The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: Local Hour: The Moratorium

Date: March 25, 2026

Episode Overview

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this “Local Hour” episode delivers the signature Le Batard blend of South Florida-centric sports talk, quirky pop culture observations, and playful internal banter. The running theme is “moratorium”—interpreted loosely as reflection and eulogy—paired with segments on the Miami Dolphins’ drastic roster strategy, the significance of coaching changes in college basketball, and memorable sports media headlines. Throughout, the crew debates sports intensity, pokes fun at each other’s quirks, and wryly explores the absurdities of sports culture and Miami living.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Morning Dysfunction & Show Operations (01:30–04:00)

• Late Arrivals and "Shadow Show" Confusion:
  • Greg Cody opens with claims about being the only sports show “broadcasting descent” and teases his own legendary tardiness.
  • The crew riffs on show start times, Greg’s chronic lateness, and the mystery of the “shadow show” (an off-air preamble Greg doesn’t understand).
  • Dominique Foxworth and others debate who is earlier to the studio, wryly invoking “spring break traffic.”
  • Quote: "Who starts anything at 8:55?" - Dominique Foxworth (03:08)
  • Tony Reali gives insider radio logic: starting just before the hour snags listeners before rival shows start (03:21).

2. Dress Code Debates & Golf Course “Jeansgate” (04:03–04:32)

• Roy Bellamy is razzed for allegedly wearing jeans (or “jean-esque” pants) to a golf course.
• The group debates whether jeans are ever acceptable golf attire, fixates on the technical “jean nipple” (the small rivet/button), and launches a new poll: “Can you wear jeans to the golf course?”
• Quote: "Put it on the poll at Le Batard Show—can you wear jeans to the golf course, yes or no?" - Greg Cody (04:28)

3. “Looks Like” Bracket: Sports Doppelgängers (04:50–06:34)

• Martin Sadness (Billy Gil) launches into the annual "Looks Like" parody song—riffing on which public figures resemble each other.
• Includes jokes about Adam Silver, Jim Harbaugh, Andy Reid, and others.
• Interlude of musical absurdity: "(Adam Silver) looks like a torpedo bat," "(Jim Harbaugh) looks like a casket salesman."

4. The Strangest ESPN Headline & Cornhole Crime Saga (06:34–09:14)

• Greg Cody submits possibly the weirdest ESPN.com headline ever:
  “Quadruple Amputee Cornhole Player Fatally Shoots Man.”
• The group unpacks the absurdity: How did the player shoot someone? Was it a cornhole dispute? He was also the getaway driver.
• Dominique Foxworth marvels at the driving logistics and mock-argues over terminology (“stubbs”).
• Quote: "There were four guys in the car and the one with no arms and legs was driving." - Dominique Foxworth (08:05)
• Quote: “Is Cornhole a sport?” - Greg Cody (07:18, proposing a poll)

5. Language Games: All Words Are “Made Up” (09:31–09:58)

• Greg Cody’s misunderstanding of football terminology (“targets”), sparks a debate over the nature of language.
• Leads to another poll concept: “Is every word made up?”
• Quote: “Every word is made up. At one point, every word has a birth point.” - Greg Cody (09:51)

6. Miami Dolphins in "Coupon Discount Bin" & Tua’s Awkward Presser (10:01–16:40)

Dolphins' Strategy & Press Conference Breakdown

• Roster Purge & “Moneyball” (Key segment: 10:01–26:15):

  • Greg Cody and crew discuss the Dolphins’ highly unusual strategy: fielding a team with 43 players on league-minimum contracts, driven by enormous dead cap hit from past contracts.
  • Adam Schefter’s reporting: Miami operating with $133 million in cap space, $175M+ in dead cap, “tearing it down from the ground up.”
    • Quote: “We’ve never seen a team ever try to do what the Dolphins are about to try to do.” - Adam Schefter (21:54)
  • Group explores whether this is a "Moneyball" approach—Consensus: Not really, as NFL cap makes true “Moneyball” impossible; this is a pure rebuild.

• Tua in Atlanta & Zoom Mannerisms (10:43–16:40):

  • Tua’s first Atlanta press conference discussed. His vague, awkward Zoom answers are interpreted as ungracious, especially given his generous past contract.
  • Tony Reali: "Anytime he’s asked about the Miami Dolphins... he should be incredibly gracious to the organization." (13:31)
  • Zaslow defends: “This video is super benign... He just looks like a guy answering questions he doesn’t want to be answered.” (13:43)
  • Dan highlights how pro-athlete/coach conflict is more common than fans realize (Stephen Jackson story, 11:14–12:30).

