Charles Dickens and the NFL

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …

Cris Collinsworth is in the broadcast booth for the Patriots-Giants game, which is most excellent because he is a great analyst. The only problem is that Bryant Gumbel is in the booth with him. Ugh.

If only there was a way to put Gumbel on mute while still being able to hear Collinsworth.

Oh, well. At least it’s shaping up to be a good game.

(Note to DP: We do not ever want to hear Bryant Gumbel on your show.)

The New Dan Patrick Show: Step Right Up

Yeah, I liked the Tom Brokaw interview (hour 1 of the 12.21.07 show), but was a tad disappointed that he was shilling his latest book. I mean, I’d like to think that he’d simply want to have an intelligent chat, and I’d also like to think that DP can attract guests by the sheer force of his personality. I’ll take DP’s word for it that the book is good, but is it possible to invite guests without some sort of quid pro quo entering in? Maybe that’s the name of the game. I wonder if DP has to pay — in one form or another — guests to appear.

A day or two before Jose Canseco was on the show (a day or two after The Mitchell Report was released) I heard The Jim Rome Show (I sometimes put on Rome while I’m waiting for DP’s downloads to appear on the KLAC site); he wanted Canseco on the show but Canseco wanted payment to appear and Rome said no way. Did DP pay Canseco? Or was mention of Canseco’s upcoming book the trade-off for the appearance?

One of my favorite interviews was DP’s chat with Matt Damon (11.27.07 show, hour 3). It was arranged to publicize the Red Sox 2007 World Series dvd, and it probably didn’t hurt that “The Bourne Ultimatum” dvd was about to come out.

Everybody’s selling something:

Step Right Up

DP could not match the deepness of Brokaw’s voice. No way he could ever come close to Tom Waits’.)