Best of the Week on The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show — “Best of the Week”

Date: June 13, 2026
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts & Dan Patrick Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

This “Best of the Week” edition of The Dan Patrick Show highlights standout interviews and lively sports banter, featuring in-depth conversations with comedian/actor Adam Sandler, tennis legend John McEnroe, and Men in Blazers soccer commentator Roger Bennett. The episode covers the electric New York Knicks playoff comeback, tennis stories, nostalgia for famous sports moments, and a look forward to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, all wrapped in Dan’s signature blend of insight and humor.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Adam Sandler on Knicks Playoff Magic and Sports Fandom

(02:06–07:49)

Dan Patrick greets Adam Sandler, who calls in while strolling the streets of New York following a Knicks victory at Madison Square Garden. The conversation is packed with enthusiasm and humor, recounting the game’s atmosphere and the cultural weight of a Knicks playoff comeback.

• Atmosphere at Madison Square Garden

  • Sandler describes the environment as “tremendous…one of the highlights of our sporting career, going to this.” (02:23)
  • Despite a rocky start, the crowd stayed hopeful, and the energy remained vibrant even at halftime, helped by the Wu-Tang Clan’s performance.

• Celebrity Sightings & Knicks Community

  • Sandler was seated near stars including members of Wu-Tang, Coach Calipari, and mentions encountering actor Timothy Chalamet.
  • He jokes about Knicks fans putting pressure on him: “Mostly I had crazy Knicks fans screaming at me the whole time. We gotta get this, Adam. You know, they put a little pressure on poor Sandman.” (05:00)

• Game Highlights

  • Raves about OG Anunoby’s heroics, Jalen Brunson’s toughness, and laments a controversial call against KAT (“the ref kind of ruined things for all of us”).
  • On seeing Victor Wembanyama up close: “It really is like when your big brother toying with you the whole time… just ripping it out of your hands anytime you want.” (05:54)

• Personal Notes

  • Sandler teases Dan’s role in the next “Grown Ups” movie and throws in good-natured banter about scheduling and celebrity cameos.

Notable Quotes:

• “It was one of the biggest moments I’ve ever seen, man.” – Adam Sandler (03:18)
• “Wu Tang’s halftime show… it just felt loose… Even though we were down so much… there was still a good vibe.” – Adam Sandler (02:36)
• “We gotta get this, Adam!” – Sandler, on fan pressure (05:00)

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2. John McEnroe — Knicks Superfan, Tennis Icon, and the Passion of Sports

(11:58–22:48)

Dan Patrick’s interview with tennis great John McEnroe delves deep into Knicks fan culture, sports mentality, and McEnroe’s colorful career both on and off the court.

• The Knicks Comeback vs. Winning a Grand Slam

  • McEnroe equates the thrill of the Knicks’ win to his biggest tennis triumphs: “That was one of the all-timers…that was the mother of all crowds.” (12:13)
  • Sits with Larry David and reminisces on the emotional rollercoaster, fighting the temptation to give up: “I’m trying to tell kids, never give up…It gets to a point where you get so discouraged…but we weren’t there yet.” (12:54)

• Watching Live Sports as an Athlete

  • He appreciates high-level skill, competitive will, and is in awe of players like Wembanyama: “To see this Wemby up close is unbelievable…the way he moves, how athletic he is at that height.” (14:35)
  • Reflects on the never-quit DNA of the current Knicks: “They keep battling… it all appears hopelessly lost.” (15:14)

• Generational Legacy in Sports

  • McEnroe discusses public perception: “There’s a whole generation that doesn’t know… you become so good at your other job, people forget what you did.” (16:34)
  • Bemused by being remembered more as a commentator/narrator now: “It pissed me off for like 15 years…you’re a better commentator than you are playing…after a while, I realized…maybe that’s a compliment.” (17:09)

• Iconic Tennis Moments

  • On his famous “You cannot be serious!” line, McEnroe jokes about how automated calls would have muted his best-known outburst: “If I didn’t say it [on the senior tour], they wouldn’t pay me. I had to say it at least once a day.” (20:44)
  • Touches on changes in officiating and the evolution of personality in sports.

