The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

The Big Suey: Rose's Cigarettes

Date: January 19, 2026
Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, with Chris Cote, Mike Ryan, Lucy, Damek, Gavin Matthew, Fernando Mendoza, Dave Damashek, Tony, Rose

Episode Overview

This episode finds the crew at their irreverent, freewheeling best in the Elser Hotel, tackling the fallout from dramatic NFL playoff games, the persistent woes of star quarterbacks and coaches, and the uniquely Miami mix of local color and social dynamics. From deep dives into football heartbreak and the “curse of Sposta” to a hilarious investigation into a team member’s chain-smoking escapade, the show blurs the line between sports talk, comedy, and Miami cultural love-letter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bills Playoff Loss & Josh Allen's Burden

Timestamps: 01:42 – 12:39

• Sean McDermott’s Firing & Josh Allen’s Playoff Record:
  • Dan highlights McDermott’s unexpectedly abrupt firing despite a stellar record (98-52, five AFC East titles).
  • The consensus: in the NFL, having an elite quarterback shields a coach—until it doesn’t.
• Josh Allen’s Burden:
  • Allen’s emotional locker room interview features heavily; teammates take his “I let my teammates down tonight” personally ([03:32]).
  • Dan (05:07): “Mark Sanchez has four road playoff wins. Josh Allen has one...Allen hasn’t done what needs to be done in the moments that matter.”
  • Statistical oddities: Josh Allen could become the first ever to need eight playoff appearances to reach his first Super Bowl ([05:37]).
• Quarterback Wins & Their Legacy:
  • Chris: “Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, CJ Stroud... Marino Island is going to be overrun the next decade with these high end quarterbacks who may get a gold jacket but ain’t gonna get no Lombardi.” ([07:02])
  • Dan: “Some of this stuff can be random, right?... but you gotta lose the games for people to remember” ([08:29]).
• Turnovers, Refereeing, and What Sticks:
  • Criticism of Allen for both keeping the Bills in games and for costly turnovers.
  • Refereeing noted as a major talking point, but Dan insists: the story is “Josh Allen loses. Not anybody winning.”

2. NFL Officiating Woes & Subjectivity

Timestamps: 09:24 – 13:42, 32:11 – 36:04

• Pass Interference is “the worst penalty in sports” ([09:24] – Damek):
  • Discussion of the arbitrary nature of spot fouls and the absurdity of putting outcomes in the hands of officials.
• Reviewing Catches, Interceptions, and “What Even Is a Catch?”
  • Dan: “In my lifetime, that has never been an interception” ([32:11]).
  • Chris Cote explains: the letter of the law was followed, but it still felt wrong.
• Fan Outrage & Subjectivity:
  • Dan: “We don’t have judges just to enforce rules. We have them to interpret them” ([34:24]).
  • Reaction depends on which way a call goes—Bills fans’ pain would not be mirrored if the decision had gone their way.

3. Randomness and Legacies in the NFL Postseason

Timestamps: 12:39 – 15:17, 17:34 – 19:48

• Luck, Sample Sizes, & Over-interpretation:
  • Bears lead NFL in turnovers forced, get zero in the postseason ([17:34]).
  • Caleb Williams’ miraculous and bizarre goal-to-go play—greatness sometimes still falls short.

4. Miami Local Color & Lucy’s Top Five

Timestamps: 20:22 – 25:17

• Lucy’s “Top 5 Things I Miss About Miami” (and a local’s insight)
  1. Cheap Ubers
  2. Favorite coffee shop (Bob Bobby Bo’s pistachio matcha latte)
  3. The murals and bright, art-deco colors
  4. Babysitting Mike Ryan’s daughter
  5. Cafecito (Cuban coffee) and its hilariously electric effects
     • Lucy: “The first time I ever had that, when I drove home, I couldn't stop honking” ([24:07]).
• Miami’s Unique Colors: Pink, blue, green—distinct from other cities, giving Miami its unique flavor.

