The New Dan Patrick Show: End of the ESPN Embargo?
After Dan left ESPN he’s been mined like Haiphong Harbor. ESPN would not allow any of its employees to appear on the syndicated show and DP lost a flock of regulars: Peter Gammons, Michael Wilbon (get well soon!), Mark Jackson, Tim Kurkjian, and others. The Big Show shrank to nothing as Keith Olbermann remains under contract with ESPN. As soon as Rick Reilly left Sports Illustrated and joined ESPN he stopped appearing on the show.
Bummer.
But at least twice on today’s show DP mentioned that Reilly would be on the show this week. A pleasant surprise. Hope they don’t get into a spat and cause Reilly to do a T.O. no-show.
DP has mentioned that in his departure settlement with ESPN he agreed to do no tv work until after the Super Bowl. This and Reilly’s scheduled appearance on the show got me thinking that 4 February might be the day that DP will be completely free and clear from his contractual obligations to the Worldwide Leader and will no longer be prohibited from having ESPN personnel appear on his show.
DP and KO reunited?
Sweet!
Keeping my fingers crossed ….
I always thought that the tie up is on the other side - that DP isn’t prohibited in having ESPN people on, rather that ESPN people are prohibited from going on Dan’s show. With Reilly, I don’t think his ESPN contract begins until June. He may have been barred from working with DP because of Dan’s relationship with SI (SI may have wanted DP to respect a buffer zone time period with RR). I am of course just guessing wildly here.
KO is really busy right now with the campaign thing so I have no great hope of hearing him with DP in any regular sense. But if his ESPN contract does expire in March sometime, maybe he will call in the the DP Show from Spring Training? Not exactly the Big Show, but right now I am not too proud to be looking for crumbs (on the other hand, with all the politics I can’t really complain about a lack of KO).
Did Dan say when RR would be on this week?
Comment by hawaii — 31 January 2008, Thursday @ 12:02:10
[...] Olbermann Dan has been advertising the return of Rick Reilly to the show this week. Dan (as well as frequent DP listener and blogger, Evil), has mentioned that Rick Reilly will be on the show tomorrow - Friday. Sources close to us have [...]
Pingback by The return of Rick Reilly « Palaver — 31 January 2008, Thursday @ 19:52:29