The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show: Best of Episode Summary
April 3, 2026 | iHeartPodcasts / Dan Patrick Podcast Network

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Overview

This “Best of” episode features Dan Patrick and his crew’s signature mix of sharp sports commentary, dry humor, and lively debate. Focused squarely on the excitement leading up to both the Men’s and Women’s NCAA Final Four tournaments, the episode explores coaching rumors, the evolving landscape of college basketball prestige, high-profile sports collapses, and features in-depth football analysis with ESPN’s Louis Riddick. A standout segment features legendary radio host Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, adding his trademark energy to conversations ranging from iconic sports meltdowns to his eventual retirement plans. The episode closes with Louis Riddick breaking down NFL draft quarterback prospects.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Final Four Preview & College Basketball Coaching Carousel

• Women’s Final Four (02:06): South Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, and UCLA square off—same teams as last year, but different semi matchups.
• Men’s Final Four (02:12): Illinois (favored by 1.5), UConn, Michigan (favored by 1.5), and Arizona. Lines haven’t moved.
• Poll Question: “What price would you pay to see your team in a title game?” (02:44). Responses highlight how expensive being a fan can be; consensus: it’s all about passion.

Tommy Lloyd Rumors & North Carolina Job (04:00–14:00)

• Dan and the crew dissect rumors that Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd may leap to North Carolina if Michigan knocks Arizona out, freeing Lloyd for negotiations.
• Dan Patrick: “I was told that North Carolina, they’ll be rooting hard for Michigan because then they can start negotiating with him if he’s going to be the next head coach at North Carolina.” (04:15)
• Discussion on why coaches play coy about career moves (“Why would you tip your hand?”), and how loyalty is often a public charade.
• Chris Russo: “There have been incidents with high level coaches who have said, ‘I’m staying here. I’m going to be the Miami Hurricanes coach on Monday.’ And then Monday he becomes the Cleveland Browns head coach.” (05:43)
• Is taking the North Carolina job really “moving up”? The crew debates whether Arizona is the better job due to easier conference path and strong resources vs. the legacy and prestige (but higher pressure) at UNC.
• Dan Patrick: “Is that a lateral move, though? Because Arizona, year in and year out, gets really good players ... North Carolina, it’s not the North Carolina we grew up with.” (06:34)
• Data: Tommy Lloyd’s $5.3M salary at Arizona is 9th in the country, higher than current UNC coach. (11:50)

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2. Blue Blood Dynamics & Coaching Prestige

• The hosts debate which programs (Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, Indiana) are still top-tier jobs, with comparisons to Clemson football for easier playoff paths (08:11–10:48).
• Notable quote: Marvin: “Them, Kansas, and Kentucky, to me, are the bluest of the blue bloods. Where any other job, like, it’s not better than those three jobs.” (09:16)
• Discuss the heavy administrative and NIL (name, image, likeness) factors influencing today’s coaching decisions.
• Chris Russo: “There’s more to behind the scenes with these jobs ... It’s all the other things that are on the periphery that make it ... a lot tougher job.” (11:01)

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3. Iconic Sports Collapses (Chris Russo Guest Segment)

• (18:40–25:35)
• Ranking the greatest collapses of the 21st century:
  • #1: Falcons blowing 28–3 lead to the Patriots in Super Bowl (20:52)
  • #2: Yankees losing up 3–0 to the Red Sox in ALCS (19:23)
  • Giants losing 5–0 lead in Game 6, 2002 World Series.
  • Rangers vs. Cardinals: “One strike away twice.”
• Dan and Chris probe the emotional scars of collapses and whether later success (e.g., Giants’ later World Series rings) erases the pain.
• Chris Russo: “Do you think anything can surpass 28–3 in our lifetime?” (20:52)
• Golf collapses: Greg Norman at the ’96 Masters—Russo retells legendary sportswriter Rick Reilly’s Saturday prediction: “Greg Norman always finds the banana peel.” (22:07)

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4. Tiger Woods Discussion—What Happens Next?

• (24:52–27:56)
• Russo ponders Tiger Woods’ future now that injuries have effectively ended top-level golf: “I wonder what happens ... when he doesn’t have that outlet.”
• Dan notes Tiger’s role in PGA’s leadership, signature events, and envisions him as a future Ryder Cup captain.
• Both agree Tiger has been surrounded by too many “yes people” and speculate whether anyone truly intervened at key moments.
• Dan Patrick: “It’s been three times now he’s been driving ... you would think, somebody would have said, Tiger, enough.” (27:36)
• Chris Russo: “Chris, those are the ones we know about, right?” (28:00)

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5. Final Four Picks & More on Tommy Lloyd

• Predictions:
  • Russo has Arizona winning it all. Dan concurs but worries about Arizona's youth in the backcourt. (28:11–28:35)
• Relocation Rumor: North Carolina may be preparing for Lloyd to accept their job; Arizona supposedly has administrative tensions. (29:31)
• Dan Patrick: “As far as the job goes, why leave? Tucson’s a great place ... you can win a championship, why leave?” (29:36)

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6. Automated Balls and Strikes in Baseball

• Russo advocates for going fully automated (no human ump calls to debate or embarrass): “It can be up on the jumbotron. … It can be a game show feel to it.” (31:48)
• Dan predicts a gradual evolution, not an abrupt switch. Baseball, they agree, has momentum after WBC and opening games with strong ratings. (33:00–34:13)

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7. Broadcasting Careers & Retirement Chatter

• Chris Russo shares plans to retire after the Super Bowl in Atlanta (Feb. 2028), dreams of living in Italy (“My wife’s Italian”) and only following sports casually. (35:06–37:39)
• Pledge to guest on each other's shows before retiring—teasing a potential “Mad Dog & Dan” special. (35:15–36:18)

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8. NFL Draft Quarterback Analysis with Louis Riddick