• Personal Life & Office Memorabilia

  • Shares about a quirky New York Times photo with Magic Johnson, describes his family’s journey, and draws parallels between second chances in life and the Knicks’ second-half comeback. (21:34–21:58)

Notable Quotes:

• “It was like divine intervention…analytics don’t factor in heart and will.” – John McEnroe (13:31)
• “We keep battling, you know, it all appears hopelessly lost.” – John McEnroe (15:14)
• “I finished number one four years… that’s such BS!” – John McEnroe, on being undervalued as a player (17:09)

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3. Roger Bennett — World Cup Preview, Soccer Storytelling & America’s Global Moment

(26:05–37:32)

Roger Bennett, founder of Men in Blazers and author of “We Are the World Cup,” joins Dan to break down the 2026 World Cup, soccer’s growth in America, and the cultural significance of the event.

• World Cup Hysteria

  • Bennett describes the nationwide World Cup tour, comparing the U.S. soccer journey to “college game days” on the road: “We’re doing college game days across America ahead of these US Games. Making World Cup memories.” (26:34)

• Analogous Sports Comebacks

  • Connects the Knicks’ comeback to iconic soccer moments, like Liverpool’s Champions League rally in 2005: “They come back, second half, an absolute miracle…won it on penalties. It’s the joy of sport, you feel every single human emotion.” (26:53)

• Key Storylines:

  • The 2026 World Cup as the biggest ever: 48 teams, three nations, marathon format.
  • Messi’s last stand with Argentina, France’s “roster more stacked than a can of Pringles,” and the U.S. team’s opportunity to capture the home crowd.
  • On America’s shifting sports appetites: “Soccer came 67th…tractor pulling came in 66th. The Economist has just revealed soccer…is now the third most favorite sport in the United States.” (29:09)

• Team USA: Reality & Aspirations

  • The men’s side is “the most skilled individually that we’ve ever had…we don’t know what they’ll come together as as a collective.”
  • QF run would be historic: “This team can most certainly get to the quarterfinals. And to do that would write themselves into…history.” (31:28)
  • Women’s team celebrated for winning, men’s side still “a dream on team.”

• Players to Watch

  • Lionel Messi: “The best player I’ve ever seen. He barely runs…in a burst he will just do something transcendent.” (32:25)
  • French superstar Kylian Mbappe and Spain’s 18-year-old prodigy Lamina Mal discussed as next-gen greats.

• Global Underdogs & England’s Pain

  • Tips Norway as a “lovable sleeper” led by Erling Haaland: “He looks like AI has regenerated a Viking as an elite athlete…as dominant as Shaquille O’Neal when he was new with the Magic.” (34:14)
  • On Harry Kane and the English sporting psyche: “In England…if you give an English person the choice between their own success and your failure, they’ll choose your failure every time.” (35:18)
  • Shares the irony of Kane’s NFL kicker ambition: “A man who aspires to become a kicker wants to become English at Brandon Aubrey.” (36:07)

Notable Quotes:

• “Americans love an excuse to cut work and daytime drink. This tournament is going to be enormous.” – Roger Bennett (32:00)
• “If the Knicks can win for the first time in 53 years…England have not won in 60 years. America’s not ready for that.” – Roger Bennett (37:20)
• “He’s like watching the freeze of the Atlanta Braves game when [Mbappé] gets on the ball…it's quite magnificent.” – Roger Bennett (33:20)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | Highlight | |-----------|---------|-----------| | 02:06–07:49 | Adam Sandler | Knicks game atmosphere, celebrity fan culture, basketball fandom | | 11:58–22:48 | John McEnroe | Knicks comeback, athlete mentality, his persona, tennis nostalgia | | 26:05–37:32 | Roger Bennett | World Cup anticipation, US soccer development, global soccer stories |

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Memorable Moments & Entertaining Exchanges

• Sandler’s fan pressure: “Everybody…I’m doing the best I can!” (05:00)
• McEnroe’s generational frustration: “You’re a better commentator than you are playing…I finished number one four years.” (17:09)
• Bennett on US soccer in the 90s: “Soccer came 67th in the American sporting appetite. Tractor pulling came in 66th.” (29:09)
• Dan and Roger joking about soccer names: “He needs to go by one name, he needs to be Kane, and that’s it.” (36:02)

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Summary

This episode encapsulates the intersection of sports, pop culture, and emotional fandom—from legendary comebacks at Madison Square Garden to the feverish anticipation of a home-soil World Cup. Adam Sandler and John McEnroe share their lived experience of Knicks euphoria, with classic New York candor, humor, and nostalgia. Roger Bennett, meanwhile, paints a vibrant picture of soccer’s rise in America and the drama about to unfold on the world stage. For anyone who missed the show, this highlight reel brings you the electric highs, die-hard loyalty, and playful tussles that define both sports and this iconic radio show.

