The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Best of The Dan Patrick Show – Episode Summary

Release Date: March 10, 2025
Host: Dan Patrick
Network: iHeartPodcasts and Dan Patrick Podcast Network
Description: A curated compilation featuring highlights from The Dan Patrick Show, offering in-depth discussions on the latest in sports and pop culture with a touch of humor.

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1. NCAA Tournament Bids and Upcoming Geography Game

Timestamp: [02:34] – [03:16]

Dan Patrick and co-host Paul Pabst kick off the episode by discussing the recent NCAA tournament bids. Highlights include:

• Omaha's Placement: Omaha has secured bids to face Lipscomb and High Point, setting the stage for the upcoming geography-themed game segment.

  Dan Patrick: "Omaha's in Lipscomb and High Point and we will play the geography game coming up here."

• Drake University: Clarification on Drake's status, emphasizing it's Drake the school, not the artist.

  Paul Pabst: "I like Drake. Drake's had a bad year, but not that Drake."

2. Major NFL Trades and Contract Updates

Timestamp: [03:16] – [10:18]

The hosts delve into the whirlwind of NFL news over the weekend, focusing on significant trades and contract extensions:

• Miles Garrett Stays with Cleveland:

  Paul Pabst: "Miles Garrett staying with Cleveland. The Raiders go out and get Geno Smith."

• Geno Smith to the Raiders:

  Dan Patrick: "The Raiders have acquired Geno Smith, adding stability to their quarterback position."

• Josh Allen's Contract Extension:

  Paul Pabst: "Josh Allen got a contract extension, which could provide salary cap relief for the team."

• DK Metcalf Joins the Steelers:

  Dan Patrick: "Steelers have secured DK Metcalf, enhancing their offensive firepower."

• Devonte Adams to the Rams:

  Paul Pabst: "Devonte Adams has been traded to the Rams, similar to opening Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve."

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3. In-Depth Analysis with NFL Insider Judy Bautista

Timestamp: [10:18] – [26:28]

Judy Bautista from NFL Network joins the conversation to provide expert insights on the latest NFL developments:

• Miles Garrett's Decision to Stay:

  Judy Bautista: "Cleveland wasn't fielding trade offers or they didn't get blown away by anybody. They were pretty steadfast in not trading Garrett."

  Dan Patrick: "Miles Garrett wanted to leave, but Cleveland wasn't willing to trade him unless the offer was substantial."

• Financial Implications for the Bengals and Cowboys:

  Paul Pabst: "The Bengals and Cowboys waited too long to secure their star players, leading to significantly higher contract payouts."

  Dan Patrick: "Waiting creates tension with players and forces teams to pay much more later on, which isn't financially responsible."

• Raiders Acquiring Geno Smith:

  Judy Bautista: "Geno Smith provides the Raiders with a reliable quarterback, placing them in a highly competitive division."

  Dan Patrick: "Geno may be a B-level quarterback, but his presence offers more stability compared to drafting an unproven rookie."

• Steelers' Strategy with DK Metcalf:

  Dan Patrick: "Acquiring DK Metcalf without having a quarterback under contract is a bold move. It positions them offensively but leaves the quarterback position uncertain."

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4. Contract Negotiations and Team Strategies

Timestamp: [26:28] – [36:36]

The discussion shifts to broader issues of contract negotiations and team strategies in the NFL:

• Bengals and Cowboys' Financial Strategies:

  Paul Pabst: "Both teams delayed extending their star players, leading to inflated contracts. The Bengals now owe Jamar Chase and Michael Parsons significantly more than if they had acted earlier."

  Dan Patrick: "Proactive contract extensions, like Buffalo did with Josh Allen, offer financial flexibility and prevent unnecessary overpayments."

• Buffalo's Proactive Approach:

  Paul Pabst: "Buffalo was proactive with Josh Allen's extension, ensuring they retain their MVP-caliber quarterback without financial strain."

  Dan Patrick: "This strategy avoids creating tension and maintains team stability, unlike the Bengals and Cowboys who are now burdened with higher salaries."

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5. NBA Highlights: LeBron's Injury and Nikola Jokic's Performance

Timestamp: [49:03] – [58:16]

Transitioning from NFL to NBA, the hosts highlight notable events:

• LeBron James' Groin Injury:

  Dan Patrick: "LeBron's groin injury provides the Lakers with a much-needed rest period before the playoffs, allowing other players like Luka to step up."

  Paul Pabst: "While some see this as beneficial, there's concern about the injury's impact on LeBron's performance and the team's chemistry."

• Nikola Jokic's Historic Performance:

  Paul Pabst: "Nikola Jokic posted two triple-doubles in a single game against the Suns, a first in NBA history."

  Dan Patrick: "Jokic's achievement underscores his dominance, although it hasn't yet secured him the MVP title."

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6. Closing Poll and Audience Interaction

Timestamp: [58:16] – [03:10]

The show concludes with interactive segments, including poll questions and audience engagement:

• Poll Question Results:

  Dan Patrick: "Who had the best weekend – Geno Smith, Miles Garrett, DK Metcalf, or Devonte Adams?"

  Participants: Miles Garrett was favored for his lucrative contract, while Devonte Adams was praised for moving to a competitive team.

• True or False Segment:

  Dan Patrick: "True or false: Myles Garrett is only interested in getting the bag, not a ring."

  Paul Pabst: "It's true. Garrett wanted to leave Cleveland but ended up staying due to the team's refusal to trade him."

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Notable Quotes

• Dan Patrick [03:05]: "Drake the school and SIU."
• Paul Pabst [03:10]: "That's down in Ohio Valley. That's your region."
• Judy Bautista [10:18]: "Cleveland wasn't fielding trade offers or they didn't get blown away by anybody."
• Paul Pabst [26:28]: "The Bengals and Cowboys waited too long to secure their star players, leading to significantly higher contract payouts."
• Dan Patrick [49:20]: "LeBron's groin injury is good for LeBron and the Lakers."

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Conclusion

The episode encapsulates a dynamic discussion on pivotal NFL trades, strategic contract negotiations, and notable NBA performances. Featuring expert analysis from Judy Bautista, Dan Patrick and Paul Pabst provide listeners with comprehensive insights into the sports world's latest developments, ensuring fans stay informed and engaged.

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Listen to The Best of The Dan Patrick Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

[Dan Patrick]

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[Paul Pabst]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Paul Pabst]

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[Dan Patrick]

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[Paul Pabst]

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[Dan Patrick]

Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4 lines of your virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service support in 90 plus days device, knowledgeable carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months. Foreign what's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101 free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. What's up everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Paul Pabst]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Dan Patrick]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right? Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop.

