The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show – "Best of The Dan Patrick Show"

Episode Summary – August 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show features a blend of timely NFL and college football discussion, insider stories from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, reflections on the pressures facing top college coaches, and an in-depth investigative update on the Kawhi Leonard sponsorship scandal in the NBA. With humor, candor, and exclusive access, Dan Patrick and his co-hosts bring on A-list guests including Rich Eisen, Pablo Torre, and Rick Neuheisel, making for a lively and insightful listen for sports fans.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. Pro Football Hall of Fame & NFL Preseason Reactions

• Guest: Rich Eisen (Host, The Rich Eisen Show)

• Discussion Highlights:

  • Eisen joins from the Hall of Fame Museum in Canton, Ohio, ahead of his coverage for the induction ceremony.
  • Breakdown of the recent Hall of Fame preseason game, described as potentially "the greatest Hall of Fame game in NFL history" due to its dramatic finish.
  • Quote: “Tirico and Collinsworth called it as if it was the Super Bowl. That was fun... That was a fun finish.” – Rich Eisen (03:34)
  • Discussion around rookie quarterback Carson Beck's standout performance for the Cardinals and whether it’s justified for fans to overreact with optimism in preseason.
  • Ongoing speculation about Aaron Donald’s return and how potential moves (like Miles Garrett joining the Rams) could impact player decisions.
  • Quote: “We have a segment on my show... called ‘Is he back yet?’... I don’t foresee [Donald not returning]. I think he is absolutely coming back.” – Rich Eisen (05:48)
  • Eisen shares behind-the-scenes stories of the Hall of Fame "jacket dinner," emphasizing the emotional impact and unique traditions of induction weekend.

• Timestamps:

  • [02:30] - Rich Eisen joins from Canton
  • [03:34] - Hall of Fame game drama
  • [05:30] - Cardinals optimism & the “Is he back yet?” Donald segment
  • [08:24] - Eisen describes hosting roles and emotional Hall of Fame moments

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2. College Football Landscape & Coaching Pressures

• Guest: Rick Neuheisel (former college coach, CBS analyst)

• Discussion Highlights:

  • Insights into what it’s like to coach under media pressure and how athletic departments handle program expectations.
  • Anecdote about Neuheisel’s experience with UCLA’s “Monopoly is Over” campaign against USC.
  • Coaches poll authenticity: confirmation that sports information directors largely fill out the coaches poll ballots due to time constraints.
  • Quote: “There is no time to spend surveying everybody else in the country. You’ve got to just look after your own.” – Rick Neuheisel (33:21)
  • Breakdown of Indiana’s unprecedented 16-0 college football season, giving head coach Kurt Signetti high marks for building a winning culture.
  • Discussion on the escalating financial arms race in college football (roster spending reaching $40-50 million), legislative moves (Protect College Sports Act), and NCAA regulatory uncertainty.
  • Support and advice for Brendan Sorsby (ex-Texas Tech QB) amid betting-related controversy, drawing parallels to Pete Rose and stressing the potential for redemption.
  • Most pressured coaches in the coming season: Lincoln Riley (USC), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame), Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), and Dan Lanning (Oregon).

• Timestamps:

  • [31:43] - Neuheisel joins, Purdue anecdote
  • [33:00] - Reality of coaches poll
  • [34:13] - Indiana football’s miracle run
  • [35:55] - College football’s spending explosion
  • [37:14] - The Protect College Sports Act and NIL
  • [39:47] - Brendan Sorsby and athlete accountability
  • [40:45] - Coaches under most pressure for 2026

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3. NBA Salary Cap Scandal: The Kawhi Leonard Investigation

• Guest: Pablo Torre (Investigative Journalist)

• Discussion Highlights:

  • Torre gives an update on his ongoing series investigating Kawhi Leonard’s hidden sponsorship deals allegedly used to circumvent the NBA salary cap.
  • Quote: “This is a 13 part serialized novel at this point... we have two sources... that Daktronics... had a secret, unannounced, no evidence that he did anything for it, multimillion dollar sponsorship for that company.” – Pablo Torre (19:00)
  • Details about the clandestine deals:
    • Previous $48 million in off-books compensation from Aspiration (now bankrupt and under federal investigation).
    • Newly uncovered Daktronics deal (audio-visual company for Clippers’ arena), shrouded in secrecy and crisis PR responses.
    • Clippers and Steve Ballmer’s legal responses, and how a potential trade to Toronto was reportedly halted by indemnification clauses related to the cap investigation.
  • NBA’s ongoing investigation—Torre’s personal involvement, paperwork he's provided, and skepticism that Ballmer (NBA’s richest owner) would face real consequences.
  • Quote: “If you follow the money... I think there’s a very real chance that Steve Ballmer emerges relatively unscathed, which is kind of insane to me” – Pablo Torre (31:18)

• Timestamps:

