The Pat McGann Show

Ever wonder what it takes to convince Joe Burrow to let a stranger mess with his head on national television? This week Pat sits down with mentalist Oz Pearlman, the guy with 8.9 million Instagram followers and a knack for melting NFL players' brains on camera.  Oz breaks down how he talked his way past a hard "no" to get Joe Burrow into one of his most viral clips ever, walks throu...

This week Pat and Dwayne Kennedy ring in the 4th of July, remember Stacey King, and Marcelo Balboa checks in from the World Cup to explain how Paraguay wrecked everyone's bracket. Then two of the internet's original men's-style influencers, Aaron Marino (Alpha M.) and Antonio Centeno (Real Men Real Style), join back to back to talk nose hair, Sears jackets, and how a Marine Corps un...

Pat's back from Hawaii — Pearl Harbor, potential pineapple smuggling, and a flat tire the day before departure — while Dwayne was in Norfolk, Nebraska for the Johnny Carson Comedy Festival. Marcelo Balboa checks in from the World Cup: USA clinched first place, Turkey's coach is getting fired, Cape Verde's goalkeeper went from 25K to 13 million Instagram followers overnight, and FIFA...

First up, Marcelo Balboa checks in from the World Cup with a quick field report — US looking sharp, Spain humbled by Cape Verde, and FIFA apparently Americanizing soccer one hydration break at a time. Then Pat and Dwayne sit down with South Side legend Abbey Murphy: Evergreen Park native, two-time Olympian, University of Minnesota all-time goals leader, recently drafted 2nd overall to Seattle Torr...

A priest and a mortician walk into a podcast. Amen, and subscribe. First up on the pitch, Marcelo Balboa. former U.S. Men's National Team defender and World Cup alum (1990, 1994, 1998), stops by at the top to break down the World Cup — including dark horse teams, hacky sack's unlikely comeback, and why the US needs to get to the quarterfinal, minimum.  Then, Father Tom Hurley and funeral...

Taking a page out of Mitch Rosen’s book, this episode was posted at 3am. (But don’t worry, we scheduled it for 9:03am). The VP of Odyssey Sports and architect of 670 The Score joins Pat and Dwayne to talk about building one of the most iconic sports radio brands in the country.  The origin story alone is worth it, a 12-year-old from Skokie writes a fan letter to an overnight DJ and ends up produci...

40 days and 40 nights? This podcast hit 40 episodes in under a year. The Lord had other plans for our guest, so we pivoted. Consider this episode an act of faith. For the milestone episode, producer Tom flips the script and puts Pat in the hot seat for a full career retrospective. From his first open mic at Chicago and Halsted, to hosting at Zanies, getting fired into full-time comedy, and walking...

This week, Pat is thrilled to welcome Ian Happ, the first major leaguer to appear on the podcast. No stranger to “the show”, Dwayne Kennedy also joins this wide ranging conversation with the most tenured Cub. Get behind the scenes of life in the big leagues and leave knowing more about being HAPP-y.  Watch to the end of this week’s episode to learn how you can win two free tickets to go see Pat li...

We're celebrating Pat's 50th with three Chicago guys and one matching outfit. This week, ABC7 Chicago's lead sports anchor and Windy City Live co-host Ryan Chiaverini joins Pat and Dwayne for a long-overdue conversation. Ryan shares what it was actually like to replace Oprah Winfrey on live television the day after she retired — including the Yahoo comment section, which was not kin...

Today we are taking a trip down Matteo Lane, but first, taking a right down memory Dwayne. Before his sold-out show at the Chicago Theater, Dwayne Kennedy and Pat McGann chat with the Chicago-raised, New York-based comedian. They discuss his journey from performing a three-minute open mic at Old Town Pub to sold-out theaters in Italy, Spain, and Australia.  Along the way: why Grease makes absolute...

Get ready—this might be the best 39 minutes and 92 seconds you’ve ever experienced. A vintage Chicago episode with old friends and all-timers of The Pat McGann Show . This week, Dwyane Kennedy and Maggie Hughes DePalo join Pat to defend Chicago comedy, revisit reality show disasters, and break down the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Why were people still eating? Did Oz see it coming? And wher...

In Episode 35, comedians Adam Gilbert and Maggie Hughes DePalo join Pat McGann for a laid-back conversation that moves between stand-up, life on the road, and Midwest roots. Adam shares his path from Indiana to Chicago’s comedy scene and eventually to the Comedy Cellar in New York, along with the realities of touring, open mics, and the occasional rough night on stage. Maggie tells stories from th...

