There was something bothering me after I posted yesterday. There was something missing. Me. The thoughts and inspiration that caused me to start this blog had somehow disappeared in the process of setting it up. The formality of going through the motions of creating the blog brought out my analytical side and put away the creative. I didn’t figure it out before I went to bed but when I got up this morning it hit me right away. It must have been swirling around in the back of my brain with other thoughts and got jostled to the forefront while my brain was tilted to the left while sleeping. With a fresh head, I begin again. So….. I’m sitting in front of the TV, diet soda to the side and ready to start again.
Why did I title the blog the way I did? Being an avid viewer of the show, one day the dynamics of the relationships hit me like a dodge ball. With that revelation I better understood another reason why I enjoyed the show as much as I did. Today I’ll write about the roles I see each person portraying in the show. I say adult family as all of these men are adults, married and with children of their own.
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| Fritzy, McLovin, Dan, Paulie and Seton |
It’s not just your husband/boyfriend/brother/son’s sport show: In the time I’ve been watching the show I’ve learned things. Some sports, some not. Either way, you learn, without being taught thanks to Dan, the Danettes and what they are able to draw out of their guests and audience. This show welcomes women, and they do have some in their audience and as guests. They don’t club you over the head trying to draw you in like other shows do, "Hey! Look! We have a woman on staff!" It’s not all testosterone charged stats and game break downs being shouted at you like most sports themed shows, although Seton does do, and the audience participates in "Stat of the Day" with stats that make you say, "That’s ok, but just like Dan, I liked the song better." The Dan Patrick Show is presented to you with humility and humor. It asks riveting questions like: Why do baseball pants have stirrups? It appeals to the casual fan as well as satisfying the needs of the die hard. I offer you this: Dan and Seton’s reenactment of the deck scene from Titanic will have you awww and laugh simultaneously.
Dan Patrick: Directv titles him as "The Boss" when they do the audio open and scan the studio. Yes, he is the boss, but I see him more as a father figure to a group of mischievous sons. He is after all, old enough to be their father if he had them in his late teens/early twenties. This former ESPN (Mothership) Sports Center anchor has hit a home run with bases loaded leaving a network that he held dear for so many years. He still holds the concept of Sports Center in high regard, Example: Criticizing the anchors when they dress more casually than what the founding anchors did, but he has moved onward and upward beyond what he could ever have done if he stayed.
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| Dan at the end of a shift at the Mothership |
Paul "Paulie" Pabst: Paulie is the producer of the show and does it very well. I see him as the older brother as he appears to be the most level headed of the support foursome called the Danettes. He tries to keep the show moving along on schedule, remind Dan of things Dan wanted to say, quietly feeds Dan ideas that occur to him during the course of the show and provides tid bits of straight forward opinions and ideas on air. He’s also wiley enough to find a way to keep his five good seconds of soccer going all year long. Paulie’s the kid that would rather say I’m sorry than ask permission and then he moves on to the next thing. His mid-western appeal and straightforward approach fool you into thinking, "No, he’d never do something like that…… again."
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| Paulie |
Patrick "Seton" O’Connor: Seton is your tech guy that keeps things running smoothly in all areas of sound as well as other equipment that keeps the production of the radio, and sometimes TV show, at the level it is. Seton is the wayward son. He’s held a diverse array of jobs before finding his way to radio and didn’t finish college although he excelled in the social aspects. Seton likes his "cups" filled with his favorite beverage, beer, his music and late nights. He’s up for almost anything and is Dan’s favorite son – fields Dan’s basket balls during breaks, will tip a few after work and is able to carry on a music conversation that will hold Dan’s interest. Seton’s the kid that would rather say I’m sorry than ask permission and then brag about what he did at the same time. His youthful appeal and infectious laugh make you want to say, "Ok, I forgive you……. again."
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| Seton |
Todd "Fritzy" Fritz: Todd is the booker for the show, the person responsible for scheduling all the guests that appear on the show either in studio or over the phone. Todd is neurotic most of the time worried about what people think and say about him, if the guest will remember to appear on time and prays that they call on a land line, not cell phone and if they do call on a cell phone that the connection is clear and they don’t move from that great spot until the interview is over. Todd is the pervy uncle whose jokes you probably wouldn’t repeat. Some because they’re funny but you think they might be too blue to tell your mother, and some because they just warrant silence and crickets because they’re just not funny. He’s the TMI guy that will tell you things his wife doesn’t want you to know and drifts into his own personal fantasy land at the drop of a puck. Should a woman’s name come up in the course of the show, guarantee he’s searching the internet for the hottest picture he can find of her and emailing it to Dan during the show. He asks permission, usually follows the rules, and if he breaks them feels terrible and asks forgiveness. His pouty appeal, bad luck both personal and creative professionally sometimes just makes you feel for this under dog and automatically forgive any transgressions.
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| Fritzy |
Andrew "McLovin" Perloff: Andy is the show’s blogger. As Dan says, he showed up one day and just wouldn’t leave. Andy also writes for Sports Illustrated and claims to be the football insider but he really makes you wonder sometimes. Andy is the know it all that doesn’t know it all. The ivy leaguer from Dartmouth that likes to remind you of that whenever he can. Andy did get his own intro song first for a feature he does, Against the Grain, and also was the first Danette to get a sponsor for his bit from Red Hook. This feature leaves you, like Dan, saying "I know less now than before he did that piece". Andy is the clown of the family that does things that just makes you shake your head because it’s all to get Dan’s attention, good or bad. He’s the whiner who plays the victim. He creates a front row versus back row tussle daily and although he’s supposed to be so academic, he’s the kid that never has his homework done before class starts. His nerdy appeal and "I can’t believe he did that" reaction keep you wondering about him. Andy, like most of the boys, asks for forgiveness after the dead is done, over and over and over again.
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| McLovin |
Side note on Red Hook: Over time their presence had grown from McLovin wearing a baseball cap, to lighting, promotional stickers/posters, to apparel. In the works is a Red Hook beer named and taste chosen by and for Dan and the Danettes. Anticipated launch – Super Bowl 2013.
For official bios and information on The Dan Patrick Show visit: www.danpatrickshow.com