5. The Rose Cigarettes “Chain Smoking” Saga

Timestamps: 21:56 – 22:52, 22:52 – 24:26, 37:52 – 40:19

• Lucy’s “vocal fry” traced to Rose’s chain smoking at Las Rosas bar.
  • Lucy: “She was blowing it right into my face… I have to talk this week. I’m not going to be smoking” ([21:58]).
  • Mike: “None of us knew that Rose was a chainsaw… something about Saturday night chain-smoking” ([22:09]).
  • Group interrogates Rose about this “rare” bender.
• Rose’s Defense:
  • Rose: “I just smoke when I’m partying” ([38:36]).
  • Lucy, dryly: “You did blow the smoke into my face.”
  • Mike Ryan: “You also left at one point to get a new pack of cigarettes”
  • Dan: “You cannot generally be trusted to not blow smoke in the face of others” ([37:52]).

6. More Playoff Recaps and Local Football Hype

Timestamps: 25:51 – 27:53, 40:34 – 41:52

• Analysis of massive linemen, with Trent Brown noted as the NFL’s largest active player ([25:51]).
• Anticipation for the University of Miami’s national championship game.
  • Damek: “This is one of the biggest nights in the history of South Florida when it comes to sports… as an underdog, a significant underdog. This has potential to be one of the greatest nights of our lives as a sports fan down here.” ([41:49])
  • Chris: “Not acceptable… Your heart and gut will disagree with your… with what your brain tells you at the end of the game.” ([42:12])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard (on Josh Allen):

  • “He took over a team that hadn’t made the playoffs in 18 years… and now he is fired… because he’s got a great quarterback and all his players are crying in the locker room.” ([01:52])

• Chris Cote (on QB discourse):

  • “The idea that Dan Marino is a one-off… Marino Island is now going to be overrun…with these high end quarterbacks who may get a gold jacket but ain’t gonna get no Lombardi.” ([07:02])

• Lucy (on Cafecito):

  • “The first time I ever had that, when I drove home, I couldn’t stop honking...I gotta chill out with this.” ([24:07])

• On officiating randomness:

  • Dan: “We don’t have judges just to enforce rules. We have them to interpret them.” ([34:24])

• Rose (defending her smoking):

  • “I just smoke when I’m partying. Yes.” ([38:36])
  • “It was a good amount.” (on how many cigarettes) ([38:56])

• Dan (on officiating subjectivity & emotion):

  • “If I had ruled that a catch, Broncos fans would be less upset than Bill’s fans are… that is a bit baffling…” ([35:05])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bills/Josh Allen dilemma: 01:42 – 12:39
• Officiating & NFL rules chatter: 09:24 – 13:42, 32:11 – 36:04
• Lucy’s “Top 5 Things I Miss About Miami”: 20:22 – 25:17
• Rose cigarette “investigation”: 21:56 – 22:52, 37:52 – 40:19
• Anticipation for Miami’s championship moment: 40:34 – 41:52

Tone and Atmosphere

Irreverent, banter-heavy, layered with Miami references and inside jokes. The tone is breezy and argumentative; hosts oscillate between mock-serious football debate and farcical inquiries into interpersonal mysteries (like “Who gassed Lucy’s vocal cords?”). Local color, both literal (the art deco palette) and figurative (cafecito-induced car honking), permeates the conversation.

Summary Takeaways

• The episode skillfully mixes serious football postmortems (Bills, Josh Allen, NFL officiating) with the kind of comedic Miami-centric anecdotes and group in-jokes that define the show’s identity.
• Emotional reactions in sports (coaches fired, quarterbacks weeping, fans outraged) are put under Le Batard’s distinctive, skeptical microscope.
• Lucy’s “lost voice” turns into a show-long comedy thread about party life, cigarettes, and Miami nightlife norms.
• The looming local National Championship game in Miami adds a sense of occasion and excitement.

If you missed the episode, listen for:

• A nuanced, sometimes irreverent breakdown of why stars like Josh Allen struggle to shed their postseason "curse"
• A running gag-turned-soap-opera about Rose’s nightlife and Lucy’s suffering
• Colorful celebrations (and roasts) of Miami’s quirks and lifestyle
• Lively football arguments, with the show’s trademark blend of sports expertise and absurdity