Transcript

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[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick

[Dan Patrick]

show on Fox Sports Radio. Oh look who is roaming the streets of New York City.

[Adam Sandler]

I've been on. I've been on these streets with you before, Danny.

[Dan Patrick]

It's Adam Sandler joining us. Big time celebrity there at the Garden last night. How would you describe the atmosphere last night?

[Adam Sandler]

It was tremendous. It was absolutely one of the I I met before the game. I was saying to my wife, I think this is going to be the highlight of our sporting career, going to this. You know what I'm saying? And. And yes. And then the first half. First quarter didn't go well, and there was some devastation, but you kept thinking, like, there's a chance. There's a chance. And then you started going, I don't know if there is a chance of anything coming. I guess we'll figure it out. Game five. And then it just. It just started doing what they've been doing, just chipping away and. And then San Antonio was missing shots, and holy cow. It was. It was just complete love. It was complete love. I'll tell you what. Wu Tangs was. Halftime show. Like, it just felt loose. It felt loose. People were still having fun. Even though we were down so much and it took so long to chip away, there was still kind of a good vibe. And little. Little kids were all over the place having fun. And, oh, my God, when the team won, I looked back at these nice little kids who were being funny the whole game, and they were all crying, and it was one of the biggest moments I've ever seen, man.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you give any thought to leaving in, like, third quarter?

[John McEnroe]

No, no, no. None of that.

[Adam Sandler]

Too much. It was too exciting. Still, dude, San Antonio was so locked in that it was fun even watching them. Yeah. Take a picture. Thank you. This nice lady's taking a picture of us.

[John McEnroe]

Danny.

[Adam Sandler]

Here we go.

[John McEnroe]

Boom.

[Adam Sandler]

Hi. Oh, she's got the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 going. Danny, this is fantastic. Okay, okay.

[John McEnroe]

Boom.

[Adam Sandler]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. So, yeah, that was good.

[John McEnroe]

But.

[Adam Sandler]

Yeah, no, no, San Antonio was so. They were just. They look so cool out there. They couldn't miss a shot.

[Dan Patrick]

Who are you sitting next to?

[John McEnroe]

I was.

[Adam Sandler]

I was next to the Wu Tang. I was. Hang on. I got.

[Grainger Commercial Voice]

I got it.

[Adam Sandler]

No, dude, I'll get you right after. I love you.

[John McEnroe]

I'm sorry.

[Adam Sandler]

I'm on with the great Dan Patrick. You can't. You can't mess with him. But

[Dan Patrick]

who are you sitting next to?

[Adam Sandler]

I was next to. Who was I next to? Rock was Rock. Rock's mother, Coach Caliperi. Yeah, Caliperi was. He was such a great dude. He was fun as hell. He's gonna send me some sneakers. That was nice.

[John McEnroe]

And.

[Adam Sandler]

And all the Wu Tang. And then just the whole night, you saw somebody that you were excited to see.

[John McEnroe]

But mostly.

[Adam Sandler]

Mostly I had crazy Nick fans screaming at me the whole time. We gotta get this, Adam. You know, they put a little pressure on poor Sandman. I said, I'm doing the best I can. Everybody.

[John McEnroe]

You know what I mean?

[Dan Patrick]

And then you got to see your. Your buddy, Timothy Chalamet.

[Adam Sandler]

I saw that sweet, slick young man, and he was excited. Everybody was. Everybody was at halftime, kind of giving those looks to each other like, all right, man. I mean, it's possible, but. But this does sting, you know, it may just make you automatically start thinking about game five like a crazy person. And then. I don't know, man. That last five, six minutes, you.

[John McEnroe]

You.

[Adam Sandler]

I started to believe, like, wow, they're really, like, making such great stops and putting buckets in. And then.

[Podcast Announcer]

And then that.