• Guest: Louis Riddick, ESPN analyst & ex-NFL exec (42:07–56:09)
• Fernando Mendoza's Pro Day (42:24):
  • Riddick is blown away by Mendoza’s physique, “leadership, command, presence,” and unique approach in orchestrating his pro day (“Never seen a QB take charge like this”—42:54).
  • Compares Mendoza’s intangibles to Peyton Manning’s: “Fernando has a stronger arm than Peyton Manning had.” (53:42)
  • “If I was running a football team … he sewed it up for me. This is a franchise QB.” (45:55)
• Kirk Cousins’ fit with Raiders: Praises Cousins’ veteran presence as ideal for mentoring a rookie. (46:01).
  • “Kirk is a pro’s pro … not going to wow you by physical stature ... but a perfect match for Fernando.” (46:03)
• Comparing QB Prospects (Cam Ward, Ty Simpson, Mendoza):
  • Cam Ward described as more athletic, “off-schedule” playmaker; which prospect you prefer is “a matter of taste.” (48:41)
  • Asks why Ty Simpson divides scouts; Riddick highlights subjectivity and the obsession with data over qualities like resilience and decision-making. (49:56)
  • “There’s a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL right now who can’t do what Ty Simpson does.” (50:41)
  • Riddick’s fiery finale: “Winning requires more than just being able to throw the football 70 yards”—it’s about intangibles. (55:06)
  • “If that’s what you want in your quarterback, you should probably draft Fernando Mendoza.” (54:45)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On coaching loyalty:
  “Why would you tip your hand? ... Even when they say that they leave half the time.” — Todd (05:09)
• On Greg Norman’s collapse:
  “Greg Norman always finds the banana peel.” — Rick Reilly, as told by Chris Russo (22:07)
• On Arizona vs. North Carolina coaching jobs:
  “Is that a lateral move, though? ... North Carolina ... it’s not the North Carolina we grew up with.” — Dan Patrick (06:34)
• On Tiger Woods’s support network:
  “You surround yourself with yes people. ... You don’t surround yourself with people [who say], ‘You probably shouldn’t be doing that.’” — Chris Russo (26:33)
• On evaluating quarterbacks:
  “What more do you want? ... He’s doing it over and over again against high level competition.” — Louis Riddick, on Ty Simpson (50:41)
• On intangibles vs. traits:
  “Winning requires more than just being able to throw the football 70 yards ... at this time of year, every year we get so drunk on the traits that we forget about the intangible part.” — Louis Riddick (55:06)

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Timestamps Guide to Major Segments

• 02:06 – Women’s/Men’s Final Four matchups and betting lines
• 04:00 – Tommy Lloyd rumors, Michigan/Arizona/UNC coaching intrigue
• 18:40 – Guest: Chris “Mad Dog” Russo: Top sports collapses, Yankees/Red Sox, Falcons/Patriots
• 24:52 – Tiger Woods future, “yes men” dilemma
• 28:11 – Final Four picks; Arizona’s strengths and weaknesses
• 29:31 – More on Tommy Lloyd/UNC and Arizona internal dynamics
• 31:48 – Automated balls and strikes in MLB
• 35:06 – Russo’s retirement plans, living in Italy
• 42:07 – Guest: Louis Riddick NCAA/NFL QB breakdown (Mendoza, Cousins, Simpson, Ward)
• 53:42 – Mendoza’s “Peyton Manning” comparison and Riddick’s summary of great QB intangibles
• 56:09 – Closing with Louis Riddick

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Tone & Style

The episode is witty, candid, and insightful, marked by Dan Patrick’s dry humor and Chris Russo’s storied exuberance. The show’s relaxed approach invites open debate, sharp takes, and welcomes guests who speak with authority and conviction.

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Summary prepared for listeners who want the essence and highlights of this Dan Patrick Show “Best of” episode without the ads, intros, or outros.

Transcript

[Dan Patrick]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Chris Russo]

Guaranteed Human.

[Podcast Announcer]

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[Chris Russo]

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[Louis Riddick]

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[Chris Russo]

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[Chris Russo]

Want to drive CarMax? You are listening to the Dan Patrick

[Louis Riddick]

show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Chris Russo]

Women's Final Four tonight. South Carolina, Connecticut, Texas, ucla. These were the final four teams from a year ago. The matchups were switched this year. South Carolina, UConn, the early game, then Texas and UCLA. Men's Final Four will be Saturday. Illinois, Yukon, Michigan and Arizona. Those point spreads have not changed in the last 24 hours. Still one and a half. One and a half for Illinois, favored by one and a half and Michigan favored by one and a half over Arizona. Seaton, you got a poll question to start us out with this first hour of the program.

[Poll Host]

We have many poll questions here. We've got a couple here from Paul. How much would you pay or what price would you pay to see your team in a title game? Between 200 and $500. Five hundred and one thousand dollars or a thousand plus?

[Chris Russo]

I, it depends on. I think, you know, each situation I'm

[Poll Host]

going to, I'm going to need a, an option below $200. I got to admit, I, I'm not buying any of those tickets.

[Chris Russo]

Well, two to five, but you still got to get to Indianapolis. You got to get a hotel. And are you staying the weekend?

[Poll Host]

You're probably going with somebody unless you're going solo. So you double that. Yeah, that seems they're all kind of tough.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, yeah. Depends on how much you love your team. What else do you have there?

[Poll Host]

Seaton, we've got on there another one for Paul. You're rooting for Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois or Michigan.

[Chris Russo]

I don't know if there's a root worthy team. Maybe that, that's how. Is there a root worthy team for America? Is there a great story, most rootable

[Poll Host]

team in the final four.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, there you go. I think that one's good. You know who's rooting for Michigan this weekend? Really a whole lot of fans in the state of North Carolina rooting for Michigan because if Michigan beats Arizona, then Tommy Lloyd might be available. This is what my source said to me last night because I said, you know, I'm trying to figure this out. Who are they waiting for? I don't think Dusty May is leaving Michigan. From what I'm told, he's not leaving. But Tommy Lloyd, you know, Tommy Lloyd is saying, look, I, I got a game to focus on Saturday. Everybody wants him to say, hey, I'm not leaving. You know, this is probably leverage and you know, I have a few more details on this, but kind of been sworn to secrecy on that with the situation with Arizona and Tommy Lloyd. But I was told that North Carolina, they'll be rooting hard for Michigan because then they can start negotiating with him if he's going to be the next head coach at North Carolina. I haven't heard anything from Billy Donovan about Billy Donovan leaving the Bulls, but it's there, it's kind of lingering, it's hanging there. But, you know, we'll get closure certainly by Tuesday morning. Yes, Todd, if you're Tommy Lloyd and

[Todd]

whether you have genuine interest in the North Carolina job or any other job or not, why would you tip your hand? Why would anyone expect anyone in any line of work that works so hard to be in a position, a rare position to kind of play both sides a little bit, not have to give a definitive answer. Why would you? You might as well keep it close to your vest. It's no one's business.

