ARTICLE: Dan Patrick strongly considering leaving ESPN

[WoodysGirl]

ESPN could lose Dan Patrick
July 4, 2007


ESPN could be on the verge of losing one of its signature personalities.

Unfortunately, it's not Chris Berman.

Dan Patrick, the multitalented 18-year vet who has hinted recently of a major upcoming announcement, is strongly considering leaving the network.

An industry source said there was a "90 percent chance" he would announce his farewell during his Thursday radio show, which airs locally from noon-3 p.m. on WMVP-AM 1000.

ESPN does not want to lose Patrick, and spokesman Josh Krulewitz indicated Tuesday the situation has yet to be resolved.

"Dan is under contract through next year and we are in discussion with him about his future," Krulewitz said. "Any speculation is premature."

If he leaves, the 51-year-old Patrick is expected to take time off before considering TV and nationally syndicated radio offers.

Producers from "The Price is Right" recently contacted Patrick to ask if he would like to succeed Bob Barker. The L.A. Daily News reported that Patrick's only response to the report was whimsical: "Len Barker was always one of my favorite pitchers."

Patrick has spawned a generation of wannabe sportscasters with his wry demeanor and clever catch phrases, such as "the whiff," "en fuego" and "you can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him."

Patrick teamed with Keith Olbermann for the wildly popular Sunday night "SportsCenter," which became known as "The Big Show."

He widened his scope in the '90s, anchoring NBA pregame shows, guest-hosting "Good Morning America" and debuting "The Dan Patrick Show," which feeds more than 600 affiliates on ESPN Radio.

Blogs such as sportsatrandom.com and thebiglead.com were buzzing Tuesday about Patrick's upcoming announcement, which he has been teasing on his radio show.

Bob Valvano sat in on Tuesday for Patrick, who's also off Wednesday.

If Patrick wants to go and ESPN releases him from his contract, he would become the hottest broadcasting free agent since Tiki Barber. But you wonder whether Patrick is really ready to leave ESPN for the great unknown.

<SNIP>

tgreenstein@tribune.com

LINK (http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/cs-070703teddy,1,3876021.column?coll=cs-home-headlines)

[ThreeSportStar80]

Dan Patrick uses a ton of "dry" humor, I grew to somewhat enjoy his broadcasting methods... I wish he'd take Berman with him...

[stealth]

can't listen to his show for longer than 30 minutes, bores the hell out of me.

[Sam I Am]

can't listen to his show for longer than 30 minutes, bores the hell out of me.

At least thats all it does to you. "Peeing A. Smith" irritates the hell out of me. Well, at least when he acts like like "This is me and you have to live with it". No Pee A Smith, I can change the station...

[theebs]

he is good on sportscenter, or was...but his radio show is dreadfull. And he steals bits from bad radio on the ticket.

[BouncingCheese]

I like Dan Patrick and John Fricke;they are by far the best sportstalk guys.

Dan should leave the four-letter network.

[CATCH17]

I love the Dan Patrick show. I think its talk show greatness in the afternoon.

Hes hilarious and he has great sports discussions during the season.

I love the stuff where hes like "Mike Tyson just called in and said that guys crazy."

Or Ryan Leaf just called in and said that guys a bust.

Or Barry Bonds just called in and said that guys on steroids.

Or Bill Gates just called in and said thats guys rich.

I love big daddy dan. Radio greatness.

[Yeagermeister]

Get rid of Berman and Screaming A. Smith and keep Dan.

Why BSPN let David Aldridge go for Screaming A I'll never know.

[stealth]

ya I do hate smith more than any other broadcaster ever

[tunahelper]

Patrick should run from ESPN to host the Price is right.

[ThreeSportStar80]

Stephen A. Smith is a great insider, I'll take him over David Aldridge anyday of the week....

[Yeagermeister]

Stephen A. Smith is a great insider, I'll take him over David Aldridge anyday of the week....

