On Monday, the sports radio world bid farewell to The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on ESPN Radio, with the popular show leaving the Worldwide Leader’s airwaves and a new schedule — which includes Mike Greenberg’s show moving into the 10 AM ET timeslot — starting.
The hilarious and irreverent show went out in its final minutes by playing George Michael’s Freedom! ’90, perhaps a not-so-subtle message to ESPN on the way out.
Then? No special goodbyes, just chatter as they hit the end of the hour, perhaps a fitting ending to the show that started on local radio and went national in 2013.
A perfect ending to the @LeBatardShow. Just.. running up against the hard out and that's it. pic.twitter.com/OPQDEBF1JW
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 4, 2021
@LeBatardShow playing George Michael’s Freedom as the last rejoin is the ultimate power move @MichaelRyanRuiz. Even my four month old is sad this is the last show on ESPN. Can’t wait to see what’s next. pic.twitter.com/chFqWvhVqh
— Brian Polizzano (@itsmeBeP) January 4, 2021
Tributes from people all over ESPN poured in:
We are all Stardust-literally, every molecule of our being beginning long before the human race in the stars of our cosmos.
That also means we are all superhuman and out of this world!
Today let’s celebrate a universe, ever expanding, & the gaseous dwarf planet: @LeBatardShow pic.twitter.com/GbNjo2YnFx
— Tony Reali (@TonyReali) January 4, 2021
I know today is happy, not sad. I know everyone is going to be fine. but this show is so important to me that I barely ever touched it out of fear I might screw it up. I loved that it existed, here. that really meant something to me. this concludes the tweet about the radio show.
— Katie Nolan (@katienolan) January 4, 2021
Huge shoutout to @aaqilk for getting me into @LeBatardShow years ago. He was right: the show is INCREDIBLE. What a run. Looking forward to what’s next.
— Nabil Karim (@NabilKarimESPN) January 4, 2021
You did good, kid. Now go… and prosper. @LeBatardShow pic.twitter.com/T9Y6UHp9Oo
— Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr) January 4, 2021
first time I ever went on @LeBatardShow I absolutely lost my s**t over a Larry Bird joke. Laughed (as I've done my whole life) like a hyena on the edge of a nervous breakdown. Immediately regretted it, for fear that it would sound unpolished at best and grating at worst….
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 4, 2021
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