Podcast Summary: The Dan Patrick Show — Hour 2
Date: April 3, 2026
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show
Host: Dan Patrick (plus crew: Paulie, Todd, Chris)
Notable Guest: Chris “Mad Dog” Russo
Episode Overview
This second hour of The Dan Patrick Show brings Dan and his crew together for a lively “Meat Friday” edition filled with sports talk, pop culture banter, and signature humor. Major topics include a Kansas City Royals player’s oversleeping mishap, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson’s absences from The Masters, greatest sports collapses, coaching rumors in college basketball, automated balls and strikes in baseball, and a warm, expansive segment with ‘Mad Dog’ Russo examining current and classic sports stories and the culture surrounding them.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Nostalgia: Old ‘Man Cave’ Days and Meat Fridays
- Reflecting on the 7th anniversary of moving out of their cramped, original studio.
- Dan recounts how the tight space fostered camaraderie and creative segments like Meat Friday, now upscaled with a Rec Tec grill and elaborate menu:
- "Elk bacon sliders, tuna carpaccio, filet mignon Oscar style, pesto crusted salmon…” (03:20)
- Amicable teasing about Todd wearing a vintage Dan Patrick Show hat.
2. Pop Culture: Zombie Apocalypse Movies
- Dan admits zombie movies aren’t his thing but was convinced by family to watch “28 Years Later.”
- “Ray Fiennes, holy crap, is unbelievable... Just watch the final scene where he has to convince the zombies he is Satan…” — Dan (05:00)
- The group riffs on whether such movies ever get serious award recognition.
- Jokes about Atlanta as an apocalyptic setting (origin of zombie outbreaks in fiction).
3. Sports News: Carter Jensen’s Nap Incident
- Kansas City Royals catcher Carter Jensen missed a game start after sleeping through his alarm, accepted responsibility, and joined late.
- Crew jokes about old-school players and how a legend like George Brett would’ve been treated differently.
- Discussion on sports nicknames and the possibility of Jensen being dubbed “Sleepy” or “Snooze” Jensen (08:14).
- Poll idea: Nicknames people hate from strangers (“Hey there, guy,” “shorty”).
- “Don’t call me guy. What the heck, man?” — Dan (09:01).
4. Height Averages and Short Nickname Tangent
- CDC: U.S. average male height is just over 5'9" (09:36).
- Todd shares he’s “5’9 and three-quarters right now,” considering himself average but “unique and special in other ways.” (10:07)
5. Golf: Tiger Woods & Phil Mickelson Out of the Masters
- Tiger’s absence is tied to a widely publicized and messy arrest involving impairment and name-dropping the President (12:08–13:28).
- Dan muses on the rarity of both Tiger and Phil missing The Masters, traced last to 1994.
- “It’s the end of an era, huh?” — crew member (14:01)
- Discussion on the surreal nature of the arrest video and Tiger’s focus on retrieving his golf clubs from the vehicle (14:51):
- “He said, ‘get my sticks. Get my clubs.’”
6. Listener Calls: Underrated Films & Coaching Rumors
- Caller suggests “Blue Velvet” (Dennis Hopper, Isabella Rossellini) as an underrated film (15:54–16:06).
- Another caller asks about Dan Hurley and North Carolina; Dan stresses he was only speculating and not reporting a rumor (16:33–17:50).
- “Nope, nope, nope…I said he could. Not that he should or will.” — Dan (16:58)
- Hot dogs offered for Meat Friday from a local fan.
7. Media Dynamics: Sports News Echo Chamber
- Crew critiques ESPN and similar networks for manufacturing and then amplifying their own rumors.
- “We created the news. Now let’s send it down the rabbit hole...all our shows are now going to talk about it for 18 straight hours.”— Dan (18:31)
8. NFL Prospect Talk
- Dan relays an NFL scout doesn’t have a first-round grade for Ty Simpson, but that doesn’t rule out his potential (18:47).
Feature Segment: Chris “Mad Dog” Russo Joins the Show (23:07–43:03)
1. Greatest Sports Collapses
- Discussion of Bleacher Report’s top collapses:
- Falcons-Patriots Super Bowl (28-3), “hard to top”
- Yankees-Red Sox 2004 ALCS
- Giants-Angels 2002 World Series Game 6
- Rangers-Cardinals (twice one strike away)
- Russo points out: “If you win a title later, it takes away some sting.”
- “28–3, that’s probably the worst…” — Mad Dog (25:48)
- Revisiting golf collapses: Spieth at The Masters, Greg Norman 1996 (“Norman always finds the banana peel.” — Rick Reilly recalling Saturday’s round)
2. Patrick Ewing: Misunderstood Figure
- Russo and Dan commend Ewing for his sensitivity and depth, counter to his public persona.