[Adam Sandler]

That heart. That Harper kid was so on fire.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Adam Sandler]

That. It was terrifying, man. Every three. He hit every. Their whole team. And then Wemby is just to see live. I saw him one other time playing the Lakers, but I was way up in a box and I couldn't. I couldn't really. You could just feel the fun of it. But when you're down on the floor and you see him, you go, holy cow. And it really is like when your big brother toying with you the whole time, like, I got that. You mean just ripping it out of your hands anytime you want. It was just so cool, man. But what a OG man, that guy, I. I've loved him since he's on the team, but you just depend on him so much. He's such a badass Brunson. Such a badass Cat One Cat got two fouls up top. That's what everybody was talking about. The refs calling a goofy foul on cat up top. And you were like, well, he just changed everything. We can't. The ref kind of ruined things for all of us. We were mad at the ref. I was thinking of things to yell at the ref about him and his family and stuff, but then I stopped.

[Dan Patrick]

How long you in New York for?

[Adam Sandler]

I'm taking off. I'm going to see my kiddo and then I'm taking off, buddy. But I'll be back. And we were writing yesterday, and we were writing your part, and it's going to be the best, Danny. I promise you, we're gonna have fun together.

[Dan Patrick]

When do we start shooting grown? When I have to make time for this grown ups 3.

[Adam Sandler]

I promise you I'll have the schedule in like two weeks, but we're gonna start, I think, the beginning of August now.

[Dan Patrick]

Is OG Anunoby get a part?

[Adam Sandler]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Whatever OG Needs, he's got. He's gotta. He's gonna be tipping in all my jokes. I got this Sandman Let me. I know that that joke was a complete miss. Let me get it for you.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. Go be a celebrity there.

[John McEnroe]

All right.

[Adam Sandler]

I'm gonna. I'm gonna wander around here, but I love you, Danny. Congratulations to the Knicks fans. That was fun.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. Tell Jackie I said hello.

[Adam Sandler]

Thanks, Danny. Okay, I'll call you soon.

[Dan Patrick]

Adam sand and Adam Sandler, big Knicks fan.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

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

[John McEnroe]

Hey, it's Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington from the Odd Couple on Fox Sports Radio. And in addition to hearing us live

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[John McEnroe]

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

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[Dan Patrick]

YouTube.

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Just search Odd Couple FSR. Check us out on YouTube and subscribe.

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Ben Walter]

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[Dan Patrick]

One of the greatest tennis players of all time and a huge New York Knicks fan. John McEnroe, back on the program. John, great to talk to you again. If I said compare the feeling of winning a Grand Slam event or last

[John McEnroe]

night, well, take either one of them. But I'll tell you, that was one of the old timers. I don't know if I've ever been in a stadium, I'd like to tell you that some of my matches come close, but that was the mother of all crowds. That second half. So helped him through. Been waiting 53 years, Dan. You know, it happened twice before I was 14. I thought it happened every five years or so. Unbelievable road. And, you know, I'm sitting next to Larry David in the game last night, and we have a tendency to get a little down on things when things are, you know, not going our way. Well, that's, you know, here we go again. Same as the last time. And I had this feeling this time. I said, larry, we gotta get a little more positive here. You know, we've got to. You know, we're not out of it yet. You know, we're 30 down. It's just a train wreck. But these guys aren't missing. We're not making. I'm just trying to talk myself into it because, you know, I had this tennis academy. I'm trying to tell kids, never give up, you know, keep trying every point. And it gets to a point where you get so discouraged you can't do it. And we were approaching that, but we weren't there yet. So this, like, miracle of miracle somehow occurred.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, but this is against your brand and Larry David's to actually be positive out there, isn't it?

[John McEnroe]

Yeah, well, I've grown to appreciate, like, what I've accomplished in the past and also try to appreciate how lucky I am to even beat an event like that after all these years. And so, you know, Larry's like, let's get out of here. You know, I can't handle this anymore. I'm like, larry, take a deep breath here. And by the end of it, it was like divine intervention or something. You know, these analytics or whatever they. Whatever that is, they don't factor in, like, heart and will, in my opinion. And thank God the Spurs, you know, seem to be playing the game of analytics. Let's keep shooting threes. Let's keep doing this even if we're missing. Eventually they'll fall. Well, they weren't falling. And because they weren't, the crowd started getting more and more into it. Absolutely electric by the end of it. And then OG to do that tip in. He saved us is the bottom line.

[Dan Patrick]

Do you watch live sports differently than maybe we would?

