The Dan Patrick Show
Hour 1 – College Football Marks the Start of Fall, Aaron Judge Fatigue, Grimsby Town
Date: August 28, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick (iHeartPodcasts)
Guests/Contributors: Seaton, Fritzi, Marv, Paulie, Backroom Crew

Episode Overview

This lively first hour kicks off with the return of college football and its deep links to fall, nostalgia, and sports culture. Dan and the crew debate when fall really starts (weather, NCAA schedule, or the calendar), share anecdotes about school lunch, and dive into recent developments in baseball and soccer. Notable for its irreverent humor and camaraderie, the show also teases upcoming interviews and features.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Start of Fall: College Football and Cultural Markers

Theme: College football as the unofficial start of fall, traditions, and American life.

• Opening Chat:

  • Dan: “Football tonight, Friday night, Saturday and night Sunday, Monday night. Come on in. Stay a while. Gangs all here.” (08:00)

• Poll Question:

  • “When does fall start: September 1st, the first day of college football, or the autumnal equinox?”
  • Debated answers with “eye rolls” about the calendar, weather, and football as the signal for autumn.
  • Paulie: “Back when the equinox was built or the lunar calendar, they didn't have foliage, they didn't have college football. They didn't know. I don't blame them.” (13:08)
  • Fritzi leans towards the official astronomical date but admits, “From a non-sport standpoint, I think it's the beginning of September... it feels like fall.” (12:30)

• Weather as a Marker:

  • “You woke up today and it was about 53 degrees. That's football, right? That's football weather.” (13:40)
  • Listener Brian (Milwaukee meteorologist): “Astronomically fall begins the 21st, September 1st… June, July, and August is summer, September, October, November; that's your fall.” (29:40)

2. College Football Opening Weekend: Matchups & Stakes

Theme: Previewing notable games, the excitement, and shifting stakes with playoff expansion.

• Noteworthy Matchups:
  • Ohio State vs. Texas (in Columbus), Alabama at Florida State, LSU at Clemson, Notre Dame at Miami.
  • Dan: “You don't say must win... Feels like now with 12 teams in the playoffs, you can afford two losses and still make the playoffs here.” (10:40)
• Gamesmanship:
  • “You want to take advantage of the New York market. Everybody… wants to schedule Rutgers so they can take advantage. There is no New York market for college football. There's not.” (09:30)
• Viewer Strategy:
  • Fritzi: “Do you need to pace yourself with how much college football and NFL we're going to consume? Do you dive right in or take a little peek?” (16:20)
  • Dan: “I'm going to take a peek at a few different games. Not going wall to wall. That's being honest.” (16:40)

3. NFL & MLB Updates

NFL:

• Dan: “Next 48 hours are really important for Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys… I just get the sense something big is about to happen.” (07:35)
• Chiefs’ Rashee Rice and Commanders’ Terry McLaurin both returning from setbacks. (19:30)

MLB:

• Shohei Ohtani: “pitched five innings, nine strikeouts, got the win.”
• Mets’ Nolan McLean: 0.89 ERA after three starts, breaking Tom Seaver’s franchise record.
• Dan on McLean: “This guy has got breaking ball stuff that is wicked, as the kids like to say. Filthy.” (21:15)
• Fritzi jokes: “Can you call him the ball breaker? Is that safe?” (23:00)

4. Lunchbox & School Nostalgia

Theme: Levity and shared experiences; comparing school lunches, backpacks, and status symbols.

• Dan: “I never had a book bag or a lunchbox. I had a paper bag ... my mom would say, bring it home, Danny.” (33:35)
• Todd: “Not to brag, my lunchbox had all the AFC helmets on one side, all the NFC on the other...” (34:45)
• Paulie: “Evel Knievel lunchbox, Trapper Keeper. Like Seaton, in high school we didn't have backpacks yet.” (36:30)
• Running joke about “silver spoon” lunches and lunch envy.
• Lunch trade culture and embarrassment: “Carrot Toscano used to bring in a bagel with cream cheese, and it was like she brought in caviar...” (38:40)

5. The Legendary Bagel Incident: Fritzi’s Anniversary

Theme: Revisiting a memorable show moment and celebrating with listener participation.

