The Dan Patrick Show - Feb 13, 2026 (Hour 1)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Dan Patrick and the “Danettes” dive into several timely and entertaining topics—from the ongoing NBA tanking controversy, the culture of All-Star weekend, and the quirks of Hallmark “holidays”, to Valentine’s and Friday the 13th sports superstitions. The crew maintains an irreverent and humorous tone while exploring the deeper issues beneath the latest sports headlines.

Main Themes and Topics

1. NBA Tanking Controversy

Breaking News & Fines (28:45)

• Dan discusses the NBA handing down substantial fines to the Pacers ($100,000) and Utah Jazz ($500,000) for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy by sitting stars without sufficient medical reasons.
  • “The latest attempt to curb tanking. The NBA handed down fines to the Pacers and Jazz yesterday … but the behavior didn’t change and probably won’t change if you have that great talent that’s possibly there for the lottery.” (Dan, 28:45)
• The show recounts Mark Cuban’s previous $500,000 fine when publicly discussing “front office tanking” back in 2018 and notes that financial penalties have not deterred teams from creatively losing games.

Will Tanking Ever Go Away?

• “Till losing no longer affects the payoff, the fines will probably continue here. But here’s a team worth three and a half billion dollars. So what’s a $500,000 fine?” (Dan, 31:00)
• The Danettes debate whether public shaming or larger fines can actually discourage teams from tanking to secure a high draft pick, especially in tantalizing draft years.

Suggested Fixes from Listeners (75:15)

• Listeners (Jeff in Tampa, Josh in Vermont) suggest alternative draft and lottery systems—such as removing the weighted lottery or having a committee determine draft position—but Dan and the Danettes remain skeptical of adding more bureaucracy or completely upending the system, acknowledging that inequities and perverse incentives remain entrenched.
  • “I think the last thing we need is another committee... But, yeah, you know what? We'll take it under advisement there.” (Dan, 75:40)
• The panel jokes that even if perennial cellar-dwellers like the Wizards got the #1 pick every year, they’d find a way to blow it.

2. International vs. Club Sports: Passion & Identity (14:40)

• The team debates whether international sports competitions are more compelling than club-level (domestic league) matchups.
  • “I love the, like, international part of it. I do like it for some reason, and I’m not sure why, but… watching the Olympics, watching Team USA over Latvia yesterday, this is awesome.” (Dan, 14:40)
  • Marvin adds, “We’re watching Nikola Jokic have that much passion because he’s playing for Serbia. He doesn’t have that much passion playing for Denver… the Olympics mean more.” (17:05)
• Dan points out how foreign-born players like Jokic grew up idolizing Olympic glory for their home countries—unlike many American athletes who aspire to NBA championships from a young age.

Poll Question Results (66:50)

• Seaton shares the poll: “Which type of competitions do you prefer, International or Club?” and notes the 65% majority in favor of international games.

3. All-Star Weekend: Past, Present, and “World vs USA” (43:50, 54:30)

All-Star Game MVP Odds & Debates

• Dan discusses the MVP odds for the NBA All-Star Game, with Victor Wembanyama as the betting favorite.
• He reacts to Robert Horry’s omission of Wemby from his top five NBA players—sparking a lively debate about consistency and star status for young talent.
  • “Robert Horry said that Victor is too inconsistent. And I’m like, okay, he’s 22. But I would say he’s one of the top five players in the sport.” (Dan, 43:50)

Suggestions for Spicing Up All-Star Weekend

• Callers revive old ideas—such as the 1970s’ elimination-style one-on-one tournament between NBA stars—and discuss possible tweaks involving inter-country showdowns.
• Dan and the team discuss the new “US vs World” All-Star format and note the appeal of more international flavor.

Celebrity Game Lineup Antics (80:20)

• The show breaks down the upcoming NBA Celebrity All-Star Game lineup, poking fun at the eclectic list (Jeremy Lin, Keegan-Michael Key, Taco Fall, Shams Charania, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jason Williams, and more), speculating that “White Chocolate” Jason Williams will steal the show and “light people up.”

