The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

The Dan Patrick Show — Best Of (April 10, 2026)

---

Overview

This "Best Of" episode of The Dan Patrick Show presents a dynamic blend of sports analysis, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, farewells, and laughter. Dan interviews Hall of Fame coach Doc Rivers, New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro, and hosts special guests Will Ferrell and Rich Eisen. The episode covers the challenges of coaching through adversity, the lore of George Steinbrenner and the Yankees, the evolution of sports media, and fond goodbyes to beloved staff member Seaton O’Connor—all wrapped in Dan’s signature humor and camaraderie.

---

Key Segments & Highlights

1. Doc Rivers: Life, Coaching, and the Hall of Fame

[01:58 – 14:34]

Retirement, Tough Seasons & Giannis’ Future

• Dan jokes with Doc Rivers about retiring:
  • Dan: “Who retires first, Doc?”
  • Doc: “I got a feeling. What did you say? 2028?... I think there’s a very good chance I’m going to beat you.” [02:39]
• Doc opens up about a difficult season:
  • “This is my first losing season in 20 seasons. That’s a hell of a run. Losing is no fun for anyone… The Giannis situation has been really rough for everyone, including Giannis.” [03:27]
• On his influence over Giannis’ decisions:
  • “We talk probably more than anyone... If we had all the pieces here, I have no doubt he’d want to stay… but we don’t.” [04:17]

Personal Moments & The Hall of Fame

• Doc describes how he found out about his Hall induction:
  • “I have my phone block… didn’t answer the phone… I was in the doghouse before I got in the house.” [07:00]
  • The emotional call with his brother, who “just started crying… and said my two parents’ names and started bawling.” [07:34]

Rookie of the Year & Leadership

• Doc analyzes the rookies Con Knipple and Cooper Flag:
  • “Cooper Flag’s numbers just scream at you… But what Khan has done, in my opinion, he’s changed the culture of an organization…” [09:52–10:54]
  • “If you just go on numbers… it’s Cooper Flag. If you go on impact, it’s Khan. This is the one year I’d be fine if they had co-MVPs.” [11:29]

Locker Room Tales & Humor

• On Kevin Garnett’s intensity and leadership:
  • “Kevin cleaned up the locker room for me every single day… Never had a leader like Kevin ever.” [12:16]
• Would Garnett make a good coach?
  • “No. That would have been really rough.” (After telling a story of KG literally throwing a guy out of the gym) [12:57]
• Fritzi does a spot-on Doc Rivers impersonation:
  • Doc: “You know, I didn’t always talk like that, Frizzy... That was a play you diagrammed last game… That’s why I have the voice that I have.” [14:06–14:22]

---

2. Mike Vaccaro: Steinbrenner, Yankees Legacy, and Ohtani vs. Ruth

[17:50 – 27:53]

The Real George Steinbrenner

• Mike discusses why he wrote about Steinbrenner:
  • “Younger generation Yankee fans… they didn’t know George, or if they did, they knew the kindly old man… people of our generation kind of forget… the nuttiness and zaniness that went on.” [18:11]
• On Steinbrenner’s management style:
  • “He liked being known as the Boss… It very imperious, very impetuous… made for some pretty harrowing times…” [19:57]
• Should Steinbrenner be in the Hall of Fame?
  • “For a lot of years, Dan, I thought the answer was no… but… you can’t write a history of baseball without writing a couple chapters about my father (Hal Steinbrenner’s words)… Baseball is a museum… important figures should be on the walls.” [20:46]

Modern Baseball and the Yankees’ Brand

• Comparing today’s Dodgers and Steve Cohen to Steinbrenner’s Yankees:
  • “In his day, he was the Dodgers, right? He was a one man monolith... He didn’t always overpay, he knew he had New York to sell…” [22:03]
• George’s YES Network as an iconic business move:
  • “He was treating his starting lineup like it was the cast of Friends… It was a TV show… that was business 101. Brilliant move.” [23:01]

Ohtani, Ruth, and Adapting to Today

• On Ohtani’s historic significance:
  • “If he can keep pitching at this level for five, six, seven years… That’s the next step, right? That’s why it’s a weird argument when you ask who’s better, Otani or Judge… Otani does both at a high level…” [26:07]
• How Steinbrenner would fare in today’s social media age:
  • “He used the back pages against each other as an early form of social media… now he’d just go on his phone and do that… they’d have to try and hide the old man’s phone.” [27:15]

---

3. Will Ferrell: Farewell to Seaton and Trademark Humor

[31:39 – 38:21]

• Will Ferrell appears to wish Seaton O’Connor well on his departure:
  • “I had to reach out, Dan… just give congratulations to Seaton.” [32:00]
• Classic Ferrell banter about retirement:
  • “Actors don’t retire, do they?” – Dan
  • “I will. I’m gonna… Why don’t you pick another month? Let me have February.” – Will [35:18–35:46]
• Seaton’s son’s soccer future and Will’s team ownership:
  • “I already have my advanced scouting team watching… Little Karen O’Connor… Oh, I thought his name was Jason.” [34:26–34:46]
• On prioritizing family:
  • “Families… overrated. You may feel differently.” [37:13]
• Will’s missed movie roles:
  • “Some great roles… Titanic, The Notebook, Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Brokeback Mountain… I was gonna play both characters.” [37:27]

---

4. Rich Eisen: ESPN Homecoming and Memories

[39:03 – 49:10]

Return to SportsCenter After 23 Years

• On his first return to Bristol since 2003:
  • “No… They handed me a cardboard box in late May of 2003… I have not been back since then.” [40:05]
• Perspective on moving from ESPN to NFL Network:
  • “It was my identity at the time… If you were so clear eyed, you should have told me: don’t worry… you’ll be back 23 years later and NFL Network will be owned by ESPN!” [41:27]

SportsCenter Nostalgia and Bizarre Schedules

• “I used to drink four 20-ounce bottles of Coca Cola every night… so I would be alive at 11 o’clock… wouldn’t get to bed till two in the morning.” [43:06]
• Co-host hopes:
  • “If you’re up for it, I would love to do another SportsCenter with you, Dan.” [42:36]

Rich’s Parting Words for Seaton

• “You would always have a smile on your face and just be chill and present and awesome, dude. I’ve always enjoyed listening and watching you… just wanted to come on and tell you that.” [47:22]

