line.
• [20:04] – Luka Dončić surpasses Kawhi + Larry Bird in 40-point games.
• [21:27] – Minnesota erases a 13-point OT deficit, a statistical first.
• [25:42] – Critique of Netflix’s MLB Opening Day pregame show.
• [27:06] – Dan: "Baseball fans are the last place that wants a comedian around their broadcast..."
• [29:53] – "Athletes who sound like candy bars" game begins.
• [36:36] – Barry Bonds tells the Yankees contract ultimatum story.
• [40:23] – Dan on "human aging" vs "pharmacy" in MLB careers.

Tone & Style

The episode features the show's classic mix: irreverent, fast-paced, and full of inside jokes, playful branded polls, and light-hearted ribbing about sports, pop culture, and themselves. The crew seamlessly segues from earnest sports analysis to absurdist games and meta-media commentary, inviting listeners to join in on both the mockery and the nostalgia.

For Further Listening or Engagement

• Participate in the day’s polls ("Are you shocked that Aaron Judge is 33?" etc.)
• Tweet athlete names that sound like candy bars
• Reflect on what makes a good (or bad) sports broadcast in the streaming era

This summary gives you a comprehensive look at the content, jokes, debates, and tangents that make the Dan Le Batard Show both a sports institution and a cultural comedy show—perfect even if you missed the episode.