Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Episode: The Big Suey: Dave Mixes Up His Whities
Date: October 30, 2025
Recording Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Main Cast: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Juju Gotti, Dave Damaschek, Zaslow, Tony Reali, Mike Ryan

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Big Suey" finds Dan, Stugotz, and the crew at their playful, provocative best, exploring the chaotic state of college football, the precarious nature of coaching legacies, and the absurdity that often defines both sports and their own workspace. Lively debates, nostalgia, biting one-liners, and pop culture references abound as the team weaves through topics like coaching buyouts, legacy tarnishers, regional recruitment fantasies, and the continued shake-up of power in the college football landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. College Football Chaos: Unprecedented Early-Season Firings

[02:04 - 06:21]

• Stugotz highlights how a remarkably high number of big-name college football programs have already seen coaching vacancies before Halloween, citing schools like Oklahoma State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, Arkansas, LSU, Penn State, and Florida.
• The group reacts to Louisiana’s Governor Jeff Landry publicly stating he, not the LSU AD, will choose LSU’s next coach—a level of political involvement they find both wild and deeply "Louisiana."
  • Notable quote:

    "It’s exactly the way I want my governor of Louisiana sounding... 'I’m gonna make this hire'" – Stugotz [04:38]

• Dave Damaschek draws a parallel to the movie "Road House," enjoying the movie-like chaos:

  • “It’s great. It’s sort of like Brad Wesley in Roadhouse. He plays by his own set of laws. Well, I’m gonna call the cops. He owns them too.” – Damaschek [05:05]

2. Regional Rivalry & the Idea of State-Based Recruitment

[06:27 - 08:47]

• Damaschek proposes a "State Olympics" for college football, suggesting schools should only recruit in-state players—as a way to restore “regionality” to college sports.
• Juju Gotti explains the historical precedent: the old-fashioned “territorial pick,” arguing these rules were ultimately a detriment.

  • "That’s a dumb system, man. Let’s let the players play anywhere." – Juju Gotti [08:13]

• Zaslow admits as a kid he thought pro athletes had to be from the city they played for, which the group roasts lovingly.

3. Bill Belichick & Phil Jackson: Legacy Tarnished?

[13:10 - 27:31]

• Dan introduces news about Phil Jackson’s new book, focusing on his broken relationship with Carmelo Anthony and how he “ran the Knicks into the ground.”
• Debate pivots to Bill Belichick’s shrinking reputation as his coaching struggles mount, especially post-Brady.
  • Damaschek argues Belichick’s legacy is now “really wrecked”—

    ”He was really playing at the fringes when the bulk of the work was being carried by [Brady].” – Damaschek [21:13]

  • Juju Gotti: “Both of them are proof you can tarnish your legacy. Nothing is untarnishable if you f up as much as they did.” [19:32]
• Tony Reali pushes back, crediting Belichick for defensive prowess in the Patriots’ early Super Bowls:

  • “Brady wasn’t coaching the defensive side of the ball, though. So like, there has to be some sort of... Belichick did something.” [21:43]

• The group distinguishes Phil Jackson’s multi-team, multi-superstar NBA success from Belichick’s reliance on one iconic QB.

4. How Much of a Coach’s Success Is Their Talent?

[27:31 - 27:47, 27:56 - 29:31]

• Discussion about which coaches have succeeded without superstars. Larry Brown’s Pistons stand out as a rare exception; otherwise, coaches like Phil Jackson and Belichick benefited from generational talents.
• Stugotz proposes a thought experiment to identify truly “unimpeachable” coaches who succeeded with less-than-elite talent. Joe Gibbs and Rick Carlisle are mentioned.