[John McEnroe]

Being a former athlete, you know, I appreciate the. This. Yes, I would think so, a little bit. I appreciate excellence, and I appreciate that will and desire. I see it in other teams. You know, I respect that. I respect the Spurs. I mean, for God's sakes, they won Five, you know, since I've been around waiting for another Nick thing. And you know, I always love Tim Duncan. I respect this team. It's a great team. To see this Wembiam up close is unbelievable. You know, the. How well he moves, how athletic he is at that height. So I definitely appreciate that. But what I love about this team is that I've been through a lot of games recently. The last couple of years since it's been put together where they don't quit, they keep battling, you know, it all appears hopelessly lost. I mean, there were some guys, you know, I was one of these guys that thought they should keep Thibodeau for another year. Like he deserved that. He got to the conference final. That was a harsh one. What's with this Mike Brown guy? You know, he's been around the block. Is it a retread? What's happening? And now all of a sudden he looks like a genius. Although at times there was a couple guys he put in. I'm like, I don't even know who these guys are.

[Dan Patrick]

I know.

[John McEnroe]

I mean, I was like, no, get Townsend if he's got four, you know, put him in anyway. You know, it was just beyond belief. And then Alvarado, he's a guy that I watched when the Pelicans. And I was thinking, God, that's the type of guys from Brooklyn. Or, you know, he's the type of guy we want on our team. And somehow he got traded to the Knick and the guy had the greatest game of his life that second half. I mean, he was incredible. He brought us back into it as well. I mean, it was just. I felt like that 14 year old when Willis Reed and Clyde and the busher Bradley, that whole team, Earl the Pearl, I mean, it's amazing. So I feel like that's going to be tough to overcome if you're San Antonio

[Dan Patrick]

talking to John McEnroe. I was wondering about this. I saw you with Charles Barkley and you brought up what I've brought up before about Barkley. There's a whole generation that doesn't know that he was one of the great basketball players. There's a whole generation or two that didn't know John Madden was a great football coach. And it feels like there's a, a generation or two that doesn't realize that you were, you know, once the best player in tennis. So it's kind of funny how you become so good at your other job that, you know, people forget what you did to even get this opportunity.

[John McEnroe]

Yeah, it pissed Me off for like 15 years. You know, you're a better commentator than you are playing. Like, wait a minute, I finished number one four years. And I was like, how could you say that? That's such bs. And then after a while, I realized, hey, wait a minute, maybe that's a compliment. You know, maybe as you get older and hit 4050, I don't even want to say 67 now, maybe you should be able to take some compliments. I was a commencement speaker three years ago at Stanford. I was the first athlete ever to be the commencement speaker, first dropout ever to be the commencement speaker. And they asked me to speak to the senior class presidents. And the reason, a big reason they picked me to be the speaker was because they heard me being the narrator on Never have I Ever. This is a show that Mindy Kaling did where I was the narrator for four years. I go, you know, I was a tennis player, right? And I'm not a goddamn narrator. You know, my full time job. So you never know. Like, this was one of those that you couldn't make that they would in Hollywood. They would have thrown the script away. They would have said, that's not possible, what we just saw. And then everyone, I would say, half hour to an hour, no one left the stadium. It was, it was incredible. It was like when the old days, when people stormed the field, every was on the court.

[Dan Patrick]

What were you doing on the court after the game?

[John McEnroe]

Just staring at, you know, what the hell was going on. We're all like high fiving and hugging each other, talking. It was like, what do we do? I don't know. Let's just stay here, you know, they were like, you want to go on the show? Do you want to go show? Well, I need a ride to get out of it. It's a little rough right now to get in and out of the garden, but all worth it in the end. All worth it in the end. It's unbelievable. Like, this is so great for the city. You know, I've been in New York my whole life. This is, you know, I know. It's just bringing people together in such a beautiful way.

[Dan Patrick]

If they win, will you cry?

[John McEnroe]

I would probably will do so, yeah. You know, I'm not much of a crier, but certainly cry over certain things. It would certainly be some major tears of joy.

[Dan Patrick]

I was wondering about this with the automated calls in tennis. Your most famous line probably wouldn't have been uttered if you were like, you wouldn't have been yelling at anybody, right?

