The Dan Patrick Show (Hour 3): "Wait, Aliens Are Real?"

Date: February 16, 2026
Guest Hosts: Covino & Rich
Network: iHeartPodcasts / Dan Patrick Podcast Network

Episode Overview

In this hour, guest hosts Covino & Rich blend sports banter, pop culture, and comedic takes while filling in for Dan Patrick. The show dives into diverse topics, including Olympic curling, NBA All-Star weekend, team chemistry in Major League Baseball (with a focus on the Mets clubhouse drama), and a lighthearted President's Day trivia contest. The episode crescendos to a spirited discussion about Barack Obama's eyebrow-raising comments about aliens, questioning whether a revelation this massive slipped under the radar.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Olympic Curling Craze

• Timestamp: 02:22–05:16
  • Topic: The hosts, while watching Olympic curling, debate if the exuberant crowd reactions are genuine or exaggerated for TV cameras.
  • Covino’s Take: "No one’s that excited about curling. I get excited for my daughter’s year old girls flag football, but it's the Olympics, it's the best in the world." (04:16)
  • Rich’s Joke: Compares the curling rock to a "Roomba with a handle." (05:13)

Bonus: Listener Call-In (Curling Deep Dive)

• Timestamp: 33:11–34:36
  • Ryan from Canada: Explains curling terminology ("curling stone, or a rock") and physical demands, painting the sport as much harder than it looks.
  • Rich: Teases, "I'm not gonna be winded from curling, I promise you that."
  • Ryan: Retorts, "I was sore for five days after a family tournament!"

2. Lowering Expectations, Loving the Outcome

• Timestamp: 07:00–09:45
  • Main Idea: The hosts riff on the "key to life": keeping expectations low to enjoy pleasant surprises, whether that's a cartoon movie or a Bad Bunny concert.
  • Notable Quote (Covino): "If you keep your expectations low, you won’t be disappointed. That’s our show's motto." (07:21)
  • Rich: Praises the animated movie "Goat," linked to Steph Curry, claiming it won the weekend for families over NBA All-Star events.

3. MLB Clubhouse Chemistry – The Mets Under the Microscope

• Timestamp: 06:44–23:01

  • Storyline: Focus on reported tension between Mets stars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, after Lindor admits publicly that "everyone is not best friends" on the team.
  • Notable Quote (Covino, quoting Lindor): "Are we all best friends? That's not how it works in the clubhouse... They have a good dynamic and root for each other and that's it." (13:36)
  • Rich’s Reaction: "Like, you're supposed to love each other, if anything. You want people to be genuine and real." (15:02)
  • Chemistry Analogies:
    - Covino compares it to radio show hosts not being friends after the mic goes off.
    - Rich says, "That's called chemistry... When there's real chemistry, things are clicking, you know, people feed off that. You can't fake that." (17:08)
  • Historical Baseball Insight:
    - Rich references how good clubhouse guys like Jose Iglesias and JD Martinez contributed to the team's 2022 success ("the Grimace year").
    - Covino contrasts the Mets with the chemistry-strong Dodgers.

• Fan Perspective:

  • Hosts reveal the disappointment upon learning sports teams aren’t always made up of tight-knit friends.
  • Covino: "When the velvet rope was pulled back a little bit too much, it sort of rubbed me the wrong way when I realized that NFL players didn't know everyone on the team." (13:36)

4. Presidential Day Sports Trivia

• Timestamp: 35:06–41:03
  • Segment: Rich hosts a spirited President’s Day sports trivia with Sean from Connecticut. Contestants need to answer trivia tying presidents to sports moments.
  • Sample Questions/Answers:
    • Q: "Who is the only sitting president to attend the Super Bowl?"
      A: "Donald Trump" (36:13)
    • Q: "First president to publicly fill out a March Madness bracket?"
      A: "Obama, correct." (36:53)
    • Q: "First president to throw out a pitch at a MLB game?"
      A: "Taft, 1910." (37:56)
    • Q: "Which president was a licensed bartender and owned a tavern in Illinois?"
      A: "Lincoln, bro." (39:58)
  • Host Banter: Amusing side notes about Dan Quayle’s "potato" scandal and Lincoln as "presidential bartender at Hooters."
  • Notable Quote (Covino): "Four score and seven beers ago." (40:09)

5. Barack Obama Admits Aliens Exist?

• Timestamp: 50:16–53:36
  • Main Story: Covino & Rich dissect a recent podcast appearance by Barack Obama (on the Bryan Taylor podcast), where he casually suggests that aliens exist.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • Covino: "He said on the Bryan Taylor podcast… Aliens exist. And there’s a lot of controversy here because it was in a passing moment, like 'yup, aliens exist. Sure do. And they’re real.'" (50:16)
    • Rich: "It was almost like the former president said yes, there are aliens, and the guy's like, 'That’s great and all... Hey, where do you and Michelle like to eat lunch?' I’m sorry, wait—" (50:47)
    • The hosts lament the missed journalistic opportunity: "No one followed up with that?... Sort of a passing comment on the podcast." (53:36)
  • Follow-up Details:
    • Obama later reportedly walked back his comments, saying they're not at Area 51 and expressing doubt "they ever made it to this planet."
    • Covino's Hypothesis: The aliens Obama referred to could be "any sort of living organism," perhaps small or molecular—not the "grayish green creature with a big head" from cinema (52:07).
    • Rich questions: "Do you think if you become president, you really get a 'here's the secret stuff' briefing? Or is that just a myth?" (52:30)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• [07:21] Covino: "If you keep your expectations low, you won’t be disappointed. That’s our show's motto."
• [13:36] Covino: "Are we all best friends? That's not how it works in the clubhouse... They have a good dynamic and root for each other and that's it."
• [15:02] Rich: "Like, you're supposed to, like, love each other, if anything... You want people to be genuine and real."
• [17:08] Rich: "That's called chemistry... When there's real chemistry, things are clicking, you know, people feed off that. You can't fake that."
• [36:53] Rich: "First president to publicly fill out a March Madness bracket? Obama, correct."
• [40:09] Covino: "Four score and seven beers ago."
• [50:16] Covino: "He said on the Bryan Taylor podcast… aliens exist. And it was in a passing moment, like 'yup, aliens exist. Sure do. And they’re real.'"
• [50:47] Rich: "It was almost like the former president said yes, there are aliens, and the guy's like, 'That’s great and all... Hey, where do you and Michelle like to eat lunch?'"

Useful Timestamps

• 02:22: Curling crowd excitement and authenticity
• 07:00: The “lower expectations” mantra in life and pop culture
• 13:36: Mets chemistry and Lindor's divisive comments
• 33:11: Listener (Ryan) calls in to explain curling
• 35:06: Presidential sports trivia begins
• 41:03: Trivia wrap-up and musings about Lincoln
• 50:16: Obama podcast alien admission dissected

Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, witty—Covino & Rich bring banter along with critical sports and culture analysis.
• Mix of insider sports knowledge, pop culture references, and listener engagement.
• Willingness to call out awkward or overlooked moments (“missed opportunity” with Obama’s alien comment).

Episode Takeaway

While the hour is packed with sports and fun—curling, Met drama, trivia—the most unforgettable (and potentially jaw-dropping) moment is the casual revelation by President Obama about the existence of aliens, promptly glossed over by his interviewer. Covino & Rich shine a light on this, asking the question: did we just let the most important news ever slip by us... because of a podcast host with no follow-up game?

For listeners:
If you missed the live broadcast, this summary captures all the zaniest moments, the sharpest sports takes, and the big "Wait, what?!" pop culture bombshells of the hour.