The Dan Patrick Show — Hour 2 (Feb 18, 2026): MLBPA Boss Resigns, Punchable Faces

Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show, hosted by Covino & Rich filling in for Dan Patrick, centers on the bombshell resignation of MLBPA (Major League Baseball Players Association) chief Tony Clark amid scandal, and its ramifications for the sport. With a healthy mix of humor, sports nostalgia, and audience engagement, the hosts break down details of the MLB labor situation, discuss the looming threat of a lockout, riff on office scandals, and veer into lighter fare with their classic “punchable faces” debate.

Main Discussion Points

1. Tony Clark Scandal and MLB Labor Unrest

Starts ~06:49

The Scandal

• Tony Clark, former player and head of MLBPA, is stepping down amid a scandal involving both an inappropriate personal relationship and alleged financial impropriety.
• Allegedly, Clark hired his sister-in-law (his wife’s sister) to the union, had a relationship with her, and is under federal investigation for using licensing money and equity “to enrich themselves.”
• “You can't be pulling favors for your sexual pleasures.” (Covino, 10:06)
• The guys riff on the age-old “don’t dip your pen in company ink” adage and how office affairs rarely end well.

What’s Worse? The Family Betrayal Debate

09:01–09:59

• The hosts debate if it’s worse to have an affair with your wife’s sister or your brother’s wife, settling on the latter being “double betrayal.”
  • “You’re betraying your wife and your brother.” (Covino, 09:35)
  • “You can’t betray your brother like that.” (Rich, 09:37)

Impact on MLB Negotiations

• Formal CBA negotiations are set to start in the spring. If no deal by Dec 1, 2026, a lockout or labor stoppage could threaten the 2027 season.
• The scandal puts the union in disarray at the worst possible moment.
• “The timing of this is bad for baseball because if you got Tony Clark resigning, that doesn't help negotiations.” (Covino, 17:44)
• The looming salary cap debate: Owners largely want it; players don’t.

2. MLB Salary Cap & Revenue Sharing 101

Begins around 25:36 and continues intermittently to 43:27

Breakdown of Basics

• MLB has no hard salary cap; teams can spend as much as they want, but luxury taxes and revenue sharing attempt to level the playing field.
• “MLB does not have a hard salary cap. Instead, it uses rev share and the competitive balance tax—luxury tax.” (Rich, 26:40)
• 48% of net local revenue from teams goes into a pot, divided among all 30 clubs, but big-market teams (Dodgers, Yankees) still have massive advantages due to revenue from local TV deals, etc.
• Debate over whether teams like the Pirates are unable or unwilling to reinvest sufficiently in their rosters.
  • “Dodgers earned around $750 million last year. They spent 75% of that profit on their roster. The Yankees…around 48%.” (Danny G, 24:30)

Small Market Struggles

• Small market teams struggle to retain stars and tolerate financial risks (e.g., if a big free agent busts).
• The players ideally want a minimum spend “floor,” not a cap, to force all teams to spend competitively.
• “No cap, no basement. People are now saying there should be a minimum team spend and a maximum team spend.” (Rich, 37:16)

What Changes Might Mean

• Any big change, like the addition of a salary cap, would fundamentally alter MLB.
• “If there is a salary cap in baseball, it's going to change baseball as we know it…but life goes on and might end up being fine.” (Covino, 41:05)

3. MLB Fan Momentum & Labor Pessimism

Referenced throughout, especially 22:13–24:17

• Hosts draw parallels between the 1994 MLB strike (which alienated fans) and the possible danger now if baseball “kills its own momentum.”
• “People stopped watching baseball during the strike in '94. You think they're going to go back to the WNBA? Get out of town, man.” (Rich, 22:44)
• “Do you think, because they're so far apart, we as fans would be delusional to think there's an easy resolution…?” (Rich, 23:55)
• The new lockout threat is described as “a dark cloud” just as the sport had surged back in popularity.

4. Lighter/Escapist Segments

Baseball Banter: Trivia Run

• The hosts quiz each other about Tony Clark’s playing days, highlighting their baseball nerd creds.
• Rich nails Clark’s career home run total: “I'm like, probably about 300, but not quite. I'm like, yeah, 2...”—“You're close. 251.” (Covino, 13:22)

Office Romance Warnings

• Much riffing on “relative proximity hot”—risking your career for someone who's “only hot within the office.”
  • “You’re risking it all…they’re just hot for the office. Outside of the office, they’re not even that hot.” (Covino, 11:35)

Punchable Faces

44:33–47:20

• The classic “punchable faces” discussion, with Nick Sirianni and Manny Machado cited.
  • “Nick Sirianni…I’d probably like the guy if I met him.” (Rich, 44:49)
• They joke that Manny Machado “has a punchable face” but praise his comment on Dodgers' big spending:
  • “Machado says…‘I f---ing love it. Every team should be doing it. S--- is f---ing great for the game.’” (Rich, 46:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can't betray your brother like that. And I’m not saying betraying your wife is better, but…it’s a little less worse.”
  — Covino (09:37)

• “Tony Clark, who was a great player in Detroit…became the head of the MLBPA. He’s resigning now. For me, it’s a two-part crazy story…he got his sister-in-law hired…turns out he’s having relations with her.”
  — Covino (07:25)

• “Don’t dip your pen in company ink... Not everything’s like a sleazy 80s comedy where you prop her up on the photocopier. There’s no sanctuary anymore!”
  — Covino (10:57)

• “Like, we are just, you know, downfall of society... There’s something just so stupidly primal about guys sometimes where it’s like—I got life—like this guy—guys are stupid. This guy had life by the nuts.”
  — Rich (12:47)

• “No player wants salary caps…what you really want is the most money possible. Narrative going around this could get sticky icky because no player in the union is going to want a salary cap. And they’re saying every owner except maybe three or four teams…”
  — Rich (16:39)

• “If you're gonna sleep with your wife's sister, don't do it in the middle of a big negotiation, right? Isn't that the moral of the story?”
  — Covino (46:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |------------|------------------------------------------------| | 06:49 | Tony Clark scandal, details and jokes | | 09:01–09:59| Family betrayal debate: which affair is worse? | | 12:28 | Men and scandal: “How many people let ass get in the way?” | | 15:37 | Negotiation timeline: CBA, lockout threat | | 16:28 | Players/owners split on salary cap | | 22:13–24:17| "Dark cloud" over baseball—labor pessimism | | 25:36–27:17| Introduction to revenue sharing & cap discussion| | 34:42–43:27| Rich’s “Cliff Notes” explanation of MLB cap system| | 44:33–47:20| Punchable faces debate | | 46:17 | Machado’s quote on Dodgers spending |

Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and quick with jokes and playful put-downs.
• Sports talk with an accessible, fan-centric vibe. Mix of genuine analysis and barstool banter.
• Frequent inside jokes, pop culture references, and light mockery of themselves and the sports world.

Conclusion

The episode offers a deep dive into the Tony Clark resignation and what it means for the MLB’s delicate labor future, blending serious analysis with locker room humor. Topics range from the specifics of MLB’s salary dynamics to the perennial pitfalls of workplace romances and the culture of “self-ruin” in sports leadership. The show closes with a sharp reminder: baseball’s on-field momentum could be undone if off-field negotiations fall apart—and now, the players’ union faces unprecedented upheaval right when it can least afford it.

For new listeners:
This episode balances insightful sports reporting and analysis with fast, funny banter. If you’re curious about why the MLB might be headed toward labor chaos—and want a laugh about office drama along the way—this hour has you covered.