The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 2: Wemby's New Celebration, Christmas Day NFL

Date: December 24, 2025
Hosts: Covino & Rich in for Dan Patrick
Network: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Episode Overview

In this episode, Covino & Rich fill in for Dan Patrick and dive into the sports world’s latest traditions, player celebrations, and the NFL's Christmas Day slate. The primary focus is Victor Wembanyama ("Wemby") and his attempt to launch a new courtside celebration with the Spurs, sparking a lively debate on sports traditions, authenticity, and what makes gimmicks stick. The crew also explores NFL scheduling, classic holiday movies, and listeners’ calls about the origins of sports celebrations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Victor Wembanyama’s New Spurs Celebration: Authentic or Imitative?

• Wemby's Initiative: The conversation opens with Victor Wembanyama introducing a new team tradition with the Spurs, inspired by the Viking clap seen during Euro 2016 and by fans of the Minnesota Vikings.
  • [06:32] Wemby (clip): “I would like with my teammates to introduce a little new tradition that we’ve been working on with the Jackals over there.”
  • [06:40] Rich: “So please, everybody, arms up in the air.”
• Hosts’ Take: The crew debates whether new traditions feel authentic or forced, especially if borrowed from other teams or sports.
  • [05:45] Rich: “Is Skull with the horn... is that so original that, like, if the Wemby and the Spurs clap, we can’t do that?”
  • [10:44] Covino: “So authenticity, I think, is the word too. Does it feel authentic?”
• Listener & Social Media Reactions: There’s buzz about Wemby’s celebration being a "ripoff" of Minnesota Vikings fans and their Icelandic clap.

2. Tradition vs. Trend: What Makes a Sports Ritual Stick?

• Forced vs. Organic: The hosts discuss whether something like Wemby’s celebration can catch on or if it’ll always feel derivative.
  • [07:03] Covino: “It’s better than no vibe, right? ...You gotta give it some time to see. When you see it start, it feels a little forced.”
  • [09:04] Rich (teasing): “So you think Yankees roll call is cool and everything else is corny. Got it.”
• Cultural Significance: Is there a deep tie between the Spurs and this new tradition, or is it a mere copy?
  • [11:03] Covino: “But what’s the significance? Is there any sort of tie in with the San Antonio Spurs?”
  • [11:38] Danny G.: “I’m reading... this Viking clap had a lot of success during the Euro cup in 2016. And because he’s a French professional basketball player...”

3. Calls & Audience Engagement: Birth of Traditions

• Lambeau Leap Origin Clarified:
  • [16:42] Caller “Rocky” (Greenville, SC): Shares insight into the origins of the Lambeau Leap and how former South Carolina Gamecock Robert Brooks popularized it.
  • [17:44] Rich: “That’s cool, man. That’s like... a bragging right? More people should know that fun fact.”
• Famous Celebration Origins: Listeners and hosts muse about who first popularized now-ubiquitous gestures, like flashing the three-pointer sign or saying “Kobe!” when shooting trash:
  • [19:39] Tripp (Las Vegas): “Who was the first person to flash the three sign after hitting a three pointer?”
  • [21:13] Danny G.: “The first person to shout Kobe when they threw trash into a trash can…”

4. Traditions Across Teams & Sports: What’s Lame, What’s Loved

• Favorite Rituals: The team runs through several enduring traditions (and some they deem corny), such as the Cubs tossing back home run balls, the Yankees’ roll call, Dodgers’ celebrations, the Seahawks’ 12th Man flag, and more.
  • [13:07] Covino: “Cool. I like it. Get your stupid home run out of here. I love it.”
  • [14:57] Covino: “Yeah, absolutely. I think that’s super dope.” (on Seahawks’ flag)
• Originality & Winning: Emphasizing the “winning makes it cool” phenomenon—if the team is successful, even a forced gesture gains approval.
  • [08:14] Covino: “So it doesn’t matter if I think it’s corny and it works if Freddie Freeman, Mookie Bash winning makes it cool.”

