The Dan Patrick Show – "C&R: Athletes Are Only Human"

Date: September 4, 2025
Hosts: Covino & Rich (Steve Covino and Rich Davis), Fox Sports Radio
Main Theme:
Exploring the moments that humanize athletes, how relatability affects fandom, and sharing specific stories where seeing the personal side of sports figures (and celebrities) made hosts and callers like them more. Blends topical sports talk, humor, and participatory segments with a focus on sports’ human stories.

Episode Overview

This episode is built around the question: What are the moments that made you feel like an athlete or celebrity was “just like us”? Prompted by Novak Djokovic’s post-match dance for his daughter, Covino & Rich dig into how seeing stars’ human side can change, enhance, or even create fandom. They also cover unique MLB stats debates, audience call-ins, and playful banter that is the C&R signature.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sports Stats, Bets, and MLB Debates

(04:49–08:45)

• The show opens with Covino and Rich discussing their ongoing $1000 Yankees vs. Mets season bet.
• They debate an “inside Yankees bet” between Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm: who would finish with more home runs plus stolen bases.
  • Jazz Chisholm is ahead, but Juan Soto is brought up for his own massive stat line.
• They muse on whether “home runs + stolen bases” should be a standard stat:
  • “Chisholm was like, that should be the stat. It should be a stat—home runs and stolen bases combined.” (Rich, 05:13)
• They reflect on MLB history, debating the all-time best “HR + SB” seasons, with shoutouts to Acuña Jr., Ricky Henderson, and Ohtani.
  • Dan Beyer chimes in with trivia: Ricky Henderson owns the record for most “go-ahead home runs” due to all his leadoff shots.
  • Quote [09:17]: Kavino: “Who has the most go ahead home runs in history? The Ricky. Rest in peace.”

2. Mike’s Wednesday Words of Wisdom – Segment

(09:47–11:42)

• A recurring segment where listeners win a prize by repeating a “word of wisdom.”
• This week’s quote is unusually deep, sparking jokes about its somber wisdom:
  • Quote [10:00]: Mike: “Healing is more about accepting pain and learning to coexist with it than it is about eliminating all suffering, which is impossible.”
• Hosts poke fun at the seriousness—contrasting it with past, lighter “wisdom.”
  • Quote [11:13]: Kavino: “Mike knows this is supposed to be like a light, fun game, right?”
• Listeners call in to win by repeating the quote verbatim (see later timestamps).

3. Main Theme: Humanizing Athletes & Celebrities

(11:42–23:14, 33:41–35:50, 50:25–54:27)

• Prompted by Novak Djokovic’s US Open Performance & Daughter’s Birthday
  • Djokovic’s heartfelt dance for his daughter after his win becomes the heart of the discussion.
  • Quote [12:04]: Djokovic (clip, paraphrased by C&R):
    “It’s my daughter’s birthday, so this is a big present for her. … She’s going to rate me tomorrow, how was the dance? ... Soda Pop is the name of the song. … I hope I’ll make her smile when she wakes up.”
  • Both hosts are moved by Djokovic’s willingness to be a goofy, loving dad in public.
    • Quote [13:19] Rich: “You don’t see Djokovic the tennis player, you see Djokovic the dad ... and that humanizes him and makes him more relatable.”
    • Quote [14:46] Kavino: “That’s why I end up rooting for certain players.”
• Other Athlete Examples:
  • Drew Brees with his children after the Super Bowl.
  • Matthew Stafford’s “dad moments” in the community.
  • Tom Brady’s “Little Tommy” moments in documentaries.
  • MLB players’ families reacting to debuts or achievements.
  • Wilmer Flores crying after a trade—“shows they care, they’ve got lives.”
  • Tiger Woods celebrating with his son after the Masters.
  • Hard Knocks shows, WNBA All-Star fun, Olympians’ family cutaways.
  • Damar Hamlin’s comeback and emotional daily gratitude.
  • John Cena and Canelo Alvarez’s work with Make-A-Wish/kids (caller: [21:33]).
  • Viral moments (e.g., Giannis ordering “50 chicken minis” at Chick-fil-A).
• Quote [17:37] Rich: “You realize he was just a goofy kid that worked really hard. … To his family, he’s just Little Tommy.”
• The hosts and audience emphasize that seeing stars as parents, friends, children, and neighbors makes them more engaging and likable.
• Takeaway Insight:
  • “Humanizing” moments deepen fan engagement and foster empathy; reality/documentary series explode athletes beyond stats by showing struggles, humor, and vulnerability.
• Audience Calls:
  • Listeners share their own “humanizing” moments about Kobe Bryant, WNBA stars, the Olympics, and more (see Timestamps below).

4. Interactive Call-Ins & Listener Engagement

(23:41–25:03, 33:41–35:50)

• Multiple listeners try (and fail) to repeat Big Mike’s quote successfully, sparking more jokes.
• Lisa ultimately succeeds at [33:45], winning a prize.
• Listeners share their most memorable “humanizing” sports moments, echoing the hosts’ theme.

