The Dan Patrick Show – Covino & Rich Takeover: “Chapman’s Road, King Rodgers, 50 Cent”
Date: October 2, 2025
Host(s): Covino & Rich (C&R)
Network: iHeartPodcasts / Dan Patrick Podcast Network
Episode Theme:
A jam-packed hour of sports and pop culture: C&R break down the quirkiest Halloween candy stats, reflect on the well-traveled career of Aroldis Chapman, debate the AFC North shakeups (with an “Aaron Rodgers is king” take), and celebrate 50 Cent’s redemption arc on the mound. The episode delivers hot takes, humor, and memorable moments, all in the spirit of baseball’s postseason and NFL Week 5.
1. Halloween Candy Draft – What’s Really in Your Bowl?
Timestamps: 13:30 – 21:20
Key Points:
- The guys kick off with a fun debate on the top-selling Halloween candies.
- Classic chocolate candies dominate Americans’ Halloween choices.
- Top 4 Halloween Candies (Chocolate Only):
- #1: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (“Or, as some people say, Reese’s. If you say Reese’s Pieces, you deserve a kick in the nerds.” – Rich, 15:30)
- #2: Peanut M&M’s
- #3: Regular M&M’s
- #4: Kit Kats (“Certain candies are just better as minis” – Covino, 18:10)
- Sour Patch Kids is the top-selling non-chocolate, but doesn't crack the top 4 overall.
- “Every office has a big bowl of leftover yellow candy. Guaranteed.” – Rich, 19:45
- Mini candies are agreed to be the superior format (“If you get two pink Starbursts, that’s like hitting a walk-off!” – Rich, 18:50)
- Their annual Halloween candy draft is teased for later in the month.
2. Baseball Talk – The Many Teams of Aroldis "Chappie" Chapman
Timestamps: 21:30 – 32:50
Key Points:
- Discussion centers on Chapman’s career path (“He seems to own the Yankees…Now he owns the Yankees as a Red Sox!” – Covino, 22:25)
- Teams played for: Reds, Yankees, Cubs, back to Yankees, Royals, Texas Rangers, Pirates, now Red Sox (“None of us could picture Chappie in Pirates colors!” – Rich, 27:30)
- Contributors recall Chapman’s World Series with the Cubs (2016).
- Callers give Chapman respect for his longevity and velocity. (“He’s been throwing triple digits for fifteen straight seasons.” – Gus in the Bay Area, 29:12)
- Chapman’s ongoing dominance noted by his current ERA: “Still pitching lights out. The dude is JACKED.” – Covino, 30:00
- Bad blood with Yankees fans is mentioned due to postseason exits and no-shows: “I just don’t like him…it’s what he did in the playoffs.” – Covino, 31:20
Memorable Fan Call:
- “You talked yesterday about longevity and athletes – this guy’s been throwing triple digits for 15 straight seasons.” – Gus in the Bay Area (29:12)
3. Yankees, Red Sox – The Rivalry is Back
Timestamps: Throughout; Baseball segments & quick in-game check-ins
Key Points:
- The current playoff matchup: tension around Yankees’ missed opportunities, especially a bases-loaded, no-out situation resulting in zero runs. (“It was a colossal failure last night. Never happened before.” – Covino, 34:55)
- Discussion of Yankee Carlos Rodón possibly being the first to sport a beard on the mound in the postseason.
- Predictions and “energy vibes” around the AL playoffs: “If the Yankees find a way to win today, I think the American League is wide open.” – Rich, 36:00
- Anecdotes about leaving Ben Rice out of the lineup, which comes back to bite (“…the guy you left out of the lineup yesterday just hit a bomb!” – C&R, 01:29:50)
4. NFL Shake-up: Is Aaron Rodgers “King of the North”?
Timestamps: 38:40 – 54:10
Key Points:
- With multiple QB injuries and disappointing starts (Lamar, Burrow), the AFC North picture has upended.
- Main Hot Take: “Aaron Rodgers is now the king of the AFC North until you tell me otherwise. And I find it hilarious because no one cares about him or is paying attention to him.” – Rich, 52:10
- Ravens: Struggling with Lamar’s hamstring injury, tough upcoming schedule.
- Bengals: Burrow’s turf toe likely ends his MVP ambitions, division all but written off (“How many people wrote down Joe Burrow as MVP in the studio sheet? Not happening now.” – Rich, 45:15)
- Browns: “Trash,” as called by both hosts; Flacco benched for Dylan Gabriel, with added drama as Shadour Sanders wants the job.
