Podcast Summary: The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: The Big Suey: We Love You, David
Date: October 2, 2025
Hosts: Dan Le Batard, Stugotz, with David Sampson, Billy, Jeremy, Mike

Main Theme & Purpose

Broadcasting from the Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami, this emotionally-charged episode of The Big Suey centers around the return of David Sampson after a personal family crisis. The panel delves into sports topics (MLB playoffs, WNBA, NBA/Clippers investigation) and the real-world context affecting their dynamic, particularly Sampson's candid vulnerability about his daughter’s severe illness. Amidst sports banter and trademark irreverence, there are powerful moments of support, honesty, and insight into both the business and personal sides of sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. David Sampson’s Personal Turmoil and Return

• Sampson’s Candid Reflection on Trauma

  • After his daughter fell seriously ill on September 12, Sampson shares his struggle to return to broadcasting and "be himself again."
  • [01:02] "I don't know how to be myself anymore, because myself is gone. I can't even find it anymore. ... I'm going to try, so I appreciate the opportunity." — David Sampson
  • The show’s warmth is palpable as the group rallies around Sampson, balancing empathy with attempts at levity.

• Dan Le Batard’s Empathy and Framing

  • Dan highlights the challenge of caring about sports after real-life trauma and questions how much Sampson is "faking it on the air."
  • [02:26] "It’s just hard to make any of it matter. ... I don’t know how much you’ve been changed by the last couple weeks, and I also don’t know how much you’re faking it on the air now." — Dan Le Batard

2. Sports Media, Criticism, and the Expos Documentary

• Sampson’s Villain Legacy in Montreal

  • Discussion centers on the Expos documentary “Who Killed the Montreal Expos?” and Sampson’s reputation in Montreal.
  • [05:43] "When the history of Montreal sports is written ... my role in the Expos ... I would say, you know, top three is all. Not number one for sure, but I'd say top three to five, which is pretty low on the list in terms of totally hated people." — David Sampson

• Trailer Editing and Self-Image

  • Sampson jokes about his own villainy, referencing a scene where he’s “rubbing [his] hands together,” highlighting how editing can manipulate narrative.

3. WNBA Turmoil and Leadership Critique

• Player/Commissioner Rift in the WNBA

  • Nafisa Collier’s powerful critique of WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert is dissected.
  • [06:59] "Collier did a four-minute monologue where she basically impugned Kathy’s leadership ... While it makes it worse for the media and for the fans, inside the room where it happens, it will have zero impact. I promise you." — David Sampson
  • Sampson explains the context of collective bargaining and why public criticism is usually more about negotiating leverage than effecting real-time change.

• Social Media, Tradition, and Misplaced Expectations

  • Elena Delle Donne’s Instagram post criticizing Engelbert for not congratulating her after retirement is called a “pile on.”
  • Sampson notes it’s not tradition for commissioners to contact retired players directly.
  • [09:38] "I'm not aware of the commissioner calling players ... That sort of Instagram post is going to move the needle ... It just won't." — David Sampson

• Advice for Engelbert’s Crisis Management

  • Sampson, referencing his own front-office experience, suggests Engelbert should use grand platitudes, ignore the specifics, and stick to “the message.”
  • [10:31] "When you're talking to the media, always bridge to what your message is, which is, I've got a job to do and my focus is on getting that job done." — David Sampson

4. NBA/Clippers Salary Cap Investigation & Media Day Meltdowns

• Clippers’ Media Fails: Lawrence Frank & Kawhi Leonard

  • Both the Clippers’ president and star player fumble basic questions about alleged salary cap circumventions involving Uncle Dennis (Kawhi’s uncle).
  • [12:28] "Lawrence Frank just looked like a deer in headlights ... whoever the Clippers PR people are, they ought to be replaced immediately." — David Sampson

• Memorable Media Exchange (Quote)

  • [18:21] Ramona Shelburne: "I think the allegation was that you didn’t perform any services for them."
    Kawhi: "I don’t think it’s accurate, but it’s old. It’s just, this is all new to you guys. The company went bankrupt a while ago, so we already knew this was going to happen."

• Who Really Gets Punished?

  • Sampson elucidates how the NBA can act (and likely will avoid punishing Kawhi directly, focusing instead on the team or family representatives).
  • [24:28] "The only way to do it with people is to ban them ... Your hands are tied. And you're right, there are no criminal issues here ... it's all the NBA rules of salary cap circumvention."

• On “Uncle Dennis” and Rule-Bending Relatives

  • Comic relief breaks out as the hosts list their own “Uncle Dennis” equivalents.
  • [27:01] "We all have an Uncle Dennis. It's just a matter of who we choose to put out there as that Uncle Dennis." — David Sampson

• Origin of ‘Throwing the Book’

  • Riding the tangent, the group traces “throwing the book” back to literal law books judges would reference for maximum charges and penalties.
  • [27:36] Monarch Money: "In old times, the judges literally had a law book with all the laws ... To throw the book at someone meant the judge was applying every possible charge and penalty, as if hurling the entire book at the accused."