[Paul Pabst]

By to join us.

[Dan Patrick]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Paul Pabst]

Listen to Energyline with Nate and jsb.

[Dan Patrick]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Pabst]

I'm Mark Seal.

[Dan Patrick]

And I'm Nathan King. This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

[Paul Pabst]

The five families did not want us to shoot that picture.

[Dan Patrick]

This podcast is based on my co host Mark Seals best selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Ronald Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others. Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Mel Reed, LPGA Tour winner and six time Lady Jupine Tour winner and Kyra K. Dixon, NBC Sports Reporter and host.

[Paul Pabst]

And we've got a new podcast, Quiet.

[Dan Patrick]

Please with Mel and Kira. We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture. Some interviews with incredible people who have figured how to make golf their superpower. An iHeart wins sports production in partnership.

[Paul Pabst]

With Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.

[Dan Patrick]

You can find us on iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

[Paul Pabst]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio. Couple of things with NCAA bids, Omaha. Omaha's in Lipscomb and High Point and we will play the geography game coming up here. If there is a team that does qualify during the show, let me, Paulie, break into programming there. A few other teams in there as well that qualified.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, Drake's in. Of course.

[Paul Pabst]

I like Drake. Drake's had a bad year, but not that Drake.

[Dan Patrick]

Right?

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Drake the school.

[Paul Pabst]

Drake the school and siu.

[Dan Patrick]

Edwardsville.

[Paul Pabst]

Dan is in Edwardsville.

[Dan Patrick]

That's down in Ohio Valley. That's your region.

[Paul Pabst]

Ish.

[Dan Patrick]

When you played ball.

[Paul Pabst]

Okay. LeBron injures his groin his own. And the cavs have won 14 in a row. The football news over the weekend. We will explore a little deeper. Judy Bautista, an NFL insider for NFL Network. Great appearance last time. She'll join us coming up here in about 15 minutes from now. Miles Garrett staying with Cleveland. The Raiders go out and get Geno Smith. Josh Allen got a contract extension. Steelers got DK Metcalf. Devonte Adams goes to the Rams. This is similar to opening Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. That's what yesterday was this weekend was like. Today is Christmas. This is when the news is supposed to break. Noon Eastern is when they can kind of make this all official. We got Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. Hey, I'm not complaining. There's some big news, big news items yesterday, the Miles Garrett staying with Cleveland, Geno Smith going to the Raiders. And I think we're looking at all these scenarios and you go, why we knew DK Metcalf wanted out, but you're going to go to Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh doesn't even know who their quarterback is. Or they might know. We don't know yet. And we brought this up a couple of weeks ago, Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers. That possibility, it's at least in the exploratory stage from what I'm told that they haven't ruled it out. And then I saw where what's Russell Wilson going to do? What's Justin Fields going to do? And then I saw a report, maybe Justin Fields to the Jets. Hasn't this young man suffered enough they shouldn't do that to him, but he might be the starting quarterback. It's wild. It's like Seattle, you know, they said, yeah, we'll trade Geno Smith. Okay, well, Seattle must know what they're doing. If they just traded Geno Smith and they've gotten rid of Tyler Lockett or they're going to lose him and then DK Metcalf as well. And this is a team that won 10 games last year, and you're going to trade Geno to Pete Carroll and the Raiders, and does that preclude them from maybe going after Shador Sanders? Now? I was told it wouldn't. That they could still see them drafting a quarterback. Now, are you going to draft a quarterback in the top 10? That's a little bit different if you're going to go out and get Geno Smith. But Tom Brady's influence has already had an impact there. Josh Allen gets an extension, and if this helps them with salary cap relief, pushes the contract down the road, you're eventually going to have to pay him again. Do you get ahead of the market, which, you know, there's some teams that do and some teams that don't. Dallas Cowboys don't. And it costs them all the time. It's going to cost them. With Michael Parsons and Micah Parsons probably had a. I'm gonna guess a celebration yesterday. I would have, because all of a sudden he looks at what Miles Garrett got to stay in Cleveland, and Michael Parsons is going to be asking for something that begins with a 4 and not a 3. Jamar Chase probably had a really good day yesterday as well. He didn't do anything. But the Browns have said they're going to make him the highest paid non quarterback. Why they said this, I don't know. Why they have not done this, I don't know. But it's going to cost you. If the guy is great, then pay him. That's it. Okay, there's a band aid, and it might hurt a little bit, but, boy, down the road, I'd rather have a band aid than need stitches. And that's what's happening with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys. Is Jamar Chase as much of a sure thing in the NFL? And the answer is yes, this is exactly what you wanted out of a player that you drafted that high to be great. Now pay him. Pay that man his money. And then with Michael Parsons, pay him. Remember when TJ Wad getting 30 million? We're like, man, what is going on in the NFL? That seems like the. The old days it wasn't that long ago. And then Miles Garrett. Okay, I know a little more about this than I'm allowed to talk about, but Miles Garrett, you know, talking about staying in Cleveland, didn't want to stay in Cleveland. He had. Now, let's go back to when he had his statement during the Super Bowl. As a kid dreaming of the NFL, all I focused on was the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. And my goal fuels me today more than ever. I've loved calling this city my home. My desire to win and compete on the biggest stages won't allow me to be complacent. The goal was never to go from Cleveland to Canton. It's always been to compete and win a Super Bowl. With that in mind, I've requested to be traded from the Cleveland Browns. Whoa. Okay, this. And once again, I got to be careful in what I'm going to tell you that. Spent 20 minutes with somebody yesterday, and because I was like, boy, that was a big turnaround. Well, Cleveland wasn't fielding trade offers or they didn't get blown away by anybody. And I think what happened is Miles Garrett's representatives probably said, hey, they're not going to trade you. I mean, you can't be the GM who signs desean Watson and then trades away Miles Garrett. Like, that's not good on your resume. I think Cleveland was pretty steadfast. They were not going to trade him. They said they weren't going to trade him, and we thought, well, they have to trade him. I think what happened is it was basically, okay, what can we pay you? So you want to stay here? And it got to $40 million, I think. I think that's really what's happening here. Miles Garrett wanted to go someplace else. They didn't get blown away by a deal. And then therefore, he had to basically say, okay, I'm going to stay, but what are you going to pay me? Because I think he also said, hey, this isn't about being the highest paid player in the league, which I didn't buy, even if he went to someplace else. But I think that's what happened in Cleveland. I, once again, I got to be careful in what I'm saying, because I got information yesterday that there's more to the story that I'm not allowed to tell you about. I have to wait and let the process kind of play out here. Yes, Pauline.

