The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 1: The New Evil Empire, Chris Simms

Date: October 29, 2025
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show
Host: Dan Patrick & the Danettes
Notable Guest: Chris Simms (Pro Football Talk Live)

Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show dives into the latest on the World Series matchup between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, examining the narrative of the Dodgers as the "new evil empire" of baseball. The team also discusses broader topics in sports culture, from fiscal responsibility in team building to rule enforcement in the NBA. Later, Chris Simms joins to analyze the current NFL landscape, redraft the 2024 quarterback class, and debate player legacies.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. World Series Landscape & Dodgers as "Evil Empire"

• Game 5 Pivotal Moment: Dan opens [02:47] with a recap of the Blue Jays tying the series against the Dodgers, noting Vlad Guerrero Jr.'s historic postseason.
  • "Vlad Guerrero III has been the best player in this World Series... 26 hits, seven home runs, 14 RBIs, all Blue Jays franchise records." — Dan Patrick [02:47]
• Debate: Who Needs Game 5 More? The consensus is that it's a "must-win-ish" game for the Dodgers because the series shifts to Toronto next if they lose.
  • "I would say must winish for the Dodgers because then it goes back to Toronto." — Dan [06:44]
• Rooting Interests & Dislike of Big Spenders: National fans tend to root for the Blue Jays, though it's unclear if that's support for Toronto or animosity toward the Dodgers’ spending.
  • "I don't know if they're rooting for the Blue Jays or rooting against the Dodgers..." — Dan [07:03]
• Are the Dodgers the new ‘evil empire’?
  • Dan compares today's Dodgers to the Yankees of the '90s: the "evil empire" reputation is more about envy over fiscal power than player dislikability.
    • "Do you dislike the Dodgers? Like, I don't think Otani has graduated to that… But Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw...those aren't guys that you root against." — Dan [08:00]
  • Panel agrees the Dodgers’ big spending isn't new; the Yankees set the mold.
    • "Every fan would want this. If your team could spend the money..." — Dan [09:30]
    • "They just kind of circumvented the rule... This was a New England Patriots-Bill Belichick kind of moment..." — Dan [09:38]

2. Comparing Modern and Classic Team Building

• Fiscally Conservative Winners?
  • "I just prefer teams that win rings in a more fiscally conservative manner." — Fritzi [13:17]
  • Dan pushes back: "Who does that? Who does it?" [13:23]
• Money Spent Across MLB: Toronto isn’t a small-market underdog—they’re seventh in payroll at $255M vs. Dodgers’ $350M [13:54].

3. NBA Rule Enforcement Rant

• Dribbling and Palming
  • Giannis’ travels/palming inspired a rules conversation.
  • "Dribbling is optional now in the NBA...but traveling doesn’t bother me as much as palming." — Dan [15:13]
  • "If you’re not calling it, then, okay... but if you have it, call it." — Dan [16:35]
  • Dan jokes that he can’t watch games with friends due to his pedantry [17:04].

4. Interview: Chris Simms on NFL and College QBs [24:56]

a. AFC Power Structure

• Chiefs or the Field? Chris takes the field, but uneasily [24:56].
• Colts as AFC's Best? Simms says YES:
  • "I will acknowledge ... they are the best team in the AFC right now ... The offense is borderline perfect." — Chris Simms [25:30]
  • Dan compares them to last year’s Vikings, Simms counters that the Colts are more physical with the run [26:41].

