The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz — The Big Suey: "EEEEHHHHHHHH?" (feat. Dianna Russini)
Date: October 14, 2025
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Guests: Dianna Russini (The Athletic), Nick Wright (via video)
Main Theme: A freewheeling romp through NFL chaos—coaching firings, quarterback trends, team dysfunction, and the lovable absurdity that fuels both sports and this show.
Episode Overview
This episode dives into the NFL’s latest coaching shake-ups (notably the firing of Brian Callahan), team dysfunction (Titans, Bears, Dolphins), and the evolving landscape of quarterback success in the league. Dianna Russini joins the crew to offer insider perspectives, particularly on front-office power struggles and how environment affects QB development. Amidst the sports talk, the crew riffs about life’s eccentricities—from the politics of splitting restaurant checks to the sanctity of the favorite coffee shop—and concludes with the fate of a shipping container’s dreams, hinging on Nick Wright’s billionaire poker night.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Titans' Dysfunction & Brian Callahan’s Firing
- Adam Schefter Mix-Up: Schefter told Pat McAfee there wouldn’t be a Titans coaching change—then tweeted Callahan’s firing less than an hour later.
- "He says he could be wrong. And then he was wrong less than an hour later." — Billy (04:32)
- Dianna’s League Insight: The decision shocked insiders not for the outcome, but for the timing. Multiple firings over several regimes have left few to blame except, now, Chad Brinker.
- “…if the people running the show…are saying we’re not going to fire Brian Callahan and then there’s a firing, that reeks of ownership.” — Dianna Russini (05:00)
- Franchise Power Struggles: Dan walks through Titans GM/coach turnover, with Dianna confirming messy ownership dynamics and ill-fated GM picks.
- “I think Chad Brinker has his tentacles in all of this for sure, but I think his relationship with ownership…is really strong.” — Dianna (06:43)
- Vrabel’s Shadow: The show speculates whether Callahan was canned to avoid Vrabel (now with New England) embarrassing his old team, adding narrative heat to the upcoming matchup.
2. The Quarterback Rollercoaster: Number One Picks & Second Chances
- New Trend: Last four #1 QB picks have seen their coaches fired in the rookie year—a sign of organizational disorder, not just player issues.
- “There’s very rarely a GM and a head coach together making this selection. It’s all messed up.” — Dianna (10:08)
- QB Resurgence in Right Systems: Dianna and Dan outline how QBs like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Mac Jones, Daniel Jones are thriving elsewhere, arguing environment and coaching matter profoundly.
- “You really can’t give up on a lot of these guys that have the mental toughness.” — Dianna (21:52)
- “These guys most thought they stunk when they were drafted…and now they all are playing some of the best at the position.” — Dianna (10:08)
- Notable Example: Saquon Barkley personally vouched for Daniel Jones’s upside—again illustrating how context can unlock talent.
3. State of the AFC: Bills & Eagles Both Faltering
- Buffalo’s Woes: Dan points out the Bills’ wins are against teams with a combined 3-21 record; similar stats to the Eagles, stirring worry.
- “The Bills…are also scoring 17 points, also allowing 5.7 yards per game. Which is the bigger problem there, Diana?” — Dan (11:45)
- Defensive Issues: Dianna isn’t worried about Josh Allen long-term, blaming last night's poor passing on immense Falcons pressure, not injury.
- “He just looked rushed last night…he always finds ways to sort this out.” — Dianna (11:58)
- “Josh Allen was pressured 56% of the dropbacks last night, so that’s the most since 2021.” — Billy (18:04)
4. Parity and Paranoia: Who’s Actually Good?
- Uncertainty Rules: The panel struggles to identify dominant teams, poking fun at the “Ehhh” scale for evaluating teams’ legitimacy.
- “Is this good or bad that we don’t know who’s good and who’s bad?” — Stugotz (18:48)
- Chiefs as Sole Outlier: Dianna feels only the Chiefs have truly found their groove; everyone else is a question mark.
5. Inside Joke—The "Ehhh" Scale and Team Diagnoses
Segment: 19:06–21:16
- Team-by-Team Sound Effects: Dianna rates squads using a spectrum of skeptical noises, underscoring the league’s unpredictable parity.
- Billy: “These are different noises. These are all different.”
- Stugotz: “It’s a scale, Dan. You don’t get it. It’s a scale.”
- Conclusion: The "Ehhh" noise becomes a running gag to illustrate the general mediocrity or uncertainty about most NFL teams.
6. Dolphins Dysfunction—Tua vs. McDaniel
- Public Airing of Issues: Tua reveals teammates were late or missed players-only meetings. Mike McDaniel criticizes making it public.
- “Your franchise quarterback, the captain of their team, admitting people are late, admitting that people aren’t doing…what they need to be doing…” — Dianna (28:13)
- Dianna’s Take: It's a sign the culture’s off; ownership is “waiting to see when Steven Ross goes: ‘OK, enough. This is never going to turn around.’”
