The Dan Patrick Show — C&R: "Losing Inches, Mid Weak Major!"

Episode Date: March 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Covino & Rich, broadcasted as part of The Dan Patrick Show, is a lively, fast-paced mix of sports banter, pop culture observations, listener engagement, and plenty of laughs. Main themes include baseball’s Opening Day, changing technology and player measurements in MLB, fandom habits (like just how many hats are too many?), and the recurring “Midweek Major” segment, where trending sports and entertainment headlines are debated. The camaraderie between Steve Covino, Rich Davis, and crew shines, yielding insight and relatable comedy for sports fans of all stripes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Baseball Opening Day Hype

Timestamp: 03:22–05:17

• The cast celebrates MLB Opening Day with team allegiances noted: Covino—Yankees, Rich—Mets, Danny G—Dodgers, Iowa Sam—flexible fandom.
• Quick banter sets the tone: “Let's go baseball. Let's go Los Junkies. Mark the time. All right, so I'm Kavino. Yankees guy. Rich Mets guy. But all around we're baseball guys.” (Steve Covino, 03:22)
• Discussion of viewing options and the growing intersection between live sports, streaming (Netflix), and fan engagement.

2. ABS System and "Losing Inches" in MLB

Timestamp: 11:26–18:04

The Problem

• A lighthearted but sharp critique of the new ABS (automated ball/strike) system in MLB, which requires accurately documented player heights to set the digital strike zone.
• Covino and the team joke about players being forced to reveal their "true" height, exposing years of rounding up or inflating numbers on official rosters.
• Notable players have been “shrinking” on paper:
  • “Gavin Lux, formerly listed at 6:2, is now 5:11.” (Rich Davis, 12:42)
  • “Bo Nailer went from 6 foot to 5, 9.” (Rich Davis, 15:41)
  • “Alex Bregman went from six one to six foot to five eleven to now five ten.” (Rich Davis, 16:45)

The Fun—Comparison to Wrestling

• The cast draws parallels to professional wrestling, where stats were notoriously exaggerated for showmanship.
  • “When we were kids, if you watch WWE back then ... they made every guy ... like 285 pounds.” (Rich Davis, 13:19)
• Hulk Hogan promo is played as comic evidence:
  • “‘The Hulkster is 6 foot 7, 2 inches from heaven. And I weigh 305, and I can whip any man alive.’” (Hulk Hogan, clip, 15:14)
• Discussion expands to the culture of rounded-up stats in high school and college sports.

Notable Quote

• “The long season starts with one pitch, but the belief starts before it's even thrown.”
  (Big Mike’s Wednesday Words of Wisdom, 09:24 & 09:50)

3. Fan Gear Excess—How Many Hats is "Too Many"?

Timestamp: 19:15–31:28, 49:15–52:41

• Debate centers on Covino’s ever-growing New York Yankees hat collection. Guesses from the cast range from 12 to 35.
• Covino reveals he owns 30 Yankees hats (as of the episode), prompting Rich and others to question at what point fandom becomes an obsession.
  • “It looks like a lid store ... like, one for every day of the season.” (Rich Davis, 20:20)
  • “I don’t think I go overboard ... I have a healthy relationship with sports.” (Steve Covino, 19:15)
• Brief exploration of sports fan rules for jerseys, including:
  • Only wearing jerseys for retired legends,
  • No name on jerseys if the team doesn’t use them (i.e., Yankees),
  • Retiring jerseys for players who leave the team.
• Relatable extension: How does this compare to other hobbies (sneakerheads, purses, watches)?
  • “When is it a problem as far as sports gear? It's like your wifey or girlfriend with bags and things like that ... What's too much?” (Steve Covino, 40:25)

4. Midweek Major Segment

Timestamp: 31:59–40:13

Highlights:

• Puka Nacua Lawsuit: NFL star alleged to have bitten a woman, with other off-field drama.
  • “Very major. First of all, he's a high profile player, very likable guy ... Not good. Not good. ... I hope a lot of this is not true.” (Steve Covino, 34:11)
• MLB Opening Game on Netflix: Discussion around the pros/cons of a single, heavily promoted Opening Night game and the broader move toward streaming.
  • “I think that's why Netflix is marketing this as a big event. I'm curious to see what's happening.” (Steve Covino, 36:20)
• Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition: Is it relevant anymore? Commentary on inclusivity and representation.
  • “I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan of Sports Illustrated welcoming all body types ... It's Sports Illustrated. These are supposed to be athletes.” (Rich Davis, 38:16)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Son Debuts: Joseph Baena, Arnold’s son, following in his bodybuilding footsteps.
  • “It's just really cool ... I love the story. I love how Arnold, they've embraced ... and made a great relationship out of this.” (Steve Covino, 39:34)

5. Listener Interaction and Sports Debate

Timestamp: 07:48 onward, throughout

• Call-in segments and live chat shout-outs encourage real-time feedback (e.g., guessing the “Wednesday words of wisdom”, voting on how many hats is “overboard”, etc.).
• Playful listener predictions, like this call-in:
  • “The most crazy prediction will be when Covino wins his bet, Rich will not pay you before Christmas.” (Caller/Danny G, 08:06)

6. Baseball Attire for Kids & Changing Culture of Youth Sports

Timestamp: 06:12–07:39

• Rich and team lament how, in youth sports, kids are now decked out in expensive gear and accessories rather than focusing on skill.
  • “Every kid ... can't slide or they don't even know how to slide head first yet. But they all have these like ice cream sundae looking sliding gloves and gear.” (Rich Davis, 06:22)
• “Dick’s Sporting Goods. The real winners.” (Iowa Sam, 06:44)

7. Rules & Traditions Around Sports Jerseys

Timestamp: 51:39–51:58

• “If your team doesn’t have a name on the jersey, you don't have a name on the jersey.” (Rich Davis, 51:39)
• “If a player got traded from your team or left in free agency, you got to put that jersey aside until they retire. ... The safest bet is always a retired legend.” (Rich Davis, 51:57)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I'm five eleven and a half.” (Rich Davis, 11:41)
• “I always say, very specifically five ten and three fourths. My license says five eleven because I rounded up." (Steve Covino, 11:43)
• “This is like a total, total 180 from what we knew of Puka Kua ... would hate to see his career go down like that.” (Steve Covino, 34:11)
• “Why do you have all these copies of this book? He stole all the books. He's like, what if I want to read it more than once? You know, you have one head, but you got to switch it up!” (Rich Davis, 20:43)
• "You want to feel the best, especially when you're out there on a big stage, man. Yeah. I think the players should control what they're wearing on that game.” (Steve Covino, 51:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:22–05:17: Baseball Opening Day banter
• 06:12–07:39: Discussion on youth sports gear excess
• 07:48–10:03: Listener call-ins, trivia, and “Words of Wisdom”
• 11:26–18:04: MLB ABS system and players’ “losing inches”
• 19:15–21:07 & 49:15–52:41: Fan gear collection, when is it too much?
• 31:59–40:13: Midweek Major—debating the biggest headlines
• 51:39–51:58: Rules for proper jersey wearing

Episode Takeaway

This Covino & Rich installment deftly combines Opening Day anticipation with quirky inside-baseball talk (literally), authentic fan debates, and signature irreverent humor. You’ll get surprising insights into how modern technology is forcing truth in sports stats (and shattering egos), the ongoing evolution of sports pop culture, and the never-ending journey of figuring out just how much of a fan you’re allowed to be.

For fans who haven’t listened:

You’ll leave with a smile, some trivia-ready factoids (player heights aren't always what they seem!), and maybe second thoughts before buying that 31st team cap.

For the full experience (including photographic evidence of Covino’s hat collection), check out their socials and YouTube at @CovinoAndRich.