The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Big Suey: THAT SOUNDS GOOD!
November 6, 2025
Episode Overview
Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their revolving cast dive deep into the intersections of sports, pop culture, and everyday absurdities. This Big Suey segment sees the crew riffing on movie remakes, the value of star athletes, starting pitcher importance in baseball, the evolving business of the WNBA, Miami local politics, hair restoration conspiracies, and more. David Sampson joins for lively insights into sports management, while the group attempts to school each other on pop culture references—often with hilarious results.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Movie Remakes: Debate & Nostalgia
[01:12–04:45]
- Should you watch the original or wait for the reboot? Tony wonders if he should watch The Running Man before the upcoming remake.
- David Sampson: "I'm not going to be that guy... I'm new age, man. I'm young now. Forget the original. Go with the new one." [01:58]
- Dan Le Batard: Suggests sometimes the remake outshines the original, citing The Manchurian Candidate as one rare instance. [03:05]
- General consensus: While some remakes may improve on the original, nostalgia and generational context play big roles.
- David Sampson: "When they're redoing movies from the 80s, yeah, it makes me insane." [03:09]
- Christopher Nolan’s Tenet debate:
- Split opinions, with Sampson appreciating technical ambition even without full understanding: "I have an appreciation for that movie... without understanding it at all." [03:52]
- Mike Ryan: "If you don’t understand a movie, it might be a bad movie." [04:20]
Notable Quote:
"I leave movies often where I have to ask my girlfriend, 'Hey, what just happened?' ...I just love a bunch of action sequences where I really don't understand what's happening."
— David Sampson [03:52–06:23]
2. Movie Franchises and Pop Culture Blindspots
[06:23–08:58]
- James Bond and Mission Impossible: Zaslow hasn't seen Bond films, shocking the group.
- Tony reads Bond movie synopses aloud, and everyone agrees, "That sounds good!" each time. [07:22, 11:28]
- Tony: "Yo, I like that. That sounds good." [07:22]
- Encouragement to experience classics: Sampson recommends Zaslow watch Bond films with his kids, paralleling his own COVID binge of Marvel and Harry Potter series.
Memorable Moment:
The group realizes many action franchise plots blur together—details are forgettable, but the adrenaline is universal.
Dan: "I don't remember what Ghost Protocol was about… Mike will remind me."
Mike: "He was disavowed." [07:44]
3. Local & National Issues: Airline Woes and Voter Apathy
[09:01–11:47]
- Airline disruptions due to government shutdown:
- Discussion of American Airlines using buses, and holidays being a deadline for resolving air traffic control cuts.
- David Sampson: "You can bet your keister that this will be taken care of… airlines will not in any way accept a reduced schedule during holiday travel." [10:03]
- Miami voter turnout disappoints:
- Frustration over alarmingly low turnout rates.
- David Sampson: "20% of eligible voters showing up… should be embarrassing to you." [11:39]
4. Sports Business Deep Dives
A. Detroit Tigers Trade Debate
[12:42–14:47]
- Should the Tigers trade ace Tarik Skubal?
- David Sampson: "Trading players a year too early is way better than trading them a year too late… There is no higher selling than Skubal out of Detroit right now." [12:55]
- Argues it's smart for resource-limited teams to cash in on high-value assets before free agency, even if it feels counterintuitive for a contender.
B. Are We Returning to Valuing Star Pitchers?
[14:47–16:08]
- The group's analysis: Dodgers’ success isn’t just pitchers—it’s “load management.”
- David Sampson: "What the Dodgers did... they secreted people away on the injured list, and all of a sudden the pitchers were healthy and ready to roll for October... that's what's going to be copied." [15:13]
C. WNBA, CBA, and the Growth Paradox
[16:08–20:55]
- Blowback to Sampson’s comments on collective bargaining:
- He clarifies: “The women have the opportunity to just leave… [other pro leagues] all pay better.” [18:21]
- WNBA’s growth is exciting, but basic economics and leverage still apply.
- Dan: “I feel like the WNBA is experiencing this massive explosion in fandom… but it's a fandom that is not familiar with some mechanics of professional sports.” [16:23]
- Emergence of Project B:
- Several players, including Nneka Ogwumike, leave WNBA for alternative leagues offering better compensation.
- Sampson: "The WNBA needs to decide… are we an entity that has the ability to continue to grow… can we be the best in the world?" [19:06]
5. Cultivated Confusion: Duran Duran & Pop Trivia
[21:55–22:39]
- Generational gaps and musical ignorance abound:
- Dan (hilariously deadpan): "Yeah, Duran and Duran. Roberto Duran and Jalen Duran." [22:03]
- David Sampson: “There is no Duran in Duran Duran.” [22:34]
- Fun trivia rambles further confuse Tony, Zaslow, and listeners alike.