[Dan Patrick]

But the common reaction is what changed for Miles Garrett because they didn't add some star players in the past two months to bolster that team and make them more competitive? They're still the Browns.

[Paul Pabst]

So he couldn't do anything about it, right? Like he, he. I don't think he wanted to stay there. I think that they gave him an offer that will satisfy him and they were know adamant they weren't going to trade him. I don't know if he goes. Yeah, you know what, on second thought, I think we can win it all. I think we can be competitive. I think he's just being honest that I did want to go. I can't go. I'm staying now. You know, make me the highest paid non quarterback in the league so he can save face as well, you know, because we'll eventually move on from this. You know, right now it's like, oh yeah, great. You said you were going to, you wanted to be with a contender, somebody could compete for Super Bowl. Cleveland's roster hasn't really changed that much. That's what I was told that Miles did want to leave. They were not going to trade him. They were not blown away. And then I think both parties, how do we make this work moving forward? And that's how he ended up at $40 million. The Geno Smith situation, I like it for the Raiders because now you have somebody who can play quarterback and you're in a division that is the most competitive division in football now. You got to at least every Sunday know that your quarterback gives you a chance. And maybe Geno Smith is a B level quarterback, but that's okay. You got Brock Bowers, you got Max Crosby, you got a chance in the draft to get somebody. I'm told that they're going to get Ashton Genty. I was told that yesterday. Now once again, I can tell you things that are, you know, what are we five weeks out from the draft, a month out from the draft? Things will change. But I'm trying to understand the philosophy of I don't know what Seattle's doing because that's a clearance sale. And are you going to go get Sam Darnold? So you get a younger quarterback doesn't mean he's a better quarterback. In fact, I would probably still, I would take Geno Smith over Sam Darnold, especially the way Seattle plays, you know, it's a ball control, grind it out, makes, you know, a couple of plays and Gino has played well. But the Raiders got a quarterback that they can count on and they haven't had that for a little while. As for Seattle, I'm not sure if is this a rebuild or reload? That front office has always been great. They find talent and that's a division you can win. That's what surprised me. They could have just stayed with what they had there. Now, DK Metcalf, I've said before, he should be a whole lot better. Every time I see him, I see DEZ Bryant without the resume. And maybe this helps him, but I can't imagine George Pickens and DK Metcalf being happy with, hey, you got four targets today. How. How about our running game? Like now, if you get Aaron Rodgers. Okay, then I could see where that would be a little more interesting. I think the Rams had an unbelievable day because you're going to get Cooper Cups salary off the books, and you bring in devonte Adams. And I always want to know, how far out do you think the Rams go? You know, we're going to get rid of Cooper Cup. Who can we get? Now you start going, okay, what are the jets going to do with devonte? But that's when you make a phone call. These things don't happen in a span of, you know, six hours, 12 hours. I know there's the legal tampering, which I still find amazing, that it's like jumbo shrimp. Wait, it's doesn't make sense. Legal tampering? Why do we even call it legal tampering? But devonte Adams going there. Matthew Stafford's got to be thrilled. So you got devonte Adams and Puka Nukua. You got a good running game, you got a young defense. You know, you get Matthew Stafford back. They, the Rams are in great shape. Great shape. But there's teams that didn't do anything. What are the Giants doing? What are the Giants doing? Are you going all in to get Cam Warren? Because is Justin Fields going to be plan B? I don't know. Or is Justin Fields going to the Jet? What are the jets doing? So is Russell Wilson involved in this? And the Steelers, I'm guessing you get, like, you have two quarterbacks, but you don't feel like you have one quarterback. You got. You just traded for G. Like, if I'm DK Metcalf, the first thing I say is, well, who's going to be quarterback? Hey, I'm glad you're going to give me $150 million. But who's going to be the quarterback here? That's a big question there. And can Aaron Rodgers fit in with the Steelers if that would happen? Kind of wild. Kind of wild. Yes, Tom.

[Dan Patrick]

And you're still hearing that buzz, even.

[Paul Pabst]

Up until this weekend. Giants, Vikings, Aaron Rodgers, it's like all.

[Dan Patrick]

Over the place right now with him.

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah. I thought that the Vikings basically said to JJ McCarthy will be our starting quarterback. And then I saw where, well, he's coming back from a devastating injury, might not be ready to go. And that's why you reach out to Aaron Rodgers. I'm not quite sure, but if I'm deep, you know, J.J. mcCarthy, I probably think I'm going to be the starter. But if you're Aaron Rodgers, he, in his mind, he's still a starter. May not be reality, but it may be, hey, you want to be the starting quarterback for the Giants for one year, $30 million. Or take your chances elsewhere? Yeah. Paulie.

[Dan Patrick]

It's almost like the Vikings were too competitive last year to start developing a quarterback. They were surprisingly competitive because of Darnold. They may move on from Darnold, but now they have to replace him with a guy who could help them win the division. Now, it's a weird place to be. If they were under.500 last year, they finished under 500. Move on to JJ McCarthy. Comeley. But it's like they're weirdly competitive.

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah. Yes.

[Dan Patrick]

And social media's been having fun with the far of comparison. You play for the packers, you go to the Jets.

[Paul Pabst]

Oh, boy. You say you can't do it, but he can do it. Yeah, he didn't care. Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live. Hey, it's Steve Covino and I'm Rich Davis. And together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Patrick]

You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific, on Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio app.

[Paul Pabst]

Why should you listen to Covino and Rich?

[Dan Patrick]

We talk about everything.

[Paul Pabst]

Life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends.

[Dan Patrick]

For the last 20 years and still.

[Paul Pabst]

Work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We like to get you involved, too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on.

[Dan Patrick]

Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive.

[Paul Pabst]

Show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Kovino and Rich.

[Dan Patrick]

Wherever you get your podcast.

[Paul Pabst]

And of course, on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

[Dan Patrick]

It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always queen quotable Nate Thompson. I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have.

[Paul Pabst]

Plenty to say, and not just about hockey.

[Dan Patrick]

Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially linemates, Nate. We're the Energy Line. We'll have plenty of folks join us. Current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers, and wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay. We'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate? I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Pabst]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to share my podcast with you. Math and stories from the frontiers of marketing. This week I'm talking to the CEO.

[Dan Patrick]

Of Moderna, Stephane Bonsell, about how he.

[Paul Pabst]

Led his team through unprecedented times to create, test and distribute a COVID vaccine.

[Dan Patrick]

All in less than a year.

[Paul Pabst]

It becomes a human decision to decide to throw by the window your business strategy and to do what you think is the right thing for the world. Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math, and the.

