After having spent the bulk of his career playing the role of sidekick, it appears that Jon “Stugotz” Weiner is attempting to build a podcasting empire of his own.
And his latest move comes in the form of two new shows, both of which will be sponsored by FanDuel.
Stugotz announced the news with a video on his personal YouTube channel, where he has been uploading episodes of God Bless Football and Stupodity in recent months. The first show, Stugotz and Company, will debut on Wednesday with Israel Gutierrez serving as a daily co-host. The second new show will be announced later this week.
Obviously, the elephant in the room here is what this means for Stugotz’s relationship with Meadowlark Media and The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, which he hasn’t been a regular part of in recent months. The FanDuel sponsorship is especially notable in that context, as DraftKings reupped its distribution deal with Meadowlark earlier this year.
But while Le Batard largely downplayed reports about his longtime co-host taking a step back from the show, Stugotz’s appearances in the time since have been few and far between. The 53-year-old has also made public comments blaming David Samson for God Bless Football no longer being a part of the Meadowlark lineup and even stated that he and Le Batard are no longer friends.
In thanking those who have supported him in recent months during Monday’s announcement, Weiner alluded to the recent uncertainty regarding his career.
“It’s been a tricky time for me,” Stugotz said. “I’ve gone through some stuff here.”
While Le Batard had previously presented Stugotz’s diminishing presence on the program that still bears his name as a matter of his co-host growing God Bless Football, both the actions and public statements in the time since have suggested a more formalized split. And if that wasn’t already obvious, it now seems abundantly clear, as Weiner isn’t just launching a daily show, but is doing so with a rival sponsor.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.