The Dan Patrick Show — Hour 3: Al Michaels, March Madness Approaches

Date: February 23, 2026
Podcast: The Dan Patrick Show (iHeartPodcasts/Dan Patrick Podcast Network)
Guests: Al Michaels (Hall of Fame Broadcaster)

Episode Overview

This episode’s final hour blends the excitement of a historic sports weekend with timeless reflections on iconic moments, as Dan Patrick and crew are joined by legendary broadcaster Al Michaels. The hour is defined by spirited conversation about the U.S. men’s hockey gold, memorable recent sports moments, and the looming arrival of March Madness. Al Michaels revisits the “Miracle on Ice,” what it's meant for U.S. hockey, and why certain sports moments endure. The show’s trademark banter, humor, and sports insight are on full display.

Weather Report & Blizzard Banter

[02:20–05:20]

• Blizzard Recap: Dan and the Danettes swap stories about the massive winter storm, estimated at 18-20 inches of snow. The man cave became an impromptu bunkhouse for the crew.
  • “A lot of the back room guys just stayed in the man cave. Came in yesterday early. And they had makeshift beds here around the man cave.” — Dan Patrick [03:51]
• Defining a Blizzard: Paulie clarifies the definition—it's about the wind and visibility, not just accumulation.
  • “It’s a severe winter storm. High intensity conditions for at least three consecutive hours. Sustained winds or frequent gusts 35 mph or more, and visibility less than a half a mile…” — Paulie [03:27]
• Camaraderie in Adversity: Gentle ribbing about who did or didn’t sleep at the studio.
  • “It’s always awkward when you walk in here. You just stepping over people. Oh, excuse me, Dylan. Oh, excuse me, Rob.” — Todd [04:08]

Poll Questions & Sports Career Choices

[05:20–06:58]

• Ongoing Polls:

  • Would you rather win an Olympic gold medal or a Stanley Cup?
  • Whose career would you want: Kurt Russell (actor in "Miracle"), Al Michaels (legendary broadcaster), or Jack Hughes (recent U.S. hockey gold medalist)?
  • “Jack Hughes has 44% of the vote. Al Michaels, 41%... Poor Kurt Russell.” — Dan Patrick [05:47]

• Hockey Heroics: Discussion of Jack Hughes’ iconic gold-medal smile—missing teeth and all.

  • “If I'm Jack Hughes, I don't fix my teeth for a while.” — Dan Patrick [06:28]

Hockey Dental Stories, Bowling Deep Dives & Callers’ Bests

[06:59–14:22]

• Hockey’s Dental Toll:

  • “Every NHL team has to have a dentist on site for every home game.” — Paulie [07:26]
  • “But I've chipped teeth before. And then you get that air and. And it just goes right to the nerve. And he's out there playing and then after that he's drinking beer. I can't imagine how that felt…” — Dan Patrick [07:39]

• Bowling Superfan Anecdote:

  • "I told you about a guy I met who watches bowling all over the world... He's got bowling porn and he'll watch bowling all over the world." — Dan Patrick [09:10]

• International Bowling Differences:

  • "There's five pin bowling in Canada and nine pin bowling...random places in Europe." — Paulie [10:46]

• Callers Share Weekend Highlights:

  • Caller applauds rookie bowler Brandon Banter for a televised 300 game [08:21]
  • Callers and hosts discuss U.S. women’s hockey and shifting team dynamics after Olympics.

March Madness Looms: College Hoops Watch

[14:22–16:58]

• Discussion on how top seeds are shaping up for the NCAA Tournament.
  • "Duke's going to be a one seed. Arizona is going to be a one seed. Houston might be a two seed. Florida, maybe two seed. UConn will be in the mix…" — Dan Patrick [14:30]
• Spotlight on Kansas player "Patterson/Peterson" and NCAA investigation for sitting out second halves; speculation about possible gambling implications.
  • "And then I saw where the NCAA was investigating Kansas and him for taking himself out of games. If he's a healthy scratch, they have a problem." — Dan Patrick [15:41]

Kawhi Leonard’s Hands and All-Star Antics

[17:14–18:54]

• “Did you see the picture where he gave high five to Kevin Durant? And you see Kawhi's ET fingers. And it is remarkable.” — Dan Patrick [17:26]
• “It's like when you take the picture like you first have a child and you put your kid's hand in the palm of your hand and you see how little it is. That's what Paul George looks like when he's shaking hands with Kawhi Leonard.” — Seton [18:54]

Highlight: Al Michaels Joins the Show

[24:47–42:14]

Olympic Gold vs. Stanley Cup

[24:55]

• “I'd probably rather win the Olympic gold, but if I was Ken Morrow, I might take the four Stanley Cups that he won with the New York Islanders in the wake of his gold medal in Lake Placid. But, I mean, there's nothing like an Olympic gold medal. That's, that's got to be at the very top.” — Al Michaels [25:15]

Hockey’s Unique Drama

[26:44]

• “Of all the sports, hockey always delivers more consistently than the other sports when it comes to a big game. You know, game seven, playoff hockey…There is something about it that's different…” — Dan Patrick

• Al relays Doc Rivers’ view: the last two minutes of a hockey game actually last two minutes, while NBA games stretch out interminably.