- “He’s so miscast or mislabeled…a very thoughtful, entertaining, fun, sensitive person.” — Dan (28:22)
3. Tiger Woods’ Future and Golf’s Handling of Its Stars
- What does Tiger do without competitive golf?
- “Something you love, something you’re defined by, but something you can’t do because your body is broken…” — Dan (29:42)
- Russo: Golf world “genuflected” before Tiger for 30 years—should they have intervened more in off-course behavior?
- Dan: “You surround yourself with yes people...Tiger got to where he is by not listening to anybody.”
- Barkley and others’ roles as friends (32:03).
4. March Madness and College Basketball Jobs
- Dan picked Arizona to win the title; Mad Dog and Dan discuss whether Arizona or UNC is a “better” top-tier college basketball job.
- "As far as the job goes, why leave? Tucson's a great place...there's not an incredible amount of pressure. You kill Arizona State, good weather, you can win a championship, why leave?" — Mad Dog (34:26)
- Rumors swirl around Tommy Lloyd (Arizona coach) and North Carolina opening.
5. Danny Hurley Final Four Incident
- Russo: “He did touch the ref, that’s nonsense to claim otherwise. Not a technical, just exuberance. But the perception…not great. Still, credit Hurley—a lot of teams wouldn’t recover from that conference final loss” (35:26)
6. Automated Balls & Strikes in Baseball
- Dan advocates for fully automated strike zones; current “challenge” system only singles out umpires for criticism (36:38).
- Russo likes the strategy aspect but agrees the transition should be gradual.
- Both agree baseball has “juice” right now—faster games, strong World Baseball Classic.
7. Retirement Plans & Life Beyond Sports Media
- The two tease about eventual retirement (Dan aims to retire after the Super Bowl in Atlanta, at 71–72, and maybe live in Italy).
- Mad Dog offers to co-host a full show as a retirement tribute.
- “Maybe I end up in Italy doing sports talk over there.” — Dan (43:03)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Ray Fiennes, holy crap, is unbelievable…Just watch the final scene…” — Dan Patrick (05:00)
- “Does he get a nickname off of this? Sleepy Jensen. Snooze Jensen. Baseball players used to always have nicknames…” — Dan (08:14)
- “We're going to be talking about a thing that we, one of our guys commented...” — Dan on the self-feeding nature of sports networks (18:47)
- “28–3, that’s probably the worst one, you know." — Mad Dog Russo (25:48)
- “Something you love, something you’re defined by, but something you can’t do because your body is broken now…” — Dan Patrick, on Tiger Woods (29:42)
- “Tucson’s a great place…not an incredible amount of pressure…why leave?” — Chris Russo on Arizona hoops (34:26)
- “We could do it at the Super Bowl, you want to do it? Something like that, we can do it.” — Mad Dog to Dan, on a future co-hosting plan (40:38)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:20 — Reminiscing about the 'man cave' studio and today's Meat Friday menu
- 05:00 — Dan reviews “28 Years Later” and Ray Fiennes’ performance
- 06:41 — Carter Jensen’s oversleeping incident & nickname banter
- 09:36 — CDC height stats; is Todd short or average?
- 12:08 — Tiger Woods’ arrest video and Masters absence discussion
- 13:57 — Last time without Phil or Tiger at The Masters (1994)
- 15:54 — Caller recommends “Blue Velvet” as an underrated film
- 16:33 — Dan clarifies Dan Hurley/North Carolina coaching rumor
- 18:31 — Critique of media’s echo-chamber dynamic
- 23:07 — Chris “Mad Dog” Russo joins; sports collapses & baseball talk
- 25:48 — 28–3 Falcons/Patriots collapse: “That’s probably the worst one…”
- 28:22 — Discussing Patrick Ewing’s misunderstood persona
- 29:42 — Tiger Woods’ decline and introspection
- 34:26 — Arizona vs. North Carolina job prestige
- 35:26 — Danny Hurley/Final Four referee incident
- 36:38 — Automated balls & strikes debate
- 39:41 — Russo and Dan discuss career longevity and retirement
- 43:03 — Dan jests about retiring to Italy, possibly doing sports radio there
Tone and Style
- The episode is a blend of camaraderie, sports expertise, gentle ribbing, and warm nostalgia.
- Dan Patrick sets a measured, humorous, and inquisitive tone, anchored by Russo’s energetic, classic New York sports radio gusto.
- The show is listener-friendly — even as it debates granular sports points, it’s accessible, fun, and peppered with stories and references that keep the conversation lively.
Conclusion
This hour delivers a great slice of modern sports radio—rich with personal anecdotes, sports news, insider analysis, and media-savvy commentary. Listeners are treated to insights on everything from player mishaps and golf legends to media criticism, baseball technology, and life after sports. The banter between Dan and “Mad Dog” Russo is the highlight, blending seasoned perspective with the sense that for all the drama in sports, it’s really the human stories and relationships that leave a lasting impression.