  • [18:35] - Pablo Torre segment begins
  • [19:00] - Secret sponsorship details
  • [21:02] - Aspiration deal breakdown
  • [23:16] - Clippers’ silence and crisis response
  • [26:10] - How the NBA-initiated investigation froze the reported Raptors trade
  • [29:29] - Discussion on how (un)likely it is Ballmer could lose the team

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4. Memorable Quotes & Lighter Moments

• Wedding Nerves: Exchange between Le Batard and Eisen on pre-wedding jitters, jokes about father-daughter dances, and “Fly Me to the Moon.”
• Quote: “Once the speech is done, probably do a shot, and then we’ll fly me to the moon and go out there, dominate on the dance floor.” – Dan Le Batard (11:30)
• Sleeveless Reception Story: Le Batard humorously recounts a wedding reception where he started tearing guests’ sleeves off their shirts for fun (13:20).
• Quick Hits: Friendly banter about song choice at weddings (“fly me to the moon”), who sings Sinatra better, and why one should always keep an eye on a lively reception.

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Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• 03:34 Rich Eisen: “Tirico and Collinsworth called it as if it was the Super Bowl... That was a fun finish.”
• 05:48 Rich Eisen: “We have a segment on my show... called ‘Is he back yet?’... I think he is absolutely coming back.”
• 19:00 Pablo Torre: “This is a 13 part serialized novel at this point... a secret, unannounced... multimillion dollar sponsorship for that company.”
• 21:02 Pablo Torre: “That deal, I’ll just remind people, was $28 million under contract for a no show endorsement... a $20 million equity deal... $48 million in total value.”
• 33:21 Rick Neuheisel: “There is no time to spend surveying everybody else in the country. You’ve got to just look after your own.”
• 31:18 Pablo Torre: “If you follow the money... Steve Ballmer emerges relatively unscathed, which is kind of insane to me.”
• 11:30 Dan Le Batard: “Once the speech is done, probably do a shot, and then we’ll fly me to the moon and go out there, dominate on the dance floor.”
• 34:13 Rick Neuheisel: “The Church of Signetti is full... The 16-0 story is one for the ages.”

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Episode Flow & Utility

• The episode is structured to alternate between major sports news, insider anecdotes, and deep-dive investigative journalism, ensuring pacing that keeps listeners engaged.
• Topics are accessible whether or not you are a hardcore football/NBA fan, thanks to both the humorous rapport and substance of the analyses.
• Inclusion of personal stories and high-profile guests give this episode a strong sense of access and authenticity.

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For New Listeners

If you missed the episode, this summary covers the most important discussions from the Hall of Fame excitement in the NFL preseason, to college football’s financial and existential crossroads, and a riveting NBA controversy with real consequences for the league. The blend of expert insight, candid behind-the-scenes stories, and light-hearted banter delivers both information and entertainment in every segment.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

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[Dan Le Batard]

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[Caller/Listener]

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[Rick Neuheisel]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Fred Armisen]

hey,

[Kerry Brownstein]

Portlandia fans, Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen

[Fred Armisen]

here the dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form.

[Kerry Brownstein]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Fred Armisen]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Kerry Brownstein]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised, not just words, but a song.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, I thought you were all going to write a song.

[Kerry Brownstein]

I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia AO rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nick Turturro]

I'm Nick Turturro. You probably know me from NYPD Blue, the Longest Yard or Spike Lee's BlackKklansman. And on my new podcast, Delivering Happiness with Nick Turturro, I deliver pizza to a new guest. I've shared a slice with everyone from Seth Rollins.

[Rich Eisen]

What are you doing with my belt?

[Nick Turturro]

To Bill Burr.

[Rich Eisen]

I don't think I've ever met somebody so exactly out of their mind as I am.

[Nick Turturro]

And now we even have more great guests coming up, including the great John deturro. It's called Happiness, Delivering Happiness and many, many more. Open your free iHeartradio app search delivering Happiness with Nick Turturro.

[Dan Patrick]

And listen now you are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Le Batard]

He's Rich Eisen, host to the Rich Eisen show on ESPN Radio. He'll be hosting the Pro Football hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday. Rich joins us from Canton, actually. Where are you right now?

[Rich Eisen]

I am in the Presentation center inside the Pro Football hall of Fame Museum in Canton, Ohio. I'll be doing my show from here at noon Eastern. And you know, this is giving me a little behind the scenes BTS and I'm, you know, just hold on a second. Can you hold all the work, please? You know, you taught me to do that a long time ago just to make sure everyone we're live, you know, like, can you hold just.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Rich Eisen]

And they've held the work, Dan. They've held the work. And that's the scene. That's the scene set. That's my scene set.

[Dan Le Batard]

Are you comfortable saying that's the greatest hall of Fame game in NFL history?

