The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3: Most Must-Win, Harassed by the Yankees
Date: January 9, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts & Dan Patrick Podcast Network
Episode Overview
In this lively "Meat Friday" hour, Dan and the Danettes dive into two entertaining topics at the heart of sports and pop culture: assessing the "most must-win" football games of the weekend and playing their infamous "Legacy Boost" game, where they debate which players and coaches stand the most to gain with a playoff or Super Bowl run. The conversation travels through food banter, Super Bowl betting odds, fun trivias, and memorable listener calls, all with the show’s signature blend of insight and humor.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Meat Friday & Empanada Debates (01:09–03:24)
- Dan and the team open with their traditional Meat Friday, describing the spread of hambone soup and various empanadas, leading to a humorous exploration of the differences between empanadas, quesadillas, tacos, and chimichangas.
- Quote - Paulie (01:55): “It’s a delivery system for the meats.”
- Seaton raves about breakfast empanadas and applauds Mexican food for its versatile “delivery systems.”
- Paulie fact-checks (03:24): “A chimichanga is a deep fried burrito. It's more of a Tex-Mex, and it's more popular in America than in Mexico.”
- The conversation sets the playful yet informed tone for the episode.
2. Most Must-Win Game of the Weekend (03:37–10:41)
Each Danette names their pick for the highest-pressure football game of the coming weekend, blending personal insights and wider league narratives:
- Todd (04:13): Picks Indiana vs. Oregon, framing it as a “must-win” for Indiana after a storybook but unfulfilled season.
- Seaton (04:54): “Your Buffalo Bills need to win. Sean McDermott needs to win. Josh Allen needs to win… It is now or never.”
- Marvin (05:49): Chooses the LA Rams—“the most must-win, league MVP to me, the best receiver in football, Puka Nakua, 10 point favorite.”
- Dan (08:13): Picks the Pittsburgh Steelers, emphasizing the unique local vs. national perception of Mike Tomlin’s job security—“Nationally we have not realized just how warm that seat feels to people in Pittsburgh.”
- Paulie (10:23): Cites the Philadelphia Eagles, spotlighting coach Nick Sirianni's precarious position—“If you lose in the first round at home, you now have undone your Super Bowl goodwill instantaneously.”
Notable Quote
- Dan (09:42): “If I say to Steeler fans, ‘Hey, the next 10 years you're not going to have a losing record… but you're not going to win any playoff games,' what Steeler fan is going to sign up for that, right?”
3. Legacy Boost Game (13:31–30:14; Resumes at 18:50)
A Snake Draft game where Dan and the Danettes argue who among NFL coaches, quarterbacks, or others could most elevate their legacy with a playoff or Super Bowl win.
- Todd: “Jim Harbaugh… to take a Charger team, they were all waiting to fall flat on their butts. If he can go on a run and get… [to] a Super Bowl, Jim Harbaugh would become a really, really big deal.” (23:20)
- Seaton: Wavers between perception and legacy, settles on "CJ Stroud or Caleb Williams," ultimately choosing Caleb Williams.
- Marvin: “If Aaron Rodgers wins this next Super Bowl, it’d be very much kind of like Peyton Manning…” (24:38)
- Dan: “Jalen Hurts… that would be three Super Bowls that he's gone to, and if he wins two of them, then he's going to be a Hall of Famer.” (25:51)
- Snake Draft continues: Picks extend to Mike Tomlin, Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur, Justin Herbert, and Nick Sirianni.
Notable Moments
- Friendly heckling about who’s already been picked, the necessity of a “snake draft,” and playful jabs at coaches with “in spite of” Super Bowl wins.
- Dan (28:46): “The answer is Nick Sirianni. If Nick Sirianni wins another Super Bowl, he goes back to back, Jack. He's gonna be a Hall of Famer. Yes.”
4. Memorable Listener Calls & Callbacks (14:05–22:37, 31:13–44:18)
- Caller Chris (14:05): Dissects a controversial end-of-game non-call in football, leading Dan to ponder the difference between a Hail Mary and "intermediate Mary.”
- Dan (14:48): “That wasn’t your traditional Hail Mary… it was an intermediate Mary.”
- Listener JJ (21:03): Gives a short “Mexican cooking lesson” clarifying empanadas and tacos.
- Other calls cover sports gambling superstitions, trivia, and fond memories about Dan’s interviews with Don Mattingly and navigating unhelpful Yankees PR people.
- Dan (40:54): Reminisces about getting interviews with Don Mattingly thanks to personal rapport rather than support from Yankees PR.
5. Super Bowl Bet Odds – Surprise Name (06:00–07:41)
- Dan shares an odd DraftKings stat: the best odds for anytime touchdown scorer in the Super Bowl belong to Zach Charbonnet—a result met with widespread disbelief.
- Paulie (07:22): “Can’t be right.”
- Dan (07:36): “Early Super Bowl anytime touchdown scorer: Zach Charbonnet.”
6. NFL Playoffs, Coaching Legacies & Hall-of-Famer Debate (10:41–30:14)
- Spirited discussion on the “legacy boost” that a Super Bowl or deep playoff run can give coaches and QBs (Tomlin, Hurts, Harbaugh, Rodgers, Sirianni, etc.).
- They examine misconceptions about multiple-ring coaches, Hall-of-Fame candidacies, and “winning in spite of” certain coaches (touch on George Seifert, Tom Coughlin, Sean Payton).
- Dan (29:13): “How many coaches have won two Super Bowls and we go, ‘Yeah, but they won in spite of him?’”
- Paulie recalls George Seifert as a two-time champ rarely mentioned among the coaching elite.
7. NBA Trivia – Fastest to 10,000 Points (18:46–20:06)
- Celebrating Anthony Edwards’ milestone, Dan quizzes the group on who was youngest to 10,000 points in NBA history (LeBron, Durant, Edwards himself are top three), comparing Wilt Chamberlain’s rookie dominance.
8. Sports Media & PR Stories (40:35–43:18)
- Dan and the Danettes share stories about being harassed or regulated by Yankees and Mets PR, and fondly recall press box antics—Dan’s father-in-law even smoked a cigarette in the Yankees dugout.
9. What Will Be Monday’s Lead Story? (37:03–38:25)
- Panel predictions for the biggest sports storyline emerging from the football weekend, with most thinking a Bills loss would dominate headlines.
- Dan (38:04): “If the Bills win, the Bills aren’t leading. So… you’re saying the Bills are going to lose this game? If you think that’s going to be the lead story.”
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
- “It’s a delivery system for the meats.” – Paulie (01:55)
- “Buffalo Bills need to win. Sean McDermott needs to win. Josh Allen needs to win. It is now or never.” – Seaton (04:54)
- “If I say to Steeler fans, ‘Hey, the next 10 years you’re not going to have a losing record… but you’re not going to win any playoff game,’ what Steeler fan is going to sign up for that?” – Dan (09:42)
- “That wasn’t your traditional Hail Mary… it was an intermediate Mary.” – Dan (14:48)
- “If Aaron Rodgers wins this next Super Bowl, it’d be very much kind of like Peyton Manning…” – Marvin (24:38)
- “The answer is Nick Sirianni. If Nick Sirianni wins another super bowl, he goes back to back, Jack. He’s gonna be a Hall of Famer.” – Dan (28:46)
- “How many coaches have won two Super Bowls, and we go, ‘Yeah, but they won in spite of him?’” – Dan (29:13)
- "Can’t be right." – Paulie (upon seeing Zach Charbonnet leads Super Bowl anytime TD odds) (07:22)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Meat Friday Empanadas & Mexican Food Banter: 01:09–03:24
- Most Must-Win Game Debate: 03:37–10:41
- Legacy Boost Snake Draft Game:
- Start: 13:31
- Resumes: 18:50
- Wraps: 30:14
- Super Bowl Betting Odds (Charbonnet Shocker): 06:00–07:41
- Listener Calls & Food Trivia: 14:05–22:37
- NBA 10,000 Points Trivia: 18:50–20:06
- Coaching Legacies, Hall of Fame Talk: 25:51–30:14
- Monday Sports Story Predictions: 37:03–38:25
- Old PR & Baseball Stories: 40:35–43:18
Episode Tone & Style
As always, the discussion is insightful yet lighthearted; Dan and the Danettes balance inside-sports analysis with listener-friendly banter and fun, never letting things get too heavy—even when weighing coaching job security or debating “all time” lists.
For New Listeners
If you missed the show, expect a rapid-fire mix of sports analysis, locker-room debates turned Snake Draft games, fan call-ins, and laugh-out-loud asides about everything from football coaches’ legacies to the superiority of breakfast empanadas. It's a window not just into sports, but how sports fans truly talk.