[John McEnroe]

Yes, I wouldn't be sitting here probably talking with you. You would have been like, hey, that guy's the guy that played tennis and he seemed pretty good, but he didn't have that much of a personality. So, you know, those are the days where I think people love to see that, you know, in baseball that guy would kick the dirt into the, you know, the umpire and they'd be face to face. Why do they even have a guy calling balls and strikes anymore? I mean, that would be my question. I'm not saying it's, you know, that's, that's up to them, but we. I just covered the French Open. They went back to the old way where they were calling the lines. The only tournament and the 52 week calendar where they had people calling in lines. It was like, why, if this thing works. So at some point you'll see that maybe more whether you go into it. How many times did they go to the replay? 12 last, you know, unbelievable amount of times. And then they find something happened before the foul they called like, oh, yeah, the guy pushed them off before that. It's crazy, but it's a beautiful thing. I'm sure the ratings are just incredible.

[Dan Patrick]

And they. People go to these tennis matches to hear you still yell. You can't be serious.

[John McEnroe]

Well, actually I only said it once in 15 years on the pro tour, but I went on the Senior store for a good 20 to 25 years and in my contract, if I didn't say it, they wouldn't pay me. Okay. I had to say it at least once a day.

[Dan Patrick]

What's the coolest thing in your office?

[John McEnroe]

Coolest thing in my office. Let's see.

[Adam Sandler]

This is.

[John McEnroe]

Here's a cool thing. This is a picture of the New York Times book Review back in. I think this is 1986 and it's magic. It's a picture of magic. And behind him sitting there is a picture of me and my ex wife and his leg is in the way of my ex wife. I don't know what that's saying, but that's one of my favorite things.

[Dan Patrick]

Do you think Tatum has that same.

[John McEnroe]

I hope so. After all, you know, we have three kids. It's been a long road. I'm lucky that my second wife downstairs, I've been with her for 31 years. I got it lucky. I had a second chance. Sort of like the Knicks getting the second chance in the second half. Okay, nice. That's how incredible it's been for me.

[Dan Patrick]

Great comeback by you.

[John McEnroe]

Thank you. Yeah, I appreciate that.

[Dan Patrick]

Great comeback. Thank you, John. As Always. And good luck the rest of the series.

[John McEnroe]

Hey, next time I come on, you let me play guitar again.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah,

[John McEnroe]

I'll come up with something.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Well, what are you working on right now? Just so I can get. You gave us Nirvana, I think, the last time, didn't you?

[John McEnroe]

I might work on like a Cure song.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh. Oh, yeah. Okay.

[John McEnroe]

But you, if, if you prefer something else, you know, we can come up with something. Something that's semi singable.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, yeah, I don't think you could sing like Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin or play like Jimmy Page

[John McEnroe]

to Shade.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, nobody. Nobody.

[John McEnroe]

No kidding.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, John. That's the great John mcineau Hall of Famer. And yes, he used to be a really good tennis player.

[Dan Patrick Show Announcer]

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[Ben Walter]

every small business owner has that one story, the one moment that could have broken them. But remarkable, it didn't. Hi, I'm Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, and on season three of the Unshakeables, my co host Kathleen Griffith and I are bringing you more incredible stories of overcoming the impossible. You'll hear from entrepreneurs who faced make or break moments and came out stronger. We dig into how they did it, what they learned, what they'd never do again, and what kept pushing them forward. These are the stories that remind us that being unshakeable isn't about never failing. It's about how you rise, rebuild and keep going. Whether you're starting up, scaling up, or trying to find your footing again, these stories remind us that resilience lives everywhere, in small businesses all across America. Listen to the Unshakeables wherever you get your podcasts and learn [e-mail] podcast JPMorgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC Copyright 2026 JPMorgan Chase Co.

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[Dan Patrick]

He is the founder of Men and Blazers Media Network. He is an empire unto himself. He'll be at the Santa Monica pier tomorrow from 4 to 5:15 Eastern and then he'll be in Seattle. Pier 58, 8:30am Pierre 9:45 Pacific Time Two cities, one day. World cup fever is spreading. Roger oh good Lord.

[John McEnroe]

Yes.

[Roger Bennett]

We're doing college game days across America ahead of these US Games. Making World cup memories. Today is the day then. We've waited for it. The World cup begins. Everyone in the world is looking and the Knicks have gone and overshadowed everything.

[Dan Patrick]

Is there a comeback similar to what we saw last night in soccer?

