
Loading summary
Dan Patrick
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. If you grew up in my household, then you probably went, oh, is that bacon? It looks really thin. No, it is bacon. But all of a sudden I run into Heartland Steak CEO and they show me what bacon really looks like. It looks like a piece of steak. They've got whiskey, peppercorn, double smoked, hickory honey, jalapeno bringing sweet and spicy together. Perfect combination. And it all start. Oh, I forgot to even mention maple bourbon, Maple bourbon, bacon, subtle notes of maple and bourbon for rich taste. Heartland Steak CEO has your bacon and USDA Midwestern beef ready to ship delivered straight to your door. Don't wait. Order today. If you love that Midwestern taste, even if you haven't had it, you'll love it when you do. Ordering is easy@heartlandstakeco.com when you spend 199 or more, you get free shipping plus 2 pounds of bacon with the promo code Dan. Go get yourself some bacon. Heartlandstake co.com heartland steak co.com use the promo code Dan and you will taste that Heartland Difference. This is Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jules. Rob, I've never asked, are you a dips guy? Like the workout? You can't tell. No, I mean for your chips. Oh, I knew that.
Paulie
Yeah, of course.
Dan Patrick
You got to try this new Daisy's French Onion Dip. Goes great on Sundays. I like the sound of that. Everyone knows you need a good dip for game day.
Paulie
Personally, I like to dip everything I can.
Dan Patrick
Veggies, crackers, chips.
Sal Palantonio
Heck, I might even dip a buffalo wing in there.
Dan Patrick
That reminds me, they also have Daisy's Ranch Dip. Now you're speaking my language. Yup, seems like a no brainer on game day. So get out there and give the French onion dip a try. You won't regret it. Millions of people move every year for all kinds of reasons. When that time comes, it helps to go with a company you can trust. Penske Truck Rental. Their trucks are clean, newer, well maintained and you get free unlimited miles on one way rentals. And there's no fee. If you want to change your reservation. If you They've got over 2,500 locations and live support around the clock. Penske helps you gain ground like no other company can. Go to pensketruckrental.com or download the Penske Truck Rental app.
Marvin
This is an ad for the active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That's a mouthful, but that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small. So whether it's buying tickets to the game or or grabbing a morning coffee, it earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Now everybody say it with me. The active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Be a 2 percenter. Learn more at Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash Terms apply.
Dan Patrick
You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. Final hour on this Wednesday South. Palantono hall of Fame voter, intrepid reporter for the mothership will join us coming up momentarily. Don't miss the debut of Sunday night basketball. It'll be this Sunday, February 1st, in a star studded double header. Lakers, Knicks followed by Thunder Nuggets only on NBC. And Peacock877 3DP show operator Tyler sitting by. He'll take your phone calls and we'll have a poll question for the final hour of the program. Good morning. If you're watching on Peacock and the NBC Sports Network, I just saw this. Here's a tweet from Jimmy Johnson, the Hall of Famer. Jimmy Johnson. I would like to know the names of those bleep holes who did not vote for Bill Belichick. They are too cowardly to identify themselves. Goes on to say, let's see, as a Hall of Fame coach, I think Bill Belichick is the greatest of all time. Yes, he had a great quarterback, but we all did. He won after the salary cap and free agency. Plus I know how much he loves the NFL and the game. I am p owed. Bring in Sal Palantonio, hall of Fame voter, ESPN national correspondent. How did we get to this point, Sal?
Sal Palantonio
Pretty shocking, Dan. Pretty shocking. I think it's a matter of procedure as it is a matter of the voters decisions, you know, by the bylaws of the hall of Fame. I can't talk to you about the process. I can just tell you what I did and what I considered. I voted for Bill Belichick as a first ballot hall of Famer. I supported him as a first ballot hall of Famer. Of course, you know, when you're in this process, you do your due diligence for all of the candidates because a, that's your job and B, this is their legacy and you want to make sure you get it right. So I take it really seriously. And of course I considered Spygate. I considered whether he was going to come back into the NFL. I considered whether it was more Brady than Belichick. All of those things went into my thinking. But in the end, Dan, I decided that his credentials and his accomplishments outweighed all of those things, making him a first ballot hall of Famer. Now, the procedure part is a little idiosyncratic because we had two votes. The first one was we had three seniors. LC Greenwood, Roger Craig and Ken Anderson. They were the finalists. And then Bob Kraft as the contributor and then Bill Belichick. And we were asked to vote for three of the five. And in the end, according to the reporting, I'm not going to give away what I know about the vote. I don't really know much about the class. We're not told. Supposed to come out at the honors ceremony next Thursday. Belichick didn't get the required votes. Whether that was members of the committee saying, you know what, I'm going to vote for my guy or for somebody else, because I know Belichick is going to get the required votes. So I'm not going to waste my vote on Bill Belichick. And, you know, I hope that's not what people were thinking. I don't know. But you have to ask somebody who voted, who didn't vote for him because I voted for him.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but I don't know if anybody's going to make that public.
Sal Palantonio
No, probably not.
Dan Patrick
Should we make it public?
Sal Palantonio
100%. We should make everything public. Dan, you have cameras in the courtroom. You have cameras everywhere. And I think, you know, some people say, well, that will chill the debate. No, I think that will concentrate and focus the debate in the room. If you have cameras in the room. And Bo, by the way, sell it. What I've always said, I mean, come on, you could have a spot. Who wouldn't watch the hall of Fame debate?