In Episode 34 of The Pat McGann Show, the original Apprentice winner (and future canonized saint) joins Pat to share how a South Side Chicago entrepreneur turned a bold risk into a career spanning television, bestselling books, motivational speaking, and the wildly successful RPM restaurant empire. From launching a cigar-of-the-month club in a tiny apartment to proposing to Giuliana in a helicopte...

In this bonus episode, Tim Sinclair—known as the Voice of Chicago—joins Pat McGann to share his incredible journey from aspiring architect to one of the most recognizable voices in sports. As the public address announcer for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears, Chicago Fire, and University of Illinois, Tim offers a behind-the-scenes look at how these coveted roles come to life. The conversation explo...

Comedian AJ Leidig joins Pat McGann and Dwayne Kennedy to break down his journey in stand-up comedy. From growing up near Woodstock to testing out joke-book material in middle school, AJ shares how he got his start and made his way through the suburbs into Chicago comedy. The guys get into bombing early sets, $600 apartments, road gigs, and why the suburbs might secretly be the best place to start...

Coach Chris Holtmann of the DePaul Blue Demons joins Pat McGann and Dwayne Kennedy to break down his first two years rebuilding Chicago's most storied college basketball program.  After leaving Ohio State, Holtmann recounts calling Jay Wright and Tom Izzo for advice, sliding into Pat's DMs, consulting with Brad Stevens, and going bar-hopping after a big win at DePaul. He opens up about t...

Pat McGann sits down with his relative Matty Ryan (yes, they’re actually related) and Chris Higgins for a wild, laugh-filled ride through Chicago life. They get into Dan Ryan survival tactics, bus token nostalgia, flipping off AI robots, parking tickets, and the evolution of the word "nimrod" thanks to Bugs Bunny.  🎬 New episodes every Thursday — filmed at Tiege Hanley Studios in Chicag...

This week on The Pat McGann Show, Pat and co-host Dwayne Kennedy sit down with Chicago Alderman Matt O’Shea for a conversation about city politics, airport construction, and why you should not call your alderman about airplanes flying overhead. Plus: the South Side Irish Parade, the economics of dyeing the river green, the Star Wars museum Chicago didn’t get, and an unexpected detour into “Friends...

This week on the Pat McGann Show, Pat and co-host Dwayne Kennedy catch up with WGN superstar Ana Belaval. For the past two decades, she’s been performing live TV without a script. Billy Corgan even composed a song for her. (And don’t worry- she’ll reveal her Puerto Rican heritage before the ten-minute mark.)  Ana also shares why Puerto Ricans don't eat spicy food, and the story of how Mike To...

Comedian Lio Cundiff makes a bonus splash on the Pat McGann Show this week. Despite his usual preference for floating with a beer in hand, he jumped into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan to rescue a baby. "I hope she has a really cool future, and I'm happy I was there." His heroic act caught the attention of People Magazine, but he decided to set the record straight here on The Pa...

Pat McGann sits down with Jarrett Payton to discuss growing up as the son of Walter Payton, giving a Hall of Fame speech at age 12 (casual), and how running a landfill hill builds character. They get into near-death car stories, surviving a Miami national championship team, being mentored by NFL “wild childs,” and what it’s like when Michael Jordan shows up at your house to win his money back. Als...

Pat McGann is back in Chicago with Dwayne Kennedy and Peyton Ruddy for what is, legally speaking, our best work yet. They cover a canceled Bermuda cruise gig, the Winter Olympics (Norway winning everything, including skiing-with-a-rifle), 30,000 missing condoms in the Olympic Village, and a necessary debate about Boyz n the Hood vs. Menace II Society . Peyton talks starting stand-up at 17, working...

Pat McGann sits down with Chicago comedian Maggie Hughes DePalo to talk about the totally sensible decision to quit a stable job, raise kids, and pursue stand-up at the same time. They get into building a South Side comedy scene from scratch, doing parking lot shows during COVID, and somehow ending up opening for Nate Bargatze in an arena like that’s a normal Tuesday. Also discussed: Catholic scho...

In this Olympian-sized episode, Pat catches up with Tom Bambara and Zooms around with two-time Olympic gold medalist  Shani Davis. Chicago Historian Dilla Thomas drops facts in the studio and shouts out our latest listener- his wife. Enjoy the gold medal editing; be sure to subscribe and leave us a review!  🎧 New episodes every week — filmed in Chicago. 👉 Like, comment, and subscribe for more co...

“Our” Chuck Garfien joins Pat McGann and Calvin Evans in the brand-new Tiege Hanley studio on Chicago’s West Side for a hilarious, wide-ranging conversation about Chicago sports, comedy, and life in the city. Pat, Calvin, and Chuck dig into White Sox history, Hawk Harrelson’s iconic catchphrases, the origin of “Our Chuck,” and what it’s really like working around legendary broadcasters. Calvin wei...