The Dan Patrick Show – Best of August 18, 2025

Episode Overview

On this episode of "The Dan Patrick Show," Dan and the core crew (Fritzi, Seton, Marv, Paulie, and the backroom guys) return from vacation and dive straight into major storylines in the world of sports. Top topics include Scotty Scheffler's dominance in golf, preseason NFL quarterback discussions, dilemmas concerning contract holdouts and potential trades, NCAA sanctions against Michigan Football, the future of college football playoffs, and an extended, humorous and insightful conversation with former NFL star Gerald McCoy.

Main Themes & Discussion Points

1. Scotty Scheffler’s Dominance in Golf

• Scheffler wins the BMW Championship: Dan marvels at Scheffler’s methodical, almost inevitable success.
• Comparison to Tiger Woods: Though different in style, Scheffler is drawing comparisons to Tiger's historic runs due to his consistent results.
  • Quote: "Tiger was a guillotine. He would just cut your head off. Scotty's like, yep, there he is again. And there he is again." (Dan Patrick, 03:13)
• Public Perception: Scheffler is "likable" and self-effacing, which boosts his popularity, especially following his lighthearted cameo at the end of "Happy Gilmore 2."

2. NFL Preseason Overreactions & Quarterback Talk

• Cautious Analysis of Preseason Performances: Dan cautions against drawing hard conclusions from preseason heroics.
  • Quote: "It's like summer league basketball... this guy put up 40 for the Pistons. He doesn't even make the roster." (Dan Patrick, 08:55)
• Spotlight on Shador Sanders: Discusses the media's polarizing coverage of Sanders and the tendency to force hot takes.
  • On taking sides: "I hate picking a side because I don't really have a side on it. I want to be neutral with him." (Dan Patrick, 11:38)
• Evaluation of Quarterbacks: Emphasis on valuing significant college starting experience (30+ games); recent high pick QBs with limited starts are a risky bet.

3. NFL Contract Holdouts & Trades

• Bengals & Commanders: Discussion on Trey Hendrickson’s and Terry McLaurin’s contract disputes and potential trade scenarios.
• Ownership & Management Critique: Dan criticizes the Bengals for risking Joe Burrow’s prime by mishandling top talent’s contracts.
  • Quote: "You only have so many opportunities here and you've got a franchise quarterback... management failed us." (Dan Patrick, 12:27)
• Fun Segment: Paulie jokes about televising live halftime negotiations for player contracts. (13:29)

4. NCAA Sanctions vs. Michigan Football (w/ Ross Dellinger, Yahoo Sports)

[Starts ~23:54]

• Ross Dellinger Interview:
  • Severity & Historic Size of Penalty: Over $30 million in fines—a new standard in NCAA enforcement.
    • "It is a historic penalty... that you've just never seen anything like it." (Ross Dellinger, 24:25)
  • Shift from Postseason Bans: NCAA is now favoring massive financial penalties over vacated wins/postseason bans, to avoid affecting current/innocent players.
  • “Did Michigan Cheat?” Most in the sport believe so, but Michigan and Jim Harbaugh never admitted guilt.
    • "I can't imagine Jim Harbaugh acknowledging in any way that the University of Michigan cheated..." (Ross Dellinger, 27:48)
  • Hypotheticals: If Harbaugh had still been at Michigan, penalties likely would have been harsher—possibly including a postseason ban.

Key Timestamps:

• [24:03] – Dellinger summarizes punishment
• [27:32] – Dan presses on Harbaugh & Michigan’s denial
• [30:39] – Discussing alternatives if Harbaugh stayed at Michigan

5. College Football Playoff Expansion Rumors

• Big 10’s Bold Proposal: Early-stage discussions of expanding playoff to 24–28 teams, with half the field from Big Ten and SEC; still very preliminary.
  • Quote: "I think we always knew... when college football went from 2 to 4 and certainly when it went from 4 to 12, we knew this was inevitably going to go to at least 16." (Ross Dellinger, 33:27)
• No immediate changes: 2025 playoff likely to remain at 12 teams.

