The Dan Patrick Show — Episode Summary
Hour 2 – Quitters, Brandel Chamblee
Original Air Date: September 25, 2025
Overview
This episode of The Dan Patrick Show centers on the theme of “quitting” in sports—what it means, public perceptions of quitting versus retiring, and what words are considered the most damning in competitive sports. The Danettes engage in a thoughtful and humorous conversation about athletes’ legacies, the complexities of “giving up,” and fan expectations. Highlights include lively debates about “quitting” versus “cheating,” discussion of Andrew Luck's retirement, listener calls, and a feature interview with Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee on the Ryder Cup and his candid perspective on Bryson DeChambeau. The banter is classic Dan Patrick Show: insightful, irreverent, and packed with memorable moments.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Worst Words in Sports: “Collapse,” “Quit,” “Cheat” (04:41–09:33)
- The team considers which word is more damning in sports: collapse, quit, or cheat.
- Dan Patrick: “Quit is the word because we’re all competitors and you get to that level and when you hear an analyst...say somebody quit, I mean, that is, that’s a label that’s really hard to shed.” (05:49)
- Paulie: “Cheating for me. Quit. Quit is by far the worst word.” (05:17)
- Marvin: Suggests “loyalty” and “it’s a business” are also heavily loaded terms in sports. (05:24–05:35)
- Paul: “If you’re cheating, you can still make the case that you’re trying to help your team win … Quitter … that never leaves you with some fanbases.” (05:39)
- Discussion expands into whether “collapse” (a sudden team downturn or choke) is as bad as “cheat” (breaking the rules) or “quit” (giving up).
2. Quitting vs. Retiring: The Case of Andrew Luck (06:39–09:33)
- Todd Fritz: Asks if Andrew Luck “quit or retired,” stirring a debate on the difference.
- Dan Patrick’s take: “I don’t think Andrew Luck quit the game. I think he retired... The timing was horrible...but trying to put yourself in an athlete’s mind of what else are they going through? … There’s a lot of things at play.” (06:57–08:51)
- Paulie: Reminds everyone of mid-game quitting instances, contrasting them with Luck’s decision (“...that’s way different than being like, I don't know that I want to play anymore.”) (08:33)
3. Danettes’ Dynamic & Listener Engagement (09:33–14:03)
Suggestion Box Comedy (09:33–11:28)
- Todd reads an anonymous poll from the suggestion box, poking fun at his role on the show:
- “Fritzi sucks the air out of the room. Just sucks...Is bullied too much. He’s content, good and bad.” (10:28–10:41)
- Paulie, Seaton, Marvin all select “all of the above” and joke about the constant focus on Todd’s quirks and appearance (“We analyze Todd’s body a little too much.” —Dan Patrick, 11:28)
- Dan Patrick: “There’s nobody like you in our business. Every one of these shows is trying to find a Todd Fritz … and they can’t.” (12:22)
“Left Lane Camper” Merch, Psychological Motives, and Listener Calls (12:49–15:12)
- Callers weigh in on the show’s proposed T-shirt (“Move Fritz, Get Out the Way”) and analyze Todd’s dominance over the passing lane as “his only place of control.” (12:49–13:42)
- Dan Patrick: “Your thought process is psychological. You don’t want to be told to get out of the way.” (13:50)
- The team jokes about Dan having to ride with Todd on a road trip for a hypothetical Sports Emmy.
4. Revisiting Russell Wilson’s Legacy (15:19–20:41)
- Caller: Discusses revisionist history about Russell Wilson’s Super Bowl interception and overall legacy.
- Dan Patrick: “If David Tyree doesn’t hold on to that ball that Eli throws, then what happens? ... It’s that close … Russ hasn’t played well. I think we’re forgetting that he did play really well … It’s a Hall of Famer.” (15:49–18:09)
- Comparing Russell Wilson to other QBs (Eli Manning, Matthew Stafford), and discussing how much of winning is the player vs. the teammates.
- Paul: “If you look at the first ten years of Albert Pujols, we don’t not put him in the Hall of Fame because of the last six or seven years...” (18:09)
5. Weapons & Support in Russell Wilson’s Career (18:49–20:41)
- The Danettes evaluate if Wilson had top skill players in Seattle compared to, for example, Jalen Hurts and the modern Eagles.
- Dan Patrick: “Russ didn’t have great weapons there. They had a great defense.” (19:17)
- Paul: Notes Russ’s two “careers” in Seattle—one with focus/money on defense, and one with more offensive investment. (20:24)
Feature Interview: Brandel Chamblee on the Ryder Cup & Bryson DeChambeau
[27:57–40:59]
Brandel Chamblee, Golf Channel’s lead studio analyst, joins to discuss Ryder Cup storylines, team dynamics, and his contentious relationship with Bryson DeChambeau.