[Dan Patrick]

Ever important creative spark, the magic.

[Paul Pabst]

Listen to math and magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dan Patrick]

I'm Mary Kay McBrayer, host of the.

[Paul Pabst]

Podcast the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told.

[Dan Patrick]

Join me every week as I tell.

[Paul Pabst]

Some of the most enthralling true crime stories about women who are not just.

[Dan Patrick]

Victims, but heroes or villains, or often somewhere in between.

[Paul Pabst]

Listen to the greatest true crime stories ever told on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you know that companies hire the most in the first two months of the year or that nearly half of workers are worried about being left behind. I am Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's editor at large for jobs and career development, and my show Get Hired brings you all the information you need to, well, get hired.

[Paul Pabst]

People are forming opinions of you even.

[Dan Patrick]

Before you log into the Zoom or.

[Paul Pabst]

Walk into the room. And so you really have to think about what is it I want to display.

[Dan Patrick]

You don't plant a garden and then just walk away and expect it to thrive. You are in there pulling out the weeds. You're pruning it, you're watering it. It's the same thing with your network. You should always be in there actively managing your network. If you don't feel confident to say a number, even admitting that to a recruiter is going to be far better than saying, well, what is your budget for the role? A lot is in the follow up, right? Don't wait to follow up. Whether you're a new grad, an established professional, or contemplating a career change, Get Hired is for you. Listen to Get Hired with Andrew seaman on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you like to listen. I'm Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's chief product officer. If you're just as curious as I am about the way things are built, the insights behind what it takes to create a world renowned product, then tune in to my podcast, Building One. There's so much to learn, like how Patagonia innovates with its supply chain. We had to go out to farmers and convince them it was really damn hard. Or the way Adobe thinks about the first interaction somebody has with Photoshop. I was always so fascinated by how people navigate and find their way. Ever wanted to know how Nike builds emotion into the Jordan brand? You have to be obsessed with the.

[Paul Pabst]

Current state of the human condition and.

[Dan Patrick]

It doesn't stop there. What about how Glean reinvented knowledge? Search with AI? You can learn about how a Michelin star chef is redesigning seeds for flavor and how Pixar is nurturing a creative culture. Listen to Building One on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Pabst]

Dylan is in for Seaton today. He'll handle the poll question duties. How about our one poll question?

[Dan Patrick]

All right, Dan Hour one poll. Who had the best weekend, excluding Josh Allen?

[Paul Pabst]

Okay. Geno Smith, Miles Garrett, D.K.

[Dan Patrick]

Metcalf, or Devonte Adams?

[Paul Pabst]

Okay. Well, I would say Miles Garrett because of what he's getting paid. But he still has to get paid playing for the Cleveland Browns.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes, Paulie Devonte Adams at this juncture of his career goes to a competitive team, big market and a drop back timing quarterback that's perfect for him.

[Paul Pabst]

Judy Batista, senior national columnist, co host of the Insiders on NFL Network Let me start there, Judy. Who had the best weekend?

[Dan Patrick]

I would say devonte Adams as well. He got, I think more than many people thought he was going to get. He's with a team very much on the rise. I mean they are way ahead of schedule. He gets to stay in California where he's from. I think he had the best weekend because as you put it perfectly, Miles Garrett just for the cash alone, but he's staying with a team that we now know he didn't want to be with just a few days ago.

[Paul Pabst]

Why didn't Cleveland get an offer that could at least have them budge off this stance of we're not going to trade Miles Gareth?

[Dan Patrick]

I don't think they ever even entertain the idea of trading Myles Garrett. Listen, so much has gone wrong for that team. Obviously the Deshaun Watson deal was just a catastrophe that you can't trade your best player. I mean, he's not just their best player. This is a Hall of Fame caliber player. He's arguably the best defensive player in the league every year. You just can't trade that guy. And if you're going to give your fans anything to hang on to, you can't trade that guy. So unless they were, somebody came to them with, you know, we'll give you four number ones, which I don't think anybody was doing. Like they just couldn't entertain anything. And if we take them at their word, and I think we can because they were saying the same things to teams that they were saying to reporters. They were never trading him.

[Paul Pabst]

Is it irresponsible though of them that yes, this guy is going, you know, Cleveland to Canton, but maybe there's a stop in between with Detroit or Washington or whoever. Maybe somebody overpays to make you a bet. If I'm Cleveland Browns fan, it's nice that I'm going to see him in uniform, but are we any better by having him in uniform instead of trying to get something else to kind of restart this, this franchise?

[Dan Patrick]

I saw a lot of that online yesterday when the deal happened. A lot of fans saying like, shouldn't we have gotten the fall of draft picks? Draft picks are gambles, right? You don't know how they're going to pan out. You do know what this guy is going to do, right? He's going to sack the quarterback 15 times a season. At least he is going to give you a chance to win. I think part of what kept him in Cleveland, aside from the obvious, the pile of money, is they sold him on the idea that they have a plan to be back. Right. They were in the playoffs only a couple of years ago. Like, we're not, you know, the roster is not completely barren. This is what we're going to do at quarterback. And I think as those things come to light, maybe the decision will make a little bit more sense. You know, I think he read the tea leaves and his representatives read the tea leaves, that they were never going to trade him. I mean, Jimmy Haslam wouldn't even meet with him and basically said, like, you know, go deal with Andrew Berry. Don't try to come appealing to me for a trade. Go talk to Andrew Berry. And I think they, you know, they came to the conclusion, like, you're not getting traded unless you are willing to hold out and sacrifice, you know, a year's worth of salary, because that's the only alternative. You need to come to grips with the fact that you're not getting traded. So make the best deal you can and try to figure out how you can be happy here.

[Paul Pabst]

What are the Seahawks doing?

[Dan Patrick]

That's a good question. It's hard to really question John Schneider because he's very, very good, but certainly this is a reset, at the very least, moving Geno Smith. I always got the impression that maybe John Schneider, he was always less committal about Geno Smith than maybe the coaches were. Mike McDonald was at the combine, only, you know, what was that two weeks ago saying, like, we love Geno Smith. He's definitely our quarterback. But I always thought John Schneider was a little bit more reserved. And it's a. I think it's a good move for Geno Smith. I think it's a fairly decent move for the Seahawks, presuming that they already know who their next quarterback is going to be. And it's hard for me to imagine that a GM as good as John Schneider would trade your starting quarterback without having a very, very strong idea of who the next guy is. So I assume that that domino will fall as soon as the window opens today for negotiations.

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah, I rarely question what the front office does in Seattle. They're. They're very buttoned up. They're very smart. Yes. You know, if you're getting Sam Darnold, look, Gino is an older, a little above average quarterback. It gives you a little more stability. With the Raiders competing in the AFC west, but the NFC west is winnable. You won 10 games. You know, you went toe to toe with the Rams. The Niners are going to come back a little bit. But I, that's what was surprising is you let your receivers go and it just felt like a tag sale. And I don't know, you know what that big grand plant. Is Sam Darnold going to be the answer? Are they that sure that Sam Darnold is their guy?

[Dan Patrick]

Right. I think they also want a running game. Like I think they just want to retool. Right. This is now a second year head coach who is now going to, instead of working with what was in place, is going to start putting what he wants in place. Right. The kind of system he wants. I generally agree with the idea that like it's a much greater chance that you're going to get worse at quarterback. You already know what Geno Smith is. Are you very, very sure that Sam Darnold is going to repeat the kind of success rate with your program that he had in an almost perfect situation with the Vikings? Right. Where he had just all world weapons, great coaching. Right. He was protected well. So you got to be really sure that that's going to translate. We'll see. But again, I hesitate to question John Schneider because they usually make the right moves at Seattle.

[Paul Pabst]

Who's going to be the quarterback of the Giants?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I don't know. I don't know the answer. For a while I thought all the pieces were lining up that it was going to be Aaron Rodgers. I'm still very curious to see what Aaron Rodgers market would be. The fact that nothing has been completed with Aaron Rodgers makes you pause. As we know from Rodgers in the past, he's deliberate. He's going to think about his options and explore his options and he's not going to be hasty. He certainly doesn't want to make bad decision here. But you know, but if that falls through, what's the fallback plan for the Giants? You know, I don't know. You know, would they be in on Sam Darnold? That's a, that's a different kind of thing. You know, Russell Wilson, that's a different kind of thing. I mean I, you know, when the Aaron Rodgers thing started first bubbling up about the Giants, connected to the Giants, I think a lot of Giants fans, I live in New York, a lot of Giants fans were like, whoa, this is great, no way come. But when you slow down and think about it like there are not a ton of great options for that kind of job right now. Like the veteran guy who's just the bridge guy. We're not talking about a veteran guy like Sam Darnold that you're going to have for the next 10 years. We're talking about a bridge to the next guy that presumably they're going to try to draft this year. It's just there's not that many of them and Aaron Rodgers is the best of the bunch, right? I mean, you would rather have Aaron Rodgers than Russell Wilson at this point or Jameis Winston or, you know, Jimmy Garoppolo, like, you know, who else is out there. So we'll see. I am curious to see what, what the rest of the market would look like for Aaron Rodgers.

[Paul Pabst]

Judy Batista joining us on loan from NFL Network, co host of the Insiders. What, what are the Steelers doing?

[Dan Patrick]

The Steelers are loading up, I think the way last season ended for the Steelers, where it was just clear they didn't have enough firepower, enough offensive firepower to stay with the top teams in the that, you know, that the offense really sagged at the end. I think they are going to fix that. Don't forget they spent all of last year trying to get a big time wide receiver. Right. They were in on Brandon Aiyuk, they were in on Devonte Adams. They got Mike Williams that didn't, you know, okay, whatever. So this was like the long quest for a receiver finally, finally coming to an end and they get DK Metcalf. To me, the interesting thing is are they keeping George Pickens too? Because then you have Pickens and DK Metcalf, which is pretty appealing for a quarterback, whoever the quarterback is. To me, it's amazing that they made the deal for the star wide receiver without having any quarterback under contract. I know, sort of the reverse. But it's quite a good selling point if you have to sell yourself on a quarterback. I mean, for instance, if, if I am a veteran quarterback with options and the Steelers are interested in me, that's a pretty, I mean, I know the weather is tough and it's an extremely difficult division, but those are some pretty good weapons you'd be throwing through.

[Paul Pabst]

We tend to talk about this. It feels like on a yearly basis there's certain teams that are proactive, they're going to extend their star players, they get ahead of the curve, the financial curve. Here we are with Dallas and Micah Parsons and here we are with Jamar Chase. The Bengals could have signed Jamar Chase a while ago, it feels like, and Dallas could have done the same thing. I mean, you'd be Saved. It's only going up. The longer you wait, the more it's going to cost you. So I'm just trying to understand the financial responsibility sensibility with both of these programs. These franchises of. They're great. Pay them, don't wait to pay them.

[Dan Patrick]

I, I don't know. I don't know why they wait. But I mean, this last weekend we've seen the stark. Like what happens when you wait. They, they waited and now they are. Both teams are going to have to pay many, many millions of dollars more, which is great for the players. Well, Michael, Parson, Parsons, and good for Jamar Chase. They deserve, they've earned it. Go get it. But if you're the team that's trying to move around the dollars, I mean, you have really put yourself in a terrible spot. The Bengals, it did it to them twice. First of all, they should have done Jamar Chase last year. They were close. I believe they got hung up on guaranteed money, which now you're like, I mean, the market jumped so significantly, Right. The Max Crosby deal made him the highest paid non quarterback, you know, by a little bit. Now the Miles Garrett makes him by a lot. And the Bengals have said publicly that they're going to make Jamar Chase the highest paid non quarterback. So, I mean, they've got no wiggle room and now that's going to be much more expensive. Same thing for Trey Hendrickson, if they have any thoughts of being able to keep him. Well, the market for pass rushers just took that big leap too, with Myles Garrett. So that's double trouble for them. And then of course, the Michael Parsons thing, which is again, why, why do these teams wait? I don't know, but they're going to pay much, much more than, than they would have if they had just been proactive and got it done early. You always, if you're the team, you want to be the first, right? If you're the player, you want to be the last because you want to. From the team point of view, this was not good.

[Paul Pabst]

And I like what Buffalo did. They were proactive. This kind of came out of nowhere with Josh Allen getting a new deal, but it gives them flexibility.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. Right. And you don't have to, you don't have to think about this. And there's no, the other thing about waiting is it creates tension with the player. Right. Like which you should not want to do. If again, the Bengals know they're keeping Jamar Chase, right? He is a superstar. He's your guy. He's Joe Burrow's guy, you can't let him out of the building. Why would you ever want to create tension with a player like that? So in the case of Buffalo, I mean, obviously Josh Allen is a stud, right? The mvp. Where would that franchise be without him? Yeah, they were proactive. Let's make him happy, keep him happy. Like anything, Anything to make him happy.

