Dan Patrick had the ESPN machine behind him for all these years as a preferred “SportsCenter” host.
However as soon as he determined to maneuver on and start his personal media enterprise, he had that operation in opposition to him.
Patrick alleged the Worldwide Chief used a “smear campaign” in opposition to him following his surprising exit from the corporate in 2007 earlier than launching his personal model of “The Dan Patrick Show.”
“Oh, frightening. Because there was this smear campaign that started,” Patrick stated of leaving ESPN on “Pardon My Take” on Wednesday. “Any radio affiliate that had my present, you’d be dropped as an ESPN affiliate in case you determined you continue to needed to hold me. It was heavy-handed, however I understood. It empowered me. Like, ‘Holy, s–t. I’m gonna matter. They’re gonna need to take care of me.’
“In my mind, I loved David against Goliath. I’m sure they didn’t care, but in my mind, I would tell the Danettes (colleagues), ‘These motherf–kers, man, we’re coming after them.’ I don’t think anybody was shaking in their boots because we were doing our little show.”
Patrick, 69, joined ESPN in 1989 and served as a “SportsCenter” host via 2006, whereas additionally internet hosting “The Dan Patrick Show” on ESPN Radio till his 2007 exit.
Whereas he stated he beloved internet hosting “SportsCenter,” notably the 11 p.m. model, he recalled feeling like a “fraud” whereas internet hosting the 6 p.m. version since he believed he had mailed in a specific shift.
Patrick nonetheless supposed to signal a five-year deal to stay with the corporate, however a chat together with his spouse about his function in his 4 kids’s lives modified his outlook.
“She just said, ‘The kids are all going to be out of the house and you’re going to be a mess,” Patrick stated. “She was proper, and after I stated no, I didn’t even know what I stated no to.
“It was quick, they wanted me out.”
Patrick left ESPN in August 2007 and relaunched his present in October 2007.
Regardless of some preliminary issues, the present has lasted, and its recognition led to it being nationally syndicated. It now streams on Peacock.
He stated in 2023 he plans to maintain internet hosting the present via 2027 earlier than hanging up the microphone.
Whereas leaving ESPN labored for Patrick, he cautioned that he often is the outlier.
“I probably had four people – one a big name and the other three were probably recognizable names – they wanted to know about leaving,” Patrick stated on the present.
“And I said, ‘Don’t leave.’ They’re like, ‘Why?’ I go, ‘Its a million — even larger odds than that.’ I was doing the show in my attic for three years. We didn’t have it made. There was a six-month period where I made sure the Danettes cashed their checks cause I didn’t know if we were gonna make payroll. We changed ownership, and that changed everything for us, but it was not a success story. But I had to do it.”