---

Notable Quotes

• Doc Rivers on leadership:
  “You don’t reach success without a lot of people helping you. It’s really you and a whole team that people don’t know.” [09:09]
• Mike Vaccaro on Steinbrenner:
  “The Yankees themselves used to call it getting ‘Georged,’ and that happened a lot in those years.” [20:18]
• Will Ferrell on family:
  “I think the one thing no one’s telling you… in my opinion, you may feel differently: families, overrated.” [37:17]
• Rich Eisen to Seaton:
  “You would always have a smile on your face and just be chill and present and just being awesome, dude…” [47:22]

---

Timestamps: Important Segments

• [01:58] Doc Rivers joins the show, talks watching the Masters, retirement, and the Bucks' tough year.
• [07:00] Doc finds out about the Hall of Fame call.
• [09:52] Doc on Cooper Flag vs. Con Knipple for Rookie of the Year.
• [12:16] Doc’s locker room stories about Kevin Garnett and Patrick Beverley.
• [14:06] Fritzi impersonates Doc Rivers.
• [17:50] Mike Vaccaro discusses Steinbrenner legacy, YES network, and fame vs. infamy.
• [26:07] Vaccaro on Shohei Ohtani and Babe Ruth comparisons.
• [31:39] Will Ferrell’s emotional (and funny) on-air goodbye to Seaton.
• [39:03] Rich Eisen’s return to ESPN and reminiscing with Dan.
• [47:22] Eisen’s sentimental message for Seaton.

---

Episode Tone & Character

Warm, comedic, and candid. The episode blends sharp sports insight with nostalgia and heartfelt farewells, letting the personalities of Dan and his guests shine through. Playful ribbing (especially between Dan, Doc, Will, and Rich), honest reflection, and respect for the greats—both on and off the field—permeate every conversation.

Transcript

[Podcast Host]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human support is available 247 with VRBoCare. We're here day or night, ready whenever

[Dan Patrick]

you need help because a great trip

[Podcast Host]

starts with the right support.

[Webull Advertiser]

The March tournament brings volatility upsets and momentum shifts. With Webull predictions, you can trade strategic positions on college basketball outcomes, react to matchups, and assess probabilities as the tournament unfolds. Whether your bracket is busted or you're on the way to the top of your leaderboard, bring your strategy to your trades in real time. Get started by downloading the Webull app today or visiting webull.com event Contract trading is speculative and may not be suitable for all investors. Customers should carefully consider the associated risk before investing. Visit webull.com disclosures everyone deserves to be

[T Mobile Advertiser]

connected T Mobile and US Cellular are joining forces. Our networks are coming together bringing more T Mobile coverage all over the country. Switch to T Mobile and save up to 20% versus Verizon by getting built in benefits they leave out. Check the math@t mobile.com and now T Mobile is available in the US Cellular Store in Pasco. Bigger network the combination of T Mobiles and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage savings versus comparable Verizon plans plus the costs of options, benefits, plan features and taxes and fees vary. Savings with three plus lines include third free line free via monthly bill credits Credit stop if you cancel any lines. Qualifying credit required.

[Amazon Advertiser]

I can't tell you how many times I've spilled something on my shirt right before walking out the door. And it's always while I'm wearing a white shirt too. And somehow that's the exact moment I realize I'm out of stain remover and I don't have another clean shirt to change into. Unpredictable moments like that are part of everyday life. Luckily, Amazon helps make it easier to manage life's curveballs, from unexpected needs to everyday essentials. Amazon offers everything in one place with reliable value and great prices. So when a small mess turns into a last minute problem, Amazon makes it easier by saving the Every day you

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Dan Patrick]

We make way for the hall of Famer Doc Rivers, the Milwaukee Bucks head coach whose attention is not on me in this show. It's on Watching the Masters there, I see what you're doing. You're watching the Masters, aren't you?

[Doc Rivers]

I sure am. You know that the Masters app is on right now and so I'm watching the feature groups. Dan Dan, I haven't talked to you in a while, you know, what's going on with you?

[Dan Patrick]

Kind of status quo. Just, you know, kind of running out. Playing out the string here, you know, just the last couple of years. When are you retiring?

[Doc Rivers]

Playing out the string here. Last.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Who retires first, Doc?

[Doc Rivers]

Oh, man. I got a feeling. What did you say? 28th, 2028.

[Dan Patrick]

February of 2028. Will you still be coaching in the NBA?

[Doc Rivers]

I. I think there's a very good chance I'm going to beat you.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Doc Rivers]

Yeah. We'll meet afterwards to have a drink somewhere.

[Dan Patrick]

Is this your last season?

[Doc Rivers]

I don't know. I don't know that. But, you know, I'm leaning a lot of different ways, you know, so I don't want to commit to anything.

[Fritzi (Impersonator)]

I don't.

[Doc Rivers]

You know, Dana, it's so tough, and you probably have dealt with this. The word retirement means you don't work at all. And I don't think I'm going to do that. I would drive people nuts if I was at home every day.

[Dan Patrick]

Are you still having fun? This has been a pretty tough, trying

[Doc Rivers]

year, but, yeah, this has been a rough year. Nothing like, you know, if you. If you read Sham's article the other day, that. That article was so far off base that it was nowhere near like, as hectic or what toxic situation as it. As it looks. But it's still losing, Dan. You know, this is my first losing season in 20 seasons. That's a hell of a run. Losing is no fun for anyone. And then the Giannis situation has been really rough for everyone, including Giannis. So this has not been a fun year. But every year is not going to be fun. And you don't have great years every year, and you just deal with it. So I look at it, I put it in that compartment, and not nearly as bad as may look on the outside.

[Dan Patrick]

What does Giannis want?

[Doc Rivers]

Oh, boy, I don't know. And we talk probably more than anyone. You know, Dan, it's a tough one because he has done such a great job here in Milwaukee. Right. And yet he still wants to win a title. And clearly we have to do a better job here with our roster to make that even look like a possibility. And if we can't do that, then he's going to look outward. And so I think that's a twofold answer. I think, one, if we had all the pieces here, I have no doubt he'd want to say here, but we don't. And so that puts him in a tough spot.

[Dan Patrick]

What say do you have in this Not a lot.

[Doc Rivers]

Just with him, trying to guide him. You know, we talk a lot about it, I can tell you that.

[Dan Patrick]

And why isn't he playing these last couple of. He wanted to play, correct? Is he.

[Doc Rivers]

Yeah, he wanted to play. He just hadn't been cleared.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Doc Rivers]

You know, and so that's another one where I'm kind of caught in the middle, I think, yeah, this is a playoff game. You would play them, but if it wasn't a playoff game, there's no way you would play them. I think that would be the correct answer.

[Dan Patrick]

Talking to Doc Rivers, hall of Famer and watching the Masters here. Have you played Augusta? Yeah, I have. Who'd you play with?