- Steelers: Could stack wins, but might not be as strong as their record suggests (“There are soft 5-1 teams every year.” – Covino, 48:55)
- General theme: “It just shows you with injuries and mixups, you NEVER know…Record alone doesn’t tell the story.” – Covino, 53:10
Notable Quote:
- “Hot dog eating is really the only predictable sport, because Joey Chestnut’s just, you know…But in the NFL, you never know.” – Rich (41:00)
5. Mike’s Words of Wisdom (Listener Call-In Segment)
Timestamps: 37:25 – 41:15
Key Moment:
- Weekly comedic wisdom: “If at first you don’t succeed, perhaps skydiving is not for you.” – Mike (38:10)
- Callers attempt to repeat the phrase to win a show-themed nerf football (“You missed the word, I think!” – C&R, 41:04)
6. “Midweek Major”: Sports and Entertainment Headlines Rapid-Fire
Timestamps: 57:20 – 1:16:40
Headlines and Takes:
- Rob Lowe Dodges Reds Loyalty: Called out for “switching” from childhood Reds fandom to supporting the Dodgers, but C&R say it’s just his LA roots (“It’s very LA of him…and I think my son is gonna be a Dodgers fan.” – Rich, 59:40)
- Shadour Sanders Mimes His Feelings: Sanders refuses to vocalize his feelings on QB controversy, only mouths answers to media. Hosts see it as “major” because of the attention on Sanders and QB drama in Cleveland (“If you got nothing nice to say, just mouth it!” – Rich, 1:03:00)
- LeBron’s Glute Nerve Drama: LeBron sits out practice for a “glute nerve irritation” but is seen on Twitch with streamer Kai Cenat. Hosts agree it’s a “mid” story and don’t think it questions LeBron’s work ethic.
- “Are we questioning LeBron’s dedication at this point? Stop being ridiculous.” – Covino, 1:07:20
7. Redemption for 50 Cent: From Meme to Banana Ball Hero
Timestamps: 1:22:05 – 1:26:20
Key Points:
- 50 Cent, infamous for one of baseball’s worst first pitches (for the Mets), gets another shot at redemption with the Savannah Bananas – a fun, viral exhibition team.
- Unlike the infamous Citi Field debacle, 50 nails a respectable pitch (“Big improvement…He gave a little fist pump, like 'Yeah! Got that out of the way.'” – Covino, 1:25:10)
- Covino & Rich debate the etiquette of wearing a “home” jersey when throwing a first pitch (“If you throw out the first pitch for the Cardinals but keep a Mets hat on…that’s gangster.” – Covino, 1:23:15)
8. Classic Rivalries and Playoff Vibes
Timestamps: Throughout (esp. 1:27:20 – End)
Closing Thoughts:
- Real-time updates on Yankees–Red Sox playoff game, including tense bases-loaded moments.
- Reverence for the rivalry: “It’s one of the top three rivalries in sports…You can FEEL the intensity.” – Rich, 1:28:35
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On Halloween Candy:
- “If you say Reese’s Pieces, you deserve a kick in the nerds.” – Rich, 15:30
- “If you get two pink Starbursts, that’s like hitting a walk-off!” – Rich, 18:50
-
On Longevity in Sports:
- “This guy’s been throwing triple digits for fifteen straight seasons.” – Gus in the Bay Area, 29:12
- “Chapman is JACKED. Like Giancarlo Stanton jacked.” – Covino, 30:10
-
On NFL Parity:
- “Hot dog eating is the only predictable sport.” – Rich, 41:00
- “Aaron Rodgers is now the king of the AFC North until you tell me otherwise.” – Rich, 52:10
-
On Rob Lowe’s Baseball Loyalty:
- “It’s very LA of him. And I think my son is gonna be a Dodgers fan.” – Rich, 59:40
Additional Segments
- Frequent live baseball score updates and reactions.
- Teasers for Thursday shows (“Old School and 50 Hits”).
Conclusion
This episode is a lively, quick-moving blend of sports debate, pop culture riffs, and interactive segments. Perfect for listeners wanting punchy sports talk and a walk down meme-ory lane (see: 50 Cent), all delivered with the signature Covino & Rich humor and rapport. No matter your fandom, you’ll leave entertained—and probably hungry for some Halloween candy.