The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: The Big Suey: The Best Celebrations In Sports

Date: September 15, 2025
Featured Guests: The Dirty Demon, Tony Calatayud

Episode Overview

Broadcast from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of the Big Suey dives deep into the weekend’s NFL drama, the quirks of sports broadcasting, the evolution of celebrations in sports (prompted by some memorable and questionable examples), and a healthy serving of Miami sports talk. The hosts – Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and company – blend expert analysis with signature banter as they recount controversial plays, gripe about broadcast quality, and debate the best (and worst) celebrations in sports. Frequent guests, like The Dirty Demon and Tony Calatayud, chime in with their unique perspectives, especially as the show pivots towards listener favorites and local color.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dolphins, Deadlines & Greg Cody’s Bias

[06:30]

• Zaslo’s "journalistic betrayal": Zaslo uncovers that Greg Cody's critique of the Dolphins’ special teams coach may have been shaped by a personal inconvenience — specifically, a last-minute scoring play that forced Cody to rewrite his column.

  • “Is it possible that you fired the special teams coach because he inconvenienced you?” – Zaslo
  • "True or false? Closer to true than false." – Greg Cody [07:20]
  • The hosts rib Cody for a “boner” play (inadvertently old-school term used), acknowledging how media deadlines shape narratives.

• Meta-sports commentary: The panel agrees that often, coverage is determined by what’s easiest to write about publicly and what fits print deadlines, especially in “deadline games.”
  Tone: Self-deprecating, playful, insider-y.

2. NFL Week Highlights & Concerns

[12:00]

• Jaguars’ inexplicable loss: The Jaguars’ defeat is called “as inexplicable a loss as I’ve seen.” There’s focus on how running backs become disposable and how quickly a player's prime can pass (Etienne vs. Tooton).

  • "If I'm a Jacksonville fan today, I am furious..." – Dan Le Batard [14:45]

• Chiefs/Eagles/Quarterback Play:

  • The Chiefs look “constipated” on offense; Mahomes’ off-timing with Kelsey leads to a critical interception.
  • “Don’t do this with Patrick Mahomes. I’m just warning you right now…” – Mike [17:55]
  • The Eagles’ smashmouth formula is dissected: low passing yards, grinding wins, exploiting the “tush push.”
    • Noted stat: “The Eagles, four times have passed for under 100 yards. They’re 4-0 in those games.” – Dan Le Batard [21:12]
    • The show jokes about how the “tush push” has changed offensive football, bordering on exploiting rules.

• Catching & Defensive Techniques:
  Receivers are lauded for their ability to catch 40-yard passes one-handed while going to the ground; defenders are getting better at “Peanut Tillman” punch-outs.

  • “I could see them changing that rule at some point… you're literally just allowed to punch a player.” [19:38]

• Memorable Player Performances:

  • Rookie Tesla (Detroit) makes “two of the greatest catches” so far this season, despite not being elite yet.
  • The Chiefs have never lost three straight with Mahomes.

3. Broadcast Quality & Watching Sports in the Streaming Era

[26:30]

• Dennis Dodd's exhaustive network list:
  Dan reads a list of all the networks needed to watch FBS games, illustrating how fragmented and expensive sports viewing has become.

  • “Who is this Dodd guy? Does he have 37 TVs in his house?” [29:19]
  • The crew debates if football was ever “free,” noting that network TV is (sort of) free, but cable and streaming have now broken up the ecosystem.

• CW’s new foray into football:
  The panel laughs about the “cheap” feel of the CW’s presentation, joking about poor lighting in the pregame and the oddity that major games are now sometimes relegated to minor networks.

  • “The Canes deserve better than CW. Come on. How the hell did that happen?” – Dan Le Batard [32:45]

4. More NFL: Game Analysis and Performances

[35:00]

• Trevor Lawrence Critique:
  Hosts poke fun at Lawrence's tendency to throw beyond the line of scrimmage, noting his rollercoaster decision-making.

  • “Is Trevor Lawrence the quarterback in the league most likely to throw the ball 3 yards past the line of scrimmage?” [36:22]

• Jets, Steelers, Seahawks:
  Aging quarterbacks and the risks of relying on stars past their primes (“in your 40s, 8 months to prepare means your body probably feels different than after 8 days”).

  • “Jets defense is nowhere near as good as people expected.” [41:09]

• Other teams:
  Lots of quick conversational pivots: McCaffrey's brilliance, the Saints-49ers game, Daniel Jones's highs and inevitable lows, the Colts’ bizarre no-punt streak.