[Rich Eisen]

Well, I mean, there aren't many walk offs, right? We don't have any walk offs. Tirico and Collinsworth called it as if it was the Super Bowl. That was fun. But that was great. Yeah, I mean, you know, we, we saw deep ball leading to a big massive hit. So, you know, it definitely allows us all to save footballs back. That, that was a fun finish. And Haynes King freezing the end zone with no time left. That have been great. If Dave Canal, like we're just going to kick the field, let's play for overtime. You know, that have been fun. But that was, that was good. I mean, and the folks here in Canton deserve it, Dan. Sure do.

[Dan Le Batard]

It feels like, you know, we tried, we remind ourselves, don't overreact. Don't overreact. But if you're a Cardinal fan, can. Is it okay to overreact just a little bit that you saw Carson Beck play really well?

[Rich Eisen]

Of course, of course. I mean there's lots of to be excited about that Carson Beck is possibly the next quarterback of the Arizona Cardinals. That they did get their guy. That's the renewal of hope that, that we get every single year, whether it's at the combine. People watch the combine. They're like that guy, that's the guy I need on my team because he can change the fortunes. And where this is a draft or it's preseason and then the realities of football for many teams unfortunately arrive. One of them could be, you know, Arizona looking around in their neighborhood and seeing the defending super bowl champs and the team that. That team beat, that could have been to the super bowl, that has the MVP and Miles Garrett and possibly Aaron Donald at any moment in time. We could check our watches, and then obviously San Francisco is no pushover. Well, but for the time being, sure.

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

Take.

[Rich Eisen]

Take your time. Take it in. You got a new coach, you got a new quarterback potentially for the future. You got a new running back. You've got a lot to be hopeful for. That's what this time of year is about.

[Dan Le Batard]

Foregone conclusion. Aaron Donald's coming back. Okay.

[Rich Eisen]

We have a segment on my show, Dan. We've called it. Is he back yet? That's what it's called. Because, I mean, if you're going to go through the paces, you're going to go start doing this now, you're going to start practicing in a helmet, unless he just decides, you know what? I just. I'm not ready for the rigors. I don't know. I don't. I don't know. I don't foresee that. I think he is absolutely coming back. I think that is going to be one of the greatest handful history of the game, you know, I know I'm speaking from a spot where there's many busts of handfuls, but there'll be spots across the hall. I'm right down the hallway from the bus gallery. Donald and Garrett are going to be there. And the great thing about it is the more you and I or everyone else in our industry talks about it, the more Seattle gets pissed, the more Dallas gets pissed, the more the Chiefs. That name anybody that's on your list of super bowl contenders, they get pissed because they know football's more than just 2 of 53. I can't wait to watch it play out. Don't you think he's coming back, Dan? Like, that's a foregone conclusion?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would have said if he wanted to play home games, I was fine with that. He didn't have to travel, in my opinion. You know, if.

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

If he doesn't want to show up

[Dan Le Batard]

to camp until the last week of camp, as long as he's ready to go, when he's ready to go on his schedule, then, yes, I think he's going to play. And this is one of those. I liken it to Jalen Brown goes to the Sixers. I don't think LeBron goes to the Sixers if Jalen Brown doesn't go there. Miles Garrett goes to the Ram. I don't think Aaron Donald comes back to play unless they Get Miles Garrett

[Rich Eisen]

100%. He's, he's sitting at home getting ready for kids drop off, you know what I mean? Like that that's what he would be doing if Miles Garrett was still a Cleveland Brown or he went somewhere else. And that's pretty damn exciting too, you know. So I also liken what you just said to name your schedule, Aaron. You name it. We'll be open to anything or any, any idea. In the same way that the Sixers are like, you want to live in New York and take a helicopter, LeBron, you know, sure, go for it. You know, that, that, that is 100% the analogy. And I can't wait to watch it play out for sure.

[Dan Le Batard]

Rich Eisen show coming up at noon Eastern on ESPN Radio, hosting the Pro Football hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday. What is your role as the host?

[Rich Eisen]