[Chris Russo]

Well, no, it is people's business. They want to know what your loyalty is.

[Dan Patrick]

We all want to know a lot of things.

[Todd]

It doesn't mean you have to give them an answer.

[Chris Russo]

No, but you can still ask the question.

[Todd]

I think he was upset with the question, but we shouldn't expect him to

[Chris Russo]

say, I'm staying put.

[Todd]

I love it here. And this is. Even when they say that they leave half the time.

[Chris Russo]

That is true. That is true. There have been incidents with high level coaches who have said, I'm staying here. I'm going to be the Miami Hurricanes coach on Monday. And then Monday he becomes the Cleveland Browns head coach. Yeah. Yes. More.

[Ad Reader]

That's easily the worst move in the history of coaching. Oh, you, Butch Davis.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah. I know.

[Ad Reader]

You left that team.

[Dan Patrick]

I know.

[Ad Reader]

To coach that team.

[Chris Russo]

And I had a friend whose son was going to go to Miami and, you know, so he's talking with Butch on Sunday. He said, I'm going to be here on Monday. And on Monday became the Cleveland Browns head coach.

[Podcast Announcer]

Yes, Paul, When Tommy Lloyd of Arizona was asked, he said, quote, I've got my full focus on this team. Nothing is distracting me. I, I'm 100% locked in on Arizona basketball. That's a great non. Answer.

[Dan Patrick]

Answer.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah. Do I think he'll take the North Carolina job? It feels that way, but I, I want him to be fair to the Arizona fans and this basketball team coming up this weekend. That is your focus. And I don't think he's going to say, hey, I'm g. I can multitask, which he obviously can. You know, it doesn't take long for North Carolina to say, what's the number? And he finds out what the number is for his salary in the nil and collectives and things like that. And that can happen quickly or you have somebody, an intermediary who will be talking to them. But he's got leverage here. Maybe he stays, but there's also that big chance that he does go to North Carolina. Is that a lateral move, though? Because Arizona, year in and year out gets really good players. They just don't get to where they should be getting with all of this talent. North Carolina, you know, they did get to a national title game, but it's not the North Carolina we Grew up with.

[Poll Host]

Yes, but one of them is an institution in college basketball. The other one is a team known for constantly disappointing.

[Chris Russo]

True, true. But if you live in your scrapbook and you say, man, I can be North Carolina's head coach, it'd be like, I can be Indiana's head basketball coach.

[Poll Host]

Yeah, that sounds awesome.

[Chris Russo]

And nobody cares.

[Poll Host]

That sounds awesome.

[Chris Russo]

No, but. But it's not what it once was. It's like, hey, Indiana. Yeah. That's a football school, right? Yeah.

[Podcast Announcer]

Paulie, I think if I were the head coach at Arizona, I would think my path to the Final four is year to year is easier here than it is at North Carolina. There's a lot to get through at North Carolina with the teams they play. It's almost like, remember Dabo had offers at Clemson and he stayed. It's easier for him to get to the college football playoff at Clemson than it is to go to the sec.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, well, we said that about when Texas and Oklahoma were going to the sec. And I'm like, I would. Stay where you are. It's easier to get to the playoffs instead of fighting everybody in the sec. Yes, Todd, but I would think your

[Todd]

ego and or just status, being able to attach your name to, after all these years as a 20 year assistant in Gonzaga under Mark Few, to be able to say you're with North Carolina. Arizona doesn't, at least to me, doesn't come up at the top of the list when you start listing the best. I know it's not your grandpa's North Carolina, but still it's a. I think it's a lot juicier than Arizona, if that matters. Ego wise to a coach.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, maybe. I don't, I don't know, Tommy Lloyd, but Arizona feels like year in and year out there, number one seed. Yes, Marvin, but I want, I don't

[Ad Reader]

want to treat North Carolina like they're Indiana. North Carolina's won the national title in the past 10 years. They've just had a. A bad three to four years. Okay, so them, Kansas and Kentucky, to me, are the bluest of the blue bloods. Where any other job, like it's not better than those three jobs.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, but remember Kentucky? I mean, is Kentucky a glamour job now? We look at Kentucky like Indiana.

[Ad Reader]

No.

[Chris Russo]

Okay.

[Ad Reader]

They've won the national title in the 2000s.

[Chris Russo]

Okay, but I'm talking about now, like, do people look at Kentucky or Kansas? You know, Kansas is above Kentucky, I would say, but I don't know if UCLA used to be the bluest of blue bloods. That doesn't come up and they've won before, but that doesn't come up as man, that's a destination.

[Ad Reader]

Yes, but you're talking about UCLA and Indiana. Neither of those schools have won national championships in 30 plus years. The schools like Kentucky, they won a national title in what, 2012. And they've always been relevant. Even I know Calipari left and he gave him some star power. But there's still a major program that gets five stars and gets to the tournament.

[Chris Russo]

Would you if, if Kentucky was open in North Carolina. Open. Which one are you taking?

[Ad Reader]

Kentucky.

[Chris Russo]

All right. Yeah.

[Podcast Announcer]

Paulie, it feels like Kentucky's on a light hiatus from greatness. Just a dip, not a. They're not down as a program. Down is where you're like a 10

[Chris Russo]

year wallowing around like Indiana.

[Podcast Announcer]

Yes. Last time they were threatening was Tom Crean.

[Chris Russo]

Yes.

[Poll Host]

If Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana and Arizona come calling,

[Chris Russo]

there's different pressures there. Like Kentucky and, and North Carolina. That pressure's got to be different than Arizona, Indiana. I think they're just kind of fighting back, you know, like we used to be something, but it feels like you're kind of treading water and then you win the national title in football. I mean, North Carolina, that's, it's, it's magical down there. But I, I think there's more to behind the scenes with these jobs that there didn't used to be. And I think administrations play a little bit larger role. And I think you're finding these coaches who are saying, if I can just coach, you know, I'm fine. It's all the other things that are on the periphery that make it, you know, a lot tougher job. Yeah.

