The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

The Big Suey: The Second Paramour Of The Cocksman

Date: February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

Broadcast from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, and their panel (including Mike Ryan, Chris Cote, Roy, Zaz, and guest Dave Dameshek) deliver their signature freewheeling blend of sports banter, pop culture riffs, and quirky challenges. This Big Suey episode leans heavily into Olympic and hockey discussion, national team allegiances, and a comedic behind-the-scenes wrestling adventure. Throughout, the hosts voice their passionate, often conflicted, feelings about national pride versus hometown loyalties, greatest U.S. sports moments, and the true value of being a "sports grifter."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Text Race with Brian Windhorst (01:40–03:56)

• Premise: The crew initiates a "text race"—a challenge to see who can get a faster or more meaningful response from the ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst.
• Highlights:
  • Mike Ryan sends a text to Windhorst slightly before Roy; both get nearly identical polite but suspicious responses.
  • The exchange underscores the group's camaraderie and playful rivalries.
  • Quote:
    "I don't know what shenanigans you guys are up to, but I'm up in the air." —Brian Windhorst (relayed by Mike Ryan, 02:20)
  • Tony is encouraged to send a sincere reply, leading to gentle ribbing about sincerity in group communications.

2. Patriotism & Sports Fandom: Who Wears It Best? (03:56–08:53)

• Olympic Semifinals and Jersey Discourse:
  • The crew debates wearing USA gear to celebrate the Olympic hockey semifinal, poking fun at Zaz for donning an NBA Finals “runner-up” shirt.
  • The group shares stories of attending previous international events and reflects on the connection between regional and national team pride.
  • Quote:
    "Wasn't a great moment for me. Some guy from Canada looked back, he's like, 'Can you guys stop?' I was like, 'alright.'" —Dan Le Batard (05:01)
  • Nostalgia takes center stage with stories about the 1980 Miracle on Ice team and debates on whether movies like "Miracle" are worth watching.
  • Dave Dameshek, a self-proclaimed authority on U.S. sports history, labels the Miracle on Ice the greatest American sports story ever.

3. The GOAT U.S. Sports Moments (10:47–13:33)

• Top American International Sporting Moments:
  • Consensus emerges around the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” as the greatest, with mentions of Landon Donovan’s World Cup goal, Megan Rapinoe’s 2019 exploits, Abby Wambach’s header, and Michael Phelps’ Olympic dominance.
  • The Dream Team's 1992 gold medal run also receives strong consideration.
  • The group acknowledges the distinction between personal club loyalties and national achievements and how these allegiances complicate rooting interests.
  • Quote:
    "What is the GOAT international moment for US sports? ... one of my moments is Landon Donovan... That moment meant so much." —Mike Ryan (10:47–11:14)

4. Wearing the Badge: Country vs. Club Loyalties (20:22–26:05)

• Hockey, National Identity, and Player Loyalty:
  • Zaz and Dave Dameshek admit that it’s hard to root for certain players on the national squad if they’re rivals or disliked when playing for their NHL clubs.
  • Dave confesses he’d still root for Sidney Crosby (a Penguins star) over other Canadians, and that, emotionally, Stanley Cups override Olympic gold for many NHL fans.
  • Mike Ryan takes the opposite stance, emphasizing the tradition of "country over club," especially drawn from soccer culture.
  • Notable Analogy:
    "It makes it feel like you're the second call for the—For the—the second paramour for the cocksman. You find out...it's more important to win for the nation than it is for our team that pays you. I feel betrayed on some level." —Dave Dameshek (24:44)

5. Skip Bayless and the "Three-on-Three" Hockey Controversy (26:22–27:11)

• The group skewers Skip Bayless for apparently misunderstanding that three-on-three hockey overtime is already an NHL innovation, not just an Olympics novelty.
• Quote:
  "Except the NHL is the one who, like, invented it, and the Olympics took it from the NHL." —Dave Dameshek (26:44)

6. The Club vs Country Dilemmas – Gold Medal Scenarios (27:11–32:03)

• The panel debates emotional responses when favorite club players face off for country—posing hypotheticals like rooting for Sam Reinhart if he scored the gold medal winner against Team USA.
• The conversation circles back to Sidney Crosby’s iconic "golden goal" in 2010 and that, sometimes, club affiliations outshine even national pride for fans.
• Quote:
  "I'll also say that there's a distinction... if 87 [Crosby] does it, it burnishes his argument as being the greatest player in the history of the sport or in the top three or in the top five." —Dave Dameshek (32:03)

7. Olympic Style: The Drip Drill and Uniform Analysis (32:03–34:00)

• A rapid-fire assessment of the current Olympic hockey jerseys praises America’s multiple looks and laments not sticking with the classic 1980s style.
• Canada’s “dynamite” jerseys are praised, though with some admitted reluctance.