Oh, I'm hosting the ESPN coverage actually, with ESPN now having NFL Network in its fold. I'll be on the set noon Eastern with Kurt Warner and Lewis Riddick simulcasting the Saturday coverage. The official role I've got here at the hall is tonight for the jacket dinner, which is just the jewel of the weekend that nobody really sees. It is the first tangible item a Hall of Famer receives to make the reality of their football immortality dawn on them. It is a highly emotionally charged event where they're all introduced one by one. They walk through a gauntlet of all the returning hall of Famers to the center stage where they receive their jackets. Jacket in the past, this is when Sterling and Shannon Sharp hugged it out and were crying as Sterling slipped the jacket on Shannon. Or the other year where Shannon did it to Sterling, the year that Sterling did it for Shannon. I'll never forget that one because it was again, highly emotional. And the two of them hugging it out and crying wound up on the front page of the Canton Repository newspaper. And the next morning I walked into the hotel where all the hall of Famers were, Dan and I. I walked in to the lobby and there were only three people, Shannon and Sterling, getting an earful from the guy who was holding their photograph up at the from the previous night of them crying in the newspaper. And it was Deacon Jones telling them in the most profane manner that there's no crying in football. And how dare you do this the night before, like today's the day, the drug induction day. Today's the day you're allowed to cry. But even for a second. And he was f bombing them. And it was one of the greatest things I've ever witnessed. It's one of those moments you turn around like anybody else seeing this, you know? So that's what tonight's about. But they have given it a new twist here where they. They. They don't have your presenter. Slip the jacket on your induction presenter. You now choose somebody who's returning from the hall of Fame. It could be anybody to put the jacket on you. And it makes for some interesting combinations. Joe Thomas asked for Jerome Bettis to put the jacket on him. And many Browns fans who are here, actual Cleveland Brown going into the hall of Fame. Like, you're choosing a Steeler. Like, what gives? It's just that Joe respected Jerome and it's a neat thing. It's just. And that's tonight, and then tomorrow's the ceremony itself.

[Dan Le Batard]

Great to talk to you. Have fun, and I'll see you in a week.

[Rich Eisen]

That's right. Dan, how are everything going for that.

[Rick Neuheisel]

Where are we?

[Rich Eisen]

So do I get to finally reverse the question to you? Are you nervous?

[Dan Le Batard]

I will be nervous. Yes. I will be.

[Rick Neuheisel]

I'll be nervous.

[Chelsea Handler]

Yeah.

[Rick Neuheisel]

I love it.

[Dan Le Batard]

On a need to know basis. Okay. I just take direction. I got one thing to do, and that's get through the speech. The father daughter dance. I'm not worried about that. I'm just. Once the speech is done, probably do a shot, and then we'll fly me to the moon and go out there.

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

Okay.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dominate on the dance floor.

[Rich Eisen]

So is that the song?

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah.

[Rich Eisen]

Is that the song?

[Rick Neuheisel]

Okay.

[Rich Eisen]

You know, Yeah. I could do it. You know, I could sing it for

[Rick Neuheisel]

you if you need any.

[Rich Eisen]

Any, you know, to insert myself into your father.

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

I know.

[Rich Eisen]

Moment. You know, But I'm here to serve.

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

Dan.

[Dan Le Batard]

Dan Hicks of NBC can sing Sinatra pretty well. I don't know if you can sing Sinatra well.

[Rich Eisen]

Is this. Are you creating sort of a Ron Burgundy type moment where we're gonna have a fight? Is that what you're saying? We're going to step outside for the. Right. I don't want to do that. But the walking down the aisle, that moment is going to be the.

[Dan Le Batard]

The moment, isn't it? That's great. Yes. That'll be beer. Just trying not to make eye contact. That's all. Try not to make eye contact with anybody.

[Rick Neuheisel]

I can't wait.

[Rich Eisen]

It's going to be great. And, Susan, I will be honored to be there to watch watch it all go down. Dan, we'll be there.

[Dan Le Batard]

This bar reception will probably be a little livelier than yours in the Central Park.

[Rich Eisen]

Oh, see, I was waiting. I was. I saw the wheels turn. There I was waiting. We were taking family pictures, Dan, but you got behind the bar and started handing out drinks to everybody. So that's okay. That's okay. But I understand, okay. I was, I was busy.

[Dan Le Batard]

My wife, I, I went to a friend of ours wedding, Billy Fairweather. And Billy, you know, Billy is a festive guy. Yeah, Billy, Billy up in Fairweather. And at one point I thought the party was lame, the reception and I started ripping the sleeves off of guys shirts. Don't ask me why, but a guy had his tuxedo shirt on and I said did you buy that or rent it? He said I own it. And I, we started tearing off sleeves

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

and we were, we were drinking shots

[Dan Le Batard]

of Seagrams and I'm going, what is going on here? This is sad. Sad.

[Rich Eisen]

So now this will be faster now time for you to run the show. Okay. I look forward to it, Dan. I look forward to it.

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

Thank, thank you Rich.

[Dan Le Batard]

Thank you Rich. That's Rich Eisen, host of the Rich Eisen Show.

[Dan Patrick]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

[Dan Le Batard]

Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington

[Rob Parker]

from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio. And in addition to hearing us live weeknights from 7 to 10pm Eastern on Fox Sports Radio, we are excited to announce brand new YouTube channel for the show.

[Dan Le Batard]

That's right, you can now watch the Odd couple live on YouTube every day.

[Rob Parker]

All you got to do search Odd Couple FSR on YouTube again. YouTube. Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

[Dan Le Batard]

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[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

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[Kerry Brownstein]

Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen here, you know us.

[Fred Armisen]

Or rather, you know them. Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance, Spike and yes, the Chicken.

[Kerry Brownstein]

We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia AO Rewatch our brand new podcast.