6. NFL Preseason & Locker Room Realities (w/ Gerald McCoy, NFL Network and former DT)

[Starts ~38:38]

• Preseason Intensity: Coaches take preseason seriously; still give locker room speeches and expect execution.
  • "Most coaches say, hey, if they keep the score, we want to go out and win." (Gerald McCoy, 39:36)
• Painful Reality of Getting Cut: Gerald shares vivid, sometimes darkly funny stories of seeing teammates get let go—including in team meetings and even at the movies.
  • "We called [the guy who does the cuts] the Grim Reaper... this business is ruthless." (Gerald McCoy, 42:10)
• Adjustments & Uncertainty: The NFL is "a game of adjustments"—rosters change constantly; no one is truly safe.

Memorable Moments:

• Difference In Rookie vs. Veteran QBs: Clear difference in command and confidence at the line of scrimmage.
  • "You could definitely tell the difference... rookies, depending on who's the center, will depend a lot on his center for protections." (Gerald McCoy, 44:40)
• Tackling Cam Newton: Hilariously likens it to a toddler trying to tackle a dad, emphasizing Cam’s rare size/agility.
  • "Trying to take Cam down... Cam was doing everything they're doing at 6'6", 250–260 [pounds]..." (Gerald McCoy, 46:18)

Personal & Pop Culture Segments:

• His Kobe-Themed Rolls Royce: McCoy shares stories about modifying his car to honor Kobe and meeting his hero.
  • "It was almost like the perfect meeting of one of your, like, heroes, honestly." (Gerald McCoy, 48:36)
  • More nervous meeting Kobe than playing in an NFL playoff game.

Additional Insights

• Contract Disputes: Of the current NFL holdouts, sees Trey Hendrickson as most likely to be traded; Cowboys are unlikely to move Micah Parsons.
• Sneaky NFL Team for 2025: Picks the Raiders, reasoning Pete Carroll’s formula and personnel fit could surprise many this season.
• College Athlete Compensation: Openly jokes about never taking money in college, but notes today's landscape is radically different.

7. Lighthearted Banter & Show Energy

• The show balances incisive, informed sports takes with classic locker-room humor and stories from the trenches.
• Frequent crew interjections and recurring jokes, especially about player negotiations and business-side drama.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Dan Patrick on Scheffler vs. Tiger:
  "Tiger was a guillotine. He would just cut your head off. Scotty's like, yep, there he is again." – [03:13]
• On Preseason Quarterback Hype:
  "I hate picking a side because I don't really have a side on it. I want to be neutral with him." – [11:38]
• Ross Dellinger on Michigan Punishment:
  "It is a historic penalty that you've just never seen anything like it." – [24:25]
• Gerald McCoy on NFL Cuts:
  "We called him the Grim Reaper in Tampa because he was the one who would come grab you... this business is ruthless." – [42:10]
• Cam Newton's Elusiveness:
  "Trying to take Cam down... [was like] toddlers... trying to take their parent down... Cam was doing everything they're doing at 6'6", 250–260..." – [46:18]
• Meeting Kobe Bryant:
  "It was almost like the perfect meeting of one of your, like, heroes, honestly..." – [48:36]

Key Segment Timestamps

• Golf/Scotty Scheffler – 02:23 to 05:30
• NFL Preseason/Quarterbacks – 05:30 to 13:30
• NFL Contracts & Trades – 13:30 to 18:39
• NCAA/Michigan Punishment (Ross Dellinger) – 23:54 to 33:55
• NFL Cut Stories & Gerald McCoy Interview – 38:38 to 56:17

Summary

This episode of "The Dan Patrick Show" blends hallmark sports talk, expert reporting, big-picture college football implications, and authentic behind-the-scenes stories from the NFL. The crew's return to the air is marked by thoughtful takes: from deconstructing the severity of Michigan’s NCAA punishment to playfully debating NFL contract negotiations, all while weaving in humor and insight through interviews with Ross Dellinger and Gerald McCoy. It’s a well-rounded episode filled with candor, storytelling, and enough laughs to make even the business side of football sound entertaining.