[Doc Rivers]

Didn't play it with Jimmy Dunn, who was a great guy, and then two other friends, had a great time, played miserably. You know, Dan, I've been in finals. I've been in so many pressure situations.

[Dan Patrick]

How nervous were you?

[Doc Rivers]

Oh, I gotta tell you, on the first tee box, I think it was Condoleezza Rice, I want to say Peyton Matting, of all people, were coming out, and they were, you know, Peyton, you know, and it was hard for me to pull the thing back. Like, I'm sitting there like, oh, holy. It's just the golf course, but it's not just the golf course. It is. It's one amazing place, you know, so, yeah, I was a little nervous.

[Dan Patrick]

I got traded on the first tee by my caddy.

[Doc Rivers]

Yeah. Yes.

[Dan Patrick]

Like, they were betting on us. And my caddy caddied for Sevy when he won in 1980. And I just remember they. They swapped bags after my tee shot. And I said, what happened? And the caddy goes, you just got traded on the first tee.

[Doc Rivers]

Well, I can tell you my caddy took a big loss because I. I hit a huge drive on one. So I did. I. I ripped it and I saw my caddy give two people high five. That was the only good shot I

[Dan Patrick]

hit for the rest of the. How did you find out about the hall of Fame?

[Doc Rivers]

I'm sitting exactly where I was sitting, as a matter of fact, and I get a call from the Hall. It's funny. I have my phone block, which I learned to non numbers that aren't stored. And so I didn't answer the phone then, you know, which was hilarious. And I get a text, hey, Doc, this is such as us from a hall. We really need you to answer the phone. So I was in the doghouse before I got in the house. You know, it's a great call. Dan, I gotta tell you, it's, you know, it's funny. I get the call and they say, doc, you're in the hall. And I didn't. It's not something you work for. Like you don't work to be in a hall. At least I can tell you I've worked because I love coaching. I love whatever else comes with it. But when I called my brother and he answered the phone and I told him he was golfing, which pissed me off, and he just started crying. And it was like the most emotional thing because my parents are no longer with us, and he just said my two parents names and start bawling. He walked away from the phone. Another guy picks the phone up. Who. I still don't know who that was. And the guy says, hey, Doc, is everything okay? And I said, yes, things are good. I'm in the hall of Fame. So he start. Whoever the guy was, start celebrating too. So that was my. My first five minutes in the hall. It was pretty cool.

[Dan Patrick]

Now you have your nickname after Dr. J. Yeah. Could Dr. J be part of the induction ceremony?

[Doc Rivers]

That's not a bad call. It could be. There's other names too, you know. Pat Riley, Kevin Garnett, so. It's so funny, Dan. These are the other things I don't. I've never been in a hall, so I've had 20 people ask me what you're asking me. Who's gonna introduce me? There's a lot of guys. You know, one thing you know, with your success, you don't. You don't reach success without a lot of people helping you. It's really you and a whole team that people don't know. And so anybody I asked would be someone who helped me. Pat Riley was instrumental in me coaching. Kevin Garnett is instrumental me getting my success. Wayne Embry probably is the most important person in my life just because he was guiding me, even in college.

[Dan Patrick]

So there's a lot of people I've been talking about. The rookie of the year with Con Knipple is favored over Cooper Flag. Just to give you my opinion. I. I don't think this should be close. I think what Cooper Flag is doing at 19 as the guy night in and night out as opposed to Knipple, who. Who's the third option for a playoff team. Wonderful year, but Cooper Flag's 19 years of age, doing some things that we haven't seen since LeBron. Your thoughts on who should be the rookie of the Year?

[Doc Rivers]

I tell you, I do think it's close. And I've gone back and forth on it because it's, it's this year probably more than any year that I can remember. It's probably, it's almost two categories. Cooper flags numbers just scream at you. They really do. Scoring 40, scoring 50. Being the point guard, playing a position that he's never played before, handling that night in and the featured guy each night. Like when you play Dallas, you're preparing for Cooper flag. But what Khan has done is in my opinion he's changed the, the culture of an organization that has had cultural problems with his. Which his approach.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Doc Rivers]

You know, his play is tough. He's a tough. He's a two way player. I've never seen a rookie have an impact on a team as much as he has had. And there's something to be said about that as well.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow.

[Doc Rivers]

And the reason he doesn't have the numbers is because he is on a good team, you know, so he's sharing the ball with Lamelo ball and Bridges and everybody else.

[Dan Patrick]

Wait, you think he could be a featured guy and score 25 a game?

[Doc Rivers]

I think he could score more points if he is on a team was worse. But he's such a team player, he's such a leader and I do think from a coaching standpoint that means a lot. But you're right. I wish this is the one year I would be fine if they had CO MVPs.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Doc Rivers]

But if you just go on numbers, which is what you're supposed to do. You're right. It's Cooper flag. If you go on impact, it's con. And that's how I look at it.

[Dan Patrick]

Have you had anybody match Kevin Garnett's intensity in your career?

[Doc Rivers]

No. Yeah, I would say intensity. Yeah. I've had some guys. You know, Patrick Beverly was nuts. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

So I would throw him out. Was it a good nuts or bad nuts?

[Doc Rivers]

It depends on the game. You know, I jokely one night I was very upset at the way Patrick played and Pat played and I told him, I said I'm gonna put you on the all scare team. And he's like, what's that?

[Dan Patrick]

You scare me just as much as you scare them.

[Doc Rivers]

And I said I don't know which way to go every time I put you in. But that dude was so dang competitive, man. Like he, you know, it's funny, he was a good defender, but he was a great defender because he scared the hell out of the guy he was guarding every night. And Kevin KG had a lot of that. What I've never had with Kevin, I've never Had a leader like Kevin ever like, Kevin cleaned up the locker room for me every single day. If shoot arounds are bad, Kevin patrolled it. I mean, when you got something like that on your team, it makes coaching a whole lot easier.

[Dan Patrick]

How would he have been as a coach?

[Doc Rivers]

Oh, I'll give you a quick story. He was working with a guy in Boston, and I don't want to say his name, but the guy wasn't paying attention to Kevin's. You know, like, Kevin threw him out of the gym. Like, literally threw him out. The guy went to the other basket. Kevin said, no, get out of the gym at last in like, two minutes. And I walked over to Kevin. I said, you know, when you're working with a guy, you gotta have a little more patience. He was like, no, I don't. And so, no. That would have been really rough.

[Dan Patrick]

Before we let you go, we have Fritzi's impersonation of you. So we thought that Fritzi would be able to congratulate you on going into the hall of Fame. Fritzi, I just want to hear this. Okay, here we go.

