The Dan Patrick Show: Covino & Rich – "Blow Mets Up, Tyreek's Blown Knee"

Date: October 1, 2025
Episode Theme:
A lively exploration of how sports fans and organizations react to disappointment, focusing on whether struggling teams—particularly the Mets—should be "blown up" or tweaked, plus a deep dive into athlete injuries, highlighted by Tyreek Hill’s serious knee injury.

Episode Overview

"Covino & Rich" takes over the mics for an energetically humorous, insight-packed two hours. Rich, with guest hosts and the regular crew (Dan Beyer, Danny G, and Iowa Sam), riffs on fan overreactions, bad luck, and the business of "blowing up" sports teams after disappointing seasons. The episode pivots from therapy-session Mets talk to the challenge of holding teams and players accountable, finishing strong with the breaking news and implications of Tyreek Hill’s knee injury.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Should the Mets Be Blown Up? — Franchise Frustration & Fan Pet Peeves

• (04:46–20:42)
  • Rich opens up about the Mets missing the playoffs after a lackluster finish, citing their inability to capitalize even as other teams faltered.
  • The Reds' mediocrity spotlights just how much the Mets underperformed despite the owner's heavy investments and trade deadline moves.
  • Danny G reads off embarrassing stats about the Reds, amping up the frustration:
    • "No qualifying batter hit .270 or above. No batter hit 25 homers. No pitcher won 15 games. No pitcher on the Reds notched 200 strikeouts." (09:25)
  • Rich questions the logic behind fans' calls to “blow it all up.” Are fans underestimating how difficult it is to replace core talent and move big contracts?

Notable Quotes:

• Rich (12:31):
  "Do you really start saying, well, they didn’t make the postseason, they only won 83 games, let's blow it all up?"
• Dan Beyer (14:46):
  "You had to at least make a change to signify this is why it happened...Maybe that perception may not be reality, but it feels like you’re at least addressing the problem at a low cost of firing a manager, which happens a lot in Major League Baseball."

Key Segment:

• [17:21–19:19] — Annoying Fan Pet Peeves
  • Rich laments “fire the coach!” knee-jerk reactions:
    "People love to be like: 'Fire blank.' And it's like, all right, fire blank and tell me who then.” (19:43)

2. Management Moves – The Dynamics Behind ‘Blow It Up’ Decisions

• The group compares Mets’ handling of Mendoza to other orgs (Brewers, Dodgers), highlighting:
  • Popularity with players vs. results on the field.
  • The challenge of balancing continuity with accountability.
• Discussion extends to the NFL and NBA: sometimes, changing the voice or the “vibe” matters as much as talent moves.

Notable Moments:

• Dan Beyer draws parallels to recent coaching changes:
  "[The Seahawks] didn’t bottom out. They were just...There just was nothing there. So...ownership did make the right move, and it’s now going to likely pay off..." (20:42–21:45)
• Rich on accountability in sports and life:
  "There needs to be accountability...When my kids mope, I say, 'Hey, listen, buddy...energy, effort, and just play and have fun.'"

3. Tyreek Hill's Blown Knee – Modern Sports Injuries & Their Fallout

• (35:36 – 54:03)
  • Real-time reaction to Tyreek Hill’s injury, underscoring both fan and fantasy implications.
  • Drew Rosenhaus (Hill’s agent) claims, “...the realistic goal is for Hill to be ready by the start of the season” (38:06), but the crew is skeptical about agent optimism and the uncertainty of guarantees in Hill’s contract.
  • Broader discussion: Are modern athletes simply outpacing the structural limits of their sports, leading to more catastrophic injuries?

Tire Rack Play of the Day:

• Tyreek Hill’s injury moment –
  “Tyreek Hill’s leg basically snapped in half and it looked as if he’s trying to fire up the crowd. Afterwards...the whole sideline came over right? Yeah, that’s not a good sign.” (47:24-47:41)

Notable Quotes:

• Dan Beyer (49:00):
  “It’s not only ambitious, it’s such an agent doing his job for a guy that will be available for teams to sign...I wouldn’t believe anything that Drew Rosenhaus is saying.”
• Rich (53:00):
  “In our lifetime, the amount of Tommy John surgeries, ACLs, Achilles, these major, major injuries we’re seeing in sports. Is there any part of you that thinks...we have outgrown athletically the way these sports were designed to be played?”

Memorable and Lighthearted Moments

• Rich’s story about booze runs actually being Starbucks trips (05:11–05:37)
• The crew talking about local/“tourist” pricing at NY delis
• Bemoaning the lunacy and randomness of lottery scratchers (“It’s your destiny!”) (07:18)
• Danny G’s suggested punishment pay-off: "I took all the money in nickels...He was not happy." (34:03)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:46–12:31 | Mets’ collapse, fan reactions, “blowing it up” | | 12:31–20:42 | Mets management, avoiding overreaction, annoying fan overreactions | | 19:43 | Rich’s rant on “fire the coach” solutionism | | 20:42–22:46 | Ownership decisions, accountability, pet peeves in sports | | 23:40–24:47 | NFL parallels—when to blow up a team | | 35:36–38:06 | Tyreek Hill injury update and contract financials | | 47:24–47:41 | Tire Rack Play of the Day – Tyreek’s injury moment | | 53:00–54:03 | Are modern athletes outpacing the game’s original limits? |

Episode Tone & Style

High energy, playful but frank. Rich blends fan pain with comedic asides; the crew teases each other, injects personal anecdotes, and leans hard into relatable sports frustration. The tone is conversational with moments of poignant clarity about loyalty, disappointment, and the evolving nature of professional sports.

Summary Takeaways

• Team failures—like the Mets’ collapse—spark the eternal debate: blow it up, or double down on your core?
• Front office accountability is about perception as much as results. Fans crave signs of change, but moves are rarely as simple as “fire the coach!”
• Modern athletes’ physical evolution might be exceeding the boundaries of what their sports were built for, as seen in the increased severity/frequency of catastrophic injuries.
• Tyreek Hill’s injury is a sobering illustration of career- and contract-altering moments, and the spin agents put on player recoveries.
• Through it all, the “Covino & Rich” crew reminds listeners of the hilarity and heartbreak that make sports so absorbing and so maddening.

For those who missed the episode:
You’ll laugh, wince, and recognize your own fan anxieties in this sharp, freewheeling tour through modern-day sports heartbreak and controversy.