The Dan Patrick Show (Hour 3) – Ghost Stories in Milwaukee, NFL Power Rankings

Date: October 15, 2025
Hosts: Covino and Rich (in for Dan Patrick)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Overview

In this guest-hosted hour, Covino and Rich deliver their signature humor and sports insight while sitting in for Dan Patrick. The episode orbits two main themes: the surging Los Angeles Dodgers in the MLB postseason—complete with hat debates and haunted hotels in Milwaukee—and a reality check on NFL Power Rankings as the season takes shape around Week 6. The show also features their playful “Midweek Major” segment, tackling news stories from LeBron’s dating advice to Jason Kelce’s AI headaches, with plenty of sharp and candid banter along the way.

Main Discussion Topics & Insights

1. Curb Your Enthusiasm Turns 25 (07:20)

• The hosts open by noting the 25th anniversary of Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
  • Rich notes: “Hot take. I like Curb better than Seinfeld. Sometimes it’s a little more raw, a little more relatable.” (08:00)
  • They reflect humorously on HBO’s sitcom legacy and Curb’s influence—highlighting its unconventional, break-filled run compared to Seinfeld’s nonstop seasons.

2. Dodgers Playoff Turnaround & Team Health (09:30)

• The Dodgers are back to full strength and thriving in the postseason after a tumultuous, injury-riddled regular season.
• Dodgers’ perceived underperformance during the season may have “duped” fans:
  • Covino: “Shame on us for not realizing the obvious…if everybody’s healthy come postseason, they’re going to be impossible to beat.” (11:30)
  • The hosts unpack how October is about which team gets hot, not who was best over 162 games.
  • Stat: Only 7 of 30 best regular-season teams have won the World Series since the wildcard era began (13:40).
• Player highlights:
  • Max Muncie comes up big, Teoscar Hernández delivers, Kiki Hernández shines.
  • Pitching: Yamamoto’s complete game (first Dodgers postseason CG since 2004) and Blake Snell's postseason heroics.
  • “Yamamoto was rocking his Dodgers hat strong yesterday. Complete game, the first since 2017.” (15:10)
• The Dodgers’ likability, even for rivals:
  • “As a Mets fan…watching my kids fall in love with the Dodgers because we live out here…It’s hard to really say they’re hateable.” —Rich (20:00)
  • Stars like Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Will Smith make them hard to root against.
• Analogy: The Dodgers as the “new evil empire” but with “Magic Johnson smiles.”

3. Sports Hats Debate (19:00)

• Light-hearted argument: Are flat-brim and curved-brim baseball hats interchangeable?
• Covino: “Certain hats are meant to be curved and other hats are meant to be flat. Flat brims are not meant to be caged.”
• “Can you be the guy that wears baggy jeans one day and then skinny jeans the next? It’s like different looks. Mix it up.” —Rich (20:40)

4. Baseball Fandom & Hospitality: Ghost Stories in Milwaukee (23:00)

• Viral story: Dodgers influencer Willie Prince Mata is stunned by the “awesome” hospitality at Milwaukee’s ballpark (Miller Park).
  • “Nicest people I ever met.” (24:40)
• Comparison to colder fan bases:
  • “You do NOT get that in Philly. I promise you.” —Rich (25:30)
  • NYC’s attitude at big events: “Yeah, Superbowl’s here. Who cares?” (27:00)
• Discussion on customer service, what makes some stadiums/cities more welcoming, and fun stories about Milwaukee’s bar shuttles to the ballpark.
  • “Sometimes the difference is you’re lucky to be here versus we’re lucky to have you.” —Covino (28:30)

5. Transition to NFL: Are Power Rankings Legit Yet? (35:00)

• Week 6 is traditionally the “first real checkpoint” for judging teams.
• Rich: “Every year, we always say around week six is when we could start really assessing…”
• A preview of NFL power rankings debates, with skepticism about current buzz teams and reminders not to ‘overreact’ to early results.

Midweek Major Segment (41:00–59:00)

A rapid-fire round-up of sports/pop-culture headlines, rating each as “mid,” “weak,” or “major.” Hosts keep the mood light but bring genuine takes.

Highlights:

• LeBron James’ Dating Advice (44:10)

  • LeBron advises young men to “watch out for the ruthless ass B’s” in dating (from wife's podcast).
  • “That's major…he’s unk status right now, especially in the NBA. These young players should be taking notes.” —Covino (45:10)
  • Rich: “Young people are so dumb. Young people are trifling…they lack discipline and maturity.” (46:00)

• Josh Allen on Life Beyond Football (48:20)

  • Allen credits his wife Hailee Steinfeld for helping him realize “maybe I am more than a football player.”
  • “He’s right. You retire and you’re an old guy on the field but a young man in life—what’s next?” —Covino
  • Rich calls out the unfairness of blaming life changes for two Bills’ losses: “If you think that's the reason the Bills lost two in a row, you're an idiot.” (49:30)

• Jason Kelce & The Perils of AI Fake News (51:10)

  • Kelce forced to deny viral fake quote about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl fit.
  • Covino: “This is just one story of a bigger problem…With AI…we can’t afford to not get the truth.” (52:00)
  • Rich predicts AI may ruin the social-media experience.