[Podcast Announcer]

Paul, I will say this about Arizona. I just looked it up. They pay, they invest in their roster and they pay their head coach, Tommy Lloyd, he's making $5.3 million this year. That's ninth in all of college basketball. And he's making more than a million more than Hubert Davis was this past year at North Carolina.

[Chris Russo]

You know, that's pretty good. Well, he's going to make a lot more somewhere. Somewhere going to be making a lot more whether it's at Arizona or North Carolina. Yes.

[Todd]

Todd, Would a coach really consider staying put? Because they think where they are is an easier path to the final four. All things considered. Like, is that something they would really consider, especially in this world of nil and transfer portal where one year you're terrible, the next year you're winning the national championship.

[Chris Russo]

Well, but that's part of it, isn't your goal to win a national championship? So why wouldn't you be at the place that gives you the best chance to win a national championship?

[Todd]

Or do you want to go to the school that's got the most cachet and that's the biggest deal, place to go? I've worked so hard, and I have an opportunity to be the North Carolina coach. Nothing against Arizona. To me, that's a step up.

[Chris Russo]

I don't care about cachet. I care about win winning like I want to win a national title. I don't think we look down at Jay Wright because he won it Villanova a couple times. I mean, but do you stay at

[Todd]

a school because it's an easier conference and you think I got a better chance of winning it all in this weaker conference than the ACC or something like that?

[Chris Russo]

Well, Dan Hurley's got an easier track to get to the, you know, number one seed or number two seed because of the conference that he plays in. I mean, no, he could go to North Carolina. One call. He could go to North Carolina today. He not leaving to go to North Carolina. He was leaving to go to the Lakers. But it, it's just, it's interesting now with, you know, the coaching landscape, and it feels like, hey, I've been here. Tommy Lloyd is, what, 51 years of age? So now you go, okay, this is my big chance. Now.

[Louis Riddick]

Do I go?

[Chris Russo]

I could coach North Carolina or I could stay here. Yes, Mark.

[Ad Reader]

And if you're Tommy Lloyd, you got to the Final Four, which they haven't been to since 2001. So you're kind of on scholarship for the next couple of years because you've done something no one else has done in forever.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's interesting, but I, I would be surprised if Dusty May leaves Michigan. And my source said that the athletic director has already told people I'm going to lock him up. He's going to be our coach for a long, long, long time. And rightfully so. Great coach.

[Louis Riddick]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app.

[Dan Patrick]

Hey, it's me, Rob Parker. Check out my weekly MLB podcast, Inside the Parker for 22 minutes of piping hot baseball talk featuring the biggest names and newsmakers in the sport.

[Louis Riddick]

Whether you believe in analytics or the eye test, we've got all the bases covered.

[Dan Patrick]

New episodes drop every Thursday. So do yourself a favor and listen to Inside the Parker with Rob Parker on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcast.

[Chris Russo]

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[Podcast Announcer]

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[Chris Russo]

Mad Dog Russo, Mad Dog sports radio channel SiriusXM mad dog unleashed and you could listen to him weekdays at 3 Eastern. Also, you'll see him on First Take with Stephen A Good to see you dog. We were hello, Danny. We were talking about collapses. Bleach Report has the top collapses of the 21st century. Jean Vandevele doesn't make it because that was 1999. It starts in 2001. The the Falcons Patriots number one. And then it was the Yankees and the Red Sox, but the Yankees collapse in the ALCs. Any problems with that? The two biggest collapses, the only problem

[Dan Patrick]

with the Yankees and Red Sox is that the Yankees beat the Red Sox the year before, you know, and they did it with heroic fashion with the home run by Boone after they were down 52 in the eighth. So it's hard to sit there and kill the Yankees. Eventually, the Red Sox, we're going to beat them, but I understand they had a 30 lead. I got to put the giants, angels 02, game six, three two, giants five, nothing. Bottom seven.

[Chris Russo]

Wow.

[Dan Patrick]

You got to put that in there, don't you, Danny? Yeah.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah. Well, the Rangers lost to the Cardinals is in there, too.

[Dan Patrick]

You know, one strike away twice. One strike away winning that championship twice. Yes. Now, I don't know how you feel about it when you win a World Series after you blew one, does it make up for the fact that you choked one away? Texas is one, Giants won three. Does that make up for the fact that you lost in, oh, two and lost to the Cardinals? If you're a Rangers fan, Atlanta has not won a Super bowl since they blew the lead to the Patriots. So you got to Put that in the equation. Because if you're a sports fan, okay, we lost to the Angels, but I won three World Series since. Takes a lot of the sting away. That's something you got to think about.

[Chris Russo]

Do you think, do you think anything can surpass 28 to 3 in our lifetime?

[Dan Patrick]

Well, Houston against Buffalo, 35, 3. Now, it wasn't a Super bowl and it wasn't in this century, but that was a terrible loss that. And that was also. But yeah, you're right. Now it was against Brady, but you know, that's going to be tricky one. I'm sure we can find one. I know the Duke thing. And you got to put Duke in last year too. So they've had back to back. So you probably could add Duke. Not in this level, but that was terrible for Duke. But 283 is. 28 3, that's probably the worst one, you know. Is there a golf one?

[Chris Russo]

Well, Vanderbilt would have been in there with the British Open, but that was 1999. Where.

[Dan Patrick]

How about Spieth? How about Spieth at The master? Augusta, five stroke lead.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, that going to the 12th, I think. Did he have a five stroke lead going to the 12th hole?

[Dan Patrick]

There's the back nine. How about Mac? Now McElroy has since won.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

How about his 40 on the back nine that one year? Yeah, you could put that in there. And how about Norman? Norman was 96. Norman against Valdo.

[Chris Russo]

Oh, yeah, yeah, I was there for that one.

[Dan Patrick]

You at that.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, that, that one wanted. And you know what? Rick Riley, to his credit going Saturday. I saw him after Saturday's round and I said, what do you think? And he said, greg Norman always finds the banana peel.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Chris Russo]

And I never forgot that going into Sunday. And I've never been in, in a crowd that wasn't cheering for Faldo. They, they just felt terrible for Greg Norman. And it's weird because at Augusta, those crowds, that's part of the ambiance. That's as good, if not better than any other sporting event when somebody does something great. The crowd didn't know how to react with what unfolded on that back nine that day.