“Miracle on Ice” Reflections

• On the legendary call and its resonance:

  • “It could not be replicated…because that game was so much more than a hockey game...that was all about us and our arch enemy, and we’re actually playing with amateurs, and they’re playing with, in effect, professionals in our, you know, home country.” — Al Michaels [28:04]

• The “If you lose this, you'll take it to your effing grave” story from Herb Brooks before the gold medal clinching Finland game.

  • “Herb Brooks never swore, but that was the one time he swore…If those guys had gone through the rest of their lives and had lost the game to Finland, people would go, now let me get this straight. You beat the Soviets and you lost to Finland…” — Al Michaels [29:18]

• On the call itself:

  • “I had no idea of the impact of what I said or even what I said at the end of the game. I was working in such an intense state of concentration. But here we are...it's, you know, I guess it's putting a pretty good code on the game.” — Al Michaels [31:31]

• What if Team USA hadn't won gold?

  • "Do you believe in debacles? ... That would have been just horrendous." — Al Michaels [30:29]

Hockey’s Growth in America

• “In 1980…8% of the rosters were American born. Now it’s 30%...What 80 did, and I think what yesterday did is…it makes kids more excited. More kids are going to play hockey now because of what took place yesterday.” — Al Michaels [33:17]

• Comparison to the Dream Team's impact on worldwide basketball.

• Netflix “Miracle” Documentary:

  • “Netflix has a documentary...called Miracle: The Boys of 80, which is phenomenal. They brought all the guys back to Lake Placid… what that meant to them. It's a phenomenal documentary.” — Al Michaels [35:08]

Career Reflections and Whose Life Would You Choose?

• Al jokes about splitting the "whose career?" votes between himself, Aruzioni, and coach Herb Brooks.
• “If elected I will not serve.” — Al Michaels [38:40]
• Highlights how Jack Hughes’ post-gold moment (“couldn't have scripted that…how much it meant to him, how much it meant to being part of this country…") felt cinematic.

Lighthearted Sports Memories

• On the rarest of baseball game endings: “There was a game that had ended on catchers interference 54 years ago…wait a minute, I did that game and Johnny was the guy." — Al Michaels [39:49]
• The intensity and randomness of hockey and its “double doink” moments.

Closing Gag

• Dan asks if Al will golf; Al jokes he’s banned from the course due to the blizzard and recalls getting swing thoughts from Johnny Miller.
  • “Johnny Miller. But the problem I have is I go back. Johnny…” (riffing on golf advice) — Al Michaels [41:53]
• “Every 46 years, we'll do this.” — Al Michaels [42:11]

March Madness Prep & College Basketball Notes

[46:51–48:40]

• Arizona and Duke both win; top brackets shifting.
• Dan laments that his over-research undermines his NCAA picks.
  • "I watch too much and I know too much and then I second guess myself and then I inevitably finish near the bottom…" — Dan Patrick [47:49]
• Paulie and Todd offer their "bracket strategies" (like picking all higher seeds).

Lighthearted Wrap-up

[49:20–51:58]

• Jokes about bomb cyclones and college basketball memories.
• Todd cracks:
  • “Perhaps Team Canada has a better overall team than Team USA, But the red, white and blue got it done when it mattered most for hockey gold. Cantada is what I'm calling.” [51:19]
• "Who's Your Daddy" (Hughes/USA hockey) T-shirt teased for the store.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Al Michaels on Miracle on Ice Call:
  “I had no idea of the impact of what I said or even what I said at the end of the game. I was working in such an intense state of concentration.” [31:31]

• Dan Patrick on College Hoops:
  “I think I, I watch too much and I know too much and then I second guess myself and then I inevitably finish near the bottom.” [47:49]

• Al Michaels on Hockey’s Growth:
  "What 80 did, and I think what yesterday did is it makes kids more excited. More kids are going to play hockey now because of what took place yesterday.” [33:17]

• Humor Highlight:

  • “If elected I will not serve. What can I tell you?” — Al Michaels, jokingly declining to choose between Kur Russell, Jack Hughes, or himself as whose career he'd want [38:40]

Key Timestamps

• [02:20] — Snowstorm and in-studio sleepover banter
• [05:20] — Poll question results (Gold medal vs Stanley Cup)
• [07:26] — NHL’s dental requirements discussed
• [08:21] — Caller highlights rookie bowler’s perfect game
• [14:22] — March Madness/college basketball seeding
• [17:26] — Kawhi Leonard’s massive hands and All-Star moments
• [24:47] — Al Michaels joins the show
• [28:04] — “Miracle on Ice” reflections
• [35:08] — Netflix documentary recommendation
• [41:53] — Al’s golf swing advice bit
• [47:49] — Dan on the pitfalls of bracketology
• [51:19] — Closing puns and show wrap-up

In Summary

This hour underscores why The Dan Patrick Show is beloved: witty inside jokes, deep sports insight, and timeless storytelling. Al Michaels’ appearance brings the grandeur of Olympic lore smack into the present, while the crew’s banter keeps things rolling from winter storm survival to the growing excitement for March Madness. If you’re a fan of sports history—or just love great broadcasting—you’ll find plenty to savor in this conversation.