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Subject: What's Dan Patrick's Next Gig?
Posted by: ¤ Mario LeMoose ¤
- [58640722] Mon, Jul 09, 2007, 19:43
Dan Patrick Leaving ESPN
By Teddy Greenstein
Tribune sports media reporter
In the end, ESPN scooped Dan Patrick on his own announcement.
The network that's obsessed with controlling -- not merely reporting -- the news sent out a release at 12:55 p.m. that Patrick would be leaving ESPN after 18 years "to pursue new interests."
Patrick, who teased his "big announcement" during the first hour of his show, then bid farewell.
"I don't want to spend a lot of time on it, but I'm going to leave ESPN Aug. 17 and would like to go out on my own," he said. "I have not been a free agent. I've spent 18 years here. It's been home. But I think I was starting to take it for granted and did not want to do that. Didn't think it was fair to these great people.
"They did try to talk me out of it a couple of times. But Aug. 17 will be the final show. That final week we will have a celebration week. I go out with my head held high with these people. If there was animosity, I would not be doing any radio shows after this one today. But we've talked about it, and it's time to move on. I hope to be doing radio somewhere, somehow, down the road. TV-wise, I'm not sure."
After the Tribune reported last week that ESPN was on the verge of losing one of its signature personalities, network officials clammed up. When Patrick didn't appear for his Thursday radio show, they claimed he was scheduled to be on vacation all of last week.
But Patrick said Monday: "I was hoping to make ... the big announcement last week. The reason I was not on is that they asked me to reconsider. And I just felt it was time to move on. Thanks for your patience, your understanding, and hopefully we will be able to continue this relationship somewhere down the road."
Sources say Patrick is pursuing a nationally syndicated radio show that could prove far more lucrative than his current gig.
Before making his announcement Monday, Patrick said on his show: "I want to put to bed some rumors. I was not at Tony Parker and Eva Longoria's wedding. I was not spending time with a woman who is carrying my love-child, Nicole Richie. And I did not audition for 'The Price is Right.' Everything else is in play."
(Posted July 9, 2007)
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