[Fred Armisen]

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[Kerry Brownstein]

How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it, and

[Fred Armisen]

we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Kerry Brownstein]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised. Not just words, but a song.

[Dan Le Batard]

I thought he was going to write. I thought you were all going to write a song.

[Kerry Brownstein]

I remember you thinking that.

[Fred Armisen]

Listen to Podlandia Ayo rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chelsea Handler]

This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea. Every week the news gets worse, the world gets crazier, and Yamanika is here to tell whoever's responsible, you're the problem.

[Podcast Host]

If you come over here to play games, you I' ma check you. Okay? If you do some in the news that don't sound good, I'mma play you.

[Chelsea Handler]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Chelsea Handler]

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[Podcast Host]

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[Chelsea Handler]

So join Yamaneke each episode as she answers one question. Who's the problem?

[Podcast Host]

I'm Yamanika and I'm out. Listen to youo're the Problem with yamaneika on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dan Le Batard]

Pablo Torre uncovers Kawhi Leonard's other hidden secret sponsorship. Here tonight, Pablo Torre finds out releases its latest installment of the saga that continues to linger here over the Clippers and the NBA. All right, so what's the update here and what does that mean? Bigger picture? Pablo.

Hi Dan. We are brought together once again by an alleged secret sponsorship deal for Kawhi Leonard. Always good to see you like this. What we were reporting is that two days after I published part one of my now 13 part investigation, which I say, knowing how ridiculous that sounds, I'll fully cop to it. This is a 13 part serialized novel at this point. But it's actually an investigation, right? It's an investigative series. And two days after we dropped part one, what happened was I got a tip saying that there is another secret sponsorship for Kawhi leonard that was 1,000%. That is a quote, 1,000% designed to circumvent the salary cap. And I've spent the last 11 months trying to fact check that, confirm it, further report the story of why that would be, how it would be. And it turns out that yes, according to our reporting, we have two sources, two high level sources, One who was under contract with the Clippers into it dome project, the other a former Clippers high level source. They both say that the Jumbotron manufacturer Daktronics, which you may not know by name, but you certainly know by sight. Dan, why are you laughing? Jumbotron manufacturers are very, very famous, obviously. This one, this one is the one that built the Halo board. This is the $100 million project that Steve Ballmer built to create the greatest Jumbotron in human history. And Kawhi Leonard, according to our reporting, had a secret, unannounced, no evidence that he did anything for it. Multimillion dollar sponsorship for that company, which, and I'll just beg one more bit of time here because Daktronics had never hired a celebrity spokesperson or sponsor or endorser or partner like this before or since, and so hard to explain otherwise, I would say.

Given these sponsorship deals and his salary, how much money was Kawhi Leonard making a year?

Well, it is a number that we're constantly chasing and that is constantly changing, which is why we chase it. Look, he was of course a max player in the NBA. What's interesting though, in that this timeframe we're talking about is actually after aspiration collapses. So we're looking at 2023 and aspiration is going bankrupt. It's under federal investigation by the end of that year. And so that deal, I'll just remind people, was $28 million under contract for a no show endorsement deal that was never announced. If this is sounding familiar, let me know. And also a $20 million equity deal in the company that was guaranteed to him. So that's $48 million in total value that was guaranteed to Kawhi Leonard on top of his NBA contract. And that's just that. But Aspiration, according to our reporting, is struggling to make the payments in 2023, of course. And what happens next is the story of these last two episodes we've now done. And what's so interesting, Dan, and I'll answer your question in this context, January 2024 comes around and Kawhi Leonard does something shocking to NBA media. Certainly he takes less than the maximum. And so if you just put this all together right, a guy who truly is here to earn as much as he possibly can and beyond decides to take less from the Clippers to extend in January of 2024 while also still being owed money from this team sponsor, Aspiration, which according to the bankruptcy filing we obtained, owes him at least $7 million. And so why and how does he do that is what leads me to the story of Daktronics. And so we don't know how many millions of dollars were in the Daktronics deal. We are actively, of course, interested in finding that number. But when you're talking about what was he paid beyond the cap, we're talking about the largest alleged salary caps or convention scheme in the history of sports. Right? We're talking about something that ranges into the 50 plus million dollars, if that would be a reasonable projection beyond what he was allowed to be paid. That's just based on inferences on our reporting.

Which brings me to when you request to speak to the Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, the response is what?

