The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
"The Big Suey: From 3 p.m." (feat. Chris Wittyngham)
Date: September 18, 2025
Recorded live from the Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Episode Overview
This episode of "The Big Suey" blends signature Le Batard show antics with deep dives into sports, media criticism, pet peeves, and South Florida culture. Dan, Stugotz, and the crew, including Chris Wittyngham, focus on late-night television intrigue, pay homage to legendary local broadcaster Ray Hudson, dissect Miami sports narratives, and banter irreverently about everything from pet peeves to soccer prodigies. Listeners get a raw, energetic, and often comedic look at how sports and culture intersect—always with heat ("from 3 p.m.").
Key Topics & Discussion Points
1. Late-Night TV Drama: Jimmy Kimmel’s Predicament and Media Censorship
[02:03–05:07]
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Jimmy Kimmel’s Fallout: The episode addresses rumors about Kimmel's job status at ABC after his emotional on-air comments following the murder of Charlie Kirk.
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Corporate and Political Pressure: Dan elaborates on the complex dynamics between network interests and regulatory threats—
“If Jimmy Kimmel were to embarrass Disney Iger by doing that … he will not be a good employee. He will not be behaving like a good employee for ABC.” (Dan, 02:32)
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FCC as a Weapon: Dan notes growing government overreach into media:
“When the FCC is weaponized … you creep toward state media ... [It’s] optical illusions in your face to pretend like you’re getting truth and freedom, when actually we all know that’s a spectacular amount of bull.” (Dan, 03:52)
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Personal Perspective: Dan relates these anxieties to his Cuban household’s experience with propaganda.
2. Celebrating Ray Hudson – South Florida’s Iconic Broadcaster
[06:17–11:39]
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Ray Hudson’s Retirement: Chris Wittyngham reflects on sharing the booth with Hudson and honors his legacy.
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Hudson’s Unique Style: The crew plays a montage and some of Ray’s legendary "goal calls."
“For me, it was sort of the honor of a lifetime ... The first time he did the thing … sitting next to me … was incredible.” (Chris Wittyngham, 10:16)
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Top Ray-isms: Wittyngham tries to compile his favorite Hudson calls:
- “You can put a tarantula down his pants and he’d still be cool.” (16:14)
- “Like a vampire attacking a plate of liver.” (16:46)
- “Off like a teenager on a hot date.” (16:49)
- “Stretched like spandex on Fort Lauderdale beach at the Elbow Room.” (17:09)
3. Chris Wittyngham: Career Moves, Voice Fears, and Broadcasting Real Talk
[15:40–16:49, 34:01–36:56]
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Workload Worries: Wittyngham reveals his anxieties about overusing his voice during a packed week of Champions League coverage.
“Honestly ... I'm a bit of a hypochondriac when it comes to my voice ... Five games in six days ... If someone wanted to come up to me and chop my arm off, I would prefer that to getting a common cold.” (Chris Wittyngham, 35:18 & 36:10)
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Show Banter: Dan and the crew ridicule Wittyngham’s dramatic proclamation:
“That is not reasonable, Witty. You take that back.” (Dan, 36:15)
4. Miami Sports Takes: Dolphins, Hurricanes, and Hot Seats
[19:01–33:14]
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Miami Dolphins Fatalism: Wittyngham expresses deep pessimism over the Dolphins' Fortunes:
“The Dolphins are 12 and a half point underdogs and that’s underselling it, in my view ... I’m waiting for ACL injuries to happen. I’m waiting for things that calamitously destroy the Miami Dolphins season.” (Wittyngham, 19:16)
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Tua's Limitations: The panel discusses QB Tua Tagovailoa’s inability to improvise, with input from several voices:
“It’s fairly obvious that unless the scenario is perfect, he can’t make the special plays.” (Stugotz, 20:32)
“Yeah, he’s not—he’s one step off schedule.” (Wittyngham & crew, 21:04)
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Coach Mario Cristobal Debate: Pressure on Miami Hurricanes’ head coach Mario Cristobal is dissected:
“I just don’t think he’s a very good coach ... I think for the University of Miami, for the fans, this is about as well as it could have gone, especially relative to what it’s been for 20 years.” (Wittyngham, 28:34)
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What Makes a Good Coach?: Dan poses the big question:
“If I say to you you’re about to hire a college coach, what skill do you want … above all others?” (Dan, 31:29)
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Recruiting vs. Scheming: The consensus leans toward recruiting and adaptability as most critical.
