The Dan Patrick Show – Hour 3 (March 6, 2026)
Episode Theme:
A chaotic and comedic "Meat Friday" in the Dan Patrick Show studio provides a backdrop for discussions about NBA news, memorable sports moments, status of young NBA players and prospects, Rodgers' future, and brushes with celebrity. Levity and team dynamic tensions thread throughout an episode full of sports takes and hilarious detours.
1. The Chaos of Meat Friday
(Begins ~02:10)
- The episode opens with controversy: members of the backroom crew opt out of "Meat Friday," featuring Indian cuisine (butter chicken, lamb tikka masala, garlic naan, and rice), causing a comedic stir over culinary preferences.
- Dan Patrick: “Maybe the most controversial we’ve had because you have backroom guys who are tapping out. They want no part of Meat Friday."
- Discussion of snack alternatives (Starburst, Skittles, M&Ms) highlights the lighthearted mutiny and lack of culinary adventurousness.
- Todd (Fritzi): “I like Starburst too, but not in lieu of Meat Friday.”
Memorable Moment:
Anthony brings out a canister of Starburst, and the guys marvel that the “red and pink ones” are miraculously still available—usually snatched up first.
- Seaton: “That’s, that’s good. Yes, Todd, I like Starburst too, but not in lieu of meat Friday.”
Poll Question:
“Are you going to partake in Dylan's Meat Friday offerings?”
– Choices: “Absolutely” or “Absolutely none (with naan pun).”
Tension Heightens:
Some opt for fast-food Happy Meals, which Dan jokes about:
- Dan (01:24:20): "I wouldn’t have done it. I would have just said, hey, suck it up. Try it or go home hungry. I would have treated you like my kids."
2. NBA Roundtable: Young Talent, Stats, and Notable Performances
(Begins ~11:30)
Jason Tatum’s Return and Celtics Talk
- Upcoming Celtics game, Jason Tatum’s return discussed.
- Dan: “I would have him coming off the bench and just ease him into the lineup… With that lineup, you’re going to win on the road if you need to.”
- Conversation turns to player development via injuries; Peyton Pritchard cited as a positive case from Tatum’s absence.
- Dan: “Now all of a sudden, you’re starting to see what he can do. It’s like Austin Reeves got that opportunity, and then all of a sudden you go, oh, wow, he’s going to get paid.”
League-wide Nuggets: Rookie & Young Player Evaluation
- Victor Wembanyama: 38 pts, 16 rebs, 5 blocks – Spurs sweep season series with Detroit, now “ready to ruin your championship run.”
- LeBron surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most field goals made in NBA history.
- Reed Sheppard’s 30-point OT game for the Rockets.
- Dan: “13 a game is nice. All of these guys are young… they’re further along than some of these all-time great players.”
- Mark: “That’s the thing with the NBA… they’re drafting potential.”
- Jokes and stats about Dalton Knecht and Bronny James’ minutes, with playful asides about “White on White crime” and rookie-scale contracts.
On NBA Player Perks
- NBA per diem is $156/day for food on the road.
- Dan: “I thought it would be a little more.”
3. Listener Calls: Legendary Meets, Sports Fandom & Luca-the-Complainer
Notable Calls:
- Buddha in San Francisco (33:40): Champions the show’s Emmy-worthiness and reminisces about prior Meat Friday controversies.
- Nick in LA (35:13): Disillusioned Laker fan refuses to watch Luka Doncic; rails on his “giant toddler” complaining style:
- Nick: “We will win nothing with him... The complaining, the defense, locker room cancer.”
- Dan: “If you complain about every call, I’m not going to listen to you... Luka just complains and I think if I’m an official, I just tune it out.”
4. The Aaron Rodgers Game
(Begins ~49:45)
- The staff plays the “Where will Aaron Rodgers be on August 1?” game, offering up humorous speculation:
- Todd: “Aaron Rodgers will be a Steeler, back with Mike McCarthy.”
- Seaton: “I don’t believe Aaron will be on a team.”
- Marvin: “Other. He’ll be a stay-at-home dad and husband. He will [have kids].”
- Paulie: “I think he’s gonna be a Viking.”
- Dan: “I’m gonna say Aaron Rodgers is gonna take the route of Philip Rivers and help coach a high school football team… If he goes into media, it's Joe Rogan-type, not traditional.”
- Fun is had with the uncertainty of Rodgers’ post-NFL plans.
5. Starstruck: Early Career Celebrity Encounters
(Begins ~55:00)
- Listener Doug asks about the first celebrity who made the Danettes starstruck.
- Dan: “Bill Murray... ended up going out a few times. He got me into Pebble Beach Pro-Am two years in a row.”
- Todd (beyond John Elway): Rod Smith & Ed McCaffrey after Broncos’ Super Bowl; Adam Sandler for his warmth.
- Seaton: Phone call with Kobe Bryant – “He said my name, and I was like, holy crap.” (57:46)
- Marvin: Jalen Rose as a Fab Five fan, and Hank Aaron—“He said my name, just like Seaton!”
- Paulie: Patrick Ewing and meeting Clint Eastwood (“Yes, you are.”).
- Reflections on the star-studded randomness of ESPN campus life and funny/awkward brushes with fame.
6. More Listener Feedback: Food Takes and Team Softness
(Begins ~01:13:20)
-
Michael in Fort Wayne: Skewers the Danettes for being “toddlers” about trying Indian food.
- Michael: “You’re grown men. Suck it up. Make a plate and expand your boring tastebuds.”
-
Robert in Sacramento: Compares Laker fans’ Luka complaints to LeBron’s habit of working refs, then calls out the Danettes’ “softness” over food.
- Robert: “Kudos to you and kudos to Paulie for manning up. Your boys are soft."
-
Dan: “In my opinion, automatically. That team building thing went out the window real fast.”
-
Jokes about Happy Meals at future cookouts, holding up team-building as a (wobbly) virtue.
7. Final Quick Hits
Sports Bets in North Carolina
(01:26:08)
- Nearly $13 billion wagered in two years since legalization; surprises all.
NFL Prospects – Ty Simpson & the Rams
Daniel Jeremiah clip (01:27:30): Rams are close to contending; drafting a QB for the future doesn't fit their "win now" window.
Basketball Marathon
- 67 Division I games on TV that night. Miami (OH) at 30–0 vs. Ohio highlighted.
This Day in Sports History
(01:36:10)
- 1983: USFL founded (lasted 3 years), Dan covered it “wire to wire.”
- 1982: Spurs win 171–166 (3OT) over Milwaukee.
Lessons Learned
- Danettes recap what they “learned” — mostly that their controversy over lunch will have lasting resonance with the show’s fans.
Notable Quotes & Timestamps
- Dan Patrick [02:20]: “Maybe the most controversial Meat Friday… but I’m all in because I’m a team player.”
- Paulie [13:01]: “The development of Peyton Pritchard this year... now you have a guy who’s gotten tons of minutes, tons of shots, and maybe feels confident in a playoff game to be the 2A option.”
- Dan [35:50]: “If you complain about every call, then I’m not going to listen to you. The greats would complain and it would stand out… Luka just complains and I think if I’m an official, I just tune it out.”
- Seaton [57:46]: “Kobe just said it. ‘What’s up, Patrick? Chilling. Chilling.’”
- Dan [01:26:51]: “$13 billion: North Carolina, two years, with eight legal operators — they got a problem.”
- Michael in Fort Wayne [01:13:18]: “You are grown men. Suck it up. Make a plate and expand your boring taste buds.”
- Robert in Sacramento [01:15:01]: “Kudos to you and kudos to Paulie for manning up. Your boys are soft.”
- Dan [01:18:15]: “If you don’t like something, you’re automatically soft — in my opinion.”
Tone and Style
- Relaxed, comedic, and conversational, spiced with irreverence and sarcasm, as the team jabs at each other and their own idiosyncrasies.
- Inside jokes and quick pivots between serious NBA analysis, insider stories, and riffing on life’s food and fandom dilemmas.
Summary Takeaway
Whether discussing the NBA’s current stars and future prospects, speculating on Aaron Rodgers’ next move, or debating culinary bravery, the Dan Patrick Show’s third hour epitomizes sports radio as campfire: full of strong opinions, playful arguments, off-the-rails laughter, and a love of the games—and the food—that bring them together, even when garlic naan divides the studio.
(Episode skips over ad reads, focusing on sports discussion and relevant show antics.)