5. Best Celebrations in Sports: A Debate

[47:45]

• Prompted by a Colts mascot/ball-under-the-shirt celebration, the discussion turns to legendary celebrations.

  • “What are the greatest celebrations you’ve seen in sports?” – Dan Le Batard [49:10]
  • Nominations:
    • Brandi Chastain’s shirt-removal
    • Prince Fielder’s “bowling pin” home-plate jump
    • Randy Moss “mooning” the crowd
    • Joe Horn and the “cell phone”
    • The icky shuffle
    • Jalen Waddle’s “waddle” dance

• The group debates: Are team celebrations better than individual? Does involving a mascot always make it better?

  • “When you involve the mascots, you’ve made any celebration a great deal more memorable.” – Dan Le Batard [50:20]
  • Greg Cody calls the ball spike "overrated" and wants more classic celebrations back.

6. Ken Rosenthal Sideline Controversy

[54:00]

• The show plays and critiques a video of baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal, who, during a postgame sideline celebration, backs into a photographer and gives a dismissive glare without helping him up.

  • “How do you bump into someone and then not offer a hand to help them up?” – Jeremy Taché [56:02]
  • Greg Cody defends Rosenthal: “He’s looking the part. The photographer was too close. Baseball should outlaw the ice-bucket thing near the media.” [57:10]

• Dan notes the disconnect between television “importance” and the chaos/joy around live celebrations.

7. Tony Calatayud’s Jacksonville Jaguars Therapy Session

[1:03:10]

• Tony is called to vent about the Jaguars' gutting loss:
  • “Nobody grabs defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the Jacksonville Jaguars.” – Tony Calatayud [1:04:15]
  • He rails against Trevor Lawrence, Brian Thomas Jr., and the randomness of backup QBs (Jake Browning) thriving unexpectedly.
  • Provides the local, emotional side of “maximum jagging.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On inconvenient sportswriting:
  “Closer to true than false… massive inconvenience to me in the press box when all of a sudden a lead becomes a deficit because of a special teams boner.” – Greg Cody [07:20]

• On the Eagles’ football style:
  “The Eagles have taken the entire offensive league and they’re like, nope, we’re just going to do this one and a half yards at a time… punching you in the face.” – Dan Le Batard [21:52]

• On celebrations:
  “Mascots are funny. It’s not Joe Horn taking a pen out of the thing… When you involve the mascots, you’ve made any celebration a great deal more memorable.” – Dan Le Batard [50:20]

• On Ken Rosenthal:
  “How do you bump into someone and then not offer a hand to help them up?... Is everyone supposed to know that there’s a 20-foot radius surrounding Ken Rosenthal?” – Jeremy Taché [55:55]

• On the Jaguars’ heartbreaks:
  “Nobody grabs defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the Jacksonville Jaguars.” – Tony Calatayud [1:04:15]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Topic | |-----------|------------------------------------------| | 06:30 | Greg Cody's column bias exposed | | 12:00 | Jaguars’ inexplicable loss; AFC recap | | 17:55 | Chiefs’ stalling offense; Mahomes talk | | 21:12 | Eagles win ugly, win often | | 26:30 | Fragmentation of televised football | | 32:45 | The CW’s awkward football debut | | 35:00 | Trevor Lawrence roast | | 41:09 | Discussion of Jets, Steelers, Seahawks | | 47:45 | Commencing “Best Celebrations Ever” | | 54:00 | The Ken Rosenthal sideline dust-up | | 1:03:10 | Tony Calatayud vents about the Jaguars |

Takeaways

• Sportswriting is both a professional and emotional rollercoaster, and deadlines rule all.
• NFL culture is changing: Passing versus ground games, the “tush push,” and how defensive techniques are evolving.
• Broadcasting fragmentation frustrates even the most dedicated fans, with a touch of nostalgia for simpler viewing times.
• Celebrations matter: They become iconic, divisive, and are integral to the fan experience. Involving mascots amplifies everything.
• Jaguars fans, thanks to Tony, get a therapeutic airing out of their exasperation, adding a relatable, local flavor to national banter.

The Episode’s Tone

• Irreverent, fast-paced, Miami-centric, heavy on good-natured roasting and self-awareness.
• Frequent asides and pop culture call-outs make this a classic “Big Suey” offering.

For listeners who missed this episode, the summary provides key highlights, best quotes, and a sense of the lively, clever energy that defines the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz.