Dan, if you’re reading this (which I doubt you are) we need you.
OK, maybe not Dan per se, I doubt he’s too interested in becoming a member of the NASCAR press corps (though if he is…), but this sport could really use someone like him.
You’re probably asking yourself at this point, “what the heck are you talking about?” For those of you who aren’t avid listeners of Dan, i’ll explain.
The former ESPN Sportscenter anchor and current host of his own sports talk radio show, writer for Sports Illustrated and co-host of Football Night in America is arguably one of the most prominent sportscasters in the game.
Daily on the Dan Patrick Show you’ll find a guy not afraid to ask tough questions to the biggest names in the business and certainly not afraid to press them when they dodge those questions (when he’s not playing Mike Wallace, he, Pauly, Fritzy, Seton and McLovin are pretty entertaining too).
Dan recently had BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock on and he asked him why there wasn’t a playoff system. When Hancock waltzed around the questions Dan pressed him. Eventually he got an answer out of him.
NBA commissioner David Stern was a guest not long ago and Dan asked him about Tim Donaghy. He was able to respectfully press Stern on what is a very controversial issue and got Stern to move, if only slightly, off script.
My point with this is, Dan Patrick is able to do what few can do: conduct a good, but difficult interview and emerge with mutual respect intact. He’s able and unafraid to ask tough questions without pissing off the person he’s interviewing.
Now I know what you’re saying, “Journo, why don’t you fill this role?” Well, I’ll be frank with you, I’m no Dan Patrick and as much as I’d like to be I don’t think I ever will. That doesn’t mean someone else can’t fill this role.
I think the NASCAR press is severely lacking someone who is unafraid (there are a lot of people that fit into this category) AND able (not so much here) to conduct difficult interviews with NASCAR’s power players. Too often the sport’s reporters tip-toe around things or don’t press things so as not to effect their existing relationships (who wants to get locked out?).
We need someone who is not afraid to call out NASCAR when there’s a problem and force the issue when necessary (David Poole was about as close as we had to this). I guess what we need is a reporter who is a celebrity in their right and has the clout when necessary (they need to be untouchable). As talented as many of the members of the press corps are, we just don’t have anyone that fills this role right now.
So Dan, if you’re interested we’d welcome you with open arms (or at least I would).