[Fritzi (Impersonator)]

I just want to say it's been a great run as a player, as a coach, an ambassador to the NBA. I wish you all the best. You deserve everything you get. I'm glad you go into the hall, my friend. Congratulations. And you got to give me 48. You got to give me 48. Or is you going to keep losing? Give me 48.

[Doc Rivers]

You know, I didn't always talk like that, Frizzy.

[Dan Patrick]

I don't know what happened.

[Doc Rivers]

You see that play behind me?

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Doc Rivers]

It didn't work. That's why I have the voice that I have.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, that was a play you diagrammed last game.

[Doc Rivers]

Guys running at each other.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Congratulations on the hall and whatever you decide here at the end of the season, but thank you again for sharing.

[Doc Rivers]

I appreciate good talk to you. Good seeing you.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, bud. That's Doc Rivers, hall of famer.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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. Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can be a part of it. Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash that notification bell and catch all the videos from your favorite shows. Two pros and a cup of Joe. Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, Stu. Got Dotson company Live, Cavino and Rich. The Odd couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington. The Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon and the Ben Ma Show FOX Sports Radio on YouTube.

[Dan Patrick]

Subscribe. Hit that thumbs up icon and comment away.

[Person Asking for Directions]

We're lost and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm going to ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.

[Person Giving Directions]

Well, you're going to take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.

[Person Asking for Directions]

How is their signal out here?

[Person Giving Directions]

T Mobile and US Cellular are coming together so the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.

[Person Asking for Directions]

Actually, can you pull up the way to a T Mobile store?

[T Mobile Advertiser]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits that the other guys leave out plus our five year price guarantee. And now T Mobile is available at US Cellular stores in hermiston Best Mobile network based on analysis by Ooklo Speed test intelligence data. Second half of 2025 bigger network the combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Liberty Mutual Advertiser]

Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this rush hour ad to keep you calm, which could help your driving. And science says therapy is great for a healthy mindset. So enjoy this 14 second session on us. I think you've done everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, anything that hasn't gone your way could probably be blamed on your father not being emotionally available because his father wasn't emotionally available, and so on. And now that you're calm and healing, you're probably driving better too.

[Dan Patrick]

Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[Amy Robach]

Not every sale happens at the register. Before AT&T business Wireless, checking out customers on our mobile POS systems took too long. Basically a staring contest where everyone loses. It's crazy what people say during an awkward silence. Now transactions are done before the silence takes hold. That means I can focus on the task at hand and make an extra sail or two. Sometimes I do miss the bonding time.

[T Mobile Advertiser]

Sometimes AT&T business Wireless connecting changes everything.

[Apple Card Advertiser]

This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card members can earn unlimited daily cash back on everyday purchases or wherever they shop. This means you could be earning daily cash on just about anything, like a slice of pizza from your local pizza place or a latte from the corner coffee shop. Apply for Apple card in the Wallet app to see your credit limit offer in minutes. Subject to credit approval. Apple card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City branch terms and

[Dan Patrick]

[e-mail] Mike Vaccaro, New York Post sports columnist and he's written another book. It's called the Bosses of the Bronx, the Endless Drama of the Yankees under the House, House of Steinbrenner. And Mike joins us on the program. So what brought you to this moment where you go, you know what, I gotta tell this story.

[Mike Vaccaro]

You know what, Dad? I hear from a lot of younger generation Yankee fans who really don't, didn't know George or if they knew him, they knew the kindly old man who would walk into Yankee Stadium and get ovations. And, you know, they don't know. And a lot of people of our generation kind of forget that. You know, 10 years before that he was walking into the stadium to a lot different reaction every day he went there and, you know, it was a full, complete story of who he was, who he became, the good, the bad, everything in between the crazy. Lots of crazy in there, Dan. And you know, I wanted to get that between the covers of a book. And I thought it would be a fun project. And it was a, it was a blast to go back, especially to the, to the older George, the 70s and the 80s, and just all the nuttiness and zaniness that went on under him.

[Dan Patrick]

I was there in the early 80s. I was working at CNN in New York. And I just remember that you couldn't walk on the grass at Yankee Stadium if you're a reporter, right? You had to walk on the dirt. And I did meet with him. I did meet him a couple of times, got to interview him once. And I actually sent him a letter to say, hey, thank you for sitting down with me. And he said, I'm a big fan of Ted Turner who started cnn. Anytime I can help you, you let me know. It wasn't long after that that Billy Martin got fired again. And so I had somebody help me call Steinbrenner's office. I said, hey, it's dan Patrick from CNN. Could you ask Mr. Steinbrenner if I can talk to him? I never heard back from George Steinbrenner.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Still, still waiting in that call.

[Dan Patrick]

Still waiting. He did write me a letter, though, at cnn. I still have it, I have it framed here. But he did write me a letter and talked about, you know, Ted Turner. So there, there was always this fear like he, I don't Know, did he want people, did he want media, did he want players to fear him?

[Mike Vaccaro]

I think he liked being known as the Boss. I mean, you know, even before the New York papers figured out that the boss was a more headline friendly word than Steinbrenner, he called himself the Boss, you know, and that drove Billy Martin crazy. And he acted it. Look, I mean, he liked being in charge of the Yankees. That's what appealed to him about, you know, being part of the group that bought the Yankees. He wanted to be the guy in New York with the Yankees. And that's what it was all about. It very imperious, very impetuous. And together those made for some pretty harrowing times for Yankees fans, you know, and certainly in the 80s when they won more games than any other team in the sport and couldn't win a championship because every now and again they go on a losing streak and George would fire somebody or trade somebody, and that was that. You know, the Yankees themselves used to call it getting Georged, and that happened a lot in those years.

[Dan Patrick]

But should he be in the hall of Fame?

[Mike Vaccaro]

You know what, for a lot of years, Dan, I thought the answer was no, because, you know what? Two suspensions is probably one too many to be considered. But you know what? His, his son Hal told me this one time, he said, you know, you can't write a history of baseball without writing a couple of chapters about my father. And he's right. And the more I considered, say, Pete Rose, right, To me, I think Pete Rose belongs to the hall of Fame, but I think his plaque should say the head. The first half should be, you know, got the 4,000 hits and did everything he did. And the second half should be why he got in trouble with baseball later on. And I think similarly, it's important to do that with Steinbrenner because, look, for better or worse, the teams that he owned won seven championships. Every other owner in the hall combined won nine. And yeah, he was suspended. And I think it's worth. The baseball is a museum, you know, and it's supposed to tell the whole story of baseball. And the important figures in baseball should be on the walls there. And I do think at this point that he should get on. I don't think it's going to happen for a while. He has never really gotten any traction, but I think he should.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, it is called the hall of Fame and he certainly, he certainly was famous. We're talking to Mike Vaquero as a new book on the Yankees and George Steinbrenner. It's the bosses of the Bronx, the endless drama. The Yankees under the house of Steinbrenner. What would George think of the Dodgers and their approach to today's game?