b. Ravens/Dolphins, Falcons Analysis

• "Baltimore... their schedule is very favorable. They can go on a run here..." — Chris Simms [27:24]
• "Why are the Falcons a mess?" "They're not patient enough with the run... don't have an in-depth play-action pass game." — Chris Simms [28:31]

c. 2024 QB Class Redraft

• Simms’ order: Jaden #1, Caleb Williams #2 (with caveats), Drake May #3, Bo Nix #4, Michael Penix #5, J.J. McCarthy #6 [29:34].
  • "Drake May's hotter right now. He's playing better than Caleb Williams, for sure." — Chris Simms [31:39]
  • "Caleb Williams... makes throws and scrambles and runs where I go, that's better than any of these guys..." — Chris Simms [32:00]

d. Media Scrutiny & QB Fairness

• Dan: "If Cam Ward was named Caleb Williams, we'd be criticizing him..." [32:53]
• Simms: "You just explained that there's unwarranted criticism of Caleb Williams too much. I don't know why." [33:29]
• They rail against hype cycles and unfair fan/media expectations.

e. NFC Superiority

• Simms: "The NFC is so much better than the AFC... Green Bay, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay, Detroit, the Rams, Seahawks..." [35:55]
• If he had to pick one NFC team right now, it's Detroit [37:15].
• Best team at SoFi Stadium? "Definitely the Rams," not the Chargers [37:21].

f. Coaching Rumors & Arch Manning

• Simms doubts Steve Sarkisian is an NFL target and argues Texas is a better gig than most NFL head coaching jobs [38:02].
• On Arch Manning: sees positives in 4th quarter play, attributes struggles to mechanics and trust issues [38:59].

g. Quarterback Hype Machines

• Dan & Chris agree every draft cycle brings overhype followed by unfair backlash [41:10].
  • "We love to hype these quarterbacks and then blame them when they don't live up to our expectations." — Dan [41:15]

h. Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady – Lasting Impact

• Simms: "In their prime, my team was more nervous for Peyton Manning than Tom Brady." [42:09]
• Peyton changed the game at the line of scrimmage; Brady was about health and longevity [43:05].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Dodgers/Yankees ‘evil empire’ label:
  "Do you dislike the Dodgers?...I don't think Otani has graduated to that...I don't think you're rooting necessarily against them unless just the whole premise of they spend more money than everybody else, and that's not fair." — Dan Patrick [08:00]

• On spending in MLB:
  "I would love for my team to spend money if I was a fan...I wish we would spend more money. I don't think there's a fan base that says, hey, let's be responsible here." — Dan Patrick [13:39]

• On NBA rule enforcement:
  "If you have it, call it. ... Nobody watches a basketball game with me." — Dan Patrick [16:35, 17:04]

• Chris Simms on Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady:
  "When Peyton Manning came to town, our team was more nervous than Tom Brady. ... The whole locker room and the coaching staff was like, the sheriff's coming!" — Chris Simms [42:09]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• World Series Recap & Dodgers’ Reputation: [02:47–14:12]
• NBA Rules Rant (Palming, Traveling): [15:13–17:18]
• Chris Simms NFL Segment Intro: [24:35]
• AFC Analysis – Chiefs/Field/Colts: [24:56–26:28]
• Falcons Analysis: [28:31]
• 2024 QB Class Redraft: [29:34]
• Unfair QB Scrutiny & Cam Ward/Dylan Gabriel: [32:26–35:49]
• NFC Strength, Best Teams: [35:55–37:48]
• Sarkisian Rumor & Arch Manning Discussion: [38:02–39:38]
• QB Draft Cycle Hype: [41:10]
• Peyton Manning v. Tom Brady: [41:43–43:31]

Poll Questions Discussed

• Who is tonight’s game more "must-win-ish" for? (Majority said Dodgers) [06:15, 50:22]
• Who are you rooting for: Blue Jays or Dodgers? [06:57]

Final Thoughts

This episode blends timely World Series analysis with wide-ranging commentary on sports business, team construction, and fan sentiment. Dan and the crew use their signature mix of humor, nostalgia, and analysis, while Chris Simms’ NFL insights center on current parity in pro football, the nuances of developing quarterbacks, and the lasting influence of legends like Peyton and Brady.

For more, listen to the full episode of The Dan Patrick Show (Hour 1, Oct 29, 2025) on iHeartRadio or your favorite podcast platform.