Dan Patrick
Well, this is what I've said for years. Put it on NFL Network. Yeah. Have it start at 10 in the morning and go to 6 at night. And it's like C Span. Like you. C SPAN is not very exciting, but there are moments that it is, and they're voting on some really serious stuff. And I would love to have a little more transparency. And I would hope that those who didn't vote for Bill can at least explain why you didn't. And if you say Spygate, I'm fine with that. If you say that deflategate, I'm fine with that. But I don't think you can look at Bill's resume and say he's not a first ballot hall of Famer unless you're factoring in something that we don't know. And I was told the same thing you were. And that is, is Bill coming back to the NFL. Don't want to have somebody in the hall of Fame who's still an active coach. And whether that's true or not, but I was just kind of surprised then. Jimmy, Jimmy Johnson. Calling those who didn't vote for Bill Cowards pretty. Yeah, pretty harsh.
Sal Palantonio
Let's, let's tone down the rhetoric there. I don't think that that's the case. I think it's important. Let's look at the philosophy of what you just laid out. You and I are in agreement. I believe in the First Amendment. I believe in the Sunshine Law in Florida. All public records, public cameras in the courtroom. We want to hold public officials accountable, certainly we want to hold hall of Famers accountable. And the best way to do that, hey, now you got to put a suit and a tie on and you're in the meeting and you have to make your case. And I would say it's not like C Span. Cause I've been in that room. It's more like Prime Minister's Question Time. If you've ever seen that. You make your case and then people shout and moan and scream and then, you know, they come right back at you. My right honorable friend and all that. I love watching Prime Minister's Question Time because it's a lot of fun and it's interesting to be. But that's philosophically and procedurally. But I'm a big believer, Dan.
Dan Patrick
Doing.
Sal Palantonio
What it takes to put people in the hall of Fame, not keep them out. So I think that we should have a coach every year, separate category, up or down, because you got Belichick waiting, Coughlin waiting, Shanahan waiting, Homagen waiting. Andy Reid is going to be in the queue. That's five guys. Bob Kraft has waited way, way, way too long. I was his presenter for three years and talk about debate and Bob Kraft's waited too long. Adam Vittieri and other special teams guys should get in maybe once every three years or five years. How about Sean Landetta has been on two, two all decade teams. Vinatieri, Steve Tasker. These guys should be in the assistant coaches. Tom Moore, Monty Kiffin, Ben. I'm thinking of the, the old Eagles defensive coordinator Carson, Jim Johnson, Bud Carson. Excuse me. Thank you, Dan. All these guys should have a chance to go into the hall of Fame. Maybe it's a separate wing, separate category. But I'm for putting guys in, not keeping them out.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but there's this backlog now because these other coaches now they get pushed back another year. I don't know if Ken Anderson Or Elsie Greenwood or Roger Craig get in. And, you know, somebody voted, told me this morning, we have to go back to what it was, you know, a couple years ago. If you get down to five, Sal, five should go in, not get down to five. And then we're going to vote for three to go in, and you got to get 80%. I, I don't. Just feels like there are guys. If I say Luke Keakley, hall of Famer, you go, yes. Correct. Adam Vinateri, hall of Famer, Yes. It's. We get caught up in procedural. Instead of what the goal is, is to celebrate the game with guys we know are hall of Famers, like Larry Fitzgerald's gonna get in, probably his first ballot. That means Tori Holt and Reggie Wayne are not going to get in. I. But this backlog is what concerns me as we move forward. And I agree with you. If you want to have a coaching category and you want to have just players and then you have a contributor, that's fine. But, you know, I thought it was just a bad day for the hall of Fame yesterday.
Sal Palantonio
Well, you know, it's, it's, it's great when Bill Belichick can lead to reform.
Dan Patrick
Did he have a good day yesterday?
Sal Palantonio
Bill Belichick?
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Sal Palantonio
Well, I mean, you know, I'm sure that he did personally, but, you know.
Dan Patrick
I'm talking about national. It's a reminder.
Sal Palantonio
His legacy is not tarnished, okay, by this. And here's what I would like people to understand. The hall of Fame is not tarnished by this. Bill Belichick's legacy is not tarnished by this. Whoever gets in this year should not be tarnished by the fact that Bill Belichick did not get in. Those are all mutually exclusive things. I think that it can lead to change, and that will be good for sure. But, you know, it's, it's, it's going to be okay, Dan. We're, we're going to, we're going to figure this out.
Dan Patrick
Sal Palantonio, ESPN national correspondent. He was in Denver covering the AFC title game. Sean Payton firing a few coaches there. And I don't know if he's budging too much on going forward on 4th and 1. I think he said I'd still go for it, but I would change the play.
Sal Palantonio
Listen, he should have gone, he should have kicked the field goal. Even, you know, a lot of the metrics say he should have kicked the field goal. If you could have seen me in the press box when he lined up to go for it on 4th and 1, you you wouldn't want to be sitting next to me. I mean, I was like banging the table. You got to be kidding me. Take the points. A, you got to take the points in the first quarter in a championship game. B, you have a backup quarterback you're playing. Points are at a premium. See, everybody in the world knew about the forecast. I was talking about it on Countdown at 11 o' clock in the morning. Major snowstorm coming in. It's going to change the dynamics of the game. Points are going to be at a premium. Got to kick the field goal. But that should not take anything away from New England. So I'm really impressed with New England's front four, front seven. Zach Kerr, the guy calling the plays, the inside linebackers coach, who I call Baby Vrabel, was an intern at Ohio State, went with Mike to Tennessee. He outsmarted Sean Payton on that play. Yeah, you saw what he did. That dynamic six man front played zone behind it. Boy, oh boy. And he's got Milton Williams who played in Philly in that defense a year ago that blew up. Patrick Mahomes. Don't count out that Patriots defense. Over overlooked and underrated. They come after the quarterback with relentless energy. And I know everybody's talking about, well, you, you can't leave Gonzalez or Carlton Davis alone with these receivers. Well, the Eagles did that last year. So I'm just saying don't, don't sleep on that Pats defense at all.