[Paul Pabst]

It's like the Bengals are paying their taxes late. The Cowboys pay their taxes late. They're not. And once again, they have to be pretty smart to get in a position to be able to be an owner of a team. But there are times when I just. With Jerry Jones, he did this with Dak. Overpaid for Dak. CD Lamb. Now, you can look at CD Lamb and say, all right, they got a better deal with the, you know, wide receiving market. But Micah Parsons, you know, he's great. Pay him. Pay him. And. And because down the road, these other guys are going to get paid as well. But.

[Dan Patrick]

And the other thing, if I could just add this, the other thing is when you wait and it stretches throughout the off season, as we saw happen with Dallas last year, the players admitted it was a distraction, Right. When you go down to literally opening day for Dak Prescott, right. Hours before kickoff of the season, I mean, they admitted it was on their minds. And that's the last thing you want for a team that considers themselves in the mix now.

[Paul Pabst]

They're all in. And that's what they are. Judy, the Cowboys are all in. Great to busy with you again. Thank you very much.

[Dan Patrick]

Great to see you, Dan. Thanks.

[Paul Pabst]

That's Judy Batista. 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, it's Julie Stewart Banks.

[Dan Patrick]

I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League, and I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson. I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say.

[Paul Pabst]

And not just about hockey.

[Dan Patrick]

Believe me, he does Energy line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's going to be, well, it's going to be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate. We're the energy line. We'll have plenty of folks join us, Current players, some of my former teammates, hall of Famers. And wait till you see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll Lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what energy lines are supposed to do. Provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate? I'm vibing Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Mary Kay McBrayer, host of the.

[Paul Pabst]

Podcast the Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. Join me every week as I tell some of the most enthralling true crime stories about women who are not just.

[Dan Patrick]

Victims, but heroes or villains, or often somewhere in between.

[Paul Pabst]

Listen to the Greatest true crime Stories ever told on the iHeartRadio app, Apple.

[Dan Patrick]

Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Pabst]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to share my podcast with you. Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing this week I'm talking to the.

[Dan Patrick]

CEO of Moderna, Stephane Bonsell, about how.

[Paul Pabst]

He led his team through unprecedented times to create, test and distribute a COVID.

[Dan Patrick]

Vaccine, all in less than a year.

[Paul Pabst]

It becomes a human decision to decide to throw by the window your business strategy and to do what you think is the right thing for the world.

[Dan Patrick]

Join me as we uncover innovations in.

[Paul Pabst]

Data and analytics, the math, and the.

[Dan Patrick]

Ever important creative spark, the magic.

[Paul Pabst]

Listen to Math and Magic stories from the frontiers of Marketing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you know that companies hire the most in the first two months of the year? Or that nearly half of workers are worried about being left behind? I am Andrew Seaman, LinkedIn's editor at large for Jobs and Career Development, and my show Get Hired brings you all the information you need to, well, get hired.

[Paul Pabst]

People are forming opinions of you even.

[Dan Patrick]

Before you log into the zoom or.

[Paul Pabst]

Walk into the room. And so you really have to think about what is it I want to display?

[Dan Patrick]

You don't plant a garden and then just walk away and expect it to thrive. You are in there pulling out the weeds. You're pruning it, you're watering it. It's the same thing with your network. You should always be in there actively managing your network. If you don't feel confident to say a number, even admitting that to a recruiter is going to be far better than saying, well, what is your budget for the role? A lot is in the follow up, right? Don't wait to follow up. Whether you're a new grad, an established professional or contemplating a career change. Get Hired is for you. Listen to Get Hired with Andrew seaman on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you like to listen. I'm Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's chief product officer. If you're just as curious as I am about the way things are built, the insights behind what it takes to create a world renowned product, then tune into my podcast, Building One. There's so much to learn. Like how Patagonia innovates with its supply chain. We had to go out to farmers and convince them it was really damn hard. Or the way Adobe thinks about the first interaction somebody has with Photoshop. I was always so fascinated by how people navigate and find their way. Ever wanted to know how Nike builds emotion into the Jordan brand? You have to be obsessed with the.

[Paul Pabst]

Current state of the human condition.

[Dan Patrick]

And it doesn't stop there. What about how Gleam reinvented knowledge Search with AI? You can learn about how a Michelin star chef is redesigning seeds for flavor and how Pixar is nurturing a creative culture. Listen to Building One on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Paul Pabst]

Todd is here, Paulie's here, Marvin's here. And guess, Danette? It's Dylan, the graphics guy. Our gambler from Dan Patrick takes a gamble. He's in the chair. Seaton is out today and tomorrow. Dylan will handle the poll responsibilities. The poll question responsibilities and anything that you would like to add from the first hour poll question. And what are you going to go with? An hour too? Yeah, Dan. Well, for hour one, we had who.

[Dan Patrick]

Had the best weekend. Geno Smith has zero votes.

[Paul Pabst]

He didn't get one vote for going to the Raiders. Huh? Not one. All right, bringing up the rear. Okay. Not one vote.

[Dan Patrick]

Yes. People aren't that high in the Raiders either.

[Paul Pabst]

Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

But for hour two, kind of going off the Miles Garrett topic. True or false. Myles Garrett is only interested in getting.

[Paul Pabst]

