Tag: Dan Patrick Show

Todd Blackledge: Notre Dame must win out for College Football Playoff

Will the Irish do it?

As the color analyst for NBC’s Big Ten Saturday Night coverage, Todd Blackledge doesn’t get to call Notre Dame games. But that doesn’t mean he’s not keeping tabs on the Irish. After all, he wouldn’t have the gig he has if he wasn’t paying attention to all of college football.

In an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show”, Blackedge was asked by the host about the Irish’s chances at making the College Football Playoff. Blackedge made it clear that the Irish’s remaining schedule is a detriment in that there aren’t a lot of big games left if any at all.

With Florida State at 1-5 and USC below .500 in Big Ten play, Blackege said the Irish don’t have a lot of margin for error. That means they’ll have to win out in order to have even a shot at the playoff. It’s further proof that the loss to Northern Illinois continues to hang over the team like a cloud.

We’ll continue to have this debate for the rest of the season or at least until the Irish lose another game. Better get used to it if you aren’t already, Irish fans.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on X: @gfclark89

Panthers great Cam Newton reveals when an NFL team last called him

When was the last time an NFL team called Cam Newton about playing? He revealed that to Dan Patrick on Tuesday.

So, when was the last time an NFL team called former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to play? Well, maybe not since he was a Carolina Panthers quarterback.

Newton was featured as a guest on Tuesday’s episode of The Dan Patrick Show, where host Dan Patrick (who would’ve thunk it?) inquired about his job status—specifically, on the on-field one. And from football player/broadcaster to broadcaster, Cam kept it real.

“Two years,” he responded.

If that is indeed the case, then it’s likely the Panthers, who brought the franchise great back in 2021, were his last call. Newton went on to appear in eight games for Carolina that season, throwing for 684 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions while rushing for 230 yards and another five scores.

Patrick then asked Newton if he or his agent has been reaching out to teams recently. While he did say he has “a lot of interest” in returning to the field, the 34-year-old said he hasn’t called anyone.

“It doesn’t matter how many times you call, if they don’t want you, they’re not picking up,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve known the NFL to do and be very intentional in what they do. It’s no manipulation, it’s no swaying. It doesn’t matter if I call them. If they don’t want me, it’s still gonna be . . . okay.”

The 2023 season has seen quite a few contenders suffer from devastating injuries to their starting quarterbacks—including the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. But would Newton fit into any of those situations?

Patrick asked Newton if he believes he’s too big of a personality for some quarterback rooms, even if he were to be a backup.

“I’ve said it before, yes,” he replied. “What do you say to a Dak Prescott? What do you say to a Derek Carr? What do you say to a healthy Deshaun Watson? What do you say to, at the particular point in time, a Zach Wilson? ‘Cam Newton’s comin’ in town. By all means, we want you to be the best version of yourself.'”

Newton’s last NFL snap came on Jan. 9, 2022.

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Notre Dame football: Marcus Freeman shares his most memorable tackle in college

Marcus Freeman recalls the biggest tackle he made while an Ohio State Buckeye.

To me there is no better sports talk show in the land than the Dan Patrick Show.  Often imitated, never duplicated.

As long-running and successful as the show has been over the past roughly 15-years though, this has been one of it’s most entertaining weeks to date.  That counts on Wednesday and Thursday so far this week but the show is in Dublin ahead of Notre Dame-Navy and has been featuring Notre Dame guests the last two days.

Marcus Freeman stopped by the show on Thursday and one bit on the show is having executive producer Paul Pabst be tackled by a guest when they’re on the road.

Well, that was the case on Thursday as Freeman used Pabst as a tackling dummy.  Freeman also shared with Patrick the most memorable hit he had in college, which just so happened to come in a historic Ohio State vs. Michigan, No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle.

Check out the clip from the show first and then see the hit Freeman was talking about.

Now, watch that hit:

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Watch: Will Ferrell’s trash-talk to Brady Quinn

“NUMBER 10 — YOUR PANTS ARE TOO HIGH!”

Perhaps Notre Dame‘s most-known quarterback of the last 20-years is [autotag]Brady Quinn[/autotag].  He holds countless Fighting Irish passing records and was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist during his college days.

Notre Dame’s biggest rival is obviously USC and one of their most famous graduates is comedian and actor Will Ferrell.

Ferrell was at his peak while Quinn was at Notre Dame from 2003-2006 and frequented the USC sidelines at the Coliseum.  We now also know that Ferrell used to trash talk Quinn when the Irish were in town.

Ferrell’s trash talk was one-of-a-kind though, something that the two discussed as Quinn was a guest on the Dan Patrick Show, live from Dublin on Thursday.  Watch below:

Genius by Ferrell.

Players hear about their mothers, get called names that can’t be said here, and plenty of other things during games.  Being called out for their way of wearing pants or for how they run is hilarious though.

