The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3 Summary

Episode Title: Giants Already Got Their First Win, Reggie Miller
Date: January 21, 2026
Host: Dan Patrick
Guests: Reggie Miller
Main Theme:
This episode navigates the shifting sands of sports culture, pressure-filled moments, and accountability, with a particular focus on recent NFL and NBA headlines, the personal “what ifs” for both host and guest, and a wide-ranging discussion with Hall of Famer Reggie Miller. The show is marked by candid, self-effacing humor, deep sports insight, and listener engagement on the theme of memorable heartbreaks in sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bills Fire Sean McDermott – The Culture of Blame

[01:16–08:28]

• Owner Terry Pegula’s Press Conference:
  • The Bills’ owner stated his decision to fire coach Sean McDermott was “based off the results of the game in Denver.”
    • “[The owner] said, ‘my decision to bring in a new head coach was based off the results of the game in Denver.’” – Todd Fuhrman [04:51]
  • Dan and the crew debate the fairness and logic of making a major organizational change over one disappointing performance.
• Josh Allen’s Role and Fallout:
  • Responsibility for the loss and subsequent firing is linked to Josh Allen’s underwhelming postseason. “[Now] he got his coach fired is basically what's coming out of this.” – Dan Patrick [05:43]
• Drafting Blame Game:
  • Owner shifts accountability for the Keon Coleman draft pick onto the coaching staff.
• Blame and Culture:
  • The host underscores the chaos of a front office crisis: “This sounds like a mess now... everyone playing the blame game.” – Dan Patrick [06:40]
• Coaching Changes and “Winning the Press Conference”:
  • Discussion on the superficiality and pressure of introductory pressers for new coaches; mentions Harbaugh, McDaniel, and others.
  • Importance and challenge of “creating culture”: “You gotta... change the culture. But what is... culture?” – Dan Patrick [08:37]
  • Anecdote: Jason Garrett admits he “had no idea what he was doing” as a new head coach.

2. Personal Heartbreaks in Sports

[10:42–12:39]

• Dan’s Own Regrets:
  • Missed plays as a young athlete, his on-air Super Bowl mistake with Gronk.
  • Story of incorrectly asking Gronkowski “Did you forget how that felt?”—when it was his first Super Bowl win.
    • “If I said that to Belichick... or ask Brady. But I asked Gronk and yeah, got roughed up a little bit there. But yeah, it's all right.” – Dan Patrick [12:39]
• Theme for Listener Calls:
  • Listeners share their own most memorable “gutting” moments in sports—a communal, cathartic segment.

3. Exclusive Feature Interview: Reggie Miller

[20:00–39:10]

A. Reggie on the Moment That Haunts Him

[20:00–22:48]

• The Missed Free Throw (1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Game 6):
  • Reggie shares the career moment he can’t escape—missing a crucial free throw, letting the Knicks off the hook, and losing a shot at the NBA Finals.
    • “I go one for two and it's a tie ball game... There's a difference between tied and being up because all they did was exhale. They went on to beat us in game six and we lost game seven. … It kills me.” – Reggie Miller [21:22]
• Candid on “Choking”:
  • Reggie admits self-fault, refusing to blame teammates:
    • “Did you choke?” – Todd Fuhrman
    • “I choked.” – Reggie Miller [37:11]

B. NBA Trade Speculation and Team Dynamics

[22:48–34:10]

• Knicks’ Chemistry and Karl-Anthony Towns:
  • The crew discusses ongoing chemistry issues and potential roster moves. Reggie critiques Towns’ fit and the team’s defensive drop-off.
    • “Look, something just isn’t clicking chemistry wise in that locker room... His shooting is atrocious.” – Reggie Miller [23:02]
• Warriors’ Window with Steph Curry:
  • Golden State’s urgency to capitalize on Curry’s late prime; possible moves (DeRozan, Kaminga).
    • “That window is really closing here, Reg.” – Todd Fuhrman [24:25]
• Wild Trade Fantasies—Giannis or Steph Moves?
  • Musings on superstars potentially requesting trades, wild hypotheticals of Steph Curry joining San Antonio alongside Wemby and Castle.
    • “Maybe it’s time that I call someone in the Midwest by the name of Giannis Antetokounmpo and say... the time is now. You're getting older. I'm certainly knocking on Father Time’s door.” – Reggie Miller [26:03]
• Team Building and Experience:
  • Reggie and Dan discuss what would make teams contenders—pairings that might rival current powerhouse squads.

