The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3: Heisman Voting Criticism, Christmas Cruelty

Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick (with the Danettes)
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of The Dan Patrick Show features lively discussion around the most recent NFL and NCAA football events, a deep dive into the integrity of the Heisman voting process, and a humorous, self-reflective conversation on parenting, competitiveness, and “Christmas cruelty.” The show mixes insightful sports analysis with signature banter and stories from Dan and the Danettes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Roundup & Arizona Cardinals’ Woes

[01:45–07:11]

• Cardinals’ Playoff Elimination & Irrelevance
  • Dan reflects on the Cardinals’ extended playoff drought and quarterbacks carousel.
  • “The Kyler Murray experiment is over. Feels like that's just a healthy scratch... he'll get another opportunity because he's young and talented. That's just a question of, will he listen to somebody, will he let somebody coach him?” (Dan Patrick, 04:47)
  • Comparison drawn between Murray and Michael Vick: both had immense raw talent, but questions remain around their long-term dedication.
  • “Guys like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods—they put in the time. Tiger was maniacal... At that position [QB], you must.” (Dan Patrick, 05:15)
• Cardinals’ Franchise History
  • Marvin and Paulie agree that the Cardinals have mostly been sports afterthoughts, with just a handful of playoff appearances.
  • “Besides the Kurt Warner years, I can't remember a time where you had to watch out for the Cardinals.” (Marvin, 06:27)

2. Heisman Voting Criticism & Committee Integrity

[07:16–11:26]

• Callers Weigh In
  • A caller asks if the Heisman committee ever revokes votes for unserious selections (e.g., obscure candidates getting first place votes).
  • Dan: “They don't ask us for our reasoning. I think there's too many Heisman voters—close to 900.” (08:55)
  • “Why are you voting for that guy?... I'm honored to be a voter. I took it seriously... You want to make sure you uphold the integrity of this.” (Dan, 09:21)
  • Paulie shares that the award remains vaguely defined: “There's very little rationale of who should be the Heisman winner. It just says 'the most outstanding player in college football.'” (Paulie, 11:09)

3. Show Banter: Nicknames & Hanukkah Sports Names

[11:30–13:42]

• Callers share creative nicknames for show members; Todd runs through Jewish-themed sports puns for Hanukkah.
  • “I've got here: Teddy Hebrewski... Amanora Saint Brown... Zionism Williamson.” (Todd, 13:06)

4. Best & Worst of the Weekend: Sports & Culture

[14:34–16:13]

• Callers and hosts talk about memorable sports moments, including:
  • Mahomes' and Micah Parsons' injuries (significant for NFL playoff race).
  • Arizona Wildcats’ historic start.
  • Ongoing debate: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
  • “Die Hard is a Christmas movie. I have no problem with that, it all takes place at a Christmas party.” (Dan, 15:47)

5. Changing Attitudes: Smoking in Public Spaces

[17:17–19:09]

• Nostalgic/funny reflection on smoking sections in restaurants, bars, and airplanes.
  • “Smoking in airplanes is still mind-boggling. It was like row 30 was no smoking and 31 was smoking—as if that’s an invisible barrier.” (Paulie, 17:29)
  • Dan shares about his father’s smoking and early death: “My dad smoked Camel, non-filter, three packs a day. Died at 54 of lung cancer. Who saw that coming?” (Dan, 19:09)

6. Producer Antics: “Minimum Kindness” and Text Etiquette

[23:55–25:36; 39:28–44:06]

• Todd gets teased for his blunt, “minimally kind” texts after teams suffer bad losses, e.g., texting Nick Wright immediately after the Chiefs’ elimination.
  • “If I wait till later in the evening, then it’s ‘oh, I wish you told me sooner’... So I gotta make sure I navigate that.” (Todd, 24:45)
  • Frank Caliendo called Todd out: “Not everybody gets my tone or sense of humor.” (Todd, 25:36)

7. Heisman & Hall of Fame: Positions with Dual Honors

[25:44–26:33]

• Trivia: Only 10 Heisman winners have also entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame; 7 of them are running backs.
  • “One quarterback, one defensive player, and one wide receiver have a Heisman and a gold jacket.” (Caller, 26:22)

8. NFL Officiating Accountability

[27:52–29:13]

• Caller upset about poor officiating; Dan explains the current system:
  • “They’re graded after every game... That might prevent them from doing playoff games, which is extra money, but I don’t know what you want them to do. Full-time referees, everybody keeps talking about that. I don’t know what that means...” (Dan, 28:47)

9. “Christmas Cruelty” & Parenting Stories

[44:06–49:51]

• Dan humorously reflects on being highly competitive even with his kids, and the concept of “Christmas cruelty”—making his kids race for presents and cancelling his daughter’s birthday parties multiple years in a row due to misbehavior.
  • “If they didn’t beat me in a race, then they got no gifts for Christmas.” (Dan, 46:13)
  • “My daughter knew this was on thin ice... four consecutive birthdays canceled... She was the Buffalo Bills of birthday parties.” (Dan & Paulie, 47:07)
  • On tough love at breakfast: “She took an egg—boom. Off the forehead. Three times. My son has grown up to be okay.” (Dan, 49:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Kyler Murray’s Development:

  • “He could go to a team and maybe surprise us because he still has that talent.” (Dan, 05:57)

• On the Cardinals:

  • “If we talk about them, it’s usually not positive.” (Dan, 06:38)

• Heisman Voting Integrity:

  • “There’s nothing wrong with getting... 45 members of the media and you could have conference calls... You want to make sure you uphold the integrity of this.” (Dan, 08:58)

• Humor on Parenting:

  • “My daughter—four consecutive birthdays canceled. She was the Buffalo Bills of birthday parties.” (Dan, 47:09)
  • “If they didn’t beat me in a race, then they got no gifts for Christmas.” (Dan, 46:13)

• On Competitiveness:

  • “Winning is the only thing. And then she goes, are you being serious? I go, yes.” (Dan, 44:07)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Cardinals Elimination/Kyler Murray Analysis: 01:45–07:11
• Heisman Voting Critique & Caller Q&A: 07:16–11:26
• Nickname & Hanukkah Segment: 11:30–13:42
• Best & Worst of the Weekend: 14:34–16:13
• Smoking & Public Health Reminiscence: 17:17–19:09
• Producer/Todd’s Text Etiquette Stories: 23:55–25:36; 39:28–44:06
• Heisman-Hall of Fame Trivia: 25:44–26:33
• NFL Officiating Discussion: 27:52–29:13
• Dan on Parenting & "Christmas Cruelty": 44:06–49:51

Tone and Style

The episode maintains Dan Patrick’s trademark mix of knowledgeable sports analysis, light ribbing among co-hosts, and self-deprecating humor. There are genuine, thoughtful moments (as in the Heisman voting conversation and discussions about competitive drive), buoyed by funny, relatable, and sometimes touching stories from family life.

For Listeners Who Missed It…

You’ll come away from this episode with:

• Insight into the often-flawed Heisman voting process and the challenges of maintaining award integrity,
• A critical look at underperforming NFL franchises like the Cardinals,
• A peek into the culture of sports media production (and comic perils of bad timing with guests),
• Hilarious, sometimes brutal stories about competitive parenting at holiday time,
• And plenty of classic Dan Patrick Show banter—equal parts smart, sarcastic, and heartwarming.