[Mike Vaccaro]

It's a great question because really in his day he was the Dodgers, right? He was a one man monolith, a one man corporation. Whoever he wanted to get, he would get. He didn't always overpay for them, which is interesting because he knew he had New York to sell. That's how he sold Reggie Jackson. You know, he offered 2 million bucks less than of all teams, the Expos. And yet he knew that Reggie would have the appeal of, of going to New York and you know, bringing a star with him. As he said, he. I think he would be certainly challenged by the Dodgers, by the, by the, by the Blue Jays. I mean, look, by having Steve Cohen in the same town with them, I mean it was not the same situation as the Dodgers. But he's his own one man corporation, right? His own one man deep pocketed challenger. And look, when George was coming up and trying to establish the Yankees against the Mets, he was going up against Lorinda De Relay who was asking if foul balls can be brought back and washed off so they could use them tomorrow. That's not what Steve Cohen does. Steve Cohen might not be the perfect owner, but he's not going to do that. And that's what Hal is going up against as opposed to George.

[Dan Patrick]

But I always look back and George starting the YES network and the value that that had, and you'll know this better than me, but it felt like he was treating his starting lineup like it was the cast of Friends. He, it was a TV show. And the amount of money that they were getting and reinvesting, I thought, you know, that was business 101. It was a brilliant, brilliant move.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Yeah, it was. And look, I mean, I think of in George's heart of hearts, if he could have had the YES network and all of that represented back for the teams in the 70s. Because what he enjoyed about those teams even as much as they were winning, was the fact that he had guys who would go at him on the back page. I mean, you know, Reggie would fight with him. Billy would certainly fight with him. Thurman lived to fight with him. You know, all those guys live for that stuff. You know, you fast forward to the team from the, you know, from the late 90s and the early aughts, you know, no one's gonna get into a back page fight with Bernie Williams or Andy Pettit. You know, I Mean, that's just not who they were. They were just guys who won. They weren't characters. And George. George admired characters because he knew that he was his own character. He admitted he was a ham. He knew he probably got in the way too much, and he. But, but, but he enjoyed it. Look, he enjoyed being characterized on Sam Seinfeld, you know, and, and actually got a laugh out of the fact that he got bounced. The one time they asked him to be a.

[Doc Rivers]

To.

[Mike Vaccaro]

To make a cameo. You know, Larry David just deemed him. Deemed the material unusable. He said he was a. He said he was a terrible actor. And I'm not exactly Olivier, but I can tell you he was a terrible actor. So he liked all of it. And then that was all the stuff that he loved about being, you know, being the owner of the Yankees, even, you know, hosting Saturday Night Live while he was suspended. You know, he was bad, and people said that he should keep his day job, but at that moment, he didn't have a day job. So. So he did that, too.

[Dan Patrick]

The Yankees hold on. This generation, as opposed to previous generations, is what.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Well, I, I think a lot of is inherited of it is. You know, my father, my grandfather rooted for the Yankees, so that's also what I'm going to do. And look, it happens. It helps that they win every year, win 95 games every year. They haven't won a championship in 17 years, which is, you know, really a problem for a lot of Yankees fans. And people think they're spoiled, and maybe there's a degree of that. But look, I mean, why are they spoiled? Because, you know, really, in the, in the, in the corporate mission statement, it's championship or bust. And, you know, guess who invented that? That was George Steinbrenner. And so that was really the gift he handed to his son. I mean, sometimes it's a hard gift to accept, but you look. I mean, they still fill the ballpark. I mean, you're still going to get a game, you know, a makeup game in July that's going to get 35,000 people. And back when Don Mattingly was, you know, the biggest star in New York and one of the biggest stars in New York, I mean, you can still see the old video of how empty that place was. So it's really become a different thing. It's a. It's an everyday thing that people really care about. That's why every time the Yankees go on a losing streak, you know, I hear from 25 people who want, you know, managers fired and players traded because that's what George would do. You know, they always ask, what would George do? And maybe he would do that. And I say, well, maybe, you know, Aaron Boone be the manager. He'd just be on his third tenure, you know.

[Dan Patrick]

You know, so, yeah, I was there twice when Billy Martin got fired, and

[Mike Vaccaro]

all you had to do was go every couple of weeks.

[Dan Patrick]

How much of a threat is Shohei Ohtani to Babe Ruth's legacy in baseball history?

[Mike Vaccaro]

Look, I mean, he can keep pitching at this level for, you know, for five, six, seven years. I mean, I'd love to know what Babe Ruth could have done if he'd stayed with pitching, you know, if he decided to do both things. He just preferred to be a hitter. And so basically, he gave up being, you know, one of the best pitchers in the game and decided to go full blown to, you know, into. Into hitting. If Ohtani can do that to me, that's why, you know, it's a. It's a weird argument when you ask who's better, Ohtani or Judge. Because, look, I mean, Judge is phenomenal. You can't say a bad word about his career. But, you know, he hasn't struck out anybody. You know, he hasn't done that many career wins. And Ohtani does. And he does that at a high level, too. It's not like he's a fantastic hitter and he's a, you know, situational relief pitcher. I mean, this is a. This is an ace of a staff, potential ace of a staff, in addition to being, you know, one of the two best hitters in baseball. So, yeah, I think he's got, you know, he's got some work to do and some time to do it. But, you know, he doesn't seem to be slowing down at all. So why not?

[Dan Patrick]

I'll leave you with this. How would George Steinbrenner do with today's sports culture, with the Internet, everybody, social media, with the things, you know, how he governed?

[Mike Vaccaro]

Well, I would argue that he used the back pages against each other as an early form of social media. You know, he called the Daily News, then the Post have to call him back, and they. And he'd be in the news for a week at a time. You know, his son talks about how, you know, he gets mad watching the Yankees lose those shoe at the tv. And his father would do the same thing, only the difference was, you know, he'd call the Daily News and the Post and say, guess what I just did? I just threw my shoe at the tv. And that's three days. That's three days of headlines and now he wouldn't have to worry about doing that. He just go on his phone and do that. I believe. I guarantee you that they'd have to try and hide his. Hide the old man's phone every now and again because he'd be on Twitter and all the other social medias x and everything, you know, all the time. I have no doubt about that.

