The Dan Patrick Show — Hour 2: Ben Pickman & Mark Schlereth

Date: October 1, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick
Guests: Ben Pickman (The Athletic, WNBA reporter), Mark Schlereth (NFL on Fox analyst, former NFL player)

Episode Overview

This hour of The Dan Patrick Show focuses on several key sports topics, blending lively debate with insider insight. The headlining conversation centers on the escalating tension in the WNBA between commissioner Kathy Engelbert and players, spurred by Nefesha Collier's public critique. The show also features NFL commentary from Mark Schlereth, including a spirited take on overtime rules and quarterback culture, and closes with lighter banter on baseball, college football, and even national average heights. Throughout, Dan and his crew maintain the show's signature mix of humor and sharp analysis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. WNBA Turmoil: Players vs. Commissioner

(02:30-11:26, 13:41-16:30)

• Situation:

  • WNBA All-Star Nefesha Collier gave a viral four-minute statement publicly criticizing commissioner Kathy Engelbert and the league’s handling of officiating, pay, and negotiations.
  • Collier relayed Engelbert’s controversial comments, including:
    • "Only the losers complain about the refs."
    • “[Caitlin Clark] should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything."
    • "Players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the media rights deal that I got them."
  • Ben Pickman (The Athletic) joins to break down the fallout.

• Perspectives:

  • Ben Pickman: Emphasizes this moment as potentially “the most important in WNBA history," noting Collier’s willingness to air grievances many have held in private.
    • "She's calling for accountability, transparency, not just on officiating, but on broader league wide matters too." (07:00)
  • Mark Schlereth: Pushes the story further, noting that athletes from other leagues so rarely call out their commissioners so explicitly, calling it "a seminal moment in WNBA history."
    • "If anything, it's going to explode from here on out." (08:30)
  • Discussion covers the league's explosive growth (expansion, valuations, media rights), but also stresses the central role of star athletes (especially Caitlin Clark) in driving revenue and attention.
  • Key Question: Who is more essential for the league's next 15 years — Engelbert or Clark? Clear sense from both guests: stars like Clark will define the league’s future.

• Officiating Debate:

  • Ongoing frustrations about officiating quality are not new ("I wrote a story two years ago... all about coaches and executives and players talking about inconsistent officiating." — Mark Schlereth, 14:35).
  • League claims officials are well-trained and graded, but Collier calls the defense of officiating "an insult to my intelligence, honestly" (13:41).
  • Pickman adds, “Great players complain about officiating as well, not losers” (14:12), challenging Engelbert's quoted remarks.

• WNBA Structure Issues:

  • Unique complexity from NBA ownership; Engelbert ultimately reports to Adam Silver. Multiple stakeholder groups muddy CBA negotiations and team control.
  • Ben: “The league is in a really tough spot…so many stakeholders...very complicated mess." (12:26)

2. NFL Overtime Rules and Football Culture

(24:11-36:44)

• Mark Schlereth on Overtime:

  • Rails against current NFL overtime formats, criticizing the shift away from sudden death:
    • "What was wrong with sudden death? There was nothing wrong with sudden death. Sudden death: it's sudden, and it's death. You're over." (24:11)
    • Rants colorfully about how complaints from "people who don't even like the game" push the league to tinker with the rules.
      • "Screw them. If you don't like it, tough. It's the greatest game in the world."
  • Accepts the consequences of losing in sudden death and loathes "playing an extra 10 minutes and nothing is solved."

• Uniforms and Nostalgia:

  • Old-school preference for classic NFL uniforms; dislikes Broncos’ all-blue retros.
  • Self-deprecating humor about offensive linemen and how uniforms make them "look like a big, giant Roly poly blueberry." (27:20)

• Panthers & Bryce Young:

  • Candid on Panthers repeated appearances in his broadcast slate (“I am the official broadcaster of the NFC South... they are a bad football team.” 27:48)
  • Defends Bryce Young, arguing his struggles are more about the lack of supporting talent than him personally.
  • On wide receivers:
    • “Wide receivers are a completely dependent position. They’re like children...they whine and they cry and they bitch a lot if they don’t get fed.” (29:35)
    • “Do I think he’s a franchise quarterback? No. But do I think you can win with Bryce Young? If you put enough people around him... I think you probably could.” (31:12)

• Eagles Drama:

  • Schlereth baffled by receivers being upset when their team is winning:
    • "It's amazing what you can accomplish when no one cares who gets the credit. So it's probably why I hate wide receivers with a white hot intensity of a thousand suns." (32:38)

• Deeper Football X’s & O’s:

  • Explains how sacks are as much about coaching and quarterbacks as offensive line, and credits Tom Brady’s success to “never getting bored taking the profit” (35:15).