- “They are what they are, which is not a very good team run by bad leaders right now.” — Dianna (33:45)
7. Sidebar: The Comedy of Players-Only Meetings
- They Don’t Work: Dianna says teams just want to “stop the bleeding” rather than fix anything; the group lampoons how quickly these meetings become meaningless.
- “Can we just get rid of player only meetings? They don’t work, right?” — Dianna (32:45)
- Jets’ Futility: Billy notes the Jets held a rare, off-day, player-led practice—proof this concept means little; even “hard work” can’t save poor organizations.
8. Bears Optimism & The Cultural Impact of Scheduling
- Are the Bears “Good” Now? Dianna cautiously says the team is “going in the right direction,” but tempers expectations.
- “They’ve got the building blocks of a team that are going in the right direction.” — Dianna (26:55)
- NFL Broadcasts: Crew debates whether Monday double-headers improve the viewing experience.
- “I don’t like the doubling up at night…just too hard for my little brain to watch both games.” — Dianna (24:38)
- On West Coast fandom: “They have a whole night ahead of them. We’re all like under our covers.” — Dianna (24:38)
9. Dianna’s Coffee Shop Saga
Lighter Segment: 34:42–36:16
- Warm Reception Thawed: Dianna shares how her coffee shop used to keep her fueled with free mugs and pastries—until they learned she doesn’t write about (soccer) football.
- “He pulls out the app and he’s going to the soccer page…No, no, no, no, no. Football. American football. And he just goes…shuts the app. No more free coffee.” — Dianna (35:43)
10. Nick Wright’s Poker Update: Hopes Dashed
Comedic Closer: 36:40–44:48
- Setup: The shipping container crew hopes Nick Wright wins big and shares his winnings; if he loses, he’ll want Dan’s repayment (and the crew gets nothing).
- Nick Wright’s Video Recap: “Good news, I’ve definitely got a seat in that [game] whenever I want…Bad news, I lost.” (40:18)
- Aftermath: The group debates whether Nick’s 2am city-walking look is more “werewolf” or “vampire” and jokes about dividing prize money that never materialized.
- “He does not have any white in his eyes. There is a lack of soul there that comes from losing to billionaires…” — Billy (42:15)
- “He definitely ran through Central Park like James Spader and Wolf.” — Dan (43:37)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On rapid-fire coaching changes:
- “No one broke the Callahan story. The Titans did. The Titans were the one who put that out. So we all lost.” — Dianna Rossini (06:05)
On organizational dysfunction:
- “This is more about ownership versus Mike Vrabel on Sunday.” — Dianna (09:45)
On parity and power rankings:
- “Is this good or bad that we don’t know who's good and who’s bad?” — Stugotz (18:48)
- “We know the Colts are good. We know Denver's good right now.” — Billy (19:06)
On Bears’ turnaround:
- “Bears fans should be waking up today just enthusiastic that this is headed in the right direction.” — Dianna (27:05)
On players-only meetings:
- “Can we just get rid of player only meetings? They don’t work, right?” — Dianna (32:45)
- “That works when it's Tom Brady during COVID and you're breaking protocol, right? When it’s like Justin Fields is calling you to, like, a park…” — Stugotz (34:30)
On coffee shop heartbreak:
- “No more muffins. No more warmed up banana bread. I realized I should have just been like, ‘Yeah, I do a little soccer. I dabble there.’ So I gotta find a new coffee shop.” — Dianna (36:04)
On Nick Wright’s poker fate:
- “He thinks he’s got a table full of suckers, but they’re billionaires and he’s not—and they leave with his money. But he’s got the edge.” — Stugotz (42:32)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:47–09:45| Titans coaching drama; Dianna’s inside take on Callahan firing | | 09:45–13:50| #1 picks and the curse of early firings; QB redemption stories | | 13:50–14:51| Atlanta Falcons anomaly and the confusing Panthers | | 18:04–18:25| Josh Allen pressured at historic rate | | 18:25–21:16| “Ehhh” noise scale on league parity | | 21:16–23:27| QB development systems in focus | | 24:21–26:55| Bears win and double-header Monday Night Football talk | | 27:27–29:22| The Dolphins’ dysfunction goes public (Tua/McDaniel) | | 32:43–33:45| Players-only meetings & organizational futility | | 34:42–36:16| Dianna’s coffee shop saga | | 36:40–44:48| Nick Wright’s poker update; vampire/werewolf debate | | 44:48–end | (Show returns to ad reads / closing banter) |
Final Takeaway
This episode blends high-level NFL analysis, satirical skepticism, and signature absurdist banter. Dianna Rossini’s reporting anchors the conversation in legitimate league insight, while the rest of the crew leans into their “Ehhh” assessment of the season’s parity, lampooning sports culture, football tropes, and how hope springs eternal—even when it rides on Nick Wright not losing to billionaires in the dead of night.
Listen for the breakdowns, but stay for the comedy and camaraderie. In a year where nobody can tell who’s actually good, at least you’ll know who’s funny.