5. Holiday Movie Debate: Do Classics Stand the Test of Time?

• Old vs. New: Covino describes introducing "It’s a Wonderful Life" to his younger girlfriend and her sister, debating whether classics resonate with newer generations.
  • [50:06] Covino: “I was like, it’s like the Wizard of Oz of Christmas movies... Maybe not all things stand the test of time.”
• Hot Takes: “Love Actually” sparks disagreement:
  • [24:29] Covino: “Trash. I don’t even want to fight about that... it’s the most overhyped Christmas movie.”
  • [24:43] Rich: “You and I think trash. How about that?”

6. NFL on Christmas Day: Has the League Overtaken the NBA’s Holiday?

• Matchup Woes: The 2025 Christmas NFL matchups are lackluster, leading to speculation on whether the NBA can reassert its traditional holiday primacy.
  • [31:47] Rich: “I feel like the NFL is trying to hijack...”
  • [31:51] Danny G.: “I think they have sort of hijacked. But...this is a chance for the NBA to take their rightful throne.”
• Questioning Ratings: The hosts question if “irrelevant” NFL games will still out-rate marquee NBA contests. [31:59]

7. Sports and Pop Culture: When Did That Start?

• Pop Culture Origins: On when certain phrases, gestures, and in-jokes (e.g., “MILF” or “Kobe!”) actually entered mass usage—and how pop culture (American Pie, Chappelle’s Show) made them global.
  • [33:18] Rich: “Sometimes something’s been around, but a pop culture moment really enhances it.”
  • [33:40] Covino: “The difference between the origin and what popularized it.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On New Traditions:

  • [04:46] Rich: “When it comes to traditions, they got to start somewhere. And at first it might feel forced, but I feel like maybe everything feels that way at first a little bit.”
  • [05:13] Covino: “That’s what I said. You got to give it time to really see.”

• On Authenticity:

  • [10:44] Covino: “So authenticity, I think, is the word too. Does it feel authentic? You know, that’s the difference.”

• On Winning Making it Cool:

  • [08:14] Covino: “So it doesn’t matter if I think it’s corny and it works if Freddie Freeman, Mookie Bash winning makes it cool. So that’s really, I guess, the point here. If the spurs continue to win, guess what?”

• Danny G. on Cultural Borrowing:

  • [11:38] “This Viking clap had a lot of success during the Euro cup in 2016. And because he’s a French professional basketball player...I think that’s why it’s part of his repertoire.”

• On NFL Christmas Scheduling:

  • [31:47] Rich: “Thanksgiving football and Christmas day basketball, I agree. But I feel like the NFL is trying to hijack.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:29] – Show opens, Covino & Rich introduce topics, invite interaction.
• [04:36] – Wemby's new celebration—debate on originality and forced traditions.
• [10:56] – Dive into “authenticity” and why some traditions stick.
• [13:04] – More beloved sports rituals, from the Cubs to the Yankees and Dodgers.
• [16:30] – Listener calls on sports traditions, Lambeau Leap origin story.
• [21:13] – “Kobe!” in the trash can—organic cultural moments.
• [24:29] – Holiday movie arguments: “Love Actually,” “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
• [31:34] – NFL Christmas scheduling and discussion on the NBA’s holiday dominance.
• [33:18] – When pop culture popularizes, rather than invents, slang and celebrations.
• [46:31] – Christmas traditions at home: How do you handle presents under the tree?
• [50:06] – Revisiting whether old movies or sports highlights translate for new generations.

Overall Tone & Style

Raucous, irreverent, and playful with plenty of jokes, affectionate razzing, and candid hot takes. The hosts mesh pop culture, sports news, and real-life anecdotes with audience interaction, keeping the energy up throughout.

For New Listeners

If you want inside perspectives on how sports rituals are born, evolve, and sometimes self-destruct under scrutiny (or just because they’re a bit corny), this episode delivers. It also provides a solid dose of humor, nostalgia, and pop culture debates—perfect for anyone with an interest in sports culture or the meaning behind those crowd-pleasing moments on and off the field.

Memorable Call to Action:

• “You win with originality, but sometimes you just win with winning.” – Danny G. [23:22]
• “If the fans get behind it and they continue to win, it doesn’t matter what any of us think. It will be cool to them.” – Covino [12:44]

Final Thought:
Traditions—whether invented, copied, or mashed up—only last if they feel real and unite fans. Plus, sometimes it’s just about having the cojones to try something goofy in front of 40,000 people.