5. Midweek Major—Sports and Pop Culture Headlines

(35:57–43:06)

• Illegal Streaming Site Shut Down: StreamEast, which serviced 1.6 billion visits, shut down in international law enforcement sweep.
  • Quote [37:24]: Rich: “This is major. 1.6 billion people used it. How am I going to watch my pay-per-view fights now?”
• Travis Kelce–Taylor Swift Engagement Behind-the-Scenes: Details about Kelce’s proposal plans are shared; hosts note it humanizes Kelce, boosting both stars’ likability.
• Super Bowl Halftime Show Possibilities: Roger Goodell invites Taylor Swift to headline, sparking “major” reactions; big business if it happens, but nothing confirmed.
• Tom Brady on Modern NFL Work Ethic: On a podcast, Brady says today’s players are “coddled a little bit more,” but praises Mahomes as a model of leadership and work ethic.
  • Quote [42:29]: Tom Brady (paraphrased): “Everybody is coddled a little bit more. … Rather than saying ‘get the work done,’ you have to say, ‘you should probably do this.’”
  • Quote [42:44]: Rich: “Hard work never goes out of style. This is major. People should take notes … Tom Brady’s lived it and proved it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [13:19] Rich (about Djokovic): “I listen—Novak Djokovic, already a champion, but now I look at him as a guy that humanized himself. He’s caring about doing dances with his daughter.”
• [14:10-14:42] Rich: “You see Djokovic the dad...just trying to make his daughter happy. That humanizes him and makes him relatable.”
• [17:37] Rich: “To his family, he’s just Little Tommy … when they humanized him, in a way, it made me like him more.”
• [20:04] Rich (on Wilmer Flores): “I remember thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, they’re real people with real feelings … they got lives and stuff and it means a lot.’”
• [21:33] Tripp (caller): “John Cena has done more Make-A-Wishes than anybody, twice as much as everybody combined. The time he gives for kids is just unbelievable.”
• [33:45] Lisa (listener, wins reward): “Healing is more about accepting pain and learning to coexist with it than it is about eliminating all suffering, which is impossible.”
• [34:31] Dan (caller): “The first one...when Tiger won his last Masters, just seeing Charlie there—the dude's a robot for so long, to see him have feelings was pretty cool.”
• [35:10] Heidi (caller): “Giannis filming himself going through the Chick-fil-A drive-thru, ordering 50—not 49, not 51—50 chicken minis … that was endearing.”

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment / Topic | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:49 | Yankees–Mets bet & “Home Runs + Stolen Bases” stat debate | | 05:13 | “That should be the stat—home runs and stolen bases combined”—Rich | | 09:47 | “Mike’s Words of Wisdom” intro ("Healing is more about accepting pain...") | | 12:04 | Djokovic’s post-match speech about dancing for his daughter | | 13:19 | Host reactions to Djokovic’s dad dance—humanizing moments discussion begins | | 14:46 | “That’s why I root for certain players”—Kavino | | 17:37 | Tom Brady “Little Tommy” documentary anecdote | | 20:04 | Wilmer Flores crying after Mets trade—a humanizing moment | | 21:33 | Caller Tripp highlights John Cena’s Make-A-Wish legacy | | 21:52 | Canelo Alvarez’s “My Wish” ESPN segment “humanizes” him to fans | | 23:45 | Listener attempts at winning via “Words of Wisdom” | | 33:45 | Lisa successfully repeats the Mike quote and wins the contest | | 34:31 | Dan (caller) shares Tiger Woods & “Olympian dad” stories as human now moments | | 35:10 | Heidi (caller) shares Giannis’s Chick-fil-A celebration | | 35:57 | “Midweek Major” headlines—sports streaming crackdown, Swift-Kelce, Brady, etc. | | 42:29 | Tom Brady on modern QBs/players’ work ethic—“coddled a little bit more” | | 50:25 | Wrap-up: More talk about humanizing moments in sports | | 53:08 | Kavino: “Another humanizing moment is when you see athletes get the call up…” |

Summary of Language and Tone

• The show is fast-moving, humorous, slightly irreverent, but full of heart.
• Hosts riff, joke, and share personal anecdotes with easy camaraderie.
• Listeners are encouraged to chime in, sharing their own stories.
• Banter is balanced by sincere appreciation for positive and vulnerable moments in sports.

Takeaways For Non-Listeners

• “Athletes Are Only Human” explores why fans cling to moments that show athletes’ personal sides—especially as parents, family, and “regular people.”
• Djokovic’s “dad moment” is the focal point, with the theme extending to many other examples shared by hosts and callers.
• The discussion shows how relatability (rather than just stats or highlight reels) turns athletes and celebrities into real-life role models, friends, and heroes—and sometimes even makes their sports achievements more meaningful.
• The episode balances sports talk, playful challenges (repeat-the-quote), fan interaction, and headline news, but always returns to its core: the shared human experience behind the fandom.

For more, listen to The Dan Patrick Show: C&R - Athletes Are Only Human on Fox Sports Radio or wherever you get your podcasts.