4. Humor, Traditions & Listener Engagement

Hallmark Holidays & Valentine’s Day (10:00)

• Dan riffs on the commercialization of holidays, referencing a list of obscure Hallmark "holidays" (Boss’s Day, Friendship Day, etc.), and bemoans the overpriced $9 greeting cards.
  • “Because cards are so expensive, at least you’ll have to do that [Groundhog Day] once every four years.” (Fritzi, 12:00)

Valentine’s Day Sports Name Game (61:05)

• Callers and Danettes play Valentine’s Day-themed sports puns (“Jalen Don’t Hurt My Heart,” “Tyler Will You Murray Me?”), with the studio joking about recycling old bits.
  • “I want it to be fresh. You keep going back to the same names, but much like the medium of radio, people are in and out of tuning in, and it could be a first time for many listeners hearing that.” (Fritzi, 62:30)

Superstitions and Friday the 13th (64:10)

• Fritzi asks for “very weird” superstitions from callers, and studio members share odd family traditions—like not pulling the knife from a birthday cake to avoid pregnancy (Marvin) and not stepping over a sibling to avoid stunting their growth (Fritzi).
  • “I tried to pull out as fast as I can.”
  • Dan deadpans, “Didn’t sound right, but I know what you’re talking about.” (Marvin and Dan, 65:15)
• The panel notes this may be “one of those mornings.”

5. Health Advocacy and Bo Jackson’s Impact (53:25)

• Emotional call from Eric in Washington credits Bo Jackson’s recent prostate cancer disclosure on the show with prompting him—and hopefully others—to get screened early.
  • “I just want to appreciate you very much, by the way, because the conversation you had with Bo… pushed me to go to my doctor and get that test.” (Eric in WA, 53:25)
  • Dan emphasizes the importance of early detection: “There’s no rules that say you can’t get this cancer. And there’s no rules that say you can’t be preemptive at an earlier age.” (Dan, 54:10)

6. Lighter Moments, Call-Ins, and Show Banter

Fan Tributes and Listener Engagement (68:45)

• A caller in Illinois asks to send a “This is SportsCenter” ornament for Dan to sign as a tribute after his father’s passing.
• Other fans call in with pun games and to praise the DP Show’s “Celebrity Family Feud” performance, jokingly comparing the crew to the 1985 Bears.

Miscellaneous NBA, NFL Playoff, and Olympic Chatter

• Brief updates on LeBron James’ latest record-setting triple-double (stat of the day).
• Ongoing references to Winter Olympics events (Team USA, Italian hockey, and “Crotchgate”), and upcoming interviews with high-profile guests (John Harbaugh, Mike Tirico, Noah Eagle).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We put the fawn in fondue…” (Dan, 04:30)
• “Until losing no longer affects the payoff, the fines will probably continue here.” (Dan, 31:00)
• “You’re actually doing that? I might start trying to mirror Paul’s days off.” (Dylan, 08:00)
• “If we were giving some truth serum here, everybody would be admitting that Washington is tanking.” (Dan, 34:00)
• “I feel like you could be like, ‘They’re just legitimately bad. Give the Wizards the first pick. Until things change, they would still screw it up.’” (Dan, 78:50)
• “I love the, like, international part of it. I do like it for some reason, and I’m not sure why.” (Dan, 14:40)
• “Nothing says Valentine's Day like a colonoscopy, right, Todd? It's very romantic.” (Dan, 56:00)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• NBA Tanking Fines & Analysis: 28:45–42:00
• International vs Club Sports Discussion and Polls: 14:40–21:30 & 66:50
• Valentine’s- and Friday the 13th-themed games & superstitions: 61:00–65:45
• All-Star Weekend: MVP, Format, Celebrity Game Roster: 43:20–80:30
• Bo Jackson’s Cancer Story & Health Advocacy Call: 53:25–56:00
• Listener Fixes for Draft/Tanking: 75:00–77:00
• Celebrity Family Feud Recap: 70:00–72:30

Overall Tone & Style

The show is trademark Dan Patrick: irreverent, quick-witted banter among sports insiders, with an emphasis on hard sports news, fan interaction, and self-deprecating humor. The hour is equal parts insightful commentary, playful games, and sincere advocacy on personal health and sportsmanship.

Useful for listeners:
This summary captures the essence, debates, jokes, and calls that made the episode lively—whether you care about how the NBA polices tanking, want to hear Dan riff on All-Star weekend antics, or just enjoy the lighthearted tradition of sports puns and superstitions.