[Dan Patrick]

100%. And I think, I think if it wasn't Faldo chasing, I think Norman could have figured it out. But, you know, Faldo was very, you know, steel minded. He had won a couple times already. He knew how to handle it and make the guy lose the tournament instead of him trying to win it. So I think Faldo had a lot to do with it too. And I Know, Riley wrote a great story called Norman Mr. Saturday Night, if I'm not mistaken, which is one of the great lines.

[Chris Russo]

Great lights talking to Mad Dog Russo. I'm worried about the voice here, Dog.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I know. All of a sudden, I'll be all right. I got a. You know, I had on yesterday who was a great spot.

[Chris Russo]

Who.

[Louis Riddick]

You've known him forever.

[Chris Russo]

Patrick Ewing. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

It was very good.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, I listened. Yeah, I listened.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, you did?

[Chris Russo]

Yes. Good.

[Dan Patrick]

Danny.

[Chris Russo]

Yes. And you know what? He's so miscast or mislabeled. He's really. And I understand why Patrick is defensive. Everything that was said about him characterized what fans were doing, throwing bananas. You know, I mean, there was so much. And then, you know, they got close in New York. They didn't win in New York. But you sit down with him. He's a very thoughtful, entertaining, fun, sensitive person. And I've been fortunate to have a relationship with him. It's one of those where you go, yeah, I'm. I'm covering the Big east tournament back when he's playing. And, you know, they didn't talk to the media, nobody, Big John, none of that. And all of a sudden, if somebody said, hey, you'll be. You'll be friends with that guy, I'd be like, nope, I don't think so.

[Dan Patrick]

I agree with you 100%. And I probably sat in that summit rooting for Elijah one in. In 94, at least for a game seven. They were down three two. And I feel bad about it right now after Ewing because he's such a nice guy.

[Chris Russo]

Geez.

[Dan Patrick]

I was really. And I tell you, Danny Frank, I saw to help me with him. I texted him because I got his number at 3:30 and he came on at 405. Yeah, that's pretty nice. That's pretty nice.

[Chris Russo]

The Tiger woods situation. I'm wondering. Tiger doesn't have anything. When you. When you think about where he is in his career, his body, golf is kind of over for him. I mean, it's maybe going to be ceremonial if he. Is he able to come back. And I know he's got other things to worry about, but I want to talk the sports element of this, having that where something you love, something you're defined by, but something you can't do because your body is broken. Now. I wonder what happens, like, truly happens to Tiger woods when he doesn't have that outlet, he doesn't have that ability to be able to go out there and play and play at, you know, a high level.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, he hasn't had it for a while though. I mean he's had the hope that he could do something, but he hasn't had it for a while. He seems to be in that executive council where they're trying to change, you know, some of the scenarios with the Tour, with the signature events. Maybe down the road he can figure out a way to get sham, you know, the ally, the live and the PGA Tour sort of back together. So we can see dechambeauty and Rahm and Cameron Smith. I think, you know, you'll probably see him as a Ryder cup captain, you know, down the road. I know he's not going to do it next year. Maybe down the road, yeah, it's, it's a bad situation. I feel bad for him now. I do think the gov community as a whole should have done something about this a long time ago. I think they've bowed down a Tiger and have genuflected in front of him for 30 years.

[Chris Russo]

Chris, he's too big.

[Dan Patrick]

I guess he's too big.

[Chris Russo]

You know, you surround yourself with yes people. You know that you don't surround yourself with people go, you know what? You probably shouldn't be doing that. You know what? Let me take away those pills. You know what, Let me drive. That's. Tyler got a tight. Tiger got to where he is because he had a single minded focus and he wasn't listening to anybody. You know, he'd, he'd listen to, you know, a golf instructor or his dad, but other than that, you know, Tiger was focused. Now you gotta, you gotta take away some of that, that he, he's gonna listen and I don't know if he will.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Freddie Couples, Justin Thomas, his agent.

[Chris Russo]

But don't you think they tried that, Chris?

[Dan Patrick]

You think?

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, but I think you, it's weird to, you know, Tiger got rid of some friends here a while ago, you know, Barkley, some of those guys that, you know, he kind of, you know that people said all these might not be great influences on you or whatever the reasoning was. But I, I just don't know if somebody's going to get his attention and

[Dan Patrick]

say, you know, I don't know if Barkley tried. I mean, did they really try? I mean, I mean, did his agent try? I mean you can't have, I mean it's been three times now he's been driving. You know, whether it was in California when he fell asleep three o' clock in the morning the other day. I mean, geez. I mean you would think somebody would have said Tiger enough and he would have listened.

[Chris Russo]

But, Chris, those are the ones that we know about, right?

[Dan Patrick]

There might be some more.

[Chris Russo]

There's. Those are the ones we know about.

[Dan Patrick]

Who do you like this weekend, Danny?

[Chris Russo]

I have Arizona winning the national title.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you have. Did you. I'm sure you picked them a while ago, correct?

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Chris Russo]

Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I think so, too. I didn't pick them, but I think you're right. The one thing that I've. I had Lapis on and a couple of others that did make a good point. The youth of Arizona worries people. They got three freshmen in the back court, correct?

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

And Michigan's a little older. And I know a couple of coaches. You talk to the same people more than I do. It seems like a little. And after we saw Boozer make the mistake at mid court that there's a couple of people who think that could hurt Arizona in a close game. Now, they played a lot of close games all year. They played at Houston, Iowa State played a great schedule, won at UConn. So, I mean, it's not like they're not used to it, but this is the semifinals of the championship. So there you go. Semifinals.

[Chris Russo]

If you're. Tommy Lloyd, is Arizona a better job than North Carolina?

[Louis Riddick]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

That's a good one. No, he did not comment about it again. Somebody said that you would know that. Jordan called him last Friday. Tough to say no to Jordan. Does he have a good relationship with the Arizona staff?

[Chris Russo]

I was told the administration that there might be something fractured there.

[Dan Patrick]

I heard the same thing, so. And if. And maybe he doesn't have a great relationship with the AD or somebody, and so as a result, he leaves North Carolina. As far as the job goes, why leave? Tucson's a great place. Duke's not eight miles away. There's not an incredible amount of pressure. You kill Arizona State, lot of players, good weather, you can win a championship, why leave? So that's. If he's. And he didn't even bring it up, you know, yesterday. I'm focused on Arizona. He didn't say, I'm not going to North Carolina. He said, I'm focused on. Well, of course you're focused, Tommy. What do you. Well, yeah, you know what? I'm not thinking about our game. We know you're focused, so I think he might take the job. I think he might take the job.