[Dan Patrick]

Congratulations on the book. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate it, Mike.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Thank you, Dan. I appreciate it.

[Dan Patrick]

That's Mike Vaccaro, New York Post sports columnist. The book is the Bosses of the Bronx, the Endless Drama the Yankees under the House of Steinbrenner.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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.

[Person Asking for Directions]

We're lost and kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.

[Person Giving Directions]

Well, you're gonna take a left at the old oak tree at this here road. Nah, I'm just kidding. Let me get my phone out.

[Person Asking for Directions]

How is their signal out here?

[Person Giving Directions]

T Mobile and US Cellular are coming together. So the network out here is huge. We get the same great signal as the city, saving a boatload with benefits. And there's a five year price guarantee too. Okay, here's the turn.

[Person Asking for Directions]

Actually, can you pull up the way to a T Mobile store?

[T Mobile Advertiser]

America's best network just got bigger. Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits the other guys leave out plus our five year price guarantee. And now T Mobile. T Mobile is available at US Cellular stores in Hermiston. Best mobile network Based on analysis by Ooklo Speed test intelligence data second half of 2025 bigger network. The combination of T Mobile's and US Cellular's network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. C T mobile.com for details on the serving pancakes podcast.

[Podcast Host]

Conversations about volleyball go beyond the court. Today we have a little best friend compatibility test. Okay, how long have we been best friends for? Since the day we met. As the League1 volleyball season heads towards its final stretch, there's no better time to tune in. We Yin and yang vodka and tequila. You'll hear unfiltered analysis behind the scenes stories and conversations with leaders making an impact across the sport. Today we have Logan Lednecki. I feel like our fan Base in general is very connected.

[Dan Patrick]

Just like a comforting feeling getting to play at home.

[Podcast Host]

Whether you're following the final push of love season or just love the game, serving pancakes brings you closer to the action and the people shaping the future of volleyball. Jordan Thompson had that microphone. Oh, God forbid we make a mistake or cuss at our coach.

[Dan Patrick]

Like when talking.

[Podcast Host]

Open your free iHeartradio app, search serving Pancakes and listen. Now this has been serving pancakes and we'll catch you on the flip side, okay?

[Amy Robach]

Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports, this is Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes from the Amy and TJ podcast.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

And there is so much news, information, commentary coming at you all day and from all over the place.

[Amy Robach]

What's fact, what's fake, and sometimes what

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

the f. So let's cut the crap, okay? Follow The Amy TJ podcast, a one stop news and pop culture shop to get you caught up and on with your day.

[Amy Robach]

And listen to Amy and TJ on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Shopify Advertiser]

You didn't start a business just to keep the lights on. You're here to sell more today than yesterday. You're here to win. Lucky you. Shopify built the best converting checkout on the planet. Like the just one tapping, ridiculously fast acting, sky high sales stacking champion of checkouts. That's the good stuff right there. So if your business is in it to win it, win with Shopify. Start your free trial [e-mail] win.

[Dan Patrick]

You know, there were a lot of people that I asked to come on and say goodbye to Seaton. Most said no, but I got a couple people who did say yes. Rich Eisen, who will join us. He'll join us. Coming up a little bit. And we make way for a friend of the show, Will Ferrell, who is kind enough to spend some time with us. Good morning, Will.

[Will Ferrell]

Good morning, Dan. How are you, buddy?

[Dan Patrick]

Well, you know, kind of emotional. Last hour, last. This is it for Seaton.

[Will Ferrell]

This is baby bird flies the coop.

[Dan Patrick]

Yep. Yeah, yeah. Is there anything else you like to say?

[Will Ferrell]

That's all I've got. No, no, I just, I had to reach out, Dan. I wanted to just congrat, give congratulations to Seton.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you comb your hair this morning?

[Will Ferrell]

No, I did not.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay, you, you look like you're a mess.

[Will Ferrell]

That's. I slept in my car last night. But that's a whole nother story.

[Dan Patrick]

But,

[Will Ferrell]

but no, I wanted, I wanted to. You know, I heard the news like everyone Else. I mean, it's big news out here in Hollywood, if you're wondering.

[Dan Patrick]

And did Variety pick it up? Variety.

[Will Ferrell]

TMZ should be out outside the studios there.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Will Ferrell]

Upon your departure, Seaton. But. But I wanted to know. I wanted to just wish you the best. I know that trip to Ireland, meeting up with you guys was. Was one of the most fun things I've ever gotten to do. And we spent. We spent some. Some. Some fun conversations talking about your son and his journey and playing soccer. And I. I love that. I love that you're taking. Taking the time to.

[Dan Patrick]

To.

[Will Ferrell]

To do all that. And I. And, Dan, kudos to you To. To allow your team to kind of do things like this. You're. You're building a room onto the house, right?

[Dan Patrick]

That's it.

[Will Ferrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

That's the way I see it.

[Will Ferrell]

Yeah. The question is, do you have a proper contractor's license?

[Dan Patrick]

That's what I want. Does he have permits?

[Mike Vaccaro]

There may be some.

[Dan Patrick]

Are.

[Mike Vaccaro]

Are.

[Dan Patrick]

Are you okay? Are you actually trying to weasel your way into Seaton's chair? Is that you were a Danette for a week in Dublin?

[Will Ferrell]

Are you asking. Do you have my reservations about this Dylan guy?

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah,

[Will Ferrell]

I mean, I think the whole listenership is. They're just like, okay, I've heard his voice a couple times. Does he have the chops? Can he. Does, you know, does he have the. The same curatorial taste in music that Seaton has coming in and out?

[Doc Rivers]

Right. Some.

[Will Ferrell]

Some nice drops, my friend. Nice.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, sir. Now, are you a part owner of a soccer team? Correct? I am. Okay. Seaton's son is of two.

[Doc Rivers]

Two.

[Will Ferrell]

Two. Two teams.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, okay. So see, son, be nice. Maybe when he, you know, 10 steps ahead. Okay.

[Will Ferrell]

I already have my advanced scouting team watching.

[Dan Patrick]

Little. Little Karen. Karen o'. Connor.

[Will Ferrell]

Oh, I thought his name was Jason. Okay, let me get that. Yeah, it's not Jason.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, it's bad. Okay. That's bad. Because this Jason. Yeah, he's really good.

[Will Ferrell]

He's going all the way.

[Dan Patrick]

Top of the 10.

[Will Ferrell]

Yeah. First division.