3. Baseball & Sports Banter

(3:57-4:59, 37:12-47:19, 45:03-47:19)

• Discussion of postseason clichés:
  • Most overrated narrative elements in baseball: "club history," "intangibles," "which team wants it more," "last week's momentum" (03:43).
    • Club history “running away with” the poll as most overrated (37:28).
• Shohei Ohtani’s playoff heroics and the must-watch nature of the Dodgers lineup.
• MLB Expansion:
  • Fan calls about Portland’s baseball prospects, with the crew noting Nashville as a likely expansion city (46:33).
  • Reminiscences about the Expos and reveal of an upcoming documentary (47:46).

4. Fun and Pop Culture Detours

(39:07-41:36, 48:07-52:22)

• Banter about TV shows, especially “Tulsa King” and what makes a show worth sampling past 15 minutes.
• A tongue-in-cheek “Septisman” Heisman update — crew picks their September college football MVPs, including lesser-known QBs.
• Lighthearted quiz on world’s tallest countries (spoiler: Netherlands), leading to self-effacing jokes about crew member heights.
• Brief discussions on classics in English literature, with comic asides about Tolkien and Beowulf.

Standout Quotes & Moments

• Nafisha Collier (as quoted by Nicole Garcia):

  • "Players should be on their knees thanking their lucky stars for the meteorites deal that I got them." (05:33)

• Mark Schlereth on WNBA conflict:

  • "Think about any other player in any other sport doing what Nafisa Collier did. I mean, this is a potentially seminal moment in WNBA history." (06:12)
  • "If anything, it's going to explode from here on out." (08:39)

• Ben Pickman:

  • "This might be the most important moment in WNBA history as we move forward." (07:21)

• On Caitlin Clark and the Future:

  • "Who is more important to the health, the growth of the league — Kathy Engelbert...or Caitlin Clark? I think the answer there is pretty clear." (09:34)

• Schlereth on NFL Overtime Rules:

  • "Sudden death, it's sudden and it's death. You're over. That makes sense to me. Playing to a 40, 40 tie makes zero sense to me." (24:11)
  • "Screw those people. It's the greatest game in the world. If you don't like it, tough." (25:11)

• Schlereth on Wide Receivers:

  • "They're like toddlers. They whine and they cry and they bitch a lot if they don't get fed." (29:35)

• Schlereth, on his grumpiness:

  • "It's probably why I hate wide receivers with a white hot intensity of a thousand suns." (32:38)
  • "I'm gonna get a T shirt. Stay grumpy." (36:51)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• WNBA: Players vs. Commissioner and Negotiations — 02:30-16:30
• NFL: Overtime Rules Rant & Uniforms — 24:11-29:35
• Panthers, Bryce Young, & Wide Receivers — 27:48-31:12
• Eagles Management and Team Culture — 31:47-33:35
• NFL Technical Deep-Dive: Sacks & Quarterbacks — 33:35-36:44
• Light Pop Culture and Fun Segment — 39:07-41:36
• Septisman Heisman Trophy Banter — 48:07-49:59
• Baseball Expansion & Portland Call-In — 45:03-47:26

Tone & Style

• Language: Conversational, direct, often playful or teasing, especially during banter or off-topic segments.
• Atmosphere: Blends real sports insight with irreverence; mixes seriousness (e.g., on the future of the WNBA) with light-hearted fun (TV, height quizzes, mock arguments).

Summary Takeaway

This hour of The Dan Patrick Show transitions fluidly between serious sports analysis and good-humored banter. The heart of the episode is a sharp, deeply informed discussion with Ben Pickman about the WNBA’s crossroads moment, with Nefesha Collier’s public challenge to the commissioner setting off debate about player power, league management, and the centrality of stars like Caitlin Clark. Mark Schlereth brings trademark bluntness to NFL debates, especially around overtime rules and player culture. The show is at its best navigating these hot-button sports topics before closing with breezy, fun detours, keeping listeners informed and entertained in equal measure.