The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3: Thanksgiving Preview & Ross Tucker

Date: November 26, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively pre-Thanksgiving episode, Dan Patrick and the Danettes blend sports talk with a dose of holiday spirit, humor, and a touch of theatre. The crew dives into Thanksgiving traditions (including a discussion of the "real" first Thanksgiving menu), debates classic side dishes, and fields calls from listeners about sports and holiday customs. Special guest Ross Tucker, CBS Sports and Westwood One football analyst, joins to preview the NFL and college football weekend and share stories from his own eating feats as a former NFL player. The hour features a playful, offbeat tone typical of the show, mixing sharp sports insight with irreverent banter.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Thanksgiving Vibes and “First Thanksgiving” Menu (02:58-04:21)

• The studio sets a festive mood for the holiday: Dylan dresses as a pilgrim, and the menu imitates the 1621 Thanksgiving with Cornish game hens, duck with cornbread stuffing, butternut squash soup, lobster, mussels, and black sea bass.
• Discussion:
  • Dan jokes about Dylan’s dedication to the costume, complete with a double XL dress/bonnet.
  • Ms. Doubtfire comparisons fly, with Seaton doing the iconic voice:
    • “Hello, dear. And of course, nobody realized that that was a man. How would you know?” (04:11 – Dan & Seaton)

2. Thanksgiving Food Debates & Audience Polls (05:06–06:40, 25:20–26:48)

• Poll Questions:
  • Cowboys vs. Chiefs: 57% root for the Cowboys (05:07)
  • Modern vs. Traditional Thanksgiving menus: 51% prefer modern (05:14)
  • Stuffing: 40% list it as their top side (05:35)
• Dan shares his hot take that stuffing is overrated:
  • “I’m in the minority here. I find it overrated. Pumpkin pie. Nobody clapped.” (05:47)
• Callers passionately defend stuffing and its many creative variations.
• Ongoing gentle ribbing about food traditions—turkey is a must, ham as accompaniment is fine.

3. Sports Caller Q&A: Owners vs. Players, Recruitment in the NIL Era, & “Must-win” Games (06:40–18:02)

• Debate: What's worse in sports—an owner never winning a title, or a great player failing to win it?
  • Dan: “We don’t hold owners accountable other than Jerry Jones... We don’t hold Tony Romo accountable that he didn’t win.” (07:13)
  • Paul: Dan Marino’s lack of a ring often blamed on ownership (07:41)
• NIL and College Recruitment:
  • Dylan: Explores whether money dominates the college athlete mindset now.
  • Dan: “Kids are all over the country now because I can go play there... Now you have to have more attention to detail with these kids. They’re not blind loyalists.” (09:28)
  • Seaton: Puts huge NIL numbers in perspective—“$2 million is an insane amount of money… Most people, a huge 90%... will never see $2 million in their lifetime.” (10:01)
• Listener Segment: Advice for enjoying college football trips in retirement; Dan shares stories of attending concerts/theatre on his wife’s suggestion, reminisces about seeing Phantom of the Opera in London on honeymoon—complete with “nosebleed” seats and McDonald’s in tow (12:05–14:53).
• Must-win games of the weekend:
  • Dylan: Bills at Steelers
  • Seaton: Alabama in the Iron Bowl
  • Marvin: Ravens vs. Joe Burrow’s Bengals
  • Paul: Ole Miss at Mississippi State
  • Dan: Oregon at Washington (16:47–18:02)

4. Ross Tucker Interview – NFL & College Preview (27:13–37:08)

• Thanksgiving Feasting: Ross shares stories of his massive eating during his playing days, once devouring two Subway footlongs and two Chipotle burritos as a young athlete.
• NFL Standouts This Weekend:
  • “I think right now it’s the Eagles or the Rams [in the NFC]. With the Rams pretty clearly... being the best team in football.” (28:10–29:51, Ross)
  • “It’s better for the NFL if the Cowboys win...If they lose, they’re pretty much done. If they win...then the Cowboys all of a sudden have a real chance and get interesting.” (29:51–30:42, Ross)
• Joe Burrow’s Injury Dilemma:
  • “Unfortunately, Joe is injury-prone...It’s clearly a lost season.” (31:00, Ross)
  • “If there’s a scab in the NFL, you pick it. So Joe Burrow better not have a scab because they’ll attack it if he does.” (31:00–32:11, Ross)
• Shador Sanders’ First NFL Start:
  • “Overall it was a very favorable evaluation... maybe this is me as the former offensive lineman— it was the eye test... composed... not drifting.” (32:32–33:47, Ross)
• Matthew Stafford as NFL MVP:
  • “He’s having the greatest season by a 37-year-old with a herniated disc in NFL history. He's clearly the MVP after not doing anything.” (35:48, Ross)
• College Football Rivalries: Ross shares his excitement to call Iowa vs. Nebraska and how much those games mean to the region.