[Dan Patrick]

If Dylan doesn't work out. Dot, dot, dot. Yes. The answer is yes.

[Will Ferrell]

The answer's yes. Milford. I've already got my sights on a little condo.

[Dan Patrick]

What?

[Will Ferrell]

So, Dan, when do you retire?

[Dan Patrick]

February of 2028. Okay. Right.

[Will Ferrell]

I think that's when I retired to.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh, I didn't know you retired actors don't retire, do they?

[Will Ferrell]

I will. Yeah. I'm gonna. I'm gonna.

[Dan Patrick]

Why don't you. Why don't you pick another month? Like, why you do it? In March. Let me have February.

[Will Ferrell]

Okay, fine. I'll do the 27th, February 20th, a week after.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Will Ferrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

How's the. The golf series that you're. You're doing?

[Will Ferrell]

It's. It's. I'm very happy with it. Comes out in July.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay.

[Will Ferrell]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, we'll have you back to promote that.

[Will Ferrell]

I'll come back.

[Dan Patrick]

I'll come.

[Will Ferrell]

I'd love to come for a meet Friday.

[Dan Patrick]

That'd be nice, right? We'd love to have you. If you come into New York, then you come up, have a meet Friday, and then we just tear it up, you know, how long is that commute up to beautiful Milford? Depending on the time of day, but, you know, probably, you know, an hour, 35, 40 minutes.

[Will Ferrell]

That's no big deal.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, we'll put you on the Amtrak, bring you up, pick you up at train station, get on that acela crane. Yeah, we'll bring you up and we'll have a meet Friday. You tell us what you want and we will. We will cook. We will whip up a batch of meet Friday. Will Ferrellstone.

[Will Ferrell]

One last. I want to tell scene. One last thing. And, And I. I know everything about taking time off for family. I haven't. I've made a point not to work during the summers to be with my family. I've missed out on a lot of projects, which is fine. But I think the one thing no one's telling you is, is in my opinion, you may feel differently. Families, overrated.

[Dan Patrick]

If you had a do over, like, yeah, you.

[Will Ferrell]

You may be out in the wilderness on this new adventure. You know, six weeks out and you'll be like, boy, I miss that chair. I really miss that chair.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, but you passed up on some great roles, like some of them Titanic,

[Doc Rivers]

the Notebook.

[Dan Patrick]

Oh,

[Will Ferrell]

Gladiator, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Those are all mine. Brokeback Mountain. I was gonna play.

[Dan Patrick]

You were gonna play both characters,

[Will Ferrell]

the two roles of a lifetime.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Take that, Michael B. Jordan.

[Will Ferrell]

I'm off to be with the family. And. And actually, I. I think despite that list, I think I made the right choice, so. Well, I salute you.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you again for your kind words and your support. And you let us know when you're headed our way, and we'll let you know when you're. We're headed your way.

[Will Ferrell]

I love that. I love that motto. Okay.

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Thank you. Thank you. That's. That's Will Ferrell with some nice words.

[Fox Sports Radio Announcer]

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. Fox Sports Radio is taking over YouTube and you can be a part of it. Just go to YouTube and search Fox Sports Radio. Hit that subscribe button and smash that notification bell and catch all the videos from your favorite shows. Two pros and a cup of Joe. Dan Patrick, Colin Cowherd, Stu Godson company Live, Covino and Rich, the Odd Couple with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington, The Jason Smith show with Mike Harmon and the Ben Maller show. Fox sports radio on YouTube.

[Dan Patrick]

Subscribe hit that thumbs up icon and comment away. We just had Will Ferrell on Rich Eisen reached out right away and said, I'd love to come on and say goodbye to Seaton o', Connor, NFL Game day morning host and the Rich Eisen show on the mothership. Also heading back to Sports Center. Okay.

[Rich Eisen]

How are you?

[Dan Patrick]

Okay. Is it this Sunday?

[Rich Eisen]

This Sunday. Back in Bristol for a night. One night only. One night only.

[Dan Patrick]

Are you nervous? I've been, I've been waiting a long time.

[Rich Eisen]

Yes, you have. It's been that long since you actually did say that to me with a hint of irony. But no. It's exciting. I'm, I, I can't wait. And I also have no idea what to expect, you know, so I've been told. It's gotten massive since I last set foot on that campus in 20, 30, 23 years ago.

[Dan Patrick]

So wait, you haven't been back on campus?

[Rich Eisen]

No. They handed me a cardboard box in late May of 2003.

[Dan Patrick]

All your belongings, Dan.

[Rich Eisen]

You, you, you were then at the, the big wedding of. For Susie and yours truly about 10 days later. You were the one who hopped behind the bar apparently because drinks weren't being served fast enough to your liking.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah.

[Rich Eisen]

So you were passing out Jagermeister shots to everybody. This is what I heard through the grapevine that night. And I have not been back since then. That is correct.

[Dan Patrick]

But.

[Rich Eisen]

So 3.

[Dan Patrick]

Did they escort you out?

[Rich Eisen]

They, they definitely watched as I put a box together and walked out the door. That actually did happen. Yeah. Late May.

[Dan Patrick]

I remember it when you were telling me and I said, you, you, you're going to be the face of the NFL Network if you stay here. You're just a Sports center anchor. You're part of the, you know, the cog here. But that's something new. And it's the NFL Network. And, you know, my logic was the NFL is not going to let the NFL Network not succeed. Yes, but you do take a risk and, you know, it's obviously worked out for you, but I remember, you know, there's part of us that like, I don't want to give up, you know, working on SportsCenter. I mean, no, people don't walk away.

[Rich Eisen]

It was an identity for me. Yeah, Dan. And I'll never forget starting off at NFL Network in 2003 and then about three months later being at the NBA All Star Game here in Los Angeles. And Susie was the one who was working it. I was her plus one for some of these events. And somebody comes up to me and says, you watch, I watch you every day. And I wanted to crowdsource that immediately because NFL Network was only on at about 10 million homes at the time. I'm like, how do you watch me every day? I watch SportsCenter. I'm like, well I haven't been on that since last May. And the guy looks at me, he goes, are you all right? I could fog up a mirror in front of you right now if you want, you know. But yeah, it was my identity at the time. And if you were so clear eyed about it, you should have told me that. Don't worry about it. You'll be back 23 years later and NFL Network will be owned by ESPN. So you should have told me that at the time, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

Well, this is what they didn't tell you. I'm going to be co hosting with you Sunday night on sports, by the way. Yeah.

[Doc Rivers]

By the way.

[Rich Eisen]

That would make my day, night and year to do another Sports center with you, Dan. If you're up for it, I would love to do something like that.