Check out pictures of Quinn from his 2006 trip to USC below.  Unfortunately the Irish were routed in that contest 44-24.

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Watch: Drew Brees looks back on the weaknesses written in his NFL draft scouting report

In a 2016 Dan Patrick Show appearance, former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees looked back on the negatives in his old NFL draft scouting report:

Here’s a throwback for New Orleans Saints fans. With the 2023 NFL draft in sight, it’s a good time to look back on Drew Brees’ 2016 appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, in which the future Hall of Famer read back some of the strengths and weaknesses that pro scouts had written down in his draft profile.

It’s an interesting look at some of the flaws Brees carried with him from his college days at Purdue, and which persisted with the Chargers before he revitalized his career in New Orleans.

“‘Tends to side-arm his passes going deep,'” Brees began, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “‘Lacks accuracy and touch on his long throws. Seems more comfortable in these short-intermediate passing attacks.’ Well that’s the whole design of the spread offense.”

Brees is widely regarded as the most accurate passer of all time, having devastated opposing defenses for years with his pinpoint throws to targets downfield with the Saints. He helped still-developing talents coming out of college like Devery Henderson and Jimmy Graham become threats to score nearly every time they touched the football.

But the next bit of criticism still stung. Brees grimaced, chuckling darkly: “‘Does not possess the ideal height you look for in a pro passer?’ Oh, what? I didn’t think that was coming.”

Along with his rare accuracy and signature birthmark, Brees is also known for his subpar height (by pro standards). There’s the story of his weigh-in at the NFL Scouting Combine still floating around, in which Brees allegedly glared at the league examiner measuring him until the score was changed from an initial 5-foot-11 and 7/8 of an inch to this official reading of 6-foot-0 and 1/4 of an inch. He continued down the scouting report.

“‘Though his ability to scan the field does help him compensate in (lacking height). Will improvise and run when the passing lanes are clogged but tends to run through defenders rather than try to avoid them to prevent unnecessary punishment.'” Brees paused, wryly gesturing at his slight frame, “But here’s the thing, Dan, when you look like this, why (is that a negative)? Just, why?”

Patrick laughed in agreement, pointing out that when Brees took off on the run, he sometimes looked like Cam Newton. That dynamic element with his legs became more limited to the pocket as Brees aged, but his agility in a small space remained a strength even in his final years in the league.

It goes to show that a college scouting report isn’t the end-all, be-all of analyzing a player’s strengths and weaknesses. They can put in the work to change their game and develop further, especially after turning pro and getting access to resources and coaching that wasn’t available at the college level. Brees overcame his flaws and a career-threatening injury to rank among the best quarterbacks of all time. Maybe some of the rookies in this 2023 draft class can take a similar path to success.

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Drew Brees on Derek Carr signing: ‘It’s a great fit for him, great fit for the Saints’

Drew Brees endorsed his old team’s Derek Carr signing: ‘I think it’s a great fit for him, I think it’s a great fit for the Saints’

Who better to comment on the New Orleans Saints quarterback situation than the best quarterback in Saints history? Drew Brees joined The Dan Patrick Show on Thursday to share his take on Derek Carr’s outlook in New Orleans, and it’s a move he’s embraced enthusiastically.

“I think it’s a great fit. I think it’s a great fit for him, great fit for the Saints,” Brees said. “I’ve always been impressed with Derek Carr. I think he’s been in a pretty dysfunctional situation, I think we all recognize that. Look at all that’s happened to the Raiders from a personnel perspective, all the controversy, I think he’s caught the brunt of that unfairly in a lot of ways.”

Stability is the name of the game in New Orleans. Mickey Loomis is the longest-tenured general manager in the league. Front office executives like Jeff Ireland, Khai Harley, and Michael Parenton have each been around for almost a decade or more. Offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. isn’t going anywhere, and the defense that Dennis Allen built is stronger than anything Carr has played with in the past.

But what about Carr’s system fit? Brees continued pointed to Carr’s experience in a similar offense as reason for optimism: “I’ve been impressed watching him play. He certainly has the ability to take an offense like what the Saints run and execute that well. Put a lot on his plate, where in many cases you’re going up to the line of scrimmage with multiple plays, the ability to check into multiple plays. Jon Gruden’s offense which he came up in was the same offense that we run. That West Coast-style, but the ability to ‘Hey we’re not going to run a bad play.’ That’s always the philosophy. We’re going to get out of bad plays, get into good plays, you have to be a smart quarterback to recognize that. I thought he’s always done a good job of that.”

So Brees is fully on board with this move. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported that Brees helped recruit Carr to the Saints, selling the free agent quarterback on New Orleans’ organizational culture and strong supporting cast, neither of which he enjoyed with the Raiders. We’ll see if this move works out as well as hoped, but Brees’ endorsement is encouraging.