5. Lighter Moments: Mix-ups, Costumes, and Signature Silliness

[29:05 - 32:12]

• Dave Damaschek mixes up “Whitey Ford” and “Whitey Herzog,” leading to the episode’s titular “mix-up of his whities.” Everyone piles on:

  • “Can’t get your whities wrong. Get your whities right.” – Stugotz [29:31]

  • “Your whities need to be more tidy.” – Juju Gotti [29:39]

• The hosts rib one another about the physical and emotional difficulty of keeping up with all the in-studio costume changes during “costume season.” Stugotz details his own struggles with costume-induced headaches.
• A running bit about “breakfast flan” leads to Juju Gotti singing a jingle:

  • “I wish I had some breakfast flan. Where can I find a breakfast like that?” – Juju Gotti [34:34]

6. SEC Power Dynamics & the True Value of “Sneaky Decent”

[34:58 - 43:18]

• Stugotz claims the SEC is “exposed” this year; Alabama and Georgia don’t feel dominant, and schools like Mississippi State keep hanging around despite their poor records.
• Zaslow dubiously champions Mississippi State as “sneaky decent”—

  • “Sneaky decent team, even though they haven’t won a conference game in two years... I know it sounds stupid.” – Zaslow [35:49]

• The crew turns this into a running gag, with Stugotz suggesting Zaslow put “Mississippi State 2025: Sneaky decent team” on his tombstone [37:07].
• The discussion bleeds into a critique of the huge sums spent on coaching buyouts:

  • “Between three guys, [it’s] been $170 million that have been fired... that’s a quarter billion.” – Tony Reali [44:30]

  • “You’d rather spend it on players—in the pros you wouldn’t be telling me to go spend the money on the coach.” – Stugotz [44:56]

7. Legacies After Sport: Are Owners Exempt from Critique?

[38:01 - 39:36]

• The hosts note Michael Jordan's abysmal record as an NBA owner hasn't affected his status as an all-time great.
  • Juju Gotti: “He’s excellent. And I’m not going to stand here and have you just disparage the good name of the greatest to ever lace them up.” [38:38]
• Damaschek argues that Mario Lemieux is actually the most significant one-franchise legend in North American sports due to his post-playing career as a team-saving Penguins owner.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

College Football Chaos:

• "It’s exactly the quotes I want to hear... I’m gonna make this hire. With a bunch of important people. I just have never seen that happen before." – Stugotz [04:38]

On Legacies:

• "Both of them are proof that you can tarnish your legacy. Nothing is untarnishable." – Juju Gotti [19:32]
• "He was really playing at the fringes when the bulk of the work was being carried by [Brady]." – Damaschek [21:13]

“Sneaky Decent” vs. Excellence:

• “Mississippi State decent. What was the other thing that you said sucked? ... I think there were three sucks." – Stugotz [37:40]
• "Mississippi State 2025: Sneaky Decent Team. Why would you want that on your tombstone?" – Stugotz [37:15]

On the Value of Coaching:

• "If I'm in the pros, you wouldn't be telling me to go spend the money on the coach... you'd be telling me to spend the money on players." – Stugotz [44:56]

Costume Fatigue:

• "You're supposed to be an expert. Look at you. You gotta be an expert in Whitey, Dave." – Stugotz [29:31]

Important Timestamps

• [02:04] – Stugotz lists high-profile college football coaching firings.
• [04:38] – Stugotz praises governor’s "movie" involvement in LSU hiring.
• [06:27] – Damaschek proposes "State Olympics" and in-state-only recruitment for college football.
• [13:10] – Dan introduces Phil Jackson’s new book and legacy discussion.
• [19:32] – Juju Gotti: "Both of them are proof you can tarnish your legacy."
• [21:13] – Damaschek: Belichick’s legacy tied to Brady, not as impressive solo.
• [27:31] – Coaches discussed who have championships without superstar players.
• [29:31] – Stugotz criticizes Damaschek for “mixing his Whities.”
• [34:34] – Juju Gotti sings the "breakfast flan" jingle.
• [35:49] – Zaslow: Mississippi State is “sneaky decent.”
• [44:30] – Tony Reali cites $170 million in coaching buyouts this season.

Closing Notes

This episode delivers a classic Le Batard blend: thoughtful sports debate, playful ribbing, cultural references, and a healthy skepticism toward both sports institutions and themselves. From college football’s shifting power structure to the fleeting nature of sports legacies and carnival-level in-studio antics, listeners get a full buffet of insight, hilarity, and honest takes—“sneaky decent” or otherwise.