8. Wrestling School Hijinks: The Crew in the Ring (34:00–41:39)

• Recap of Video Segment:
  • Chris Cote, Zaz, and others recount participating in a local wrestling clinic, with much self-deprecation about their limited cardiovascular fitness and newfound respect for pro wrestlers.
  • Chris Cote surprises everyone with his natural wrestling aptitude: “That was a different person out there. I think a year of work and you could absolutely be a professional wrestler if that was your ambition.” —Dave Dameshek (39:06)
  • Discussion transitions from playful banter to encouragement to join local Coastal Championship Wrestling events ("Bash at the Brew").

9. Can Anyone Be a U.S. Olympic Luger? (41:52–45:37)

• Luge/Bobsled Demystified:
  • The group jokes about the ease (and possible grift) of being an Olympic loser (luge rider) or "third guy" on a four-man bobsled, proposing most Americans could make the team simply by being available.
  • Roy describes their Salt Lake City Olympic Village bobsled experience, asserting, “We dominated luge adjacent.” (43:45)
  • Dameshek calls out “sports grifters” in bobsledding who seemingly get medals just for riding along.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On group texting paranoia:
  "He's like, 'I don't know what shenanigans you guys are up to, but I'm up in the air.'" —Windhorst via Mike Ryan (02:20)

• On “runner-up” shirts:
  "Number one, it's not like this shirt says Miami Heat 2020 Eastern Conference Championship. I would never wear that. This is a Miami Heat 2020 NBA Finals shirt." —Zaz (05:54)

• On the 1980 Miracle on Ice:
  "It's the greatest story in American sports history, and nothing will ever top it." —Dave Dameshek (08:53)

• On national allegiances and rivalries:
  "It's more important to win for the nation than it is for our team that pays you. I feel betrayed on some level." —Dave Dameshek (24:44)

• On wrestling surprise:
  "That was a different person out there. I think a year of work and you could absolutely be a professional wrestler if that was your ambition." —Dave Dameshek to Chris Cote (39:06)

• On bobsled “sports grifters”: "Do we agree that the second and third guys in the four-man bobsled are sports grifters?...just hang out and get a medal for the deeds of their pals who steer and push from behind?" —Dave Dameshek (44:44)

Segment Timestamps

| Segment Description | Start–End | |--------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Text Race with Brian Windhorst | 01:40–03:56 | | Sporting Patriotism / Jersey & Olympics Talk | 03:56–08:53 | | Greatest U.S. Sports Moments | 10:47–13:33 | | Club vs. Country Loyalties & Hockey Antipathies | 20:22–26:05 | | Skip Bayless 3-on-3 Hockey Overtime Debate | 26:22–27:11 | | Emotional Club vs. Country Scenarios | 27:11–32:03 | | Olympic Uniform "Drip Drill" | 32:03–34:00 | | Wrestling School Adventure | 34:00–41:39 | | Luge/Bobsled "Sports Grifters" | 41:52–45:37 |

Tone and Flavor

• The show balances deep sports nostalgia, honest fandom neuroses, and irreverent camaraderie, with everyone getting at least a gentle roasting—from each other and themselves.
• Playful skepticism about traditions and the real weight of “greatest moments” in sports pairs with affectionate appreciation.
• Frequent self-deprecation (“sports grifters,” wrestling struggles) and Miami-specific local color round things out.

For New Listeners

This episode is for anyone who loves:

• Debates about sports GOATs and what those moments actually mean
• Honest confessions about rooting interests and the tug-of-war between country and club
• The humor and human frailty behind big personalities—plus the occasional left turn into full-on sports-adjacent absurdity (like semi-serious Olympic luge aspirations or amateur wrestling adventures).

If you want entertaining banter with sports as the setting but human quirks and comedic surprises as the real focus, this Big Suey delivers.