[Chris Russo]

I think North Carolina is preparing for that.

[Dan Patrick]

I think so, too.

[Chris Russo]

I. I get that. The Danny Hurley incident. How did you.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I mean, listen, he's. I mean, I don't have a major problem with it. He did it out of exuberance. I don't know if it affected Ales getting the job in the Final Four. Everybody says he's a great ref and people love him. I guess Danny's got a good relationship with him. He was excited. He did touch him. The idea that he didn't is silly. We all saw it. Yeah, but I'm not gonna make. You can't give him a technical foul. I mean, that's ridiculous. So I'm okay with it. But it is a little. It looks, it looks. The perception looks bad. The perception, and I'll tell you right now, give that Connecticut team a lot of credit.

[Chris Russo]

Danny. Oh, man.

[Dan Patrick]

Culture. The vibe.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

The toughness. I mean, they got killed by St. John's in the Big east final. A lot of teams don't recover from that. And they did. And remember their first championship? They lost Marquette in the semifinals of the Big east and won the title. I mean, they recover really well. Let's give Hurley a lot of credit for that.

[Chris Russo]

You know, when I wanted to have you on initially, it was for the automated balls and strikes.

[Dan Patrick]

Right.

[Chris Russo]

I, I, I love it, but I want baseball to embrace all of it. I don't like the, hey, you made the wrong call. Now, everybody in the ballpark knows the umpire made the wrong call. I think if you are able to just say all the calls are, you know, just like tennis, automated balls and strikes. It can be up on the jumbotron. It can be, you know, a game show feel to it. You can, you know, have some fun with it. And nobody is getting embarrassed by this, because even when you miss a call, I can miss a call by, you know, a centimeter. But the crowd doesn't know that. They're like, you're a bomb. You miss. I, I just think. And they're going to be headed that way. I just, I don't know if Manfred thought this out of. These umpires are going to be singled out even when they might get 96% or 97% of the calls. Correct.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I like the strategy of it. But I do know what you're saying. CB Buckner looked bad last weekend.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah,

[Dan Patrick]

I, I think that was probably a little bit too big of a jump to go from, you know, umpires, balls and strikes. Now we're not gonna have a home plate umpire. I think you need a gradual step. So I think eventually you might be right. You might see this. But I think they probably were looking for something halfway, and then down the road, they do it full way. You know, baseball's got a lot of juice right now. You know, they had a very good wbc. The ABS People are into it. I mean, outside of Netflix, which was awful in the first game of the year, you know, they, you know, there's. There's some energy in the sport. I think people are into it. They had some decent ratings. Fox, the first game of the year, Yankee pitching the Mets. Or is interesting. I think baseball right now has got a little momentum, and it'd be interesting to see how that plays into this labor situation when we get through the season. But I think baseball really, you know, had a great World Series, as you know. You know, they had 11 million watched the Venezuela USA game a couple weeks ago. So I think baseball right now is in a good place. The game is quicker. I give him a lot of credit. Now it's going to go in and out of the clouds because you got the Masters, the NBA and all that. So people are going to forget about it. And it gets into that long season. But I think baseball's got a little juice right now. I really do.

[Chris Russo]

All right. Are you going to sound this way this afternoon?

[Dan Patrick]

Good point. I do have Mick Cronin on. I think you had him on this week. Good job with Izzo. I heard that. I got Cronin out because he played all four teams, so I thought that'd be a good spot. He's funny. So I have some juice. You know how it works, Danny, at our age, you know, when my first kid was born, I took two days off. Now you get six months off. So from that standpoint, you know, you got to play hurt. So sometimes you got to dig through it and get through three hours. You've done it for how long now? 35, 38? 40 years.

[Chris Russo]

40 years? Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

40 years?

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

40 Years, yeah. TV and radio? Yeah, it's pretty good.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah. Maybe we should do a show together one time.

[Dan Patrick]

You know what? Did you announce your retirement yet, by the way?

[Chris Russo]

Yes.

[Dan Patrick]

What is that going to be?

[Chris Russo]

The super bowl in Atlanta.

[Dan Patrick]

So you got another year and a half to go.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

All right, let's make a deal.

[Chris Russo]

Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. That's a long way off. It's a year and a half. But sometime in the next 18 months, I'll come where you are and I'll co host with you.

[Chris Russo]

Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

And you'll come to Sirius and you will co host with me.

[Chris Russo]

Or I could just go to your house.

[Dan Patrick]

I do that three days a week. I don't know if you want to sit on my third floor and listen to my wife you know, babble away, but you can. But why don't we do that?

[Chris Russo]

All right, I'll do.

[Dan Patrick]

I'll go one day where you might be and not. And if you want to do it at a big event, we could do it at a big event. You want to do it at a Super Bowl? You want to do it? Something like that, we can do it. You pick the time. Have Todd Fritz take care of it. Where I will do one the whole show.

[Chris Russo]

Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

Not 10 minutes. And you come to me and we'll do me first because it's your show and you are retiring. So we'll do me first and then I'll go do you. How's that?

[Chris Russo]

When are you retiring?

[Dan Patrick]

That's a good question. How old are you? You're a little older, right?

[Chris Russo]

70. In May.

[Dan Patrick]

May what?

[Chris Russo]

15th.

[Podcast Announcer]

Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

My wife's. My mother's. May 9th, I think. Let's see. So you're going to be 70. So you're going to retire.

[Chris Russo]

You're going to be 71, 71 7. Yeah. Almost 72. Yeah, 72.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I will. I won't be too far behind you.

[Chris Russo]

You can announce it right now.

[Dan Patrick]

No, no, I won't be. I won't be first off. I got another year. I got some time to go on some. On a contract with Sirius. I won't be too far behind you, you know. 72. Do you have some plans, what you're going to do?

[Chris Russo]

No.

[Dan Patrick]

Are you going to go travel the world?

[Chris Russo]

I'd like to maybe live in Italy for a while.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Chris Russo]

My wife's Italian.

[Dan Patrick]

That very. Are you going to, you know, go cold turkey on sports or you still follow it carefully?

