The Dan Patrick Show (C&R) – "Godfather of Games & 9/11 Love"

Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Steve Covino, Rich Davis (with Dan Byer, Garrett, callers)

Overview

This episode of "The Dan Patrick Show" (Covino & Rich edition) blends nostalgic sports and pop culture talk with reflections on the evolution of gaming, childhood hobbies, and the way sports helped heal after 9/11. Covino and Rich, with producers and callers, dive into personal stories about early gaming consoles, favorite youthful pastimes, and the role of sports in national recovery. The 49th anniversary of the Atari 2600 launch and 24th anniversary of 9/11 serve as the jumping-off points for wide-ranging, heartfelt, and often hilarious conversations.

Main Discussion Themes

1. The Cultural Impact & Evolution of Video Games
2. Nostalgic Reminiscing on Old-School Hobbies
3. How Sports Helped Heal Post-9/11, Spotlighting Key Emotional Moments
4. Light Pop Culture Banter & Listener Connections

Detailed Breakdown & Timestamps

The Rise of Gaming: From Atari to Streaming

[05:14–07:04]

• Atari 2600's Anniversary (1977):
  • Covino: “Everything to me was not Pong or anything like that…It was Atari 2600.”
  • Rich and Covino compare influence of first consoles: Atari for Gen X, Sega/Nintendo for Millennials.
• Video Games as Career & Hobby:
  • Covino: “That hobby became a job for a lot of people.”
  • Guest Ryan “Big Sexy” McBain shares experience as a Twitch streamer who gets paid to play, especially horror games.
  • Rich jokes about the generational disconnect: “My kids…watch people play Minecraft and I’m like, how about you play Minecraft?”

Why Do People Like Watching Streamers?

[07:06–08:20]

• Covino: “Is that really the pull, though? People like to watch this? I don’t get it.”
• Rich: “I can’t understand why someone would want to watch it.”
• Ryan McBain: “Because people love to see me get scared because I play a lot of horror games.”

Childhood Hobbies: Cards, Bikes, RC Cars & More

[09:12–20:32]

• Baseball Cards & Hobby Shops:
  • Rich’s only major hobby as a kid; tells stories of "Rare Coins," his local Long Island card shop run by Val.
  • Memorable quote:
    • Val: “Life sucks, then you die!” [11:10]
• Nerd? Or Just a Hobbyist?
  • Debate over what hobbies were “cool”:
    • Covino: “Some hobbies…were all hobbies cool or were some cooler than others? …Some kids were into trains—alright, nerd.”
• Remote Controlled Cars/Early Tech:
  • Nostalgic call-ins about graduated interests—RC cars, airplanes, drone connection today.
  • Garrett: “Do you think a lot of those little kids that love the RC stuff are now flying drones?” [14:04]
• Street Sports, BMX, and Status:
  • Iconic bike brands like GT Performer, Mongoose, Diamondback.
  • Covino: “If you had a decent bike, it was still costing you $100.”
  • Rich: “My parents got me a 10-speed Lance Armstrong…you just made me so uncool.” [18:40]
  • Memories of bikes being stolen—a mark of neighborhood drama.

More Old-School Hobbies & Listener Calls

[20:42–28:23]

• Nintendo & the Magic of Game Codes:
  • Callers recall time with NES, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out (“King Hippo was the hardest…”).
  • Covino flexes his memory:
    • “Remember the code to fight Mike Tyson was 007 373 5963.” [21:42]
• Collectibles: Hot Wheels, Matchbox Cars, Pogs, Garbage Pail Kids:
  • Collectibles as early “hustle,” the precursor to today’s unboxing/fandom economies.
  • Dan Byer recalls forced Barbie play due to older sibling, finds joy in “blowing up the furniture.”
• Pogs and 90’s Fads:
  • Javier: “Do you guys remember Pogs and Slammers?”
  • Covino: “A little after my time. That’s more early 90s…”

9/11 Remembrance: How Sports Helped Heal

[36:00–54:20]

• Personal Memories:

  • Covino and Rich recount being in NYC/on the east coast during 9/11.
  • Covino: “I was working at KROQ New York, home of Howard Stern… at the tunnel…they said, turn around, we’re not letting you in.”
  • Rich: “I was in Union Square…shooting for Nickelodeon…camera guy’s like ‘I gotta go, I live across the street from World Trade.’”
  • Covino: “Everybody knew somebody [lost]... I'll give a shout out to Thomas J. Fisher…my neighbor across the street… the street’s named after him.”