• Haunted Hotel: Dodgers Flee Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel (56:30)

  • Teoscar Hernández (and Mookie Betts) switched hotels because the city’s upscale Pfister Hotel is supposedly haunted.
  • Hernandez: “I don’t believe in ghosts…but because his wife is on the trip, he had to accommodate her.”
  • Hosts’ verdict: “It’s postseason ghost season!”—fun, not major news, but a memorable story for October. (57:20)
  • “Every time you yawn in October, a ghost sticks his junk in your face. I've heard that.” —Covino

6. NFL Power Rankings: Real or Hype? (65:00)

• Focus on the “surprisingly” top-ranked teams by outlets like Pro Football Talk and USA Today:
  • Tampa Bay Bucs at #1—Is it for real or just a Week 6 blip?
    • “Do you feel like the Bucs are a Super Bowl contender? If Baker Mayfield is able to play like that against your team with no receivers, how good could they be?” —Covino (66:20)
    • “Power rankings are based on now…that’s where we’re living: in the present. But are we prisoners of the moment?” —Rich
  • The Colts’ unexpected rise—do they belong in the contender conversation?
    • “As long as Jonathan Taylor’s healthy…you can’t really discount that team.” —Covino (68:40)
  • The Lions, Steelers, and even the Aaron Rodgers–led Jets (“Do we really believe?”)
• Teasers for deeper coverage on their regular show—including the Niners and Aaron Rodgers’ storylines.

7. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Did the Dodgers F with us all year or is it a matter of don’t sleep on the usual suspects?” —Covino (21:30)
• “The Dodgers…reminding everybody that they are the new evil empire. Without a doubt. And with likable players, though.” (18:50)
• “It's the difference between you're lucky to be here vs. we're lucky to have you.” —Covino (28:35)
• “If you think that’s the reason the Bills lost two in a row, you’re an idiot.” —Rich (49:30)
• On the Pfister Hotel: “It's postseason ghost season!” (57:20)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 07:20 — 25 Years of Curb Your Enthusiasm
• 09:30 — Dodgers Regular Season, Playoffs & “Duping” Fans
• 13:40 — Only 7/30 Best Regular Season MLB Teams Won the Series
• 15:10 — Yamamoto’s Complete Game
• 19:00 — Baseball Hat Fashion Debate
• 23:00 — Dodgers Fan Praises Milwaukee Hospitality
• 24:40 — Willie Prince Mata’s Audio Clip
• 25:30 — Stadium Fanbase Comparisons (Philly, NYC, Indy)
• 28:30 — Travel/Hospitality Analogy
• 35:00 — NFL Power Rankings: When Can We Trust Them?
• 41:00 — “Midweek Major” Segment Begins
• 44:10 — LeBron’s Dating Advice
• 48:20 — Josh Allen, Hailee Steinfeld & Life Perspective
• 51:10 — Jason Kelce, AI Fake News
• 56:30 — Dodgers Avoid Haunted Pfister Hotel
• 57:20 — “Postseason ghost season!” Joke
• 65:00 — NFL Power Rankings Analysis
• 66:20 — Bucs #1 Conversation
• 68:40 — Colts/Lions Discussion

Tone & Style

• Playful, conversational, and candid—Covino and Rich’s trademark blend of sports analysis, pop culture references, and offbeat humor.
• Frequent teasing, quick-witted banter, and audience engagement via shared fan stories.
• Unafraid to call out knee-jerk narratives or poke fun at fandom quirks.

Summary

This episode, guest-hosted by Covino and Rich, perfectly captures sports talk radio’s sweet spot—the intersection of serious game analysis and the colorful sideshows that make fandom a blast. Listeners get fresh takes on the Dodgers' October dominance, lessons in hat etiquette, surprisingly spooky hotels, and the latest NFL power rankings—all underscored by smart, irreverent commentary. Whether you’re a baseball diehard, a football obsessive, or just in it for the ghost stories, this hour is equal parts insight, laughs, and quotables you’ll repeat to friends.

For more, catch Covino and Rich weekdays (2–4pm PT/5–7pm ET) or on their Overpromise podcast, and listen live weekdays to The Dan Patrick Show.