The bag, not a ring. This is a la Todd. I can't do it where it's one or the other. Like, is he interested? Yes, he's interested in the money. But do I think that he wanted to go elsewhere? I do. I just don't think that they got offers. Maybe they didn't even entertain offers. So he has to save face now. Take care of me. I guess I'll. They had. Once again, they had to give Deshaun Watson a deal that he couldn't refuse. He ruled out the Cleveland Browns. I think he wanted to go to Atlanta, but he ruled them out. And Then they said, what if we give you $230 million guaranteed? All of a sudden he wants to go to the Cleveland Browns. Miles Garrett is going to go from Cleveland to Canton to the hall of Fame. Do I think that he wanted to play meaningful games? Yes, I do. Now you go back, but. But this is. You weren't a good team last year with him. I think that they should have. Still. Now, you don't want to give him away, but you have to be open. I just think that that's. It's being irresponsible as a GM to not to at least listen. Now, you might say, no, we told him we weren't trading him. That's how much he means to us. Okay, you don't mean as much to him as he means to you. Because he wanted to leave. But I get that, that you're going to be loyal. We can't. You don't want to be the GM who signed to Sean Watson and traded Miles Garrett. I understand that, but you owe it to your franchise, your fan base, to at least explore. And the teams that are going to be interested in trading for him could be Philadelphia, could have been Washington, could be Detroit. These are all good teams. They may give you three first round picks. I think they were looking maybe for four. Were you going to get a Herschel Walker deal? I don't think so. So now what do you do? You got Miles Garrett. Great. Now what? Nick Chubb's not going to be there. Who's your quarterback? Jamis Winston, wide receiver. Like, what do you have here? I mean, is that your tune in factor? Hey, we got Miles Garrett, okay? You guys got dominated last year. The defense got dominated, okay? He's going to give you 15 sacks. Great. Now what happens on all the other plays and when the offense is on the field, it just. You're going to get out from underneath Deshaun Watson's contract. Now you just spend $40 million on a defensive player. You need help. I just think it's irresponsible for the Browns to put out a statement that says we're not trading him, and then not field calls. What happens if somebody says, we'll give you. And then you go, oh, like there could be one of those moments there. But you could even say to Miles Garrett, hey, we tried. We just didn't get an offer that we thought was commensurate to your talent. You're going to be a Hall of Famer. We would hate to give you up, but only if it helps our franchise moving. You know, in the next decade, like in, in the right direction and they didn't get that opportunity. A lot of times we overestimate what somebody's going to bring in return. Where you go, oh, they traded this guy and they got a fifth round draft pick. Wow. Oh, they, they gave up that guy. They got a fourth round draft pick in 2028. Like you just a lot of it is take them. They cost too much money and we want something in return. And I think that's what happens a lot of times. Devonte Adams going to the Rams, I think is a great move. Great move, Seattle. I don't know what they're doing, but I'll give that front office the benefit of the doubt. They make good decisions. Do I want Geno Smith? No. But will I take him over the other quarterbacks that I have? Yes. He is an older quarterback, above average quarterback, but he gives us a little more stability. Are they still going to draft a quarterback? Are they going to draft Ashton Genty? That's what I was told over the weekend. And is this a Tom Brady call? Like, how much did Pete Carroll weigh in with Tom? I'm going to guess a lot to say, let's bring in Gino. I can bring out the best in him. And if you're tomorrow, you probably are going, we got to find a franchise quarterback here. Like, this is. This is basically a two year situation for us and also the coaches that have to win now. Now Pete Carroll at his age wants to win now. Now he's joining a team that's not very good. I don't know if he looks at this and says, let's develop a quarterback over the next couple of years. I mean, Pete is the oldest coach in the NFL. You also have the Giant situation. Do you want to bring in a rookie quarterback for a coaching staff that may not make it to the second half of the season? Do you want to bring in Aaron Rodgers, who does make you better, but only makes you better for a year and that doesn't solve anything. Like, I'd rather grow with this and we might not be a competitive team. Maybe we have a good draft pick next year. Aaron Rodgers can come in and all of a sudden it's, you know, like putting earrings on a pig. All right, still pig. And that's the situation here with the Giants, the Jets, what are they doing? What's their quarterbacking situation? The Steelers. You start to look at these teams and you go, okay, there's only so many quarterbacks to go around here. You know, do the jets go? Well, I don't know. Let's take Justin Fields. Okay. What did the Giants do? You going all in on Cam Ward? Okay, good luck. What's Pittsburgh doing? You don't have a quarterback under contract, but you just brought in DK Metcalf. Seattle, Sam Darnold. Like, what's plan B if you don't get Sam Darnold? What if the Colts say, you know what, we'd like to go after Sam Darnold, we admit we made a mistake on Anthony Richardson. You got a team that can win and can win 10 games. Now, do I think Sam Darnold is great? No. Do I think he played great? Yes. At times he did. The question would be, what's he costing me? Sam Darnold, $60 million. No, Sam Darnold, 45 million. Okay, we can have a conversation here, but he's still under 30. Is he still 27? He's been 27 for about four years. Yes. Marvin.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I think he turns 28.

[Paul Pabst]

Oh, he does 29. It's always, I think he turns 29 in July. But Sam Darnold, he's 27. Oh, is he gonna be 28, Paul?

[Dan Patrick]

28 in July. He's been 27 for 18 months.

[Paul Pabst]

How is that unbelievable? Yeah. So you have these moves here, and then all of a sudden it gets official here, coming up at noon Eastern of who's going where, and then how's that set up for the draft? But yesterday was crazy. The NFL over the weekend, those are some big time moves. You got Josh Allen signing his contract extension. Metcalf goes, the Steelers. Devonte to the Rams. Miles Garrett staying. Geno Smith goes to the Rams. That's wild. So you got a 24 hour span where all of a sudden they go, let's see, have we dominated the headlines in a while? No, we haven't, Commissioner. All right, we will today then. 877-3-DP Show. Email address dpdanpatrick.com Twitter handle @DP Show. So we got our poll question. We'll give you our best and worst of the weekend. LeBron got injured and playing against the Celtics. And Paulie, when we came in today, Paulie goes. LeBron's injured groin is a good thing. I said, okay, save it. I said, don't even tell me what you're thinking until the show so I can react in real time. Here you go, Paulie. LeBron's groin injury is good for LeBron, question mark.

[Dan Patrick]

Absolutely. This is the perfect timing for a guy like LeBron, who's 40, who plays a Lot. He plays a lot in games and he plays a lot of games. He's not a load management guy like his other guys are. He is going to get a nice six game break here right before the playoffs. The other guys can get it together. No one's going to accuse him of sitting out. It's a real groin injury. I think he had like a sprained knee or something the year of the bubble. And he missed like six or seven games in April or late March. If he can get a week and a half off, it's almost, you know, I know a groin injury can nag, but I think actually this is a benefit for the Lakers. LeBron gets a week off without any questions about why he's taking the week off. Luka can take over for a little bit. The other backup players can get a little more run. You go into the playoffs with, at worst, probably the four seed. It's a good injury, weirdly good take, bad take. Okay, you're not buying it? I love it. Well, I don't want it, but I, I like the byproduct of it. It.

[Paul Pabst]

I guess the, the thing that would concern me is the type of injury that it is. Those things tend to stay. It's like a sprained ankle. They tend to stay, they linger a little bit. That'd be the only thing. If you said, hey, LeBron's going to get some rest here. How's this affect your seating? That's really important. But also getting on a roll with Luca and I know you don't want to peak too soon. And it felt like, boy, this team is now championship caliber, which I do think they are, but I think they are when they play defense. I know it's a caveat, an asterisk, but I have to put that in there. Healthy playing defense and, and defense comes down to. Do you want to play defense? They're all athletes, great athletes. Do you want to play defense? Can JJ get them to play defense? And if he can, with the firepower, then they're going to be a tough out. They can compete for a championship. But I think getting on that role, getting comfortable with, with the roles that you have, new roles that you have for some of these players, you know, that, that to me can be that, you know, we, we lost the opportunity when LeBron got hurt that can we improve? What's our matchup going to be in the playoffs? Who fits us better than some of these other team? You might have a dangerous team at seven or eight that you run into that you can avoid. Yes, Marvin. Yeah, I disagree completely.