[Roger Bennett]

Oh God, I wish OJ And Nobi was playing for the United States men's national team in this tournament. Can I just tell you that now? Yes, there is. There is, there is. 2005 Champions League Final Liverpool Football Club are 3 nil down at halftime. Biggest game of their lives. Humiliated, soiled their shorts with the world watching and then they come back, second half, an absolute miracle against this mighty AC Milan team. Wemby esque, you could say. And then won it on penalties. I mean, this is it, the last World cup final. Messi and Mbappe going head to head, playing football ripped from Plato's cave itself was very, very similar in terms of both teams soaring, you know, feeling that they ecstatically had won it. Both teams wax wings going too close to the sun. It's the joy of sport. You feel every single human emotion. And living in New York City as I do, to watch the streets filled with joy and wonder and collective memory making, that's the good stuff that I hope the World cup will bring over the next 39 days.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, so this Friday you're going to be in Santa Monica at Santa Monica Pier and then with Rob Mack.

[Roger Bennett]

Rob Mack. And then we're going up to Seattle with Skittles, is going to turn up and go big on the World cup every. We're going across the country. We've got a big orange bus, a Home Depot bus like the Great job Madden. Yeah, we're going across America, through Texas to Atlanta. We're going to be with Ludacris, we're going to be with Killer Mike, we're going to be with Big Boy. And bringing fans together before the biggest games in this tournament. These incredible cities making memories then up and down the east Coast. I mean it is amazing. World Cup's about to kick off today, Dan. We can talk about it. But watching the fans pour in. There's a German fan, isn't it on Twitter, Freddy7A. I think his handle is he is driving across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, going into waffle houses, having his mind blowing, going to BUC EE's for the first time. You know, the European mind cannot comprehend again, watching America, seeing through the eyes of these fans again, it's so uplifting, it's so transcendent. It's what this tournament's all about.

[Dan Patrick]

Give me the number one storyline going into the World Cup.

[Roger Bennett]

Oh, well, this is a massive World Cup. It's like the big Gulf of World Cups. 48 teams, three nations, 104 days, 39 days. We're all. It's like an ultra marathon. The only thing I know for sure is you're all going to get runners nipple. But there's some magnificent storylines. You know, Argentina led by the transcendent. Lionel Messi in his last stance, surely won it last time. Can he go back to back, which is almost as hard as doing the Stanley cup reclaiming it, the Argentina effervescent France. A roster more stacked than a can of Pringles. I mean it is an absolutely magnificent roster. They've been in the last two finals, they've won one. Can they roar again? And then from the United States perspective, what can this do? 1994, we hosted the World cup, the men's World cup last time it was meant to make America fall in love overnight. We were like space to Captain Kirk, the one terrain that didn't want football in our lives. There was a. I've written a book about it called we are the World Cup. In 1994 they did a study right before the tournament kicked off. Soccer came 67th in the American sporting appetite. I crap you not, Dan Patrick. Tractor pulling came in 66. The Economist has just revealed that soccer of all kinds, you know, Premier League, Champions League, nwsl, the women's game, Liga mx, all those types is now the third most favorite sport in the United States. Don't know where tractor pulling is now, but I hope this World cup can finish the job and make America a truly self confident, joyous, just honest, football loving nation, which is what we are.

[Dan Patrick]

What is a reasonable expectation for Team

[Roger Bennett]

usa In my heart, I mean we love a winning team in the United States. Why? We love the US women. They kick ass, they take names, they win things. They're a dream team, which is what we want. And the men's team has forever been a dream on team. It's an agony. We have won in our nation's history. One knockout game in men's World cup football which is always mind blowing when you think about it again. Uchi and Anubi, if you would like to play for this US team, get your shin pads on, baby. But this team is the most skilled individually that we've ever had, most accomplished in the club game. We don't know what they'll come together as as a collective until they play the first game, which they will tomorrow against Paraguay. These teams are cultures. They play friendlies because they qualified as hosts, which is like being an NFL team trying to judge them just after preseason. How will they come together? What's that Herb Brooks, Kurt Russell quote? I'm not looking for the best players, I'm looking for the right ones. Please God, we got the right ones. This team can most certainly get to the quarterfinals. And to do that would write themselves into the history, the hearts, the minds of the fan base in a tournament which is going to be massive with or without them. Americans love an excuse to cut work and daytime drink. This tournament is going to be enormous. Dan. I just yearn that these American men make themselves part of the storyline.

[Dan Patrick]

The best player in the World cup is who?