• Five years ago, Fritzi berated a drive-thru worker for running out of onion bagels and tuna at 1:45pm.
• Listener Jeff Derali sent 13 onion bagels and cream cheese for the anniversary.
• Todd: “I had a half a bagel... my first reaction, unfortunately, because I grew up in a very neurotic household, is like…someone’s going to try to kill us all off.” (44:20)
• Crew debate what’s reasonable bagel shop behavior and etiquette: “Those bagels are done by 11.” (49:45)
• Fritzi, reflecting: “What set me off was they didn't have onion bagels and they didn't have tuna either... I had a craving for tuna on an onion bagel.” (50:40)
• Joke about never seeing that employee again: “I think she may have quit. I think whatever…I did a number on her…” (52:50)

6. Listener Call-Ins & Cultural Sidebars

Highlights:

• Fall Markers by City: Dave in Cincinnati - “WEBN’s fireworks festival is the ‘boom of the fall’ in Cincy, marks the start of fall locally.” (55:30)
• Fan Gear Etiquette: Mike in Hollywood lamenting how wearing team gear leads to impromptu fan conversations; Dan: “Play to the home crowd. It's okay.” (1:02:00)
• Breaking News/Trivia: Tom in North Carolina discusses “Gold Digger” patent by Belichick’s girlfriend. (1:00:00)
• Backpack Carriage Culture: “One shoulder in high school? That was the cool way.” (59:00)

7. Aaron Judge, Voter Fatigue, and MVP Voting

Theme: Critique of sports media dynamics around awards and narrative fatigue.

• Dan: “I do have a problem when it's voter fatigue... What can you say about Aaron Judge?” (1:09:00)
• “We get to the point where…you get to, oh, well, they've already won a couple. Or...what’s the angle now? I don’t know…”
• Comparison to Jokic (NBA), Jordan, and Ohtani in award voting; more interesting stories get the buzz.

8. Soccer Shocker: Grimsby Town beats Manchester United

Theme: How “tier” upsets in European soccer compare to American sports underdog stories.

• Seaton: “Grimsby Town is in the fourth tier... beating Manchester United would be like Alabama losing to Middlesex Community College.” (1:19:16)
• Dan: “Is this similar to Chaminade beating Virginia? ... Greatest upset in professional soccer history?” (1:20:00)
• Seaton explains UK soccer structures and “magic of the cup.”
• Notable moment: The Grimsby keeper, a Manchester United fan, eliminates his own team: “Well, I'm actually...half pissed because I'm a Manchester United fan.” (1:25:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan, on the NYC College Football Market (09:30):

  “There is no New York market for college football. There's not. And it wouldn't be Rutgers if it was.”

• Paulie, redefining fall (13:08):

  “Back when the equinox was built or the lunar calendar, they didn't have foliage, they didn't have college football.”

• Listener Brian the meteorologist, on when fall begins (29:40):

  “June, July, and August here. So there’s summer, September, October, November. That’s your fall.”

• Dan, on how school lunches formed character (38:40):

  “I was embarrassed at lunch. I really was. And then my mom one day says, ‘Well, why don't you buy your lunch?’ … You get tater tots and a, you know, dry piece of pizza. Man, this is awesome.”

• Fritzi’s bagel incident recollection (50:40):

  “What set me off was they didn't have onion bagels and they didn't have tuna either. I had a craving for tuna on an onion bagel…”

• Seaton, on the scale of Grimsby Town’s upset (1:19:16):

  “Grimsby Town is in the fourth tier of English soccer … beating Manchester United would be like Alabama losing to Middlesex Community College.”

• Dan, on voter fatigue (1:09:00):

  “We get to the point where…we did this with Joker, did it with Giannis. You know, you get to that, ‘Oh, well, they've already won a couple.’”

Segment Timestamps

• 08:00 — Show kickoff, cast intros, football schedule rundown
• 09:30 — College football slate, Ohio State/Texas, NYC “market” debate
• 12:30 — Start-of-fall debate, poll question, equinox vs. football schedule
• 16:20 — Viewer strategy: diving in or pacing oneself for football season
• 21:15 — Mets rookie Nolan McLean and breaking ball discussion
• 29:40 — Listener Brian (meteorologist) clarifies when fall starts
• 33:35 — School lunch/backpack nostalgia stories
• 44:20 — Onion bagel anniversary, Fritzi’s neurotic hesitation
• 49:45 — Bagel shop expectations and etiquette
• 1:00:00 — Listener calls: fan gear, trademark rumors, backpack etiquette
• 1:09:00 — Aaron Judge, MVP voter fatigue, award narratives
• 1:19:16 — Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United upset analysis

Tone & Style

• Conversational and sarcastic
• Reflective, nostalgic, and playful
• Engages listeners through humor, shared stories, and accessible sports analysis

For listeners new and old, this episode captures the DP Show’s blend of sports insight, relatable storytelling, and easygoing banter—anchored by football’s seasonal significance, iconic show memories, and the thrill of unexpected upsets in sports.