• Dissection of Blame & Scapegoating:

  • Crew debates whether Tua was scapegoated for organizational failure or benched just because he played poorly.
  • Quote: “They left him out there to be maximum scapegoat.” - Dan Le Batard (15:04)
  • Dominique: “There would have been nothing wrong with him saying... ‘I didn’t think I should’ve been benched. I think they made me a scapegoat.’” (16:13)

7. College Basketball Coaching Carousel, Miami’s Turnaround, and Jay Lucas (27:43–38:42)

• UNC Opening and Jay Lucas as Candidate:
  • Greg Cody: UNC now open, might be second most prestigious job in college hoops.
  • Billy Donovan rumored as leading candidate, with Todd Golden in the odds mix. Jay Lucas “too young,” but Cody debates whether the best turnaround ever makes him a legit candidate instantly.
  • Quote: “It’s the best turnaround in the history of college basketball.” - Greg Cody (32:10)
• “Moratorium/In Memoriam” & Miami-Specific Myopia:
  • Roy Bellamy checks if Miami’s “in memoriam” (the moratorium) has been conducted yet.
  • Group debates whether coaching fast-risers get due credit in hoops vs. football, if Lucas is being dismissed for youth, and whether “myopia” is distorting Miami’s view.
  • Nods to collegiate job prestige: “If you’re North Carolina fans, do you want a guy from Duke?” - Dominique Foxworth (38:42)
• Money’s Role in College Basketball:
  • Discussion on NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) and how money, not coaching “charm,” is now the biggest factor.

8. Press Conference Gags: Recycling the "Wife as Recruiting Coup" Joke (38:54–41:29)

• Providence coach Brian Hodgson re-uses a corny joke (“just look at my wife!”) at his new job’s presser, after bombing with it the previous year at USF.
• The group pokes fun at the recycled routine, the “finger guns,” and how crowd size and local culture affect what gets laughs.

9. Local Miami Living—The Mundane and the Musical (41:42–44:09)

• Greg Cody observes Miami residents muttering to themselves about high prices and Roy Bellamy singing made-up bacon songs (“I got bacon in my hand”).
• Roy vs. Greg in “song territory"; confusion if Roy was parodying Dave Damashek or just freestyling.

10. “Scarface” Ignorance Shocks the Room (44:43–46:42)

• Greg Cody admits never seeing the iconic Miami gangster film Scarface, shocking the cast.
• Tony Reali: “It’s shocking that you’ve never seen Scarface… I was probably like 8 or 9 years old.” (45:12)
• Dominique Foxworth: Argues Pacino’s accent is the film’s most memorable (if notorious) feature: “When I think of Scarface, the first, almost the only thing I think of is how vilified and mocked he was for his accent.” (46:09)
• Dan pushes back, citing Scarface as Pacino’s most famous role and a key Miami cultural reference.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tua’s Dysfunctional Dolphins Tenure:

  • “He was the last thing standing at the end after they got rid of everyone else.” —Dan Le Batard (15:56)
  • “You get that 60 mil for that blame.” —Mike Ryan (16:12)

• On the Dolphins’ 2026 Roster:

  • “43 players at the minimum. That’s lunacy. You can’t win. Half of your starters are going to be minimum guys.” —Greg Cody (22:57)

• On the Moneyball Analogy:

  • “The Moneyball strategy is… finding the value and trying to win with that. The Dolphins know they’re not going to win like this.” —Tony Reali (25:48)

• On College Basketball Job Prestige:

  • “There’s Kentucky, there’s Kansas, there’s Duke, there’s North Carolina—pristine jobs. You’re looking at guys in the NBA, guys that have won national titles.” —Roy Bellamy (38:19)

• On Scarface as Cultural Touchstone:

  • “That’s only Cubans who care about that. And if you’ve not been watching the news lately, nobody cares what Cubans think about anything.” —Dan Le Batard (46:36)
  • “When I think of Scarface, the first, almost the only thing I think of is how vilified and mocked he was for his accent.” —Dominique Foxworth (46:09)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Late Arrivals & Show Banter: 01:30–04:00
• Golf Course “Jeansgate”: 04:03–04:32
• “Looks Like” Bracket Song: 04:50–06:34
• “Quadruple Amputee Cornhole” Headline: 06:34–09:14
• Dolphins Coupon Bin & Tua Presser: 10:01–16:40
• Adam Schefter on Dolphins’ Cap: 21:54–22:38
• Moneyball Debate: 24:44–26:15
• UNC Job & College Hoops Carousel: 27:43–38:42
• Coach Presser Joke Recycling: 38:54–41:29
• Scarface Discussion: 44:43–46:42

Tone & Language

Staying true to the show, the tone is deliberately irreverent, jovial, and layered with inside jokes and Miami-specific references. The banter is self-deprecating, occasionally exasperated, with the cast playfully lampooning sports figures, each other, and themselves.

Conclusion

This Local Hour delivers an entertaining tapestry of Miami sports angst, national headlines, and clubhouse rapport. It’s a love letter to the absurdity of the current Dolphins and college basketball eras, and a reminder that, on this show, even the biggest news might take a backseat to a debate over jeans at a golf course or who knows the words to "bacon in my hand."