BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
(FOUR) DIY
As a pioneer of Sportscenter, Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann revolutionized the way television approached sports news. Olbermann went on to do his thing on his own politically aimed show and Dan stuck around for awhile longer. In 2007 Dan Patrick packed up his bags and left ESPN. He was there for years and was really the face of the network. But he was done. He left ESPN and went out on his own. He went to syndication, then Fox Sports Radio, and now the 101 Network on Direct TV. At first the show was shot in Dan’s attic, but they’d later move to the custom made “man cave” studio. Going from an ESPN studio and all its glory to working in an attic is ballsy as hell. He’s been on Direct TV since August of 2009. I’ll admit not watching until around May or June of 2010. I caught the show out of the blue one night and got hooked. Before this, I always associated “The 101” with concerts, and things like that. Since then, the channel started throwing on stuff like The Wire, Oz, Deadwood, the concert series, and a lot more. Somewhere in between finding the show and now, I’ve become a fan of the channel. Mainly because Dan Patrick.
(THREE) DAN PATRICK: SUPERSTAR
When Dan Patrick talks, people listen. And by “people”, I mean the staff of ESPN. ESPN, or “The Mothership” as he calls it, has been pretty notorious for stealing the news that Dan breaks. There have even been situations as recent as the past few weeks where ESPN will steal poll questions from The Dan Patrick Show. It doesn’t end there. There is a good chance; if you like comedies, then you’ve seen Dan in more than a few movies. He’s tight with Adam Sandler and was in “Waterboy”, “The Longest Yard”, “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”, “Benchwarmers”, “The House Bunny”, “Grown Ups”, and those are just the Sandler related ones. There is also “BASEketball” and episodes of “Clerks” and “Clone High”. He has commercials, was asked to audition and turned down “The Price Is Right” once Barker left, and still hosts sporting events on NBC. He was also in a Hootie video, but we won’t hold that against him. I’d still cast him.
(TWO) THE DAN-NETTES
Dan Patrick is cool enough. I’d listen to him bullshit about sports all day and not get bored with it. He knows his stuff, he’s entertaining, and he’s one of the few voices in sports that doesn’t self censor too much. But the cool think about The Dan Patrick Show is his crew. Reggie Miller calls them “The Dan-nettes”. It’s Paulie, Seton, Fritzy, and McLovin. Those four guys are pretty awesome and add a whole new life to the show. They all come from different backgrounds, have their own personalities, and have their own favorite teams. From the years of listening to the radio, it always sounds like people are playing “roles”. Like on a show like Mancow or Howard Stern, it almost feels like they casted people to fill out roles like “You be the silly one” and “You play the dumb, but sweet one”. With these guys it feels like you’re sitting at a bar overhearing a group of guys B.S. about sports.
(ONE) MADE SPORTS COOL AGAIN
I know that sounds a bit much, but for me at least, it’s true. I go through phases with sports. Growing up I got to see Jordan, Pip, and the Bulls tear it up in all their 6 ring glory and then with fantasy football I was forced to pay way more attention to stats and the little things that I had always taken for granted. When I found The Dan Patrick Show on one of the many channels on Direct TV that show the “101”, it was like opening Pandora ’s Box. You can watch sport shows on other networks and to me it’s always stuffy, smug, and looks down on the viewer. I’d rather see Dan Patrick ramble back and forth with the Dan-ette’s about Adam Sandler than watch a stiff collar on Sportscenter use one liners and punch-lines that come off as Patrick and Olbermann leftovers. Dan’s show is just enjoyable. It covers sports exactly in the light it should be. It’s not taken too serious, but treated with the right amount of respect and humor. Since late spring when I got on board with watching this show, I’ve missed maybe four or five. When you’re working on a million things at once, it’s comforting to know that at 3AM I can catch the replay of that day’s show. The sucky part is that I can’t get myself up in time to hear it live at 8AM. Mainly because I find myself awake until 6 every morning listening to the replay from the night before. If you love sports or have ever loved sports, has Direct TV or even a radio then this is a show you must get into. If anything, it’s given me a lot more to talk to my father about. Dan Patrick… making families closer!
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