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MMQB’s Albert Breer has one problem with the Bills – kind of (video)

Well–it was a position battle at #Bills camp…

Consider Albert Breer from the MMQB as a national analyst that’s on the Buffalo Bills bandwagon.

Breer recently visited the team’s training camp site at St. John Fisher University in Rochester. After taking in the sights and sounds, Breer appeared the the “Dan Patrick Show.”

He noted the one problem he sees on the Bills roster: Punter.

While making the tongue-and-cheek remark, he does have a bit of a point. Buffalo does have that as a highlighted training camp battle between rookie Matt Araiza and incumbent Matt Haack.

But the biggest takeaway was clearly how impressed he is with the team.

For more Breer on the Bills, check out the episode clip below:

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Charles Barkley gives deadline for LIV Golf offer, details ‘very stressful’ week amid interest in series

The LIV broadcast, which is currently only available via live stream, recently added David Feherty to its talent sheet.

“When I leave New Jersey Thursday night, when I leave the golf course, if I don’t have an offer in hand, it’s over.”

That was Charles Barkley’s message to Greg Norman and the LIV Golf Invitational Series during a Monday appearance on the Dan Patrick Show.

The 11-time NBA All-Star and current TNT analyst has been flirting with the Norman-led series over the last few weeks, which will hold its third event this week at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. Last week Barkley told the New York Post that he’s playing in a pro-am for the Bedminster event after he had met with Norman for dinner in Atlanta to discuss what his role would be with LIV.

“I’m not gonna keep TNT in limbo. To be honest with you, I don’t think it’s fair to them,” Barkley explained. “(LIV has) gotten plenty of play out of me coming to play up there Thursday. So I’m not just gonna be no show pony.”

The LIV broadcast, which is currently only available via live stream, recently added David Feherty to its talent sheet alongside former voice of the Premier League on NBC Arlo White – who is in his first foray as a golf announcer – as well as former Golf Channel analyst Jerry Foltz and Dom Boulet.

The series, funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has long been criticized as a way for the Kingdom to sportswash its human rights record. Saudi Arabia has been accused of wide-ranging human rights abuses, including politically motivated killings, torture, forced disappearances and inhumane treatment of prisoners. And members of the royal family and Saudi government were accused of involvement in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist.

Barkley said it has been “very stressful” since news broke of his interest in LIV and even called out players for being afraid to admit the decision to join the series is for the guaranteed money.

You can watch the full interview here.

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Joe LaCava dishes on Tiger’s potential schedule and tells a whopper of a story of caddying for the GOAT

“I’m hoping that he will play maybe in December at the Hero and the father-son…I’m hoping three, maybe four tournaments before The Masters”

Tiger Woods made it pretty clear last week at the 150th British Open that he won’t be playing anytime soon.

“Maybe something next year. I don’t know. But nothing in the near future,” he said after he missed the cut on Friday. “This is it. I was just hoping to play this one event this year.”

But Tiger’s caddie Joe LaCava, who has been on the bag for more than a decade now, said he’s not counting Tiger out for the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas or some hit-n-giggle father-son time at the PNC Championship with Charlie in Orlando. Both of those events are scheduled for December.

“I’m hoping that he will play maybe in December at the Hero and the father-son, and then maybe the Genesis [Invitational]… I’m hoping three, maybe four tournaments before The Masters,” said LaCava, who appeared on the Dan Patrick Show on Thursday. “I won’t do much, I’ll do the same thing. I’ll say ‘Tiger, hey listen, if you’re starting to feel better in October or November, maybe I’ll come down for a couple of weeks [to Florida], we’ll hang out, don’t have to play every day, we don’t have to practice every day, I’ll be there and maybe give you a bit of motivation, we’ll do some playing practice here and there and get ready for the Hero and get ready for the following year of ’23 and get him ready in any respect that he needs.”

Where might Tiger play next year ahead of the Masters? If the body is willing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play at the Genesis Invitational tournament on the PGA Tour in the second week of February, a tournament at which he serves as the host and his Tiger Woods Foundation is the main charitable beneficiary. The Players Championship, a tournament that Tiger’s won twice could also be a good proving ground to remove the rust before the Masters in April.

Coming back from a horrific single-car accident in February 2021, Woods played in three of the four majors this season, finishing 47th at The Masters, withdrawing from the PGA Championship ahead of the final round, and missing the cut at St. Andrews.

LaCava also shared a hilarious story about how he likes to lug the bag on his right shoulder and the time he switched to a double-strap golf bag.

“I don’t think I could carry the bag from here to my front door left-handed,” he said.

LaCava and Jim “Bones” MacKay, longtime looper for Phil Mickelson who is now having success with Justin Thomas, was one of the first to use the double-strap bag and for several years he tried to convince LaCava to make the switch with no success.

