The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

The Big Suey: "49 Nuggets"

Date: November 5, 2025
Location: The Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

Episode Overview

In this episode of "The Big Suey," Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and the crew serve up their trademark blend of irreverent humor and sharp cultural and sports commentary. The show weaves through a quirky nugget-eating challenge, debates over dog cloning and sports greatness, a deep dive into New York's political scene, the chaos of streaming vs. cable, and some digestible but insightful NFL trade analysis. Expect rapid banter, self-aware meta-commentary, and a running tally of chicken nuggets consumed—all in the classic Le Batard Show style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chicken Nugget Challenge Shenanigans

Early and throughout [00:37–07:04, 25:12–29:29]

• Premise: Chris Fuentes attempts to eat 99 chicken nuggets, with the group both supporting and sabotaging his effort by questioning his counting methods and chunk sizes.
• Recurrent disputes on whether breaking nuggets in half counts as two consumed; playful accusations of cheating circulate.
• Quote:
  • Chris Fuentes: "I will work in a complete fake bite at some point in halves." [06:49]
  • Tony: "You guys keep ripping them off!" [25:52]
• Chris takes a strategic break midway; Tony suggests air frying the nuggets for texture improvement.
• Punishment for Failure: If Chris doesn’t finish, the group reserves the right to assign another, potentially worse, punishment.

2. Dog Cloning—Weird Science & Celebrity Excess

[01:40–02:34, 03:07–04:55]

• Le Batard reacts to news that Tom Brady cloned his dog, sparking a group debate over the weirdness and ethics of pet cloning.
• Chris Cote equates it to "Pet Sematary" vibes and raises questions about the authenticity of love for animals if adoption is eschewed for cloning.
• Quote:
  • Chris Cote: "Cloning a dog? That's some pet cemetery shit vibes to me." [01:53]
  • Mike Ryan: "That's some rich people shit." [02:18]
• Discussion extends to the potential for human cloning and references to pop culture (Nathan Fielder’s "The Rehearsal," Barbra Streisand, "The Prestige," "Multiplicity").

3. Who Would You Clone? — Athlete Fantasies and Sports Memories

[05:14–08:45]

• Dan poses a hypothetical: If you could clone any athlete—with full abilities and memories—who would it be?
  • Chris Cote: Shaquille O’Neal
  • Mike Ryan: Jackie Robinson and Barry Sanders (explains Sanders’ generational brilliance)
  • The perils of expecting identical greatness from a clone are humorously explored.
• Quote:
  • Dan Le Batard: "To assume that clone of yourself would be just as good at everything that you're good at, I think that's kind of a leap." [04:44]

4. NYC’s New Mayor & Media Fearmongering

[10:53–16:21]

• Dan goes on a “soapbox” about Zoran Mamdani, recently elected as New York City mayor—a young, Muslim, socialist of Indian descent.
• Critiques the panic and hypocrisy in some public/media reactions, particularly regarding religion and race in politics.
• Quote:
  • Dan Le Batard: "Do you really believe? ... All the levels of American government ... do you think everyone's like, well, he's the mayor ipso facto ... now New York's got it, the rest of the country, it's not Covid where it just spreads, right?" [12:19]
• Tony and Dan explain Mamdani’s focus on local, practical goals—transportation, housing—versus manufactured fears over "socialism."
• Discussion pivots to the irony of Americans fearing religious influence in politics while practicing it in other ways.

5. The Streaming Wars—Cable vs. Subscription Exhaustion

[20:13–24:11]

• The group vents about the headaches of modern streaming, with Dan blaming "cord-cutting nerds" for destroying the simple bundled cable package.
• Quote:
  • Dan Le Batard (in 'nerd' voice): "You had paradise and you said, not good enough, and now you want to cry." [23:06]
• Mike Ryan admits returning to cable out of frustration, pokes fun at streaming apps' endless logins, and criticizes Disney/Google corporate squabbles.
• The show laments the increased costs and user friction that emerged from the “a la carte” revolution.

6. NFL Trade Deadline Analysis & Franchises in Flux

[32:36–40:13]

• Lively breakdown of recent NFL trade “fireworks,” including Sauce Gardner and Micah Parsons deals.
• Indianapolis Colts highlighted as big movers, showing "win now" mentality by exchanging draft picks for proven stars.
• The recurring Jets “curse” is mocked—concern they'll squander their draft bounty.
• Quote:
  • Dan Le Batard: "The window is the window and you can't sit around thinking, oh, the window's going to be open forever. ... When you have the opportunity right now." [39:30]
• Dolphins are flagged as losers for lack of moves; Chris Cote details AFC East realignment.
• Stugotz preaches the “F them picks” strategy: when your window’s open, go all-in.

7. Personal Asides & Show Culture

• Chris Fuentes shares updates on his father’s surgery and texts with the group, displaying the show's camaraderie and willingness to mix serious personal notes with the absurd.
• Self-referential humor, frequent accusations of “fraud,” and playful reminiscence about old staff hijinks (falling asleep in a bush, WWE wrestler encounters, etc.) keep the energy light.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chris Cote on pet cloning:
  "If I got to somebody's house, be like, yo, when you get this dog? ... Yeah, I clone my old one. I leave, I go home." [05:08]
• Mike Ryan on Barry Sanders:
  "Even on losses, this guy was dazzling. He did stuff that I have never, ever seen again in the backfield with his balance and his footwork." [07:58]
• Tony on New York’s mayor:
  "The premise here is that they've been using 'socialist' as this, like, dog whistle ... and yet somehow that’s not the fear." [14:11]
• Dan Le Batard on cord-cutters:
  "You had paradise and you said, not good enough, and now you want to cry." [23:06]
• Chris Fuentes on nugget-eating:
  "I've eaten 50 nuggets in two hours. How am I being judged right now? I'm nailing this." [37:01]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Nugget Challenge Comedy – Introduction, cheating, and air-fryer strategies: [00:37–07:04], [25:12–29:29]
• Dog Cloning Debate / Athlete Cloning Hypotheticals – [01:40–08:45]
• NYC Mayoral Election / Fearmongering Rant – [10:53–16:21]
• Cable vs. Streaming Rant – [20:13–24:11]
• NFL Trade Deadline Analysis – [32:36–40:13]

Flow and Tone

The episode is fast-paced, zany, and sharp, alternating between ridiculous (the nugget-eating challenge) and insightful (media criticism, political commentary). Banter flows naturally, with no one immune from mockery—including the hosts themselves. The tone is irreverent and self-aware, with moments of genuine analysis punctuated by laughter, callbacks, and ongoing inside jokes. The crew maintains its authentic, conversational style while dissecting broader themes of culture, sports, and change.

For fans and newcomers alike, this episode is a quintessential Le Batard blend: high-energy nonsense and sharp, unfiltered insights in equal measure.