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5. South Florida Broadcasters – Best of All-Time
[15:40–17:36]
- The List Debate: Dan prompts a ranking of South Florida’s greatest broadcasters, but Wittyngham parries, returning to Hudson’s best lines.
- Meta-Banter: The segment is meta and self-aware, with Dan playfully jabbing at Wittyngham’s lack of preparation and shifting format on the fly.
6. Soccer, Youth Stars, and Lamine Yamal
[40:21–41:35]
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Barcelona’s Teenage Sensation: Mike Ryan asks if prodigy Lamine Yamal could possibly have a normal career trajectory; Wittyngham responds with concern about idolizing Neymar:
“That is not someone that you want to be patterning your professional behavior after, because this is not a consummate professional.” (Wittyngham, 40:34)
7. Classic Show Antics & Running Gags
Throughout
- Tree Planting Updates: Hilarious asides about Billy trying and failing to plant a tree, complete with HOA worries and “undisclosed location” running joke.
- Pet Peeves & Meta Commentary: Banter about who gets to talk, whose takes are credible, and internal show dynamics.
- Gearhead NASCAR Segment: Quick update on playoff standings and key drivers by Mike Ryan. (43:02–43:48)
- Colin Cowherd Plagiarism Accusation: The show calls out Cowherd for recycling takes about Jim Harbaugh, with Zaslow claiming first rights. (44:06–45:08)
Notable Quotes
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On Kimmel/Media:
“You creep toward state media ... optical illusions in your face to pretend like you’re getting truth and freedom, when actually we all know that’s a spectacular amount of bull.”
— Dan Le Batard, [03:52] -
On Ray Hudson:
“He’s still throwing 101 on the black ... never got jaded ... caring every bit about the game and honoring the game all the way until the very end.”
— Chris Wittyngham, [10:16] -
On Wittyngham’s Voice Paranoia:
“If someone wanted to come up to me and chop my arm off, I would prefer that to getting a common cold.”
— Chris Wittyngham, [36:10] -
On Tua’s Playmaking Limitations:
“Unless the scenario is perfect, he can’t make the special plays… I’ve never seen him improvise … that’s not something [he does].”
— Group consensus, [20:32–21:02] -
On Mario Cristobal’s Tenure:
“I just don’t think he’s a very good coach… I would rather all of that effort be backed into someone I believe to be a good coach, rather than an elite recruiter …”
— Chris Wittyngham, [28:34] -
On Soccer Prodigy Idols:
“He came out and said that his idol at Barcelona was not Messi, it was Neymar. And I thought, oh, no…”
— Chris Wittyngham, [40:34]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Jimmy Kimmel & the FCC: 02:03–05:17
- Ray Hudson Tribute: 06:17–11:39
- Wittyngham’s “Voice” Paranoia: 34:01–36:56
- Miami Dolphins & Tua: 19:01–23:33
- Mario Cristobal/Hurricanes Deep Dive: 28:22–33:14
- Best South Florida Broadcasters: 15:40–17:36
- Youth Soccer Talk (Lamine Yamal): 40:21–41:35
- Gearhead NASCAR Segment: 43:02–43:48
- Cowherd “Take Theft” Rant: 44:06–45:08
Tone & Style
- Conversational, irreverent, and quick-witted.
- Candid hot takes and playful self-awareness.
- Local pride and inside jokes, especially around Miami culture and show personalities.
For New Listeners
This episode is a perfect showcase of the Dan Le Batard Show’s blend of sharp sports analysis, deep knowledge of Miami culture, absurd humor, and meta-media critique. If you’re diving in for the first time, expect a bit of chaos—but that’s part of the fun.