“I just wouldn’t do it,” LaCava said. “It just felt funky to me, the whole nine yards.”

By the time LaCava started working with Tiger, he was getting older and the doube-strap bag became more appealing. Still, he wouldn’t budge. Finally, at the 2018 BMW Championship at Aronomink Golf Club near Philadelphia, Tiger took matters into his own hand. He showed up at the third leg of the playoffs with a double strap and hooked it up to his bag himself.

“Oh, man, now I have to give it a go,” LaCava recalled.

LaCava was dropping his towel and worried about a club falling out of the bag as he tested out the double strap during a practice round alongside Rory McIlroy. On Thursday, Tiger shot 62 and never missed a shot. LaCava’s phone blew up. He scrolled down to a text from his son, who hadn’t been in touch since being dropped off at James Madison University a month earlier. Joe Jr.’s message was classic: “All I get is double-strap and a question mark and it said, ‘Soft.’ ”

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‘No indication’ Cowboys were 1 of 2 teams asking about Sean Payton, per insider

Despite Jerry Jones’s denials, the rumors won’t die anytime soon; more speculation over the weekend of an imminent reunion in Dallas. | From @ToddBrock24f7

When New Orleans coach Sean Payton announced last week he was stepping away from coaching after 16 seasons, many assumed- even hoped- that it simply meant he was stepping away from the Saints… and jumping on I-49 North to come to Dallas instead.

That certainly appears to not be an option- at least not right now- for the 58-year-old Payton, who first told Dan Patrick that he hasn’t been contacted by any teams… but then admitted that two clubs have asked about him in a roundabout sort of way.

And as recently as Sunday, NFL insiders were still addressing the persistent rumors that one of those teams must have been the Cowboys.

After nearly two weeks of awkward silences and cryptic soundbites about the franchise’s next steps in the wake of a bitterly disappointing playoff exit, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones finally tried to clear the air about current head coach Mike McCarthy.

Jones went on local radio in Dallas to back McCarthy’s return… mainly by talking about how badly he wanted defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to come back.

He got Quinn. He still has McCarthy. And Payton has made it no secret that he hopes to land a television gig for the 2022 season.

But in a recent episode of his show, Patrick asked the longtime coach if any other teams had reached out to him since his stunning change-of-career announcement last week.

“Not one,” Payton said before clarifying. “Well, they would have to reach out to the Saints. And look, you can have a back-door, ‘Hey-would-you-have-any-interest?’ That’s happened maybe with a couple clubs, but I’m not looking at that path right now. At some point; I don’t think I’m finished coaching.”

Patrick seized on the obvious mention of a couple clubs and pressed for a more precise number.

“Two. And when I say that,” Payton explained, “all I’m saying is somebody who’s close to someone [said]: ‘Man, you’d be really good here.’ But we’re only 24, 48 hours removed from [his announcement]. And that’s not my plan.”

Patrick pursued the line of questioning, throwing out two frequently-mentioned possibilities: Chicago and Dallas. (This was before the Bears announced they were hiring Matt Eberflus for the job.)

“No, no. That’s where it stops.”

But it didn’t. Not really. Because later in the conversation, the two discussed Payton’s potential as a gameday color man in the booth. And the coach used a real-life football scenario, one completely chosen at random and for no reason in particular (wink, wink) to break down.

Back-channel conversations aren’t necessary when the candidate does his tryout live on a popular streaming show with a nationally-recognized host.

For his part, Jones denied everything during his radio call-in.

“I’m not part of any dialogue or any decision-making relative to him leaving New Orleans,” the owner said the next day.

That sentence has all kinds of gray areas and wiggle room for those looking to find it, especially considering that the two men remain close 16 years after their employer-employee relationship ended.

By Sunday, even as the league was settling in for conference championship games involving four other teams, the studio shows couldn’t resist teasing out the possibility of Jones and Payton engaging in double-secret-probation code-word negotiations about the coach’s availability and interest.

NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo referenced Payton’s chat with Patrick and the “a couple clubs” revelation. Then he took it to where everybody’s head had already gone.

“I’m told, by the way,” Garofalo offered on-air, “no indication that the Cowboys were one of those teams. I know everybody wants to put him there; no indications that’s happening. At least not yet.”

Perhaps notably, the camera then cut to a triple-splitscreen shot of Garofalo, Ian Rapoport, and Tom Pelissero. The three men who make up the network’s main reporting force all wore very obvious looks of extreme skepticism on their faces.

The Sean Saga isn’t over, and everyone who follows the never-ending soap opera that is America’s Team knows it. As long as Payton is not on an NFL sideline, there will be plenty of say-it-right-out-loud speculation about him being just one bad loss, one poor showing, one botched timeout, one mismanaged game situation away from a reunion with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys.

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