Dan Patrick
The Browns have hired Todd Monkin as their new head coach.
Sal Palantonio
So you know what that means, Dan?
Dan Patrick
Somebody had to take the job.
Sal Palantonio
That means the offensive coordinator job is open in Philly, the Jets and the Giants. That means I'm firing up the easy pass, Stan. I'm getting on the turnpike and exit force. I mean, then I'm going to make a left at 78, go over to Madison to the jets at Florham park, then I can go up. I mean, I'm going to be in the easy pass hall of Fame. Dan.
Dan Patrick
What are the jets doing, by the way? They fired all their coaches.
Sal Palantonio
Yeah, we could spend the whole segment on the Jets. We could probably spend a whole week on the Jets. And I don't think, and I try not to be facetious because this is. These are men's lives and family's lives. And it's hard when these guys have to move on and move their children into a new school. It's very difficult. But they got to somehow get it figured out because I mean, Aaron Glenn really has. Does he have one more year to figure it Out Dan.
Dan Patrick
Probably.
Sal Palantonio
Probably one more year, maybe. But it's not his fault because they didn't give him a quarterback. And it's the same way with Tomlin. Why did Mike Tomlin walk away in Pittsburgh? Well, look at the quarterbacks he had to work with since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Look at Cleveland, the front office and the ownership made so many mistakes with the quarterback position. And you have a revolving door at the coaching staff and who wants to go work there? So you look at all these situations and I'm a big believer in two things when you hire a head coach. One, is he a culture changer? And two, can he coach the quarterback or does he have somebody who can do that? Those are the two main ingredients. So you look at Sean Payton. You got two for one with Sean Payton. He could do both jobs. He certainly changed the culture and he coaches the quarterback and did a remarkable job. You look at on the other side in the AFC Championship game, Mike Rabel, culture changer. But he hired the right guy to handle the quarterback in Josh McDaniels. I love to watch McDaniels coach. He greets the quarterback when he comes off the field at the sideline. They sit next to one another on the bench, him and Drake May. They look at the tablet. This is what went right. This is what went wrong. This is what you got to do next. And his design is complex enough, but also simple enough for a young quarterback to execute and to foil pretty much any defense you come against. And by the way, how about Drake May ran for six of the Patriots 12 first downs in that game.
Dan Patrick
He better be their leading rusher in the super bowl because there's yards out there. He could have gotten yards against Denver. I thought. I thought that he could have taken advantage of that. He could have been Josh Allen like, or maybe light against Denver.
Sal Palantonio
Is that the Dan Patrick special prop bet of the week right there?
Dan Patrick
Well, I don't gamble, but I don't either. But I, I would. I would be curious what his over under rushing total is because I. There were yards out there to get and it just felt like, you know, they kept just forcing, you know, a running play up the middle and not gaining much or even when he went back to pass. I just thought he could have, you know, taken off and run. I'd like to see a little bit more. And against that Seattle defense, probably going to have to do that.
Sal Palantonio
I got a guy in South Philly for you.
Dan Patrick
Do you gamble?
Sal Palantonio
I do. Not at all. 0 Plus, it's against Disney policy but we're allowed to talk about gambling content. That's the church and state of it. You know, we can talk about gambling content, but. And I don't gamble. I like to take all my money, Dan, and give it to my grandchildren. That's all I do.
Dan Patrick
Well, I like that you're the poster child for not gambling at the mothership there, but you're probably in the minority. Just, just letting you know.
Sal Palantonio
Have a nice day, Dan. Thank you.
Dan Patrick
S. Antonio covering the NFL nationwide worldwide there. All I know is before we were bought by Disney, there was a whole lot of gambling going on. I think somebody I work with might have been a bookie as well. They are part time producer and part time bookie as well. There's a lot of gambling going on there. All right, we'll take a break. Phone calls coming up. And once again, the Cleveland Browns have hired Todd Monken, former offensive coordinator, as their new head coach. We're back after this.
Sal Palantonio
Be sure to catch the live edition.
Dan Patrick
Of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth.
Sal Palantonio
Hour with Ben Maller.
Dan Patrick
Would mean a lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name is the fifth Hour? I'll tell you.
Sal Palantonio
It's a spin off of the Ben.
Dan Patrick
Mather Show, a cult hit overnights on fsr.
Sal Palantonio
Why should you listen?
Dan Patrick
Picture if you will, a world where we chat with captains of industry in.
Sal Palantonio
Media, sports and more every week.
Dan Patrick
Explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen to the fifth hour with Ben.
Sal Palantonio
Mather on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast.
Dan Patrick
Or wherever you get your podcast. The new year brings new health goals and wealth goals. Protecting your identity is an important step. Your info is in endless places that could expose you to identity theft leading to lost funds. Lifelock monitors millions of data points per second. If your identity is stolen, Lifelock's restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Resolve to make identity, health and wealth part of your New Year's goals. With Lifelock, save up to 40% your first year. Visit lifelock.com sports terms apply. If you grew up in my household, then you probably went, oh, is that bacon? It looks really thin. No, it is bacon. But all of a sudden I run into Heartland Steak Co and they show me what bacon really looks like. It looks like a piece of steak. They've got whiskey, peppercorn, double smoked, hickory, honey, jalapeno. Bringing sweet and spicy together. Perfect combination and it all start. Oh, I forgot to even mention maple bourbon, maple bourbon, bacon, subtle notes of maple and bourbon for rich taste. Heartland Steak CEO has your bacon and USDA Midwestern beef ready to ship delivered straight to your door. Don't wait. Order today if you love that Midwestern taste. Even if you haven't had it, you'll love it when you do. Ordering is easy@heartlandstakeco.com when you spend $199 or more, you get free shipping plus 2 pounds of bacon with the promo code Dan. Go get yourself some bacon. Heartlandstake co.com heartlandstake co.com use the promo code Dan and you will taste that Heartland Difference Millions of people move every year for all kinds of reasons. Could be a new job, growing family, or just the need to start fresh. Whatever it is, when that time comes, it helps to go with a company that you can trust. That's where Penske Truck Rental comes in. This Their trucks are clean, newer, well maintained, so you're starting your move with equipment that you can count on. Penske is also the only one that gives you free unlimited miles on one way rentals. So if your plans shift or you take a detour, there's no extra cost for the extra miles. They won't even charge you for updating your reservation. Penske gets it. Life changes and your plans do as well. They've got you covered over 2,500 locations. Support around the clock real people who actually answer the phone. Great people to deal with. Penske helps you gain ground like no other company can. Go to Penske truck rental.com or download the Penske Truck Rental app and find what you need today.
Marvin
Be a 2 percenter with the active Cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That's a lot of name, but it's also a lot of card. It earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, whether it's buying tickets to the game, grabbing an afternoon coffee or dinner with friends. Purchases big and small. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards. No limits, no categories to track, just straightforward rewards that keep adding up. So you might stumble a bit while saying it, but paying it will make you stumble upon so much more. Now everybody say it with me. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with the Active Cash credit card from Wells Fargo. I'm going to say that again just because I have the verbal dexterity to do so. Be a 2 percenter with the active Cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Oh, that does sound nice. Learn more@wells fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply.
Dan Patrick
My Nebraska Cornhuskers lost for the first time. They had a 24 game winning streak and that's the longest since 2015 in college basketball. Michigan outscored Nebraska 102 over the final five and a half minutes to pick up the three point win. I gotta get, I gotta get ready for March Madness. I don't want to wait till March to be ready for March Madness. And by the way, Miami of Ohio, they were down 10. They beat the pesky UMass minute man. Miami is now 21 and oh. One of just two remaining undefeated teams in division one. Which leads me to Marvin. Do you know where I'm going with this?
Marvin
Do you believe in Arizona?
Dan Patrick
Arizona? Oh, do I believe in Arizona? I want to, I just, I know I have. Every year it feels like I go, no, I'm, I'm. This is the year for Arizona. My Wildcats, they're undefeated and am I gonna, am I gonna do it again? Am I gonna ruin my bracket? Yes.
Paulie
Paulie Betters will say you bet against a long term trend because it has to turn around.
Dan Patrick
Okay, so is my trend going to turn around with my Arizona Wildcats? Yes, Tom.
Marvin
Or you could learn your lesson and.
Dan Patrick
Say this is a regular season team and they're going to disappoint that.
Marvin
I'm sick of all the red X's.
Dan Patrick
Across my sheet that says Arizona under it. But they got a good team. They do. Undefeated. Yes. Marvin.
Marvin
We should get Frank Caliendo. We went out and watched Arizona play Yukon. He want, he doesn't want to be a stand up comic. He wants to be a college basketball analyst. He knows more about Arizona basketball than Lou Olsen did.
Dan Patrick
Wow. Wow. Midnight loot.
Marvin
But they still won't get out of the first round.
Dan Patrick
No, they will, they will. Oh, second round.
Marvin
Sorry.
Dan Patrick
Oh, hopefully a little better than that. I'm trying to think what's next for the Belichick story. Because if this was on a Friday, this would disappear. We don't have football this weekend and it feels like there's going to be more to the story. Maybe voters who did vote against Bill Belichick will come forward and say, I don't want this to be a witch hunt. I just want you to tell me why you didn't. I think we're owed that. As football fans, the people who go to the hall of Fame. And if you say Spygate, I'm fine. If you have, that's your excuse. Great. And I'll go back to Jose Altuve. You want to vote against him and you say because they Were banging the drum or whatever they were doing artificial intelligence, whatever it is that they were using, fine. Or if you want to vote for him or you want to vote for Belichick, I'm fine with that. Just stand behind it. And Salantonio brings up something that's real. We want transparency. That's all we're asking. This is for the hall of Fame. This isn't something really serious nationwide. But I don't want it to be a witch hunt where we're going to try to out people. I would hope that you have the vote. Be proud of the vote. Be proud of what you voted for or you didn't vote for. Yes, Marvin.
Marvin
I already feel bad for the guys that will get in. Maybe if it's a LC Greenwood or Roger Craig. Cause somebody's going to say he got in instead of Bill Belichick or it's. It's going to get overshadowed or somebody's going to try to diminish their careers because Bill Belichick didn't get in.
Dan Patrick
Eric and Tucson. Hi, Eric. What's on your mind? Good morning, Dan.
Caller
Hey, appreciate taking my call again. Hey, I was just talking to Tyler about the. The hall of Fame, and, you know, this. This light that's been shining on it overnight with the Bill Belichick issue and something that you've touched on several times. And I think it really comes down to who we as or what we as fans want to see in the hall of Fame. Is it a museum, or is it truly a testament to excellence? And if it's a museum, then subjectivity has a. Has a place. Just like at any museum. Create an exhibit, there's a curator. They decide what goes in, what goes out. If it's truly going to be a testament to excellence, then touching on a little bit of what you talked about yesterday with analytics. We live in an era now where you can establish what you're doing. Definition of excellence is turn it over to analytics, remove all subjectivity, and that's what it is. I personally like the museum aspect, but if there has never. There's ever been a better example of what the hall of Fame gets wrong. It's what happened to Belichick. I don't think he's the greatest guy in the world, but how can you possibly look at what he's done and not get him in there? First chance.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but it comes down to if you have a problem with him or, you know, you believe he cheated. He cheated more than just Spygate. I mean, you've been entrusted with a vote you had to earn that. And I'll respect those who are voting on this is. It's a thankless job, because talking to a source this morning, and he's like, you agonize over this. He said, you know, there are certain players that you don't, you don't even think you have to speak up for, because it's a foregone conclusion. Like, why would you think that guy is not going to get in? And therefore, boy, I better speak up. You know, the fact that Adam Vinitari is not in the Pro Football hall of Fame. Why, like, what did he do? And that's what, you know, sometimes you're trying to figure this out. You win four Super Bowls, the Colts winning a Super Bowl. Look at the number of people who were affected by Adam Vinitari's clutch field goal kicking, even in the snow against the Raiders with the tuck rule, and he makes that field goal. But, but that's what we're, we're just trying to understand this. And, and, you know, the thing is, is that we discuss this. We argue about this all the time about the hall of Fame. You know, it's, it, it's part of a, a national conversation narrative that we have. It's constant, and it comes up, you know, in pockets every year with the different halls of Fame. We don't argue as much about basketball, baseball, and it's, they're going to have to kind of reinvent what, what is the criteria? Because now all of a sudden, if you pitch, you know, or you get to 200 wins, you're a Hall of Famer, you know, what are we going to do as we move forward with all the home run numbers and the lack of great starting pitching? Is a middle reliever getting in? Like, I, you know, you just don't know as you move forward. And that's what we want to know as. What is your criteria here? How do I differentiate between. If Matthew Stafford, he didn't go to the super bowl, therefore he's got one super bowl, but he may get another. He may get an mvp. He's a Hall of Famer. Hall of Famer. Ish. Like, I don't know, is Russell Wilson going to be a Hall of Famer? Did he play himself out of the hall of Fame? Like, these are all things that I think are fair to be asking a voter. There's only 45 or 50 of you, so I think having, you know, at least an understanding when you go in, what are you factoring in now that might be different than everybody else? But everybody should be kind of looking at the same test. You know, it's. I got word problems and you're doing an essay. I like that. That shouldn't. Everybody should be under sort of the same framework of, this is what we're factoring in and not factoring in. And if everybody agrees we're factoring in Spygate, hey, I'm still going to vote him in. Hey, I'm not. Okay, then at least we understand your perception of, you know, what Bill did, how much that helped him. I gotta factor in what he did after Spygate. I mean, I just do. He's a Hall of Famer a couple of times in his career, just like Brady, hall of Famer. And if you're going to ding Bill Belichick, are you dinging Tom Brady? And I would say yes. If somebody says, I'm sorry, I can't vote for him. First ballot. Now, I don't like that, because then, you know, you're going to back up other candidates who are going to come in the next year. But I want you to be consistent. That's all. Yes. Marvin.
Marvin
And I think the hall of Fame as a whole, we put a big emphasis on what you do in the super bowl or getting to a Super Bowl. Devin Hester isn't in the hall of Fame if he doesn't have that kick return, Right?
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Marvin
And there's other Eli Manning. If Eli Manning doesn't get to those Super Bowls and say Philip Rivers gets to those Super Bowls, we say Philip Rivers is a Hall of Famer and not Eli Manning. The most important. The most important last name for Eli Manning is Brady. As far as getting into the hall of Fame, that's who we beat.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Beat him twice, right? Yes. And if he has one super bowl, he's not getting into the hall of Fame, I don't think, because his regular season numbers were average, but. Yes, you're right. But we just kind of want to know what means something in. In what you're voting on. Like, Tori Holt seemed like a Hall of Famer to me. Reggie Wayne seemed like a Hall of Famer to me. And now Larry Fitzgerald will go into the hall of Fame once again. I. I just. I want to know. You know, when you go in and you go to a museum and you're looking at a painting and then you're seeing something, and then somebody comes in, they see something else, and you're going, how do you see that? Like, I just want to know what you're looking at. Yeah.
Paulie
Paulie, if you're The NFL and you hear our show and lots of different people calling for a revamp of the process and maybe televising the debate. The NFL likes to televise and make money off everything. Would you consider it?
Dan Patrick
Well, I would, but I'm not voting.
Paulie
I'm curious if they'll consider it because of the financial upsides and the content upsides.
Dan Patrick
I don't know because you got to get this by the pro football writers and they have to agree and I don't think they would because I, I don't, I think it exposes you a little bit too much, you know, and, and I go back to. I don't want it to be a witch hunt, you know, hey, who did you vote for? Belichick. But it will be a witch hunt today that you're going to have people trying to out people and find out, hey, I don't want to talk about my vote. Well then you're going to go. Well, that means they probably didn't vote for Belichick. Yes, Todd, Maybe some type of suggestion box we can try to figure out.
Caller
Who the writer was, maybe their handwriting.
Dan Patrick
Or the way they. Thank you, Todd. Let me see Paul in North Carolina. Hi Paul. What's on your mind? Hey Dan.
Caller
Good morning. Six three sears husky jeans, first ballot hall of famer. Dan, I want to make a quick point and then I have a tie to the face bet for the day. Nuts. My, my point is I understand the Bills deserve no benefit of the doubt with our history, with our press conference, I get it right. But this Joe Brady hire is not only a great hire, it's a grand flame hire. Offense has been the Bill's strong point. We finished in the top three in the offense for three years in a row under Brady. He came in single handedly turned over Josh Allen's career when Ken Brady was the offensive coordinator. He's been at the organization for four years as a quarterbacks coach. As an offensive coordinator, you don't need a reset. Like the Bills are not trying to completely reset the franchise. This is a win now. Get better now. And I think it's a, it's a great hire. My pie to the face bet is I'm here in Asheville, North Carolina and Miami of Ohio played a non conference game here a couple of weeks ago and they were fundamentally sound. Senior laden. My pride of the face is I will bet that the Miami of Ohio Redhawks make the Sweet 16 part of the face but finger bug in the room.
Dan Patrick
All right. But we would be rooting for the Miami Redhawks. That's the alma mater of Jenny Batche. Oh, yeah.
Paulie
You bury the lead, Belichick.
Dan Patrick
We should have led with it. Yeah. Jenny Batche went to Miami of Ohio. Cradle coaches Harvard of the Midwest.
Paulie
Yes, Paul, I was going to ask. Miami's one of those Midwestern, Hard to get in schools.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Yeah.
Paulie
Really hard.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. I didn't mess with it.
Paulie
You didn't waste their time with an application.
Dan Patrick
Now, all I know is they got. They got a whole lot of pretty women at Miami of Ohio. I don't know if you put your picture on your resume, but it felt like everybody at Miami of Ohio, at least the women that I knew, they were. They were gorgeous. Yes. Yes, Paul.
Paulie
Yeah, I can confirm. My sister went to Miami of Ohio and I went to Visit her at 16 years old and I was like, I don't want to leave here. And they saw my grades. They said, you must leave.
Marvin
Yes, Todd, that was Wally Zerbiak school, right?
Dan Patrick
Yes, it was. He must have did very well there. Yeah. Good looking guy. Ron Harper also went there. Yeah. Miami of Ohio. They were the Redskins and then they became the Red Hawks. Red Hawks. Hudson in Texas. Hi, Hudson. What's on your mind?
Caller
Thank you for taking my call. Second time, long time.
Dan Patrick
Yeah.
Caller
I'm going to give you an update on the weather. We have no school again for the ice. Yeah. Third day with no school from the three to four inches.
Dan Patrick
And this is Albany, Texas, not Albany, New York, that Hudson. They had snow there and you got a couple of days off. Do you even have a snow plow in Albany, Texas? We have one. Okay. Well, hopefully you ride this out the rest of the week. And thank you, Hudson, for that update on Albany, Texas, not Albany, New York. We're huge there. Jim in la. Hi, Jim. What's on your mind today?
Caller
Good morning, Dan. 6 3. A wobbly £230. Thank you. 2 quick things for you. First on. On Belichick not getting into the hall. Imagine what his induction speech would have been like had he got in first ballot. Nice and tame and boring or whatever. Now, the potential for when he does get in could be that rivaling Michael Jordan's.
Dan Patrick
Sure. I don't know if Bill looks at the silver lining of that. Just want to say thanks. About time. I don't know how demonstrative Bill's going to be, but I would be interested in that.
Paulie
Yes, Paul, there's 11 people I don't want to thank.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. All right, last call for phone calls. What we learn what's in store tomorrow. I think Sam Darnold is going to join us on the program. I think maybe the end of this week started next week or something.
Marvin
He's expecting the next day or two.
Dan Patrick
All right. Well, thank you, Todd. All right, so Sam Darnold set to join us. We'll take a break. We're back after this. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our shows@foxsportsradio.com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. If you grew up in my household, then you probably went, oh, is that bacon? It looks really thin. No, it is bacon. But all of a sudden I run into Heartland Steak CEO and they show me what bacon really looks like. It looks like a piece of steak. They've got whiskey, peppercorn, double smoked, hickory honey, jalapeno bringing sweet and spicy together. Perfect combination and it all start. Oh, I forgot to even mention maple bourbon, maple bourbon, bacon, subtle notes of maple and bourbon for rich taste. Heartland Steak CEO has your bacon and USDA Midwestern beef ready to ship delivered straight to your door. Don't wait. Order today. If you love that Midwestern taste, even if you haven't had it, you'll love it when you do. Ordering is easy@heartlandsteakco.com when you spend $199 or more, you get free shipping plus 2 pounds of bacon with the promo code Dan, Go get yourself some bacon. Heartlandstakeco.com heartlandstakeco.com use the promo code Dan, and you will taste that Heartland difference. Millions of people move every year for all kinds of reasons. Could be a new job, growing family or just the need to start fresh. Whatever it is, when that time comes, it helps to go with a company that you can trust. That's where Penske Truck Rental comes in. Their trucks are clean, newer, well maintained. So you're starting your move with equipment that you can count on. Penske is also the only one that gives you free unlimited miles on one way rentals. So if you're planning shift or you take a detour, there's no extra cost for the extra miles. They won't even charge you for updating your reservation. Penske gets it. Life changes and your plans do as well. They've got you covered. Over 2,500 locations support around the clock real people who actually answer the phone. Great people to deal with. Penske helps you gain ground like no other company can. Go to pensketruckrental.com or download the Penske Truck Rental app and find what you need today, be a 2 percenter with.
Marvin
The active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That's a lot of name, but it's also a lot of card. It earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Whether it's buying tickets to the game, grabbing an afternoon coffee or dinner with friends. Purchases big and small. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards. No limits, no categories to track, just straightforward rewards that keep adding up. So you might stumble a bit while saying it, but paying it will make you stumble upon so much more. Now everybody say it with me. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with the active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. I'm going to say that again just because I have the verbal dexterity to do so. Be a 2 percenter with the active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That does sound nice. Learn more@wells Fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply for delicious meals.