• Sports as a Pathway to Normalcy:

  • The sensitivity of music/entertainment in NYC after 9/11:
    • Covino: “Afroman was a big deal…pulled from playlist. Drowning Pool's ‘Bodies’—pulled because the lyrics were ‘let the bodies hit the floor.’”
    • Garrett: “We also could no longer play Gap Band, ‘You Dropped a Bomb on Me.’”
  • Three Key Sporting Moments That Helped Us Heal:
    1. Mike Piazza’s Home Run – September 21, 2001 (New York Mets vs Braves)
       • “Piazza hit a blast…Mets lead 3–2.” [41:20]
       • Rich: “There was a sense of, okay, you’re cheering. I could…yeah. Okay, it’s okay.”
    2. Sammy Sosa Running with the Flag:
       • Rich: “I was thinking of Sammy Sosa running out with the American flag. That’s an iconic moment.” [50:59]
    3. President George W. Bush’s First Pitch at Yankee Stadium – World Series Game 3
       • Rich: “Derek Jeter told President Bush, ‘You have to throw it from the mound. And you better not bounce it.’” [52:50]
       • Covino: "Perfect strike from the rubber, from the mound…and that was the first pitch of Game 3. It meant so much in that moment…and it was a strike thrown by our president, George W. Bush. An amazing first pitch. Probably the best first pitch in history." [53:51]

• Honorable Mentions:

  • Creed’s halftime “Higher” at Thanksgiving Cowboys–Broncos, 2001 — "the most patriotic thing of all time." (Call with Zach [51:40])
  • Boston Red Sox fans singing "New York, New York" in solidarity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Generational Gaming:
  • Covino: “Everything to me was not Pong…It was Atari 2600. I had it. I loved it.” [05:27]
• On Hobby Shop Life Lessons:
  • Val, Rich’s card shop owner: “Life sucks, then you die!” [11:06]
• On Collecting Baseball Cards:
  • Covino: “No, you wanted that Conseco rated rookie, that Mark McGwire USA card, those Griffey rookies.” [10:30]
• On Post-9/11 Sports:
  • Covino: “There were a few moments that brought us back to normal…it made us realize that, yeah, I guess life moves forward and we’ll be okay.” [39:35]
• On Mike Piazza’s Home Run:
  • Rich: “Piazza hit a blast…look at Bobby Valentine, all the players…Mets lead 3–2.” [41:20]
• On President Bush’s First Pitch:
  • Rich: “Derek Jeter told President Bush, ‘You have to throw it from the mound. And you better not bounce it.’” [52:50]
  • Covino: “Perfect strike…that was the first pitch of Game 3. It meant so much in that moment…an amazing first pitch. Probably the best in history.” [53:51]

Additional Fun: Banter, Gags & Rapid Fire Hobbies

• Friendly jabs about BMX bike status, “uncool” 10-speeds, and the trauma of childhood bikes being stolen.
• Nerdy nostalgia: marble fights, RC planes, slot cars, collecting action figures, and even reminiscing about "Pogo Ball" and "Skip It."
• Hosts and callers poke fun at themselves—Rich on being the only one who never learned to rollerblade or BMX, Covino joking about failed tricks.

Episode Tone

• Playful, fast-paced, and deeply nostalgic, yet sensitive and heartfelt when discussing 9/11.
• Effortlessly blends humor (“My favorite app? Chicken fingers.” [04:17]) and poignancy, especially in remembrance sections and talk about sports as healing.
• Inclusive with audience, incorporating many listener calls and personal stories.

Key Timestamps

• 05:14 – Atari 2600 & genesis of home gaming conversation.
• 07:06 – Twitch, streaming, and why watching games is compelling.
• 09:12–20:32 – Deep dive on childhood hobbies, baseball cards, bikes, and retro toy culture.
• 21:10 – NES nostalgia, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out.
• 36:00–54:20 – 9/11 remembrances, turning points in sports culture post-attack.
• 41:16 & 53:02 – Playing audio of Mike Piazza's home run & reflection on George W. Bush's first pitch.

Conclusion

"Godfather of Games & 9/11 Love" beautifully marries nostalgia and national memory, showing how personal passions (from video games to baseball cards) shape us as much as collective tragedy and triumph. Covino & Rich’s warmth and humor invite listeners to reminisce, celebrate simple joys, and respect the unifying power of sports in even the darkest of times.

For more stories, debates, and good vibes:
Tweet or call in at @CovinoAndRich and catch all Covino & Rich shows and replays on Fox Sports Radio.