[Chris Russo]

I think I'll be a casual fan, probably.

[Dan Patrick]

Casual.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

I mean, we use. Okay.

[Chris Russo]

I might get into soccer.

[Dan Patrick]

Chris, if you go to Italy.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. So you might. When you say live in Italy, talking about, like for six months, like a couple years.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, maybe six months. Yeah, something like that.

[Dan Patrick]

You have a second location where you can live now out of the cold weather or not?

[Chris Russo]

No.

[Dan Patrick]

Will you do that?

[Chris Russo]

No.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, really?

[Chris Russo]

That'd be Italy.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Have you thought about it?

[Chris Russo]

I might do sports radio in Italy. You can you speak Italian, Danny and the meatballs, you know, bring your crew.

[Dan Patrick]

All right. But we have a lot of time to reminisce about your career. We're going to do that one each.

[Chris Russo]

All right. I promise. Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

I love you. See you later.

[Chris Russo]

Thank you. Dog. That's Christopher Mad Dog Russo.

[Louis Riddick]

Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app.

[Chris Russo]

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[Podcast Announcer]

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[Chris Russo]

Riddick of the Mothership Former front office player, director of pro personnel with a couple of teams. He was at the pro day for Fernando Mendoza. If you had a question for Mendoza, was it answered at his pro day?

[Louis Riddick]

Yeah, look, I don't know if I had a whole lot of questions for him as far as from a physical skills perspective. I think I wanted to see just what his body looked like in person. I just wanted to see how he moved in person. He's a lot bigger now than he was during the season. That's the first thing that jumped out to me. Dan. He is put together now. He has hit the weight room, he has got a great looking lower body, big broad shoulders, big forearms. But I said, I mean he's put together. He looks the part of a franchise quarterback as far as how you would sculpt him and make him look okay. And for all the people who now go, well, we don't really care. Bs. You do care. Remember when Jared Goff was the number one overall pick and all we talked about was the fact that his lower half looked like he would be broken in half with like because he had toothpick calves. Because we thought, oh, he won't be able to withstand, you'll get hit. It all matters. The thing I really like about him too is his presence, his command, his leadership skills, style, the way in which people respond to him when he's around them, the way in which the players gravitate towards him, listen to him, take his instruction, work with him. Like the workout was called conducted by him. I know I put on social media the fact That I had never seen. And I'd been to pro days for a long time. I've never seen a quarterback take charge of a pro day in the way in which he did meaning. And I was standing right next to John Spytech, the GM of the Raiders when this was happening. And John and I scouted together in Philly and I said, john, have you ever seen a quarterback do this? He's like, no. And what I'm talking about is the fact that before every route that was run, Fernando announced who the guy was and what route. And he, and he would look at the, that the receiver and he would look back at him, he would tell him, you know, so Umar Cooper, speed out. Omar Cooper, bench route. Omar Cooper, you know, Elijah Surat, seven route. He was really trying to highlight his guys and make sure people understood this is who he is, this is what he's about to run. And we're about to kind of like show you the kind of communication that we've had with why we played the way we did this past year. And I want you guys to really focus on the fact that this is who this guy is so you can really dial in on his skill set. And he wasn't doing it to kind of like shine light on himself, although it did shine light on him. He's trying to highlight his, his, his guys and, and see, we all at this time of year kind of forget and don't put enough emphasis on football and personal character and leadership because we become enamored with, well, can he throw the football like Mahomes? Can he throw it like Josh Allen? And how many times do we really need a quarterback to throw the football like Patrick, meaning off schedule, you know, rolling left, throwing back. We just need a guy to be able to make great decisions, command the huddle, command his team, have mental stamina, physical stamina, and put the ball in the end zone like Fernando did 41 times. Throwing the football this past year and leading his team to an undefeated season. He, for me, he sewed it up for me as far as, yeah, this is a franchise caliber quarterback. This is a guy who I would want leading the charge for me if I was running a football team. He came into Indiana, took Coach Signetti's direction, brought together a whole bunch of new players and got him on the same pace to the point where they go and have an undefeated season and whip every top program in the country. I have no questions. None. Zero.

[Chris Russo]

You okay with the Raiders bringing in Kirk Cousins?

[Louis Riddick]

Yes. The number two quarterback. The quarterback room overall is probably the most important job that a general manager and a coaching staff in a football organization has in terms of their responsibility for getting that right. The number two quarterback has to be a sounding board for the number one quarterback. And Kirk's going to start off as the number one quarterback. And then that relationship between the number one and the number two, however it plays out is as important as the relationship between the quarterback and the head coach, the quarterback and the quarterback coach, the quarterback and the play caller. However that is all configured, that relationship is critical. I've been on organizations where the number two quarterback added basically no value to the number one guy. And at some point in time it takes a toll. And it's something that is a detriment to the development and the performance of the number one qb. Kirk is a pros pro. We've known that his entire career. He's a guy who's relied on his mastery of the game, mastery of that offense that they're going to be running in in Vegas in particular. And he's relied on his ability to anticipate throw with accuracy and have competitive stamina to the tune of he's made a gazillion dollars off of it. A gazillion. And he isn't the guy who's going to wow you. Kirk, Kirk Cousins for sure when you see him in person, is not going to wow you by his physical stature. He's just not. And I think that relationship between him and Fernando, I think they're made perfectly for one another in terms of being able to coexist, really help one another. However, the depth chart plays itself out and in what time it plays itself out to where it's going to be beneficial to them both. I think John made a very smart move in doing that. I think Clint made a very smart move that being Kubiak and doing that. And I think it's going to pay dividends for sure.

[Chris Russo]

Down the road, talking to Louis Riddick, ESPN NFL college football analyst, where would Cam Ward go in this draft?

[Louis Riddick]

He would be, I mean he'd be right up there in contention for still the number one overall pick. Who would you take this year? Yeah, and you know what? It would be a style thing. Okay, so. So Cam played the game much differently than Fernando. Right. Camp Cam was the guy who could very much so make the off schedule plays, throw from different platforms, but had competitive stamina, has a high degree of football intellect and football intelligence, has a rocket foreign arm, all those things. It's just, it's just a matter of, okay, well Which. Which one are you looking for?

[Dan Patrick]

What.