The Clippers have stopped responding to our request for comment. We tell them what's going to be in the episodes. For months now, they've stopped responding. They used to say stuff like this is all provably false. And I've learned in the story, Dan, that words are very carefully chosen by lawyers. I didn't go to law school, didn't make it to that point. But I've been told that words are important in legal proceedings. Provably false is a big claim. And it's been, it's August 7th, I believe, and it's been 11 to 12 months, right? A year almost that we've been waiting to show how this is provably false. What I started reporting with aspiration that's now into a second hidden sponsorship. And so we always ask and what's so interesting about this story? Because request for comment is really important to us. To get it right, we went to Daktronics, we went to the company itself and asked all of these questions. And what our colleague and collaborator Sam Koppelman learned is that Daktronics wanted a. The first response was here's our general counsel talk to them. And Kawhi Leonard had not even been mentioned yet. So it's like, okay, so something already they're on alert. Then they send us to a crisis comms firm. And you love when those enter the room because apparently there's now a crisis. And we still are wondering what do they think the crisis is? Because we have a sense, but we haven't even started talking about that yet. And that crisis comms firm, and this is really important, they say two things that I want to quote for you here. One is quote, my understanding is Daktronics doesn't have a deal with Kauai right now. And I think the tense of right now is a useful thing to hang a lantern on for a second here. So right now is the tense that they stand behind on the record. The second sentence they say is quote, I don't know what the company. This is the crisis comms firm. I don't know what the company Daktronics wants to say or can say given the Wachtel investigation, end quote. And that is the crisis comms firm volunteering the the name of the law firm that the NBA hired to investigate the Clippers for secret no show sponsorships for Kawhi Leonard. And so at this point you're like, okay, you're realizing this is of great interest to Daktronics. They're familiar with this investigation. In fact, they've been managing the crisis of it before we called. And so now when it comes to getting questions and responses about did you have any proof that Kwai did anything? How much was the deal for? When did it start? There is no further comment or response.

I'm wondering though how this plays out. If, if these things are true. The NBA, you start with Steve Ballmer. I don't know what you can do with Kawhi Leonard, but give me the scenario or scenarios that you think that how this plays out.

Yeah. So all of this got phenomenally, I think concrete and tag intangible when the trade Kawhi Leonard is traded from the Clippers to the Raptors to the team, by the way, that originally alleged in 2019 that Kawhi Leonard and Dennis Robertson, his uncle, unlicensed agent, had requested benefits beyond the salary cap in violation of the cba. These include no show jobs. These include equity in the companies that they were hoping to get in business with through the team. So the Raptors, I say that to say the Raptors know the backstage of this with unusual clarity as that timeline 2019 is concerned. And so they want to trade for Kawhi Leonard. But what happens is, of course, the trade is frozen. And what I've been told and what has now been reported is that the change is that the NBA puts in front of the Raptors a piece of paper that effectively indemnifies the NBA, the league itself, and the Clippers from any legal resource or negotiation. If there are punishments specific to Kawhi Leonard, because those punishments will travel with the player to Toronto. If you pay X, you're getting whatever Kawhi ends up being post punishment. And the Raptors in their perhaps eternal wisdom and this backdrop, say then we're not signing this, and therefore the trade is not proceeding. And so that trade has been frozen for weeks, obviously. And so the question of, like, what happens next is when is this ruling going to come down? Will this ruling speak to the things that I've been publicly reporting that have been vetted by now, of course, months of careful investigation in multiple sources. Will that ruling speak to those things? Will there be a punishment? Will the Raptors want to proceed with this deal? And if there is a punishment beyond Kawhi Leonard, because again, that's specific to Kauhi alone. How does this possibly avoid touching the richest owner in American sports, Steve Ballber, the guy who was across every bit of this, and Dan, perhaps in the superlative I gave him, you can detect some of the cynicism and the concern that when you're the richest owner in American sports, the game you're playing, even in legal recourse and certainly punishment, it is different from even the normal billionaires that you might have to deal with as Commissioner.

Has the NBA's investigators talked to you?

They reached out months ago. I met with them. I handed them a bunch of paperwork particular to aspiration, signed contracts, financial documents. And I encourage them to take all of it as seriously as as they can, because I think there's a lot more here even than I can get to as a guy who has, you know, Dan LeBatard as his bleeping boss and one lawyer helping me. So we don't exactly have the resources of a multinational, you know, enterprise. But I think that Wachtel, in listening to the podcast, has a lot to go on, and my hope is that they're doing exactly that.

Any chance Steve Ballmer is in jeopardy of losing the Clippers, being able to own them?

I think the question is an Adam Silver question, right? And this is what's so interesting. Adam Silver is not his mentor, David Stern. Adam Silver is actually the guy who welcomed Steve Ballmer in, in replacement of Donald Sterling and was hailed as this almost Aristotelian brilliant, progressive leader in comparison to all the other commissioners, Roger Goodell, namely, at that time. And so now he is bookending, perhaps his tenure with the same guy being an even bigger problem, a complicated problem. And so if you're Adam silver and in 2019, when you cleared the Clippers and Steve Ballmer of cap circumvention after investigating the Raptors claims and the Lakers claims, what you have done, by the way, on the record is say salary capture convention is the cardinal rule of the NBA. And I think underpinning all of this, Dan, the moment we're in with sports gambling, as the NBA balances a gambling scandal and investigation that we've been covering on the show as well, when they're balancing all of the other cap circumvention theories out there, Gary Trent Jr. Just being the latest hypothesis someone has is the question of whether the rules matter. And if you break the rules, as have been alleged by multiple episodes here of my show and now elsewhere, the question is how do you possibly make it so that the cardinal rule is actually treated like it? And so by any standard of fake NBA law, because these are all fake laws, these are all collectively bargained rules that you got to enforce, I think everything should be on the table, realistically in terms of the money. And if you follow it, I think there's a very real chance that Steve Ballmer emerges relatively unscathed, which is kind of insane to me, according to my reporting.

