Dan Patrick is leaving ESPN.

 

Patrick, who has been with the network for 18 years, announced on his radio show Monday that he will appear on air for the last time Aug. 17. Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president for production, made a simultaneous announcement.

 

A news release said that the mutual agreement will allow Patrick to pursue new interests outside of ESPN.

 

The final week of Patrick's radio show, which started in 1999, will include a look back at memorable moments, interviews and guests.

 

"If there was animosity, I wouldn't be doing any radio shows after today," Patrick said on his show, adding, "I hope to be doing radio somewhere, somehow, down the road."

 

In a news release, Patrick said: "I feel privileged to have had this opportunity and I have extremely mixed emotions about leaving. With that said, I told ESPN that I believe it's time for me to try something different, something that will also be challenging and rewarding. While I'm not sure what that will be, I am grateful to ESPN for its willingness to allow me to pursue new endeavors."

 

Said Williamson: "Dan has accomplished so much over the past two decades at ESPN, and fans and newsmakers have turned to him for his steady and trusted approach. We wish him the very best."

 

Patrick was a "SportsCenter" anchor from 1989 to 2006, winning the National Sportscaster of the Year award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 2000. He also received a Sports Emmy Award in the Studio Host category in 1998.

 

Patrick has also written the column "Outtakes" for ESPN The Magazine

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2930637

 

Move to media guide if deemed necessary.

Thank God he can take Berman with him. They over expose these guys and there is only so much you can hear them.

 

I'm surprised he turned down the Price is Right gig though.

That effing sucks

 

I dont know what I'm going to do with out the DP Show

 

love that guy

so what exactly does espn still have left that is actually good?

so what exactly does espn still have left that is actually good?

 

Doesn't matter, it's still the only network of it's kind on tv for most people.

 

I will continue to leave it on 24/7 until something better happens.

He's been off tv so long that I never even noticed he was gone. Oh yeah, and his radio show blows. He was overrated anyway. Good riddance.

dan patrick's show is very low on my must listen to list. it used to be further up, but since dibble and salusbury left the show, it hasn't been the same. i guess this was the big announcement.

 

espn radio still is decent, cowherd best show ever, many clips of his rants on youtube put into pics, including the infamous "u of virginia is whimpy" segment. mike and mike, also good. but espn tv, blah. bad.

Looooooooooooove Colin...I think my station is going to air the Herd instead of DP when he leaves.

Looooooooooooove Colin...I think my station is going to air the Herd instead of DP when he leaves.

 

while on the subject of affiliates, you think some of the bigger affiliates (la, ny, chicago) will air their own local show in dan's slot? i can see that happening, at least on a few stations.

 

btw, what are the big three's current 1-4 et slots look like?

I can see that...our local shows unfortunately are 8-12 and 4-7....that's why we may aire colin during that time.

Great radio show he has. Going to feel different now that Dan Patrick wont be linked to ESPN anymore.

There has been speculation over the last few days about Dan Patricks departure from ESPN. An anonymous ESPN source told CO-ED late last night that Patrick is all but gone and the departure was not mutually agreed upon as it will be played off as in the news when the story breaks. This will come off as a big loss to Sports Center enthusiasts but Patrick has had numerous hosting auditions including the coveted ?Price is Right? position.

Too bad, because the time he spends with KO every day is gold.

ah for the golden days of Dan & Keith...

Dan on the Price Is Right would be awesome!

dan's show isn't the greatest but i can listen to it without wanting to throw stuff through my windshield due to the stupidity of the host, which is rare these days. so i guess i'll miss him when i want to listen to a national sports show.

 

colin cowherd, on the other hand, is probably the biggest blowhard douchebag on national sports radio today. i'd rather listen to a good charlotte cd than hear the ignorant bulls*** he spews. with some of the stunts he has pulled in the past (like when he blatantly stole from the m zone blog and refused to give credit) along with his general lack of an informed opinion it amazes me that he still has a job with espn. bill simmons' calling him out in a column earlier this year was priceless.

did anyone hear that interview he had the other day with Selig? Bud sounded like a complete idiot.

colin cowherd, on the other hand, is probably the biggest blowhard douchebag on national sports radio today. i'd rather listen to a good charlotte cd than hear the ignorant bulls*** he spews. with some of the stunts he has pulled in the past (like when he blatantly stole from the m zone blog and refused to give credit) along with his general lack of an informed opinion it amazes me that he still has a job with espn. bill simmons' calling him out in a column earlier this year was priceless.

 

I like Cowherd, he's one of the only national hosts that knows anything about College Football. He may not say the most popular things, but most of what he says is right on. I remember he ripped the Mets for portraying themselves in a carnival-esque light -- it's not going to make him a lot of friends, but he was right on.

Cowherd is amazing.....absolutely love him

 

Meanwhile Patrick update:

 

Also on the ESPN beat, Dan Patrick, who's leaving the network after 18 years as one of its biggest stars, soon will announce his new deal: He'll continue in radio and launch a new nationally syndicated program via Chicago-based Content Factory.

 

Jimmy deCastro, the former radio czar who ran Evergreen Media, Chancellor Media, AMFM Inc. and America Online, heads the independent media venture.

Staying in the chicago market... nice.

colin cowherd, on the other hand, is probably the biggest blowhard douchebag on national sports radio today. i'd rather listen to a good charlotte cd than hear the ignorant bulls*** he spews. with some of the stunts he has pulled in the past (like when he blatantly stole from the m zone blog and refused to give credit) along with his general lack of an informed opinion it amazes me that he still has a job with espn. bill simmons' calling him out in a column earlier this year was priceless.

 

Seconded.

 

The Simmons mention was absolutely great.

Here's another example of things that make me ask "How do these people get paid for their opinions?": http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2006/01/12-mi...in-cowherd.html

Let me add to the dislike of Cowherd.

 

I'd rather put my balls in a blender then listen to him. I like when radio hosts have strong opinions - they have to, it's their job - but when your opinions and views continue to suck time and time again you just become a joke.

 

I don't agree with everything he says (as I shouldn't), but Rome is the best in the business by far.

ewwwww....Rome is absolutely horrendous....his interviews are borderline worthless and doesn't actually add anything to sports radio other then mindless rants. Colin at least is funny and is extremely knowledgable about college football.

 

I think it's all part of Colin's schtick that you either like him or hate him...

I wouldn't call that schtick, I'd call that being a douche.

 

I heard he had LSU as his #1 college football program of the last 10 years.

 

That claim pretty much takes you out of the discussion of 'extremely knowledgeable about college football'.

Well tell me what Rome does so well other then rant and rave about how much of a dork he is with all his new electronics? Tell me the last actual sports talk radio he's done. by the way, your boy Coach K refuses to do Rome's show because of how much of a joke he is. Coach K was only in the Jungle earlier this week because Feinstein did the show.