The Dan Patrick Show — Covino & Rich: “Handle the Kelce/Swift News”

Date: August 27, 2025
Hosts: Covino & Rich (Steve Covino & Rich Davis)
Producer: Danny G
Network: iHeartPodcasts & Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the headline news of the day: Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement. Covino and Rich discuss the cultural impact of the couple, the phenomenon of celebrity relationships, and the differences in passionate fan responses between sports and pop culture. The conversation branches out into themes of “shooting your shot,” relationship dynamics at the highest levels of fame, public support vs. indifference, prenups, and how we express excitement about the things we care about. The team also previews NFL updates and shares some candid, humorous moments about life as a sports and pop culture fan.

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. The Kelce & Swift Engagement: The Biggest Story of the Day

• [06:55] Rich proclaims the engagement “the biggest story today,” surpassing even the NFL preseason and MLB playoff race.
  • "Kelsey and Taylor Swift are officially engaged. Travy and Taylor are getting married." — Rich
  • The show highlights how rare and refreshing it is to see a positive, widely beloved story in the news cycle, before predicting the inevitable “tabloid nightmare” that follows all major celebrity relationships.

2. “Shoot Your Shot” — Lessons from the Kelce-Swift Love Story

• [10:30] The origin of the romance: Covino retells how Kelce boldly pursued Swift, even when initially rebuffed at her concert.
  • "You got to shoot your shot... he really was just a big, dopey football player, and she was an international superstar. He shot his shot. And now he's marrying the biggest pop star in the world." — Covino ([12:00])
  • Inspiration is drawn from both Kelce’s confidence and the cultural phenomenon that follows.

3. Observations on Celebrity and Power Couples

• [15:50] Comparing Billy Joel/Christie Brinkley to Kelce/Swift: being a power couple comes with unique pressures and logistically complicated lives.
  • The hosts point out you have to “find your match” — to have compatible lifestyles and mutual understanding.
  • "Your fly has to match her fly." — Rich, quoting a friend ([18:00])
  • They speculate on Kelce possibly retiring soon for a stable life with Swift, with Covino joking that “doing the podcast… they're making buttloads of money.”

4. Fame, Public Support, and Social Media Phenomenon

• [24:15] The staggering social stats: Over 6.5 million people shared Swift's announcement post, a reminder of huge pop culture influence.
  • The hosts reflect: it's often strangers who offer the loudest support online; friends are less likely to tune in.
  • "Your best support comes from strangers and your most hate comes from people you know." — Rich ([25:30])

5. Why Do (Some) People Care So Much? Gender Differences and Fandom

• [29:10] Covino struggles to match the level of excitement shown by many Swift fans, humorously admitting, “I don't give a rat... I really don't” ([34:00])

  • Producer Isaac joins to ask: who in the sports world would make the men react in the same way? The team lands on sports milestones—player trades, draft calls, big wins.

  • Social media “dead with a skull emoji” reactions are compared to guys’ celebrations after big sports moments.

  • "Have you ever seen me watch a 49ers game that's close? We root for sports in a childlike way. We get really excited, and that's women for Taylor Swift." — Rich ([42:00])

  • The hosts encourage “giving ladies some grace”—recognizing that what excites us often differs but the intensity is the same.

6. The Reality Check & Prenup Discussion

• [49:00] A divorce lawyer’s advice: “Prenup, Prenup, Prenup, Prenup.”
  • They discuss the practical side of high-profile marriages: both Swift and Kelce are wealthy beyond concern, so protecting themselves is smart, not cynical.
  • "They're both ridiculously wealthy. Or you think about this, hey, whatever we built together moving forward, you know, that sort of thing. And you leave with what you came in with." — Covino ([53:30])

7. Social Media Reactions: Why Do We Share?

• [58:00] Rich theorizes some people join the bandwagon for fun, just like men post about fantasy teams.
  • "If you post...about your fantasy football team, or John Cena when he turned heel… their eyes were rolling in the back of their head. …This is that for them." — Rich

8. The Power of Iconic Images & Celebrity Announcements

• [66:00] The “bucket hat” theory: Kelce’s goofy hat in the engagement photo will be immortalized, like Lincoln’s top hat.
  • "Imagine that was shared like over and over again. Or a picture you weren't a fan of was just shared millions and millions of times for your big announcement." — Covino

9. The Real Fan Excitement — What Gets Grown Men Giddy?

• [72:40] Calls from listeners: “What would excite you as much as women are excited about this engagement?”
  • Trades, signings, or unexpected positive health news for a favorite player are cited as examples.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Kelce’s Pursuit

  • "He did the corny bracelet... tried to meet her at the show and was denied. And then he went out on his own podcast and said, yo, I want to take her on a date. ... The moral of the story is this: you got to shoot your shot." — Covino ([12:10])

• On Public Attention

  • "6.5 million people have already shared this Taylor Swift post... Imagine this is a stranger that you may just like her music. 6.5 million people shared it." — Rich ([24:30])

• On Support & Indifference

  • "It's very hard to get people to share your stuff and even...to get your friends and family to like your stuff. It's very difficult. You get support from strangers." — Rich ([25:15])

• On Gendered Fandom

  • "This is their Super Bowl. This is their excitement... Give ladies some grace today." — Covino ([46:30])

• On the Prenup Reality

  • "No, it's just protecting, like, sometimes the inevitable...so protect your neck." — Covino ([53:00])

• On Bandwagoning

  • "Maybe people also like to just join the party in the bandwagon." — Rich ([59:10])

Additional Highlights & Tangents

• [16:30] Billy Joel’s marriages and fame—another “shoot your shot” legend story.
• [19:30] Hilarious side note: “your fly has to match her fly” when dating at an elite level.
• [31:40] The social media “dead” meme, and fan reactions bordering on performance art.
• [68:20+] The immortalizing power of viral images: “Abe Lincoln theory”—one silly moment lasting forever.

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:55 | Headline: Kelce & Swift engagement | | 10:30 | Origins of the relationship: “Shoot your shot” | | 15:50 | Celebrity couple dynamics (Billy Joel, etc.) | | 24:15 | Social media sharing numbers and why strangers support you more | | 29:10 | Why fans care so much (gendered pop culture vs. sports passion) | | 34:00 | Covino’s indifference: “I don’t give a rat...” | | 42:00 | “We root for sports in a childlike way”; comparing sports and pop culture fandom | | 49:00 | The prenup discussion and relationship realities at the highest fame level | | 58:00 | Bandwagoning on social media, meme culture | | 66:00 | “Bucket hat” theory: the power of viral photos | | 72:40 | Listener calls: What gets sports fans as excited as Swifties? |

Tone, Language, and Style

• Casual, good-natured banter; conversational, often self-deprecating and humorous.
• Honest and occasionally contrarian takes (e.g., Covino’s “I don’t care, but I wish them well”).
• Pop culture and sports history references, with plenty of playful sarcasm.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

If you missed this episode, you’ll get a full sense of why the Kelce-Swift engagement is both headlining news and a microcosm of how we react to fame, love, social media, and public milestones—whether in sports or pop culture. The show explores what genuine excitement and fandom look like, why some stories “break the internet,” and how, deep down, our obsessions—be it romance, sports, or sharing memes—aren’t so different after all.

Next up: NFL camp cuts, Aaron Rodgers, and more—as Covino & Rich transition from pop headlines back into the sports universe.