The Big Suey: The Tushy Pushy (feat. David Samson)

Podcast: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Date: September 4, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, Mike Ryan, Tony, Dazzlo, Billy Gill
Guest: David Samson

Episode Overview

Broadcast from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this episode of “The Big Suey” dives into the intersections of sports business, media access, streaming confusion, owner exclusivity, and a high-profile NBA salary cap controversy. Featuring David Samson and the regular crew, the team debates the ever-expanding cost and fragmentation of watching sports, the shifting sands of owner “clubs,” and the behind-the-scenes machinations brought to light by Pablo Torre’s reporting on NBA salary cap circumvention.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Price and Confusion of Sports Media (03:37, 04:21)

• Streaming Overload: The crew riffs on how watching sports has gotten more expensive and complex due to the rise of streaming services. Mike Ryan notes fans now need to pay “more and more and more to find sports in more and more and more places.”
• NFL Media Rights Hot Potato: Dazzlo recalls the days when you got three games for free on CBS and Fox. Now, “you just have to pay for it where before you didn’t have the option,” highlighting a trade-off between availability and cost.
• Demographic Disinterest: Dan contends, “Frankly, your demographic is not interesting to the NFL, its sponsors, or its partners. You’ve aged out” (04:21).

2. Five Minutes With an Elusive Owner – Mickey Arison (02:02, 02:24, 11:17)

• Media Access Gamesmanship: Mike Ryan debates whether to accept a rare five-minute interview with Miami Heat owner Mickey Arison and whether it’s possible to ask tough questions in such a short window.
• What To Ask?: The crew jokes about asking Arison directly about the NBA’s most sensitive headlines: “salary cap circumvention,” “Saudis,” "Kushner," and even “vaccines” (11:02–11:50).
• Interviewer’s Dilemma: Mike fears, “This is a no win position for me right now because you want me to ask a guy who’s given five minutes to…do you think that was…that’s what Rachel Nichols is going to be asking him about?” (12:19).

3. The Club: On Being ‘In’ or ‘Out’ as an Owner (09:31, 32:18, 33:57)

• David Samson & Mark Cuban: The psychological toll of being booted from the owners’ “club.”
  • Samson shares candidly: "You’re not in the room where it happens anymore...it’s emotionally devastating." (33:57)
  • Conversation pivots to Mark Cuban’s changed status after selling the Mavericks, and how being out of the “club” shifts one’s feeling of power and relevance.
• Voting Realities: Samson claims Mark Cuban couldn't get the votes to join MLB due to being unmanageable: "You won't get approved...because you are the way you are in the room" (35:12).

4. NBA Salary Cap Controversy – The Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration Story (21:41–29:07)

• Recap of the Scandal: The team discusses Pablo Torre’s exposé on the LA Clippers and $28 million paid to Kawhi Leonard via Aspiration, a company with Steve Ballmer as an investor.
• Cuban Defends Ballmer: Mark Cuban questions Torre’s reporting, implying it’s incomplete—Dan and Samson argue that Cuban didn’t do his homework and that Pablo’s reporting was “seven months of painstaking investigative journalism” (26:59).
• The Core Issue: As Samson summarizes, “This simple conversation around Steve Ballmer revolves around salary cap circumvention. Not a crime. A violation of the NBA rules, but not a crime” (24:48).
• Pablo Torre’s Work: Dan is defensive about the journalistic process: "There were lawyers, Dan, while it was being recorded to make sure everything was very clear" (29:26).

5. Comic Relief – The Tushy Pushy & Suey Moments (07:13, 17:07)

• Football Meets Hygiene: Dan wishes for “more ways to raise money that you can sponsor things like dude wipes. And we’re going to see a tushy pushy tonight.” The phrase “tushy pushy” becomes a running gag, voted on via the show’s online poll (07:13, 07:29).
• Al Pacino Impression: Samson is goaded into doing his “Al Pacino from Carlito’s Way” impression — “Stugarts, you think you’re big time…you’re gonna die big time?” (17:07)
• Size Jokes & Production Wizardry: The crew riffs on how small David Samson looked beside Pablo Torre, comparing him to “Boss Baby” (38:12–39:06).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan Le Batard on age and sports media:
  “Your demographic is not interesting to the NFL, its sponsors, or its partners. You’ve aged out. And the people who need to be in the know, they’re in the know.” (04:21)

• David Samson on being out of the ownership club:
  “You feel like you’ve lost not just your identity, but your value...when I’m recognized for being the first voted out on Survivor, you think that’s what I want?” (33:57)

• On the NBA Salary Cap Case:
  “This simple conversation around Steve Ballmer revolves around salary cap circumvention. Not a crime. A violation of the NBA rules, but not a crime.”
  — David Samson (24:48)

• Dan defending Pablo Torre:
  “This is a serious, serious show that Pablo did. And Mark just saying, oh, you know, you…seems like you feel shot it out of the…side of your pants. I did not appreciate that.” (29:26)

• Mike Ryan’s Interview Dilemma:
  “You guys have put me out there making, like, this public decision journalistically where I look like a coward either way...This is a no win position for me.” (11:58–12:19)

• Samson’s Pacino Impression:
  “Stugarts, you think you’re big time…you’re gonna die big time?” (17:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:02] – Whether or not to accept Mickey Arison’s five minutes.
• [04:21] – Dan’s demographic “aged out” commentary.
• [07:13] – Tushy Pushy conversation and sponsorship jokes.
• [17:07] – David Samson’s Al Pacino impression.
• [21:41–29:07] – Deep dive into Pablo Torre’s NBA salary cap investigation.
• [33:57] – Samson on losing owner access and emotional cost.
• [35:12–36:30] – Baseball’s opposition to Cuban, and the power of the owners’ vote.

Episode Structure in Brief

1. Sports media confusion & cost (streaming battles, Thursday night games)
2. Interview dynamics with NBA/Heat owner (the “five minute” dilemma)
3. Owners’ club & loss of status (personal reflections and insider stories)
4. NBA salary cap circumvention scandal (deep-dive, Pablo Torre investigation, Mark Cuban’s defense)
5. Comic relief & running bits (“tushy pushy,” Pacino impression, size jokes)

For listeners: This episode is a characteristic blend of sharp sports business insight, locker-room humor, pop culture riffs, and self-deprecating banter, anchored by a prominent NBA scandal and the existential angst of losing a seat at the most exclusive tables in sports.