On my way to the ear doctor’s office today, I had heard the shocking news on sports radio:
Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN
It was shocking on one sense because I would of thought of Dan Patrick as an ‘ESPN Lifer’ who would be there until he was ready to retire. But as we learned today, the18 year ESPN employee stated that he would be on the air for the last time on August 17, 2007 to where Dan could pursue new interests outside of ESPN.
I loved Dan on television. He was great with Sportscenter with Keith Olberman. That was classic television with the catch phrazes and the body language the two had with each other. However, to me, DP and KO never gelled on radio. It became too political and mundane. What Olberman and Patrick were to Sportscenter, Patrick and Rob Dibble were to the radio show. In fact, ever since Dibble left and went to that joke of a show called The Best D### Sports Show Period, the show went from oddball humor to a bore that sounded more like the ‘Oprahification’ of sports.
It’s simple, Dan Patrick got burned out and needed a change. Dan Patrick was alot like Bob Costas where they asked the controversial questions in a courteous manner (when compared to Jim Rome and his brash cockyness). I remembered when he had to interview O.J. Simpson and also expressed his outrage at the USC championship team meeting O.J. in practice before one of the B.C.S. Bowl Games.
Where will Dan go? Nobody really knows. Rumors have been posted with everything from ‘The Price Is Right’, the Don Imus radio show replacement, and The Sporting News where Dan’s real life brother is the head of programming at Sporting News Radio.
Who will replace Dan? Rumors have spread from Brian Kenney (good choice), Stephen A. Smith (awful), Bill Simmons (great journalist, love reading his Page 2 articles, don’t know about his radio/tv personna but it would be interesting to see), Kenny Mayne, getting the horrible Erik Kuselias off the NASCAR show and back into the radio stable where he was decent, Dan LeBatard (good opinions but would be too worried about getting a pro athlete to admit he’s gay while currently active in pro sports) Stuart Scott (I hope not), Scott Van Pelt…
Who knows…….
I think ESPN may shock us with the replacement like they did when they announced Colin Cowherd (a popular west-coast sports talk show personality but not known anywhere else) would replace Tony Kornheiser (ANDY POLLEY). At least Kornheiser got to keep PTI and got a gig on Monday Night Football (even though that crew may be replaced by Mike and Mike they way their popularity is growing). Some names that come to my mind that would work.
Trey Wingo - I have heard some of his substitute work on radio and I think he is a natural. He is knowledgeable and he flows verbally with precision.
J.A. Adande - Unemployed ever since taking a buyout with the L.A. Times, but he has a smooth voice for radio that would blend well with an afternoon crowd.
Amy Lawrence - They may try a sports woman here. I would not be surprised. Even though I mostly disagree with her, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it or her tag teaming with someone else..
Please - No Jay Mariotti, no Rosie O’ Donnell, no Skip Bayless, Dana Jacobsen, or any other Cold Pizza rejects.