6. Miami Dolphins & Ownership Woes
[23:01–25:33]
- Chris Grier's Firing:
- Dan: "You believe that it’s a move, but it’s not the move."
- David Sampson: "Stephen Ross...the worst owner in the history of South Florida. He hasn’t won one playoff game in 18 years..." [23:17]
- Advocates for a total organizational overhaul, not just scapegoating the GM.
- Critiques Coach Mike McDaniel: “[He] comes off as quirky… Once you're not great, the quirkiness becomes babbling idiocy. And that's where McDaniel is.” [23:17]
7. Press Conference Performance & Coach Communication
[25:33–27:25]
- Mike McDaniel's struggles with media:
- The crew cringes at McDaniel's rambling, awkward pressers.
- Dan: “He looks like you talking about the Canes the other day. Zero eye contact with anybody.” [26:22]
- Sampson: "They teach you in law school... it's okay to be silent, and people use 'um' and 'and' as verbal crutches..." [27:03]
8. Movie Review: Oscar Chatter & Theater Experience
[27:54–32:00]
- Sampson visits a theater for the first time since COVID:
- Praises "one battle after another" (likely Killers of the Flower Moon or similar awards-season film), specifically Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance.
- David Sampson: "It is a perfectly made movie that has a chance, I mean, to give Paul Thomas Anderson an Oscar. That's how good I think it is." [30:19]
- Advocates for experiencing films in the environment intended—fully immersive, no distractions.
9. Hair Restorations, Celebrity Secrets, and "Systems"
[33:06–38:50]
- Dan apologizes for mocking Sora app after seeing an impressive AI-generated Jalen Brown “hair rub” video.
- Debate over hair loss solutions:
- Lighthearted polling of Zaslow: if flown first class to Turkey for the best hair transplant in the world, would he do it?
- Zaslow: "I'm totally cool with how I look. Like, I'm totally cool with this." [36:18]
- Mike and Dan argue transplants are now normalized, citing Joe Buck, Matthew McConaughey, and others—but warn about "systems" (toupees) like Landon Donovan's.
- Dan: "He tried implants, the implants didn’t work. So he's doing the hair system… glue on the top of his head, and then they take someone else's hair..." [38:21]
- Hilarious asides about the economics and stigma of “systems,” with general consensus: honesty is best policy.
- Lighthearted polling of Zaslow: if flown first class to Turkey for the best hair transplant in the world, would he do it?
10. Pop Culture Cross-pollination: Bond, Kingsman, Austin Powers
[37:44–38:08]
- Tony realizes that Kingsman and Austin Powers—series he enjoys—are deeply indebted to James Bond, making the group's case for him to finally watch Bond movies.
- Tony: "I'm realizing now that I probably didn't get all the jokes." [37:54]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "That sounds good." — Ongoing refrain after every Bond synopsis, highlighting how formulaic yet appealing franchise television and movies can be. [07:22, 11:28, 32:13]
- David Sampson, on asset management:
"The key is to sell high and buy low. And there is no higher selling than Skubal out of Detroit right now." [12:55] - Dan Le Batard, on WNBA CBA optimism:
"It's a fandom that is not familiar with some mechanics of professional sports & collective bargaining." [16:23] - David Sampson, on coach McDaniel:
"Once you're not great, the quirkiness becomes babbling idiocy. And that's where McDaniel is." [23:17] - On hair restoration transparency:
"As long as you're honest, with the rare exception of Landon Donovan, you're fine." — Mike Ryan [38:00]
Noteworthy Timestamps
- Movie Remake Debate: 01:12–04:45
- Bond Movie Synopses/Riffing: 07:11, 11:28, 21:25, 32:00
- Sports Asset Management stuff (Tigers): 12:42–14:47
- WNBA, CBA, Project B Talk: 16:08–20:55
- Duran Duran Confusion: 21:55–22:39
- Dolphins Owner Diatribe: 23:16–25:33
- Mike McDaniel Press Conference Roast: 25:33–27:25
- David Sampson's Movie Review: 27:54–32:00
- Sora AI Hair Video & Hair Restoration Segment: 33:06–38:50
Tone & Style
This episode is emblematic of the Le Batard show at its best: sharp, self-aware, and unafraid to bounce between earnest sports analysis, movie geekery, and clownish self-deprecation. Everyone’s in on the joke—even (especially) when someone’s the butt of it.
Takeaways for New Listeners
- The Le Batard Show thrives in the gray where high-level sports discourse and pop-culture nonsense blur together.
- If you’re wondering whether to watch that new remake, trade that franchise star, or brave the charm/hazard of hair systems—this crew gives you the answers you didn’t know you needed, with laughter guaranteed.
- Their mix of industry insight, pop culture blindspots, and willingness to laugh at themselves makes even the most mundane topics unexpectedly memorable.