DA was better IMO

[Sam I Am]

Stephen A. Smith is a great insider, I'll take him over David Aldridge anyday of the week....

Inside what? The NBA maybe, but he absolutely stinks at every other sport. He even said so on his radio show and I quote...

I know absolutely nothing about the NFL, I'm an NBA guy.

He said that after getting b-slapped about a comment he made concerning something NFL related.

[WoodysGirl]

Stephen A. Smith is a great insider, I'll take him over David Aldridge anyday of the week....
I don't mind Stephen A. but I wouldn't take him over David Aldridge.

Matter of fact, I think Stephen A. should stick to being a columnist. As a broadcast journalist, his TV presence leaves a lot to be desired.

[Clove]

ya I do hate smith more than any other broadcaster everThat's why he's so popular. The hate people have for him is like him being the bad guy on a tv series.

[VACowboy]

I love DP on SportsCenter. Can't STAND his radio show. There's more dead air and repetition in ten minutes of Dan Patrick than in an hour of almost anyone else in sports radio. He has some great one-liners, true. But his vacant pauses and the way he pounds every decent story he introduces makes his show as tedious as grinding teeth. Give me Eric Kusilius any day.

[ThreeSportStar80]

I don't mind Stephen A. but I wouldn't take him over David Aldridge.

Matter of fact, I think Stephen A. should stick to being a columnist. As a broadcast journalist, his TV presence leaves a lot to be desired.

It's all about ratings and frankly David Aldridge was BORING, plus I actually know Steve and Michael Smith... Glad to see those guys get on TV.

[stealth]

It's all about ratings and frankly David Aldridge was BORING, plus I actually know Steve and Michael Smith... Glad to see those guys get on TV.

michael smith is great

[stealth]

That's why he's so popular. The hate people have for him is like him being the bad guy on a tv series.

hate as in I can't watch the guy at all, he is annoying beyond annoying, I can't stand his TV persona he has no business in any media outside of print.

[Yeagermeister]

It's all about ratings and frankly David Aldridge was BORING, plus I actually know Steve and Michael Smith... Glad to see those guys get on TV.

I'll take boring over screaming any day.

[ThreeSportStar80]

michael smith is great

Yes, he does a great job...

[ThreeSportStar80]

I'll take boring over screaming any day.

Again, your opinion.

[Yeagermeister]

Again, your opinion.

Yeap, it's what this board is about.

[ThreeSportStar80]

Yeap, it's what this board is about.

Exactly... That's the fun part I guess...

[MarionBarberThe4th]

ESPN bothers me a litte lately. I dont ever remember them even mentioning the AFL until they got the games. And they will barely mention things going on on other channels. Wont tell if a game is on TNT or something.

UFC, Im sure, is killing the AFL yet they never really mention it

[ThreeSportStar80]

The AFL is boring that's why...:laugh2:

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Hey, wheres the clip of Dan Patrick getting pranked live on ESPN.

I guess they had to take it down

[MarionBarberThe4th]

nevermind, here it is


http://youtube.com/watch?v=dWIamvQHgp0
(http://cowboyszone.com/forums/%3Cobject%20width=)

[baj1dallas]

good, maybe they can replace his radio show with something more interesting than 3 hours of discussion of the yankees, dan patrick, and keith olberman.

[David276]

as long as he takes Jen Engel off the air with him.

[Stautner]

I love DP on SportsCenter. Can't STAND his radio show. There's more dead air and repetition in ten minutes of Dan Patrick than in an hour of almost anyone else in sports radio. He has some great one-liners, true. But his vacant pauses and the way he pounds every decent story he introduces makes his show as tedious as grinding teeth. Give me Eric Kusilius any day.

I agree that he is much better on TV. TV is more limiting - he gives the scores and throws in some one liners and uses his voice inflection to make it more interesting, but on radio he is more free to editorialize, which in his case seems to become more of a tabloid session.

[VACowboy]

...on radio he is more free to editorialize, which in his case seems to become more of a tabloid session.