[Dan Patrick]

I think this is terrible for them.

[Paul Pabst]

Because if they go on a six.

[Dan Patrick]

Game skid, they're easily in the playing. They're only four games out of the playing tournament. So if LeBron's not there and they.

[Paul Pabst]

Lose five out of six, they could.

[Dan Patrick]

Be where the Timberwolves are.

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah. And so now they got to play in the.

[Dan Patrick]

Play in just to get into the regular playoffs. So hopefully Luca and those guys can, you know, try to at least stay above, above water.

[Paul Pabst]

I like that. Good take, bad take from the front row. Yes, John, that's what I was wondering too. Is that enough time?

[Dan Patrick]

That would throw up chemistry. I know he just got to the team recently, but a week or two, could that. That become a problem for them and it'll take a while for them to get back into the groove together.

[Paul Pabst]

LeBron and Luca, I don't know, they seem to be doing a pretty good job. You know, it came back to LeBron makes, he makes this work. Luke is not changing who he is. LeBron can change who he is in accordance to what the team needs. But you got to play defense. The best performance over the weekend was Nikola Jokic. 31, 21, 22. And he did it on a Friday night and a win against the Suns. And you know, he's not bothered by it. You know, Van Pelt interviewed him and basically this never happened in the history of the NBA. And he's like, yeah, well, I'm just glad we won the first 30, 20, 20 in NBA history. With 10 minutes to go in the third quarter, Joker had already recorded a triple double. From that point on, he had 18, 11 and 12. So he had two triple doubles in the same game. He had a triple double in a quarter and a half. This is the stat of the day. Is that a double? Triple double? Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Is that the term?

[Paul Pabst]

I don't, I don't know. But he had two triple doubles in the same game. So it's a double, triple double. Is that what you get at Wendy's? Oh, the double, triple double, please.

[Dan Patrick]

Special meal.

[Paul Pabst]

Yes. Yes, Marvin. And he's still not going to win MVP. No, he's not. He's not. SGA had 40, so he's had at least 40 in three straight games. And yeah, I mean, he's going to win it. He's not the most valuable player, he's not the best player, but it's his time, his turn. That's it. Because, you know, Joker's having a better year than he had in his previous MVP years. And probably means more to his team than SGA does to Oklahoma City. But I've been around long enough to know that, you know, I saw when Carl Malone won and when Charles Barkley won, and you could not convince me they were better than Michael Jordan or more valuable. But it was their turn. It was their time, and that's sga. And I do think that there's a groundswell with the analyst, former players who won SGA to win for whatever reason, you know, Oklahoma City's having a great year. Well, has anybody brought up Donovan Mitchell as an MVP candidate?

[Dan Patrick]

No.

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah. Why not? Because he's probably averaging 22 a game and SGA is averaging 30, 31.

[Dan Patrick]

I think if Donovan Mitchell was the far and away leader because they.

[Paul Pabst]

The Cavaliers seem like very equal.

[Dan Patrick]

They seem like very balanced.

[Paul Pabst]

They're very balanced team where it's, this.

[Dan Patrick]

Guy'S averaging 20, this guy's averaging 21, this guy's averaging 17. So there's not just one standalone player on the Cavs.

[Paul Pabst]

But we're talking about value. I know Donovan Mitchell. It's just because the Cavaliers don't get clicks. Nobody talks about them. Even now. It's like begrudgingly. They've won 14 in a row. You know, what they've done. This start is historical. Mike, how many teams have had this winning percentage this deep into the season? Yes, Mark, they feel like the hawks maybe about 10 or 12 years ago when they won 60 games and they have four all stars.

[Dan Patrick]

I think think LeBron just swept them.

[Paul Pabst]

Out of the playoffs really fast after that.

[Dan Patrick]

But they seem like a team that was very balanced and they had a bunch of guys averaging around 16 to 18, but no one took.

[Paul Pabst]

Took them serious. They didn't have a super duper star. Yes, Paul.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, Donovan Mitchell was probably more famous in Utah when he's averaging 27 and he's about to be a free agent. Everybody wanted him. His career is as a team player is going way better, but he's down to 24 points a game for him.

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah, but I haven't heard anybody. It's basically sga, and then it'll be Joker and then it'll be people way down the list there. Yes.

[Dan Patrick]

It's this show that's keeping the Cavs. We're keeping them afloat.

[Paul Pabst]

Yeah, we talk about them. Yes. And we talk about Paulo Ben and the Rockets.

[Dan Patrick]

Who talks more of random NBA than this, this broadcast?

[Paul Pabst]

That's because I watch the NBA. Well, you're a junkie. These other hosts, they don't watch. They don't watch. They don't. I mean you got big time guys on TV or got guys on a roster that aren't even haven't been on the roster in a couple of years, you gotta watch. But they, you know, I, I, I'm here to cover the NBA, you know, instead of just saying let's just cover the Lakers. Love the Lakers situation, but you try to be fair to the other stories.

[Dan Patrick]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up everyone? Julius Ripps here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Paul Pabst]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Dan Patrick]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right? Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us. Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Mark Seale.

[Paul Pabst]

And I'm Nathan King.

[Dan Patrick]

This is Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli.

[Paul Pabst]

The five families did not want us to shoot that picture.

[Dan Patrick]

This podcast is based on my co host Mark Seale's best selling book of the same title. Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli features new and archival interviews with Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Evans, James Caan, Talia Shire and many others. Yes, that was a real horse's head. Listen and subscribe to Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Mel Reid, LPGA Tour winner and six time Ladies European Tour winner. And Kyra K. Dixon, NBC Sports reporter and host. And we've got a new podcast, Quiet Please. With Mel and Kira. We are bringing you spicy takes on sports and pop culture, some interviews with.

[Paul Pabst]

Incredible people who have figured out how.

[Dan Patrick]

To make golf their superpower and iheart WINS Sports Production in partnership with Deep.

[Paul Pabst]

Blue sports and entertainment.

[Dan Patrick]

You can find us on iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Elf Beauty, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports I'm Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's chief product officer. If you're just as curious as I am about the way things are built, then tune in to my podcast, Building One. I speak with some of the best product builders out there. I've always been inspired by frustration. It came back to my own personal pain point, so we had to go out to farmers and convince them. Following that, curiosity is a superpower. You have to be obsessed with the human condition. Listen to Building One on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.