Missing a Semi-Final Game

Missing a Semi-Final Game
Monday was one of those days, and nights. One of those times when circumstances took what would have been the normal ability to view or listen to The Dan Patrick Show, and took most of that away, for just one day. In relationship to the events that have affected us all, in one way or another, from Newtown, CT, this was quite minor. But what I realize now, that I hadn’t before, is that this show was a form of escape from the seriousness of the every day world we live in.

DP Show shows respect to Sandy Hook Elementary School victims

I was so looking forward to this day’s broadcast. I considered it a special event, somewhat like a semi-final playoff game. Making contact with the show, whether by ear or eye, was too few and far between. When able to listen, or catch a glimpse of the show, I was gathering small three to five minute pieces of a large three hour puzzle and trying to put them all together. So frustrating. By the late, late evening I was finally able to grasp at larger segments of what had been, but was so tired that comprehension in putting the bigger picture together was a mental skill that was lacking. Why didn’t I anticipate that there could have been the slightest possibility that this could have occurred and recorded the show? This would not have been one of those days when I was snowed in, had a dead battery or a flat tire with a bad spare or even needed to have a bathroom available and near by. Nope, it had to be one of the busiest and inconvenient days.

Dan always says, make every show the Super Bowl. Dan’s Super Bowl will be the final show where we hope to learn all those things he and Paulie have told us they can’t tell us until then. So that would make this particular show a semi-final play off game. What made the airing of Monday’s show so special? There was a well known celebrity, who considered himself an everyday fan of the show, who was going to be able to come to the studio in NYC and be a Danette, if only for just a little while. Something that as fans of the show, all of us would embrace. What made this celebrity, Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory, more connectable was a little insight as to who he was prior to him joining Dan and the Danettes and that his physical appearance helped us visualize the guy next door or maybe ourselves. He wasn’t a pretty boy or possessing a physical talent that the every day man, or woman, couldn’t obtain. He’s relatable. He’s a guy that could be mistaken for any other guy, especially a geeky city or mid-western guy.

Jim Parsons, every man
Plaid flannel and a t shirt, the Danette winter uniform

He told his story on Jay Leno of his love of football, joining a fantasy football league, and his morning escape while getting ready to do his job, the escape being The Dan Patrick Show. The way he spoke about his sincere desire to be an unpaid intern for a day and what that would mean to him made so many of us say to ourselves, yeah me too! The joy and enthusiasm expressed in his face, body language and voice when Leno reminded him that Dan was part of the NBC family and maybe there was something that could be done was worthy of watching and hearing more than once. Parsons reacted the same way that the rest of us would to such news. It was almost as if it was Christmas morning for a small child.

From the bits and pieces that I was able to put together, Parsons slid into the chair mid-back row and fit right in with the group just as we hope we would. He took a stab at twitter, against the grain, stat of the day, five good seconds and a box appearance. Quite noticeable was no attempt at cougar of the week or mock headlines. Possibly his awareness of Fritzy’s possessiveness of this territory and high sensitivity level was front and center. Because this was the NYC man cave, Parsons was able to leave a photo booth remembrance of his visit. Parsons was as smooth Monday as we would hope we would be able to be in the same situation. Parsons’ one mistake, in his excitement in packing to come to the show he left his contribution for the Milford man cave in California, a script signed by the cast of his show.


Merry Christmas Jim Parson. Hope this was all you thought it would be, and maybe more. I don’t know how eventful and exciting Jim Parsons’ life truly is, but I hope, from a DP Show fan’s perspective, that Monday’s experience ranked up there in his top ten experiences as this would have been in most of our top three.

It's not the foreground that's interesting,
it's the jealous background that is.