Dan Patrick has lived many lives in sports media, charting his own path on a career that few can rival. Along the way, he has maintained the respect of sports figures and his audience by staying true to his principles and speaking to what piques their interest.
While Patrick’s credentials speak for themselves in a way that allows him to sidestep the ongoing debate between athletes and journalists in the media (most recently drummed back up by Ryan Clark and Denzel Washington), he has no shortage of opinions on both sides of it. In a recent conversation with Cam Newton on the retired QB’s 4th and 1 podcast, Patrick explained his approach.
Throughout a 43-year career spanning CNN, ESPN, and NBC, Patrick has been careful not to take the bait of an easy hot take or a personal barb aimed at an athlete or sports figure. He sticks to his journalistic principles when analyzing a game or a news story.
“I don’t do hot takes, I don’t go out of my way to criticize anybody,” Patrick said. “We fail. We fail all the time. I have to be observant, I have to be fair. I am not afraid of calling somebody to ask about something if I didn’t understand it.”
This summer, Denzel Washington appeared on First Take and argued that all sports content should be deferential to athletes. A bit later, also on ESPN airwaves, retired NFL safety Ryan Clark confronted reporter Peter Schrager over an opinion that Clark believed was inconsiderate of the player’s viewpoint.
As more athletes have launched podcasts and grown media careers even while still playing, they have confronted traditional hosts head-on. The comments from Washington and Clark merely reignited a constant debate within the industry.
Patrick believes that journalists should not treat athletes as the “opponent,” and that as long as reporters and athletes are both professional, they can develop a mutual understanding and coexist without issue. By practicing what he preaches, Patrick believes he has found an audience of passionate fans who see sports the same way he does.
“I wanted to have a long shelf life. And that’s why I didn’t want to be gimmicky,” Patrick said. “I don’t want to do hot takes. I love sports too much, that I want to see the good of a sport. I’m not sitting there going, ‘Boy, I love it when the Cowboys lose.’ If the Cowboys win, it’s great. If the Cowboys lose, it’s great … I’m in the content business.”
To this day, a big part of Patrick’s show is interviewing top coaches and athletes on-air. Patrick is admired across the industry for his ability as an interviewer, even in a time when leagues are paring back media access and players appear more reticent than ever to engage with reporters.
While some might say Patrick has cracked the code, he hopes that athletes like Newton continue to critique the media and keep them on their A-game.
“I have to be fair, and I hope that the athlete continues to call out members of the media for us to do our homework. Because I think there’s less journalism going on now,” Patrick added. “Because I think there’s more and more, let’s throw out a hot take. And I think that’s unfair to the people who are doing this.”
Of course, Patrick sees why some cut corners. Strong opinions draw more attention. Nuance requires a more thorough understanding of each topic.
Yet, while the way sports fans consume content has changed greatly and there are more voices than ever, Patrick’s success is proof that thoughtful conversation and careful takes can still cut through.
“I don’t want to interrogate you, I want to have a conversation with you,” Patrick said. “Any great interviewer is curious. And I am very curious with everybody.”
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.