Great stuff, Pablo. Thanks for joining us as always and good luck with Dan Lebatard.

I'm gonna eat all of it, Dan, as you know, with him. So appreciate it.

Pablo Torre finds out with Meadowlark Media.

[Dan Patrick]

Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Dan Le Batard]

Spring in Rick Neuheisel, former college coach at ucla in Washington and Colorado. Now a CBS analyst. How would you feel if you're Purdue's head coach Barry Odom, after you hear that from your athletic director?

[Rick Neuheisel]

I feel exactly like I did when I was at UCLA and Pete Carroll had things going at SC and they put out a full page ad, the LA title times, the monopoly is over. I was like, hey, easy now, easy now. Yeah, it is a one way to start. Tommy's not afraid.

[Dan Le Batard]

But were you told about the ad in the LA Times, the monopoly?

[Rick Neuheisel]

No, I was actually. I was actually apologized to. We don't need to put that kind of heat on you. I said, hey, let's own it, let's go, but let's get the resources. Don't take a knife to a gunfight. Let's. So we'll see how Barry Oda does. Hopefully better than he did when he was aboard that bull when he was in Las Vegas.

[Dan Le Batard]

How. How did UCLA do against USC that year?

[Rick Neuheisel]

Not well. 287 got stuff. Yeah, it was unfortunate. We didn't exactly have the resources.

[Dan Le Batard]

I called out the coaches earlier this week. You know, you have the coaches poll and I said, the, the people who watch the least amount of college football are coaches. Because you can't. You only care about the opponent you had and the opponent coming up. Who voted when you were at ucla, Washington, Colorado, who voted in the coaches poll for you?

[Rick Neuheisel]

It was always our sports information guy. It was Dave Platty at Colorado, Mark Delens at ucla, Jim Daves at Washington. Those guys, you know, we're keeping track. They hit, they'd bring me a list. I say, we'll move these guys one spot and away we go. Because you're right, there is no time to spend surveying everybody else in the country. You've got to just look after your own.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, because you don't want to walk into a press conference and have somebody blindside you and say, why did this school get a first place vote from you? And you not be aware of it?

[Rick Neuheisel]

No, exactly right. And now that they put your name on it at the end, maybe you better know exactly what the hell went on that list. But yeah, you don't have time for that. That is absolutely correct.

[Dan Le Batard]

Let me go back to Indiana and the run that they had. How sustainable is this?

[Rick Neuheisel]

Well, I'm not gonna put anything past Kurt Signetti because what he's done has been incredible. The church of Signetti is full. Parishioners come from far and wide now to watch what is taking place there. The Mendoza story is one for the ages. The 160 story is one for the ages. I, I can't remember a more surprising something happening in sport than that. That was in my lifetime. That was just incredible. You know, the Indiana program that was, you know, worse had more losses than anybody else in the history of college football to go 16 and oh, and win against the formidable teams that they just. And to beat Alabama 38 to 3. I actually said 35 to 3 when I had Signetti in the chair at the Big Ten media days and he corrected me 38 to three. Yeah, he. Don't take that field goal from me. Oregon and then Miami in Miami. It is a run of for the ages. Remarkable, to say the least. I brought, I think, I think, I think Hoover's, you know, reasonable replacement for Mendoza. We'll see if he can keep from having the, the errant, you know, turnover. If he, if he, if he cleans that up, they're going to be, they're going to be good again.

[Dan Le Batard]

Talking to former coach Rick Neuheisel, CBS Sports college football analyst, I was mentioning the coaches top 10, and I was putting price tags, their roster next to their ranking.

[Rick Neuheisel]

Right.

[Dan Le Batard]

You got to be spending at least 40 million some next year we're going to be knocking on the door going past $50 million. The return on investment. Like, how sustainable is this for these schools to be spending this kind of money?

[Rick Neuheisel]

Well, that's a fascinating question. I think we're going to be in a survival of the fittest until the new television contracts come up, which is around 20, 30. I think we're just in an era where we're just dealing with that. You can see that private equity is kind of sniffing around. You see the stories out of LSU and what they're talking about doing down there. I think everybody's having these conversations. We can't go very much longer. The numbers are going crazy. Brian Kelly just joined us at CBS. He says the numbers at Notre Dame are 50 million. So. And he's sitting there going, I couldn't get a penny out of him for a long time while I was sitting there trying to get facilities built. But it is, it is a wild, wild west as it's been dubbed many times. It's crazy out there.