C. Wonders of the NBA’s Young Stars

[32:18–34:10]

• On Cooper Flagg:
  • Firsthand praise for Flagg’s growth and adaptability, with special note for coaching allowing “failure” as growth. “This young man is going to be the face of our game.” – Reggie Miller [33:48]
• On Wembanyama:
  • Acknowledges Wemby’s unique potential: “I just think that the league is his for the next decade.” – Todd Fuhrman [33:54]
  • Dan notes: “If that's the case, then he's going to have to play more than 28 minutes a game. I need more Wemby.” [34:10]

D. College Basketball & Fan Behavior

[34:26–35:17]

• UCLA Students Storming the Court:
  • Panel and Reggie are incredulous about the “lack of sense of history” at UCLA, after students stormed the court following a win—a practice considered below the program’s stature.

E. NFL, Nostalgia, and Accountability

[35:17–39:00]

• Team Fandom:
  • Reggie reaffirms loyalty to the Raiders, discusses iconic football moments.
• Back to NBA Regrets:
  • Returns to the missed free throw story, laying sole responsibility on himself: “When you're the man, it falls right here.” – Reggie Miller [37:44]

Listener Engagement: Sports Heartbreaks

[40:56–44:22]

• Listeners call in with the plays that haunt them (e.g., Super Bowl heartbreaks, missed game-winning plays), continuing the episode’s theme of sports as an arena for both glory and regret.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “This sounds like a mess now. It just went from a really tough loss where your quarterback didn't play well to everyone playing the blame game.” – Dan Patrick [06:40]
• “You gotta... change the culture. But what is... culture?” – Dan Patrick [08:37]
• “There's a difference between tied and being up because all they did was exhale. … That’s why it just kills me because I... I let them off the hook.” – Reggie Miller [21:22]
• “Did you choke?” – Todd Fuhrman [37:09]
• “I choked.” – Reggie Miller [37:11]
• “When you’re the man, it falls right here.” – Reggie Miller [37:44]
• “Maybe it's time that I call someone in the Midwest by the name of Giannis Antetokounmpo and say... the time is now.” – Reggie Miller [26:03]
• “If that's the case, then he's going to have to play more than 28 minutes a game. I need more Wemby.” – Dan Patrick [34:10]
• “He just doesn’t look comfortable under Mike Brown’s system. And don’t get me started on the defense…” – Reggie Miller [23:02]

Other Key Segments & Timestamps

• [01:16] – Start of main content (post-intros/ads)
• [04:51] – Todd’s “money quote” from Bills owner
• [10:42] – Dan reflects on personal missed plays and broadcasting errors
• [20:00] – Reggie Miller joins, shares his career “haunt”
• [23:02] – Knicks trade rumors and chemistry issues
• [26:03] – Hypothetical Giannis-Golden State pairing
• [33:48] – Reggie on Cooper Flagg as future NBA face
• [34:26] – UCLA fans storming the court
• [37:09] – Todd: “Did you choke?” Reggie: “I choked.”
• [40:56] – Listener heartbreak calls begin

Tone & Style

The episode is marked by candid, good-natured self-deprecation, in-depth sports knowledge, and the camaraderie of both hosts and callers. There’s room for both the profound—the haunting weight of a missed opportunity—and playful banter about fan logic, media foibles, and growing up in sports.

Episode Takeaways

• Front offices and coaching are often scapegoated for players' mistakes—real organizational change is harder than it looks.
• Sports regret is universal, from Hall of Fame pros to weekend warriors—everyone has their “what if.”
• NBA culture is shifting, both in how organizations pursue winning (trades, chemistry) and how fans engage with tradition.
• New stars (Wemby, Flagg) are poised to redefine the sport, but must be given space to fail and grow.

A rich, relatable episode for anyone who’s lived with a big sports “what if”—or just loves imagining what Steph Curry as a Spur would look like.