5. Baseball Playoffs & Managerial Control

• Game Threes and Playoff Unpredictability

  • Excitement for a string of “Game 3’s” in the MLB Wild Card round.
  • [31:17] Billy: "Greatest two words in baseball: Game Three."

• Rest vs. Rust - Do Byes Hurt High Seeds?

  • Sampson explains how teams try to stay sharp during playoff byes, but “you can play against yourself all you want ... it’s better to have an opponent.”
  • [33:02] "It is a big debate ... Being the wild card is an advantage and is what you should strive to do and not get the bye, not win the division." — David Sampson

• Sampson on Jazz Chisholm’s Criticism

  • Sampson breaks down a critical play, pushes back on the idea that Chisholm “saved the season” for the Yankees, and is accused by Dan and Stugotz of being persistently negative on Jazz.
  • [36:51] Stugotz: "He didn’t like Jazz."
  • [36:56] David Sampson: "I am very complimentary of Jazz’s ability to be a 30/30 guy. I am not complimentary of him in the clubhouse or the things he does off the field. I'm not. And … I happen to know."

• Who Really Makes Decisions: Managers vs. Front Office

  • Sampson explains that, in modern MLB, the manager makes few real-time decisions; the front office dictates lineups and pitching changes.
  • [41:32] Dan Le Batard: "Baseball’s had a lot of changes … none greater than that one ... the manager’s a middle manager. ... He’s not making decisions."
  • [41:55] David Sampson: "When I tell people that, they just don’t want to believe it. ... It sounds so counterintuitive ... But that’s just not the reality of it."

6. Movies & Recovery

• Sampson’s Love of Movies Disrupted

  • After September 12, Sampson admits he hasn’t been able to finish a single movie—a ritual he maintained for 20 years.
  • [42:20] "I have not watched a movie since. ... I've tried to sit down and I can't get through anything. ... But I used to love movies so much and I just have not been able to get back to it. So I have no movie to review ... I’m trying, I thought I could review. I was going to watch 'Caught Stealing' late last night and I just didn't." — David Sampson

• Warm Show Closing

  • Dan and Stugotz express affection and support for Sampson as the episode ends on a note of community and hope.
  • [43:00] Dan Le Batard: "We love you. We have missed you."

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Sampson’s raw honesty:
  • [01:02] "I don't know how to be myself anymore, because myself is gone. I can't even find it anymore."
• On management and negotiation:
  • [06:59] "There is such a gulf between what the players think they deserve versus what the WNBA and NBA are going to be willing to give them. That gulf is so large that a work stoppage is going to happen."
• On sports as a distraction:
  • [02:26] Dan Le Batard: "It's just hard to make any of it matter. In sports, we're talking about silly things like, I love the Padres chances this season..."
• On managers and analytics:
  • [41:36] Stugotz: "Like, when did that stop?"
  • [41:55] David Sampson: "It’s part of the issue I have when I tell people that, they just don’t want to believe it. ... It sounds so counterintuitive ... But that’s just not the reality of it."
• On MLB playoff randomness:
  • [32:12] "Every game one winner has won the series. There has not been a game one loser to prevail. We're going to get one today. ... But if the Cubs and the Tigers and the Red Sox win, then we get to go a whole another year by saying game one are the two best words you hear, Billy, not game three." — David Sampson

Notable Timestamps

• 00:37–03:35: Sampson shares his struggle and changes following personal crisis
• 05:27–06:18: Montreal Expos/“villainy” in documentary
• 06:18–11:11: WNBA leadership controversy, Collier and Delle Donne criticism, and crisis management advice
• 11:58–14:15: Clippers salary cap investigation — Lawrence Frank and Kawhi Leonard fumble media questions
• 15:08–17:19: Uncle Dennis, media strategy, further Clippers fallout
• 31:12–38:28: MLB playoffs, randomness, Jazz Chisholm debate, evolution of managerial roles
• 42:13–43:05: Sampson’s hiatus from movies and Capstone of support

Overall Tone

A blend of irreverence and deep sincerity—the regular Le Batard humor and sports banter are interlaced with moments of real vulnerability and solidarity for Sampson, making this episode both insightful for sports fans and touching for long-time listeners.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This is a moving, multifaceted broadcast: part therapy, part masterclass in sports business, and all Le Batard. The mix of vulnerability, support, and sharp analysis (with a dose of snark) offers a unique episode that stands out in the show’s run—essential listening for anyone seeking the human stories behind the sports headlines.