[Dan Le Batard]

Well, the president urging Congress to pass the Protect College Sports act before recess here. How important is that act to pass?

[Rick Neuheisel]

I think it's a huge deal. And now that the Big Ten and the SEC have put their endorsement on the bill, it would be wonderful to get that done. But it has to happen today because they go on recess this afternoon and if it, if, if they don't get that done, there's going to be other things that are more important when they come back. With the midterms coming up, I saw

[Dan Le Batard]

where you were working with Brendan Sorsby, the former quarterback at Texas Tech. Now, I don't know what working means. I know that you're former college quarterback and you coach quarterbacks in the NFL. How are you, or were you working with Brendan Sorsby?

[Rick Neuheisel]

All I did, Dan, is I reached out to him. I felt terribly for how he had become in the eye of the storm. You know, the, the kind of. The focal point, I think the bigger issue, obviously he did something that was wrong. Can't bet on your own team. He didn't do it while he was playing. He had a phone where he got into it and, you know, started betting on balls and strikes and, you know, it got away from him and, and hopefully that's behind him. But I remember having been kind of put into a. The public scorn for having been in a basketball pool, and I became very bitter about who would, you know, throw me to the wolves for doing something that's so commonplace. And I, I just wanted to. To tell Brennan and his father that bitterness only impacts you. Just, Just, just move on. You. There'll be a better day, and you just got to be confident that that day will come. And I, I'm hoping that he can get to the Senior Bowl a year from now, that he can get to, you know, the combine and show his wares. And obviously I'm coaching in that UFL if, If it were a place that he wanted to go. Remember Hunter Deckers, the kid who couldn't play at Iowa State any longer for a similar deal? Ended up being a quarterback in Houston for Kevin Sumlin, and now I think he's in the New Orleans Saints camp. So there's going to be a better day for him. I just wanted to reach out and say, you know, this isn't so much about you. It was about all that was going on. There was a little bit of jealousy about how much money Texas Tech had. And so it became a big story that he just happened to be the target. And I just wanted him to know there will be better days. Don't get caught up in who got you. Just move on.

[Dan Le Batard]

Yeah, I suggested, just like I did to Pete Rose, if you want to give back, you want to show an act of contrition, volunteer to go around to colleges and even high schools and just say, and, and have people film it, like you can make this something positive if you want to Pete, Pete never did that. He and I believe if he had done that, fallen on his sword, he probably would have gotten on the ballot to go into the hall of Fame. And maybe I, maybe Sorsby gets a chance, you know to prove that he can still play football.

[Rick Neuheisel]

He's, he's, he's a nice kid. I enjoyed talking to him. His father is a nice guy. I'm hopeful that that can be the case. And you know he actually wanted to stay for a time at Texas Tech and be the scout team quarterback but it felt like he was going to be too much of a distraction. So he's just working out and fingers crossed that something good happens for him here down alone. And if, if it was a gambling addiction that that's behind him.

[Dan Le Batard]

The most pressure to win this year, which college coach would you say I'm looking at you.

[Rick Neuheisel]

Well, there's a lot of pressure on Lincoln Riley because the Trojans have never been to the College Football Playoff and they feel like they've got all the pieces this year. You know they have to get back into the elite category where I think the Trojan fans believe they should be A lot of pressure on in my mind Steve Sarkeesian because Texas has everything. I would say the same at for Dan Lanning with Dante Moore coming back. But maybe the most pressure given the schedule, given what is going on is Notre Dame. Marcus Freeman has it all. He's got this C.J. carr who everybody said at the Manning passing academy was the best guy there and he's got a schedule that might be as ready made. I mean he's supposed to be like a double digit favorite until November. Miami comes to town. That's going to be an epic game. If you beat him in front of the home crowd you then you go to BYU and then you have SMU coming to town. We'll wait and see what the Mustangs look like. But, but that's a schedule that's manageable. It'll be interesting to see and if Marcus Freeman manages it, it keeps that Northern Illinois game from happening. The Irish are going to be right there.

[Dan Le Batard]

I'd say Lane Kiffin, you know that game against Ole Miss. Now I know.

[Rick Neuheisel]

Oh my goodness. Don't you want to just walk in with him to, to the Grove?

[Dan Le Batard]

No, I don't know what's going to

[Unidentified Guest (possibly a producer or co-host)]

happen when I'm going to steer clear.

[Dan Le Batard]

I want to be as far away from Lane when he wants.

[Rick Neuheisel]

I, I, that that is going to be the most anticipated pre game in the history of football.

[Dan Le Batard]

He'll eat it up. He'll eat it up. We'll talk soon. Thanks, bud.

[Rick Neuheisel]

All the best, buddy.

[Podcast Host]

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