He turns a 20-minute story into three-hour op-ed that's all about some stupid tangent he's taken off on. I don't mind non-sports interest stories that add fun to the show, but when every story becomes a viciously circular episode of Seinfeld, I get bored really fast. Other than that, and the volumes of air he sucks before repeating something he just finished saying for the tenth time, I hate radio hosts who think they're funny, and DP does.

[big dog cowboy]

DP on the TV > DP on the radio

Unless he gets "The Price Is Right" gig my guess he stays at ESPN.

[CrazyCowboy]

Let him go--bye bye

[jumanji]

i love the dan patrick show...i think it's the best radio show out there right now. keith and him together was gold and i like when both of them are on together.

[Bob Sacamano]

Stephen A Smith sucks

[Bizwah]

Stephen A Smith sucks

I second that........

He makes me want to pound nails into my eyes when he speaks.

[dmq]

What I hate about Patrick is that he is always politically correct.

[silverbear]

I love the Dan Patrick show. I think its talk show greatness in the afternoon.

Hes hilarious and he has great sports discussions during the season.

I love the stuff where hes like "Mike Tyson just called in and said that guys crazy."

Or Ryan Leaf just called in and said that guys a bust.

Or Barry Bonds just called in and said that guys on steroids.

Or Bill Gates just called in and said thats guys rich.

I love big daddy dan. Radio greatness.

He and Olbermann together were as good as ESPN ever got, and there was a time when it was greatness...

[Sarge]

Seems everyone, player or otherwise, lets it leak to the public that they are 'strongly considering leaving' when their contract is up.

So predictable. The minute I read the thread title I knew his contract was going to be up soon.

Zzzzzzzz.

[J-DOG]

can't listen to his show for longer than 30 minutes, bores the hell out of me.
Agree.
I for one would love it if he left.
Same for Berman...those acts have way out lived thier self life.
If ESPN would stop putting self promoting hosts for thier shows and more content driven material they would be better off. And I mean REAL NEWS not fabricated crap like I see half of the time.

[Teague31]

I love DP on SportsCenter. Can't STAND his radio show. There's more dead air and repetition in ten minutes of Dan Patrick than in an hour of almost anyone else in sports radio. He has some great one-liners, true. But his vacant pauses and the way he pounds every decent story he introduces makes his show as tedious as grinding teeth. Give me Eric Kusilius any day.

:hammer:

agreed. eric k. was gold.. still can't imagine why he got replaced.. i can't even listen to the Sports Bash anymore its so bad.

[trickblue]

:hammer:

agreed. eric k. was gold.. still can't imagine why he got replaced.. i can't even listen to the Sports Bash anymore its so bad.

He left for a NASCAR gig on ESPN2...

I don't watch NASCAR, but knowing him he will do his research and make it interesting. He is enormously talented...

[sandy007]

Dan Patrick is one of the few ESPN reporters I like. However, hosting TPIR is a big deal. I would prefer Patrick over Rosie anyday of the week.

[Stautner]

He and Olbermann together were as good as ESPN ever got, and there was a time when it was greatness...

Do you realize how long it's been since Olbermann was at ESPN?

You are talking ancient history.

[dogunwo]

Get rid of Berman and Screaming A. Smith and keep Dan.

Why BSPN let David Aldridge go for Screaming A I'll never know.
For every person that hates Slava A. Smith, theres someone who loves him. I personally think he is a little over the top at times, but he is entertaining. Chris Berman on the other hand.......................painful to the ears.

I wish ESPN would go a little younger instead of all these fogies (no offense CBZ40) on air.

I think it would be cool if they had Max Kellerman. provided he knew not to discuss boxing.

[dogunwo]

michael smith is great
When he's not being a Patriots or Redskins homer.

[poke]

the BIG announcement just came in........

Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN Radio Aug. 17th

[VACowboy]

the BIG announcement just came in........

Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN Radio Aug. 17th

EXCELLENT news.