[Roger Bennett]

Lionel Messi. The best player I've ever seen. Oh my Lord, the way he plays. He barely runs, he walks around the field. He looks, if you've not seen him, he's five foot six. He looks like he's just strolled out of your your local super cuts. But suddenly in a burst, he will just do something transcendent. There's a famous Uruguayan poet, Eduardo Galliano, who said Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, the last Argentinian goat, played as if the ball was stuck to his foot. He said Lionel Messi played, plays as if the ball is actually inside his. Inside his shoe. He can do things. He can bend space, he can bend time. I swear I'm winning the last tournament. Finally, in his fifth World cup, he stopped being human and he became a demigod. He's amazing. Kylian Mbappe of France, he's like watching the freeze of the Atlanta Braves game when he gets on the ball. It's quite magnificent. And there's a young spaniard, Lamina Mal, 18 years old, entered, slightly injured. The whole of Spain is thinking about his X rays on a daily basis. He's already won so much fearlessly as a teen. If he can lead this stacked Spain squad to World cup glory, it'll be like Alexander the Great crying because there are no more worlds left to conquer.

[Dan Patrick]

Is there a lovable sleeper team that we can root for?

[Roger Bennett]

The heart has to say the United States, legally, contractually there in every regard. There's some phenomenal African teams in Morocco went to the semi final on a Cinderella dance in 2022. Senegal also have arrived with intentions to announce themselves to the world. England with again. We'll probably talk about them before the end of this. Just for the lulls, Norway are quite a fascinating team. They just qualified for the first time in a generation. They're led by this man, Erlin Harlan, a giant raw milk consuming. He looks like AI has regenerated a Viking as an elite athlete. I've not seen an an athlete as dominant Dan as when Shaquille o' Neal entered the NBA. Remember those clips when he was, you know, new with the magic and was just smashing backboard after backbone board. Very, very similar. And so the Norwegian team, not the deepest squad but some of the most talented human beings and to watch them go deep will be. Will be a delirious sense of wonder with their fans drinking Every town dry as they make their way across the United States.

[Dan Patrick]

How about Harry Kane?

[Roger Bennett]

Tell me what you know about Harry Kane.

[Dan Patrick]

He's a scoring machine. He. He's been dominating. Great hair. And he's never called Kane. He's called Harry Kane. Right? He looks.

[Roger Bennett]

If you've not seen him, Dan Patrick fans, he looks like he's just been ripped out of the. A Battle of Britain cockpit from. From a Spitfire that's still warm but has to go back in the air immediately because they're coming. Look, if his name was not Harry Kane, which is like the most hurry. Kane, all right? I mean, genuinely legit Michael Caine. If his name was Canino and he was from Sao Paulo, we would worship the man. But because, again, I'm American now and, you know, I adore this nation. But in England, Steve Coogan, the actor, used to say, if you give an English person the choice between their own success and your failure, they'll choose your failure every time. We kind of like destroy our own. We don't respect our own.

[Dan Patrick]

But he needs to go by one name, though, Roger. He needs to be Cain, and that's it.

[Roger Bennett]

Can, you know, Dan Patrick, you have solved it, Patrick Inho. You have solved it. I think honestly, He's. He scored 61 goals this year. He's started to win things. I think he has even done something impossible and won the begrudging respect of. Of the English populace. They now dream about glory because he's experienced. And I will say, if the Knicks can win for the first time in 53 years, that feels like an agony to every New York fan. England have not won in 60 years. And I will bet Harry Kane, who's a massive. He's a massive US Sportsman. The funny thing about him, Dan, he is spoken openly and seriously. His dream is to play in the NFL. When he hangs up his boots, he wants to come across and become a kicker. A man who aspires to become a kicker wants to become English. At Brandon Aubrey, he will have watched it. He will have watched the Knicks last night. They all will have done. All these players love the NBA and they would have been like, why not us? If we can do this for the first time in 60 years, which. Can you imagine England winning the World cup in America in the 250th anniversary of independence? America's not ready for that, though. America will not be ready for that.

[Dan Patrick]

He is the founder of Men and Blazers Media Network. He wrote the book We Are the World Cup.

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[Dan Patrick]

mountains snowy white land of nature Lovers dream beauty to match where sunlit paths wind their way around mountain, lake and stream. Be careful never to start a wildfire. Please keep Oregon Green

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