Highlights & Memorable Quotes
- Relationship with Bryson DeChambeau:
- “Probably somewhat complicated now because that's just the nature of what I do and the nature of what he does ... The way the world works is they pick up on one negative thing you say about him and it becomes a headline ... when I’ve mostly been complimentary.” (27:57)
- On calling Bryson a ‘captain’s nightmare’:
- “Maybe nightmare was a little bit strong ... I should have said he probably is problematic to pair with or maybe keeps a captain up late at night.” (28:49)
- “Not everybody meshes up perfectly. You’ve got to consider things like personality … Bryson has notoriously [been] fickle about his golf equipment ...” (29:27–30:52)
- Alpha Dogs on Each Team:
- “The alpha is Scotty Scheffler [for the U.S.], the Alpha is Rory McIlroy [for Europe]. I wouldn’t say Bryson’s in beta—too much to be an Alpha ... he’s always in beta, testing this, testing that.” (30:55–31:11)
- Dan Patrick: “But Scheffler doesn’t have that kind of...like Terrell Hatton has emotion.”
- Chamblee: “I think he burns like the sun on the inside. I really do.” (31:21)
- Camaraderie & Money in Ryder Cup Teams:
- “I think it’s misleading to assume the European teams have always just been chummy. There’s always been a little bit of friction...but there’s also been tremendous buy-in ... The United States team has demanded to be paid to play ... you have one side where players would pay to be on the team, and the other side where players want to get paid just to be a part of the team.” (32:53–33:59)
- On direct payments: “They are getting paid—large sums...it’s just deferred ... but directly paid by the PGA of America, I don’t think so. It’s not asking too much...to do something for the honor of playing for their country.” (35:19–36:52)
- Tiger or Phil, Another Act?
- “Good question ... I would probably say Phil ... Phil could pop up at the Masters ... and he won a major at dang near 52 years of age.” (36:58–38:20)
- Crowd and Hostility at the Ryder Cup:
- “They can absolutely go too far ... If they get profane or personal ... I know the European side has prepared for this ... I’m just not sure anybody could properly prepare for as hostile an environment as I think they’re going to get this week.” (38:32–39:45)
- Mental vs. Physical Challenge:
- “That’s the great thing about the Ryder Cup—it really does involve everything, group dynamics at the highest level … There will be little bitty gamesmanship moments out there ... it certainly becomes a mental test.” (39:50–40:46)
Other Notable Segments & Moments
- Dan Patrick compares tough-to-play golf courses and the intimidation factor of famous holes (42:23–44:00).
- Quick Football Quiz: Who has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history? (50:42–52:08)
- Answer: 1. Aaron Rodgers 2. Lamar Jackson 3. Patrick Mahomes 4. Justin Herbert 5. Russell Wilson
- “Lamar Jackson is correct. 3.57. 175 career touchdowns, only 49 career picks.” —Paulie (52:08)
Memorable Quotes
- On quitting vs. cheating:
- “Quit is the word because we’re all competitors and you get to that level and when you hear an analyst...say somebody quit, I mean, that is, that’s a label that’s really hard to shed.” —Dan Patrick (05:49)
- On Andrew Luck’s retirement:
- “If he said in the middle of a game, ‘I’m done with this,’ … then you could say he quit ... I didn’t view that as quitting. It was just poor timing.” —Dan Patrick (06:57–08:51)
- On fan analysis:
- “We analyze Todd’s body a little too much.” —Dan Patrick (11:28)
- Brandel Chamblee on Ryder Cup team buy-in:
- “You’ve got one side where players would pay to be on the team, and the other side where players want to get paid just to be a part of the team.” (33:59)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 04:41: Poll question: “Worst word in sports” discussion begins
- 06:39: Andrew Luck: Did he quit or retire?
- 09:33: Suggestion box poll about Todd Fritz
- 12:49: Listener calls about “left lane camper” T-shirts/Merch
- 15:19: Russell Wilson legacy caller
- 18:49: Assessing Russell Wilson's career weapons/support
- 27:57: Brandel Chamblee interview starts (Ryder Cup breakdown)
- 28:49: Bryson DeChambeau “captain’s nightmare” discussion
- 30:55: Who is the “alpha dog” on Ryder Cup teams?
- 32:53: Team camaraderie, money, buy-in
- 36:58: “More likely for another act: Tiger or Phil?”
- 38:32: Ryder Cup crowd etiquette and hostility
- 39:50: Mental vs. physical challenge
- 50:42: Football quiz (TD:INT ratios)
- 52:25: Listener call: “Cliff Notes” for spouse’s stories—humor segment
Final Thoughts
This episode was quintessential Dan Patrick Show: sports talk with nuance, sharp wit, and a mix of serious analysis and levity. The Brandel Chamblee interview is a standout for its candor and behind-the-scenes Ryder Cup insights, especially regarding team chemistry, money, and the unique personalities involved. The group’s opening debate over quitting, cheating, and loyalty really frames how athletes are viewed historically, raising thoughtful questions for fans and analysts alike.