5. Thanksgiving Sports Names Skit (37:35–38:45)

• In honor of Todd Fritz, Dylan presents punny “Thanksgiving sports names” based on the day’s menu:
  • “Squash Allen” (Josh Allen), “Cooper Flag” the white lobster, “Eric Musselman,” “Duck Devlin,” “Cornish Gamecocks,” and “Tyler SeaBass.”
• Paul quips: “All of a sudden I’m missing Fritzi.” Seaton ponders whether the bit is a “concept flaw” rather than execution.

6. Listener Interactions & Heartfelt Moments (43:20–44:49)

• Chris from Germany, a member of the US Army, calls to share his journey battling melanoma and celebrates listening to the show as part of his recovery. Dan responds with gratitude:
  • “That’s us serving our country there by serving those who served our country.” (44:13)
• Lighthearted calls about stuffing, Thanksgiving names, and more keep the tone warm and comedic throughout.

7. Lane Kiffin: Where Will He Land? (45:31–47:08)

• Dan and the Danettes re-do their picks for where Lane Kiffin will coach next.
  • Most say LSU; Seaton opts for Florida; Dylan throws a wild card: Eli Manning helps him to the Giants or keeps him at Ole Miss.
  • Dan: “If he was staying, he would announce it...nobody keeps a secret anymore.” (46:30)

8. Sports, History, and “What Did We Learn?” (47:45–50:16)

• Paul: Shares notable sports anniversaries — NHL founded, Barry Sanders rushing milestone, Flipper Anderson’s 336 receiving yards in a single game, and the prohibition of the spitball in 1961.
• The team goes around sharing what they “learned today,” reflecting honestly (and often comically) on their own quirks and holiday preferences.

Notable Quotes

• Dan Patrick on stuffing:
  “I’m in the minority here. I find it [stuffing] overrated. Pumpkin pie. Nobody clapped.” (05:47)

• Seaton on NIL money:
  “$2 million is an insane amount of money… a huge 90% of the population will never see $2 million in their whole lifetime.” (10:01)

• Ross Tucker on NFL contenders:
  “I think right now it’s the Eagles or the Rams...the Lions and Packers just haven’t shown enough consistency for me to picture them winning three playoff games.” (28:10)

• Ross Tucker on Joe Burrow:
  “If there’s a scab in the NFL, you pick it. So Joe Burrow better not have a scab because they’ll attack it if he does.” (32:11)

• Ross Tucker on Matthew Stafford:
  “He’s having the greatest season by a 37-year-old with a herniated disc in NFL history. He's clearly the MVP after not doing anything.” (35:48)

• Dan Patrick, on serving listeners like Chris from the Army:
  “That’s us serving our country there by serving those who served our country.” (44:13)

Important Timestamps

• Thanksgiving menu & hilarity: 02:58–04:21
• Stuffing/side dish debates: 05:06–06:40, 25:20–26:48
• Caller: Owner vs. player with no titles: 06:40–07:40
• NIL/Recruitment discussion: 08:33–10:53
• Retirement, football road trips, and Dan’s Phantom of the Opera honeymoon tale: 11:05–14:54
• Must-win games picks: 16:46–18:02
• Ross Tucker interview: 27:13–37:08
• Thanksgiving sports names bit: 37:35–38:45
• Calls from the field (Chris from Germany): 43:31–44:13
• Kiffin destination predictions: 45:31–47:08
• What did we learn: 49:38–50:16

Tone & Style

The episode is laid-back, witty, and inviting—balancing insightful sports conversation with a festive, irreverent energy. Whether you care about Thanksgiving menus, college football drama, or the particular elements of Dan Patrick’s pop culture adventures, there’s an entry point for every listener. The playful digs and running jokes (“Squash Allen,” stuffing debates, Ms. Doubtfire references) keep things relatable and fun.

Summary for First-Time Listeners

This hour is a microcosm of The Dan Patrick Show at its best: sports discussion that feels like a clever, sprawling conversation at your busiest Thanksgiving table—full of tangents, laughter, random stories, insightful sports breakdowns, and, always, heart.