Jon “Stugotz” Weiner wants you to think he’s a bumbling fool. He knows The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz only works when he plays his role.
But while Stugotz comes across like a spoof of himself and the many sports radio con artists across the country, he has one thing they do not: self-awareness.
As the show continues to celebrate its 20th anniversary, a run that spans from AM radio in Miami to a national spot at ESPN and a pioneering digital deal with DraftKings, Jon Weiner the man is openly contemplating the toll of playing Stugotz the character. Stugotz is also more directly discussing a move away from Le Batard than ever before.
In an interview on the Nothing Personal with David Samson podcast released Jan. 2, Stugotz opened up on his past, present and future alongside Le Batard.
“I am trapped in this character, David, and it sucks, I gotta be honest with you,” he said.
While the “Stugotz” character, created by legendary Miami host Hank Greenberg, earned Weiner a fortune, it led to a sharp left turn in his career that he did not expect. Stugotz admitted he intended to have a career path closer to a down-the-middle host like Mike Greenberg rather than court jester character he developed as a balance to the writerly Le Batard over time.
“Maybe people question because I’m so deep into the character as to whether or not I could drive a show and do so and have success driving that show,” Stugotz said. “I know that I can. I don’t know if I’ll ever get those opportunities, because I am trapped in this.”
Stugotz explained just how hard he worked throughout the show’s run to develop classic bits like the “Sports Whisperer” and his iconic “Weekend Observations,” writing jokes and takes into the night with producer Mike Ryan Ruiz. The Stugotz character in many ways defines what makes the Le Batard Show unique, but it also holds Stugotz himself back.
“It’s so hard. I know what the audience wants. They want the sports whisperer and they want weekend observations and they want me to be a goofball and they want me to say words incorrectly,” Stugotz acknowledged. “But it’s so tricky. It’s a character that comes with so many rewards, but it’s a character that I fight on a daily basis because it’s not the way I intended to get into this business.”
The characters in the Le Batard Show universe often credit their on-air personas and the jokey environment they created for their success. Stugotz also knows he is the head of the snake when it comes to checking his ego and allowing himself to be the butt of the joke.
Because Le Batard is more serious, Stugotz knows he has to go the opposite direction to make the show work.
“We have all made certain sacrifices professionally and personally to help create this monster of a radio show. We’re the exception, we’re not the norm,” Stugotz said. “In order to do that, you have to have someone in charge like Dan who cares about every single little detail of the show, but also has a big ego. And you have to have guys around him who have ego, but are willing to check that ego in at the door for the sake of doing a good show.”
After interviewing to be program director for New York City’s WFAN in early 2024, Stugotz admitted he is still considering other opportunities. When he turned down the PD job at WFAN, Stugotz said he did it because he still wanted to be on-air and wanted to be around to celebrate 20 years with Le Batard and their staff.
With that anniversary in the rearview now, perhaps Stugotz, at age 52, would consider an on-air role where he could finally spread his wings.
“I know if we stay together and this is the end, then that’s fine. I’m good with that,” Stugotz said. “I would like to challenge myself at some point, because you’re always left with the question, did I have success because of Dan or can I have success without Dan? So I don’t know if I’m going to explore that at some point or not, but the way I go about it is if I do explore that, I know going into it … it’s never going to be as good as it was at the height of me and Le Batard.”
Perhaps the most impressive part of the Le Batard Show‘s historic run is that it came with two hosts. From Colin Cowherd and Dan Patrick to Rich Eisen and Jim Rome, the top national sports radio shows this century had one star.
Stugotz deserves immense credit for riding in the sidecar all these years, and it’s only human that he would yearn to take the wheel at some point before he hangs it up.
And don’t forget — Stugotz said over the summer that he is in a contract year.