Dan Patrick
You could go out to eat or spend hours in the kitchen or you could just make a Marie Callender's meal. Yeah, you heard me. Marie Callender's classic chicken parmigiana bowl is delicious with scratch made marinara sauce. Sauce, creamy mozzarella cheese and no preservatives. It's high in protein with 30 grams per serving. Marie Callenders, what having it all tastes like. Last call for phone calls. What we learn what's in store tomorrow. Couple more phone calls in here this day in sports history as well. And final results of the poll question. Let me start there. Seaton. Final results of the poll question on this Emmy nominated Wednesday program. Multi Emmy nominations. We have two poll questions today. Bill Belichick is not a first ballot hall of Famer because according to our audience, Bill Polian wanted to get payback. The least third of that, the least point percentage getting is Spygate. People believe that it's because Bill Polian wanted payback. And then after that, it's because of the way he treated the media that he's not first ballot. And then from Marvin, we have more. Unbelievable that Bill Belichick was not in on first ballot or that Shador Sanders made the Pro bowl and Bill Belichick winning that with 55%. All righty. Yeah. That is just unreal.
Paulie
You got to say a week ago if we said this, two things would happen.
Dan Patrick
Yeah. Yeah. You know what? The Pro bowl thing is not surprising at all. No, it really isn't. No, it's ridiculous, but it's not surprising. Yes, Belichick. That is shocking. That is ridiculous. Shador. It's like, hey, somebody's got to take part in this. Do you want to take part in this? Come on down. Curtis in Illinois. Hi, Curtis. What do you have for me?
Caller
Morning. Dp. I've been thinking about this ever since last week on the DP takes a gamble when he had Sammy P. On, and I know you love your what if scenarios. So he was talking, you know, in a best of, I can't remember what it was seven, five, whatever, of LeBron versus Jordan. But I didn't love it because they're not the same player. So I thought Instead of a one on one scenario, what if you do a two on two and get the next best two players in my mind for the last four decades would be Kobe and LeBron versus Jordan and Magic, because I think Kobe's as close to Jordan as you're ever going to come. And LeBron surpassed Magic in my mind for everything that magic could have been if his career was a little longer.
Dan Patrick
Yeah, we brought this up. Sammy P. Host, a podcast gambling expert, and he said, If Jordan and LeBron played one on one, was it to 11 Marvin or 21 1, 101 to 21, 21. What would Mike have to give LeBron? And I said three and a half points, I think. I mean, it'll never happen. But you know what? I think Mike would be favored. Yes. But I think Mike's on record is saying when LeBron gets you on his hip and he's going right, you're not going to stop him. And you're not. And he's such a bigger guy than Mike. But, you know, we didn't decide if it was make it or take it because that would factor in as well. I would think you would have to go, hey, it's not make it take it. Therefore, we're going to make this competitive. Because if Mike's getting it right away or LeBron's getting it right away, I mean, they may be able to run off, you know, seven, eight, nine points with something like that. It was just a hypothetical because we were looking at what would the point spread be. And Mike would give LeBron three and a half. And that might be too much, might be two and a half. But it was kind of fun just to talk.
Paulie
Yeah, Paulie, one on one would be weird for Mike because he'd have no teammates to yell at or scowl at for mistakes.
Dan Patrick
I think if you said to Mike, mike, you get Scotty, LeBron, you can have D. Wade, you can have any teammate. You can have Kyrie if you want him, any teammate that you've had. Now, he could also take Luca, too, since that's a teammate. That would be. That would be fun. If it was two on two and you said it's going to be Mike and Scotty and it's going to be LeBron and Luca or let's make it LeBron and D. Wade. That'd be fun. You know, just hypothetical. Keith and Chico. Welcome back. Keith, what do you have for me?
Caller
Hey, Dan, I have some comments about the Pro bowl and hall of Fame voting and a hypothetical for you.
Dan Patrick
Okay.
Caller
Voting these days is pretty much all over the place. You got to take it with a grain of salt. You guys hit that. Shirdur had his seven touchdowns and 10 picks, furthering the prestige of Pro bowl even more. You got guys like Luke Keakley that didn't get first ballot honors. I wanted to ask about Kyle Shanahan and his chances of getting in the hall of Fame if he doesn't make another super bowl, will he get in? He's a tremendous mind, but those losses in the Super Bowls have to ding him a lot, right?
Dan Patrick
Yeah, but you look at his coaching tree, that's a, you know, impressive coaching tree, and that factors in, too. But I, I mean, I haven't given any thought to Kyle Shanahan, hall of Famer. I would think in today's assessment of coaches, you gotta. You gotta win a Super Bowl. Gotta win a Super Bowl. Not exactly news, but interesting. Shams is saying that Giannis is ready for a new home at the trade deadline. Several rival teams have made offers to. The Bucks franchise is starting to. Okay, this isn't surprising. This is. I, I said this. I. Is this a report that he's saying that there have been offers? Is he asking for a trade? It doesn't say that he's asking for a trade, but, you know, privately he's. And when he got injured, I said he's not going to play for the Bucks again. But. All right, so now the Knicks can make their run for Giannis. Mike in la. Hey, Mike.
Caller
Adp, thanks for taking my call. I have a Bill Belichick stat of the day. Out of the top five coaches with the most winning record in NFL history, all with the exception, of course, of Andy Reid, who's still coaching all our first ballot hall of Famers, except we know Bill Belichick.
