Mike Patrick, longtime ESPN play-by-play announcer, dead at 80
Patrick was 80 years old.
Patrick's doctor, as well as the City of Clarksburg, West Virginia, confirmed the longtime broadcaster's death on Tuesday.
After starting his career in 1982, Patrick became well known as the voice of ESPN's "Sunday Night Football," a role he starred in for 18 years.
He began that job in 1987, calling some of the best in NFL primetime until 2005. He was in the booth with former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann, and then Paul Maguire.
He was also well known for his roles in college football and basketball for the "Worldwide Leader in Sports."
For college basketball, Patrick was most known as the voice for ESPN's Women's Final Four coverage, which began in 1996 to 2009.
"Thursday Night Football" and "Saturday Night Football" saw Patrick provide play-by-play coverage for college football as well.
"It's wonderful to reflect on how I've done exactly what I wanted to do with my life," Patrick said when he retired from ESPN in 2018. "At the same time, I've had the great pleasure of working with some of the very best people I've ever known, both on the air and behind the scenes."
Before breaking out with ESPN, Patrick began working for WVSC-Radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania, in 1966. He would eventually take the trip down to Jacksonville, where he became WJXT-TV's sports director.
Patrick also worked for WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., as a sports reporter and a weekend anchor. It was there where he called Maryland football and basketball games.
Other than sports, Patrick served in the U.S. military, being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force following his undergrad at George Washington University.
Many mourned the loss of Patrick, including fellow ESPN broadcaster Dr. Jerry Lee Punch.
"I learned so much from this man. Mike Patrick could do it all," he wrote on X. "His preparation, his delivery, his voice inflections & his amazing dry humor made him the GOAT in my book. I was so honored to work @ESPNCFB [with] him, & so blessed to call him a dear friend. RIP Mike, u earned it."
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Eagles' All-Pro right tackle Lane Johnson lands at No. 23 on the NFL's Top 100 list
Lane Johnson is the straw that stirs the Eagles' drink, and as he prepares for season No. 12 in Philadelphia, he's set to enter rare air among the NFL's elite. After a dynamic season that saw Johnson again earn All-Pro status, he landed at No. 23 on the NFL's Top 100 players list. Last season, Johnson ranked 1st among NFL RTs in PFF pass-blocking grade (88.1), pressure percentage (2.2%), and knockdown percentage (0.2%). He allowed zero sacks and 1 QB hit in 451 pass-blocking snaps. According to Adam Schefter, Johnson reworked his contract to add $8 million over the next two years and an additional $30 million in guarantees. As he closes out his career, the soon-to-be 35-year-old Johnson will earn $48 million over the next two years, including $40 million guaranteed. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Lane Johnson is ranked No. 23 in the NFL's Top 100 Players of 2025
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jerry Jones throws shade at Buffalo Bills' Super Bowl drought
The Dallas Cowboys haven't won a Super Bowl since its 30th iteration in 1995. But team owner and general manager Jerry Jones just wants to remind everyone that the Buffalo Bills' title drought runs much longer. The recently released Netflix docuseries about Jones' ownership of the Cowboys has an episode dedicated to Dallas' 29-year span without another Super Bowl championship. Throughout the drought, Jones has remained in control as the head of the front office in addition to his ownership duties. In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell, Jones flipped the script on his critics by throwing the Bills under the bus. JARRETT BELL: 'I bust my (expletive)': Jerry Jones defends Cowboys' marketing over winning 85518977007 "How long has it been since Buffalo won the Super Bowl?" Jones said. "Buffalo hasn't been chopped liver. They're solid. They're probably in the top third of the NFL." The Bills have won the AFC championship four times since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. All four of the titles were in consecutive years between 1990 and 1993. All four times, they lost the ensuing Super Bowl, including twice in a row against Jones' Cowboys in Super Bowls 27 and 28 (following the 1992 and '93 seasons, respectively). Jones said he remains confident that his approach as Dallas' head of personnel decisions will eventually lead to a championship. "I just can't get as convicted that the way we're doing it, that our approach to trying to win a Super Bowl, that that needs to change," Jones said. "I guess that's why I'm so defensive." The Cowboys won 12 games in each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons before losing in the divisional round in 2022 and wild-card round in 2023. In 2024, Dallas finished with a 7-10 record as it dealt with injuries to some of its star players, including a season-ending hamstring injury to quarterback Dak Prescott. The Bills have won five straight AFC East titles, dating back to 2020, and haven't won fewer than 11 games in a season over that stretch. However, Buffalo also hasn't returned to a Super Bowl since that last AFC title in 1993. Four times in the last five years, they've fallen to the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, including twice in the AFC title game. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones throws shade at Bills' title drought
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Should Joe Burrow be a betting favorite for MVP this season?
Yahoo Sports' Jason Fitz and Caroline Fenton are joined by Yahoo Sports senior sports betting analyst Ben Fawkes to discuss which players have the best odds to win MVP this upcoming season. View more Video Transcript What does the fox say, Joe Burrow or the field for MVP? Yeah, the fox says the field, right? Especially at those odds. Uh, I just wrote a newser at Yahoo Sports yesterday. The public loves Joe Burrow. They are betting him hand over fist to win MVP. Uh, right now he is tied for the second choice at 600 with Josh Allen. Lamar Jackson is the favorite at plus 550 at Bet MGM, but Burrow has the most bets around. Uh, 16%, and the most money around 24% of total dollars wagered, and that's at Bet MGM. But at multiple sportsbooks, uh, that I checked in with, Burrow is number one in tickets and number one in handles. So, the public is definitely liking Joe Burrow, as we discussed, a lot of that I think is a combination of probably a really bad defense, not that difficult to schedule. And also Burrow just being a really good quarterback, putting up big numbers, obviously having Ja'Marr Chase and T. Higgins. We expect that offense to be good. The big questions are obviously on defense, so you expect him to put up big numbers. He did that last year. They only went 9 and 8. So that's also a question. Uh, he was also third in QBR behind Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. So really good season last year. Can he do better this season? The big bets, though, on Lamar Jackson, two big bets out there, both $5,000 on Lamar Jackson, one at plus 550, one at 6 to 1. So that would win $275,000 and $300,000. So a lot of those big bets on Lamar Jackson. And I would be remiss to say as well if I didn't say that Washington Commanders quarterback Jahan Dotson is second most money and second most tickets at Bet MGM to win MVP. So, like we talked about, he had a historic rookie season. Betters think he could be in for even more in his sophomore season. Close