[Dan Patrick]

You know, it's, it's too late for me. You know, maybe like how about an ESPN news shift like at 2 in the afternoon.

[Rich Eisen]

You sound like Bill Peto now. DP we need, we need John News. We need John News at 3 p. Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

You know.

[Rich Eisen]

No, but, no, it's not too late for you.

[Amazon Advertiser]

Come on now.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. I used to drink four 20 ounce bottles of coca Cola every night.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

So I would be alive at 11 o'. Clock. The problem was when I got to midnight and I was still alive and I wouldn't get to bed till two in the morning. And I just remember my wife said, isn't there something else you can take? Like I was so worried I did. I wouldn't have energy on SportsCenter that I would be chugging Coca Cola throughout the night.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

And I get home and I'd be wired.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah, tell me about it. I would do that. As you know, Stuart and I would do the 2:00am yeah. And get me to get home at 3. 3. I don't mean to top you here, but I mean. Oh, let me tell you, you, you stayed up at night. You know, I was telling. We had Landon Donovan here recently and I told him the story about how Stuart and I drew shorts, drew straws to see who would close SportsCenter after the round of 16 World cup that he, thanks to his, his outstanding play, that he, he got the United States there. And I drew the short straw. So I had a closed sports center at five in the morning thanks to Landon Donovan. And I watched the sunrise going home. And Stuart was well tucked in bed. He drew the long straw that night.

[Dan Patrick]

We're talking to Rich Eisenhower. NFL Network/ESPN. Or is it ESPN/NFL Network now?

[Rich Eisen]

You know, Dan, I, you know, I'll take whatever you got there, however you want to do it. It's all the same now, which is kind of wild.

[Dan Patrick]

And he'll be hosting SportsCenter 11 o' clock Sunday night.

[Rich Eisen]

Yes, sir.

[Doc Rivers]

Midnight.

[Rich Eisen]

Who's a midnight?

[Dan Patrick]

Midnight tip.

[Rich Eisen]

Midnight tip.

[Dan Patrick]

Who's with you?

[Rich Eisen]

Just solo. I'm going to do it myself.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow.

[Rich Eisen]

But here's the crazy thing to DP about how the world is totally different. That as it stands right now, it's coming off of an NBA double header and that inside the NBA is going to throw to me sitting on the SportsCenter set. So it's wild how it's all under one roof. And Daniel Jeremiah will join because we're going to talk NFL draft and the NFL Network version of the draft is still intact and we're going to keep doing it.

[Will Ferrell]

How does.

[Rich Eisen]

So we get that tap on the

[Dan Patrick]

shoulder, the Fernando Mendoza not showing up at the draft.

[Rich Eisen]

Yeah.

[Dan Patrick]

How surprising is that?

[Rich Eisen]

Not, not really. I mean, you know, he's got a large family and, you know, his mom has ms, so I don't know how easy it is for her to travel. And on top of it, you know, at some point you, the NFL can't say you're plus 30. Is that what you are? You know what I mean? Like, so I don't, I don't. I'm not surprised. I don't blame him. And, you know, it'll just be one of those moments where the draft television coverage might suffer because there's no moment coming off of a green room to start a draft and give that energy. But at the end of the day, we'll just keep, you know, matriculating down the picks and, and see. And see if he starts in the fall. That's the next One.

[Dan Patrick]

I know you wanted to say goodbye to Seaton.

[Rich Eisen]

Yes, I did.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, I did. But, you know, we're out of time

[Rich Eisen]

talking about me, so.

[Dan Patrick]

Sorry, Seaton, we're out of time.

[Rich Eisen]

Come on, man. Seaton. What's up, brother?

[Doc Rivers]

I.

[Rich Eisen]

You know, I just wanted to come on. As Dan knows, I saw the news during a commercial break here, sitting right here, and I'm like, oh, man. You know, you were such a part of the fabric of this show and such a great dude. I just wanted to come on and say whatever your next goal is and whatever you're doing for Dan and the burgeoning Dan Patrick Production Network, I'm psyched for you, brother.

[Dan Patrick]

Did you want to break the news

[Will Ferrell]

now that I'm joining the Rich Eisen

[Dan Patrick]

show, or should we wait until the press release?

[Rich Eisen]

Sorry that I was doing this behind the scenes, but yeah, okay. Yeah. No, I mean, your wife is already the voice of this show for over a decade, so I think I've gotten enough of your family, quite frankly.

[Dan Patrick]

Wow.

[Rich Eisen]

But no, I just wanted to say to you, you know, whenever I would come on the show in person and I would show up on the set, and Paulie would say something weird and awkward about my shoes, and McLovin was just, no doubt coming off of some ego bruise because he took a part of the face or a football to his head or something, and Fritz would just be already trying to book the next guest to make sure Dan's happy. You would always have a smile on your face and just be chill and present and just being awesome, dude. And I've always enjoyed listening and watching you and just wanted to come on the show and tell that to you.

[Dan Patrick]

I appreciate that, Rich. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks for sharing. And I thought it would be.

[Rich Eisen]

There's no tears after that. There's no tears.

[Dan Patrick]

I don't think anybody's crying today for some reason. Like, I don't know. I don't want to be the first guy to cry, but you're.

[Doc Rivers]

You're. You.

[Rich Eisen]

I would bet if there was, you know, hall of famers in Canton, Ohio, always bet. Who's the one who's going to cry first in a. In a Hall of Fame class? I would have bet you first, Dan.

[Dan Patrick]

You're.

[Rich Eisen]

You're. You've got a touch of the vermeil.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. You know, who's the one who doesn't care? The. The one who won't cry on this show?

[Rich Eisen]

Oh, that's Paulie.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah. Probably right. Yeah.

[T Mobile Advertiser]

I. I brought eye drops to fake cry. I brought him with me.

[Dan Patrick]

Fritzi yesterday said he might cry on Saturday.

[Fritzi (Impersonator)]

Sometimes it takes a little while to process.

[Dan Patrick]

Saturday

[Rich Eisen]

on the Sabbath. That's what he's crying.

[Doc Rivers]

A day of rest when I'm just

[Fritzi (Impersonator)]

thinking about life and what's going on in the world.

[Dan Patrick]

Thank you, Rich. Good luck on Sunday night. All right, we'll see you in Pittsburgh.

[Rich Eisen]

Thanks.

[Dan Patrick]

Yeah, that's Rich Eisen, NFL game day morning, host of NFL Network and the Rich Eisen Show.

[Podcast Host]

This is an I heart podcast, Guaranteed human.