[Louis Riddick]

What do you want? What do you think is more a fit for what you want? Both in terms of the way he plays the game and the kind of person that he is. Which one do you feel like you're more comfortable with? So it would still be one of those conversations where you would sit there and go, okay, this guy best fits us more so than this guy. Cam's legit. Cam just needs to continue, and coach Salah is going to have to wind up and Brian Dabel are going to have to wind up really getting everything situated around him, getting him on the right page, getting him comfortable in this offense to where he can really shine like Shannon Dawson had him shine down there in Miami. And he will. He will. I have no doubt that Cam is going to have a breakout type of season as they continue to build that thing out around him, but they're two totally different players, and really, it's just a matter of taste. Which one do you want?

[Chris Russo]

Why is it we have a real disparity between. Ty Simpson is a first round pick, maybe better than Fernando Mendoza? I know Orlovsky. And you think highly of Ty Simpson.

[Louis Riddick]

I do.

[Chris Russo]

And then you have other people, including, you know, an NFL scout I spoke to last night who said, I don't have a first round grade on him, but that doesn't mean he won't go in the first round. Why is there such a wide disparity of opinions on him?

[Louis Riddick]

Because we're human beings. And you can show human beings the same tape, the same, you know, four or five games, the same throw, and they would look, look at it, and two people would vary wide, wildly and widely in terms of what they just saw. People see things differently. Now. There are some objective statistics that people won't move off of that they feel as though do not project a high level of performance. For Ty Simpson, number one is his height, his weight, his playing experience, how the season they believe was uneven for him. Those are objective things. You know, those are objective things. His height, his weight, his, you know, his. His hand size, his statistics, his. His playing experience. Those are all objective things that you can measure. All right. Then there's the subjective realm that you have to move into and the. That really does affect the projection. And some people aren't comfortable going there. They really aren't. They just want to look at. Look, show me the data and show me what data usually leads to projecting a high level of success and what doesn't. Well, there's too many data points that say that this guy is not going to become a franchise caliber quarterback. And they won't move off of it. They just won't. But if you watch regular season versus Georgia on the road, regular season versus Missouri, on the road, in the playoffs versus Oklahoma, down 17 points and the throws that he made three bring that football team back. I would look at that same person who said, hey, you know what, I don't care, his height, his weight and his playing experience says he isn't going to be very good. I'm going to, I'm going to say to them, well, you explain to me this whole shot and cover two against a Georgia football team on the road in Athens. You tell me if that projects to the NFL. Tell me if this seven step play action pass that he throws on the money over the movie to Jeremy Bernard, basically having to blindly throw this ball and trust that he's going to be there. You tell me if that projects to the NFL, because I can tell you this, there's a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL right now who can't do that. And he's doing it over and over and over again against high level competition. What more do you want? What more do you want? What more do you want him to do? So I get that the resume isn't that extensive. I get that I would like that you would like your quarterback to be 6, 4, 6, 5. I get that. And then you have Fernando, right? Who is that? And they say, oh, you know what? But he isn't quite athletic enough. He can't really do what Zach Wilson did in his pro day. He can't roll left and throw right 60 yards down the field. It's like, well, damn, well, what do you want then? What is it that you want? You want Josh Allen? You want the finished Josh Allen, not the Josh Allen who came out of school. Many people thought, I don't really know what this guy's going to be. You want the current version of Patrick Mahomes, right? Well, who the hell doesn't? I will tell you this. When Peyton came out, there's another comparison. I'm just gonna hold. I'm gonna hold this one in my pocket until draft night. But I played against a guy who reminds me of Fernando Mendoza and he was a Pro bowl quarterback and he was really, really, really, really high. Highly drafted who had great decision making, great accuracy, great leadership skills. Isn't that what the, isn't that what the position is about? And ultimately isn't it about winning? I'm sitting here, I pull out, I pull out my book here. Where did it go, man? Oh, here it is. So I'm sitting there going, I need to go back to the football bible

[Chris Russo]

here with Bill Walsh.

[Louis Riddick]

That's right. Finding the winning edge to talk about.

[Chris Russo]

Are you saying Mendoza reminds you of Peyton Manning?

[Louis Riddick]

That football horsepower, that mental horsepower that he has, that leadership that he has, that commitment, that like unwavering commitment to the game? Yeah, those makeup things remind me of those kind of great players. It does. Fernando has probably. Fernando has a stronger arm than what Peyton Manning had. And have Mel Kuiper tell you stories about how Peyton Manning, how when he came out in the draft and they were comparing him to Ryan Leaf, how some people thought, this guy can't even throw the ball, wobbles all over the place. He can't throw a tight spiral. Fernando Mendoza could throw a tight spiral. I watched it. I was standing right there, five feet away from him. He can fire that thing. No, he doesn't run around like Jaden Daniels. He can't make the off schedule plays like Caleb Williams. But I'll tell you what he can do. He can go into an organization, into a program, galvanize an entire football team, level up everyone around him because of his football intellect and his in his competitive stamina. He can come back after getting his face knocked off like against Ohio State in the Big Ten championship, and then come back and rip your heart out. You can make big time runs when he needs to, like he did against Miami. And he could throw 41 touchdowns and touch every part of the field. If that's what you want in your quarterback, you should probably draft Fernando Mendoz.

[Chris Russo]

I like you getting fired up here in April.

[Louis Riddick]

That's because you know what, this conversation about quarterback, I mean, I love it. I'm passionate about it. I really am. Winning requires more than just being able to throw the football 70 yards down the field at court. And we know this, but at this time of year, every year we get so drunk on the traits that we forget about the intangible part of the game that is really where people separate themselves. And that's where this young man is going to separate himself. I truly do believe that. Especially after sitting there and talking to him, looking at him in the face, watching him interact with his guys, listening to Coach Signetti sit there right next to me and talk to me about this. I'm sold. I take my chances.

[Chris Russo]

Great to talk to you. We'll see you in Pittsburgh.

[Louis Riddick]

Absolutely. Can't wait.

[Chris Russo]

Yeah, we'll have you stop by if you get an opportunity. We'll be there.

[Louis Riddick]

Hey man, I will make the opportunity. You know that.

[Chris Russo]

Okay.

[Louis Riddick]

I love talking to you, Dan. I appreciate you.

[Chris Russo]

Thank you. Louis Lewis Riddick of the Mothership this

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