Dan Patrick
All right. Brought to you by Panini America, this day in sports history.
Paulie
Paul, just a quick one. The University of Chicago awarded blankets with the letter C to all seniors that played football. This became a tradition in 1904. And started the letterman jackets. And having a letter on your jacket started at the University of Chicago.
Dan Patrick
Man, when I got my letter jacket in high school, that was a big deal. And you never took that jacket off. It's like, oh yeah, got my letter, here I come. Yeah, walking the halls didn't help with the ladies. You had a letter jacket too.
Marvin
I did. The backup to the backup of the doubles tennis team in high school.
Dan Patrick
Todd, what did I learn on today's program? Outtakes Armando Salguero finds it amusing that Bill Polian can't recall with certainty whether he voted yay or Nathan Belichick first bout offer. There weren't that many candidates. Thanks for joining us on the program for Fritzi Seaton, Marv Poly, yours truly. Have a great day. We'll talk to you tomorrow. If you grew up in my household, then you probably went, oh, is that bacon? It looks really thin now. It is bacon. But all of a sudden I run into Heartland Steak CEO and they show me what bacon really looks like. It looks like a piece of steak. They've got whiskey, peppercorn, double smoked, hickory honey, jalapeno bringing sweet and spicy together. Perfect combination and it all start. Oh, I forgot to even mention maple bourbon. Maple bourbon, bacon, subtle notes of maple and bourbon for rich taste. Heartland Steak CEO has your bacon and USDA Midwestern beef ready to ship delivered straight to your door. Don't wait. Order today if you love that Midwestern taste, even if you haven't had it, you'll love it when you do. Ordering is easy@heartlandstakeco.com when you spend 199 or more, you get free shipping plus 2 pounds of bacon with the promo code DAN. Go get yourself some bacon. Heartlandstakeco.com Heartland Steak Co.com Use the promo code Dan and you will taste that Heartland difference. Millions of people move every year for all kinds of reasons. When that time comes, it helps to go with a company you can trust. Penske Truck Rental. Their trucks are clean, newer, well maintained and you get free unlimited miles on one way rentals and there's no fee if you want to change your reservation. They've got over 2,500 locations and live support around the clock. Penske helps you gain ground like no other company can. Go to Penske truck rental.com or download the Penske Truck Rental Rental app.
Marvin
This is an ad for the active cash credit card from Wells Fargo. That's a mouthful, but that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it. Big or small. So whether it's buying tickets to the game or grabbing a morning coffee, it earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Now, everybody say it with me. The Active Cash Credit card from Wells Fargo. Be a 2 percenter. Learn more at Wells Fargo.com ActiveCash Terms.
Dan Patrick
Apply enjoying a healthy dinner that tastes great means eating out at a pricey restaurant, right? Wrong. Healthy Choice Simply Steamers are delicious and healthy. The Tray N Tray Steam technology delivers crisp veggies and tender protein and tasty selections like Healthy Choice Simply Steam Steamers Grilled Chicken and broccoli Alfredo. It's a satisfying meal with 28 grams of protein and nothing artificial. Healthy Choice Simply Steamers what having it all tastes like this is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Dan Patrick
Notable Guest: Sal Paolantonio (ESPN National Correspondent, Hall of Fame Voter)
This hour of The Dan Patrick Show dives into the surprising decision not to induct Bill Belichick into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot, featuring an insightful interview with Sal Paolantonio, a veteran Hall of Fame voter and ESPN reporter. The episode explores the voting procedures, the fallout from Belichick’s snub, debates over transparency in Hall of Fame selection, and wider questions about the integrity and future of the voting process. The hour also touches on recent NFL coaching changes, the value of head coaches, and listener reactions to the Belichick controversy.
Reaction and Context
Voting Procedure Explained
Should the Process Be Public?
Concerns About Witch Hunts
"I voted for Bill Belichick as a first ballot hall of famer. I supported him as a first ballot hall of famer. Of course, I considered Spygate… whether he was going to come back into the NFL… in the end… his credentials and his accomplishments outweighed all of those things.”
— Sal Paolantonio ([05:18])
“100%. We should make everything public… I think that will concentrate and focus the debate in the room. Who wouldn’t watch the hall of Fame debate?”
— Sal Paolantonio ([06:42])
“It’s not like C-Span. Cause I’ve been in that room. It’s more like Prime Minister’s Question Time… people shout and moan and scream and then, you know, they come right back at you.”
— Sal Paolantonio ([08:19])
“I’m a big believer in doing what it takes to put people in the hall of Fame, not keep them out.”
— Sal Paolantonio ([09:22])
“I want you to be consistent, that’s all… everybody should be kind of looking at the same test.”
— Dan Patrick ([32:50])
“We put a big emphasis on what you do in the super bowl or getting to a Super Bowl. The most important last name for Eli Manning is Brady, as far as getting into the Hall of Fame.”
— Marvin ([33:38])
“I don’t want it to be a witch hunt where we’re going to try to out people. I would hope that you have the vote. Be proud of the vote. Be proud of what you voted for or you didn’t vote for.”
— Dan Patrick ([27:03])
Poll Results Recap
Lighthearted College Basketball Talk
Listener “Pie to the Face” Bet
This hour captures the intersection of sports, accountability, and public perception. Through Dan Patrick’s probing and Sal Paolantonio’s insider view, listeners get a rare education on how Hall of Fame sausage is made and why change may be overdue. The panel’s blend of humor, frustration, and genuine sports affection makes the analysis both engaging and accessible—especially for those miffed by the Belichick snub and curious about what comes next for Hall of Fame voting.