Dan Patrick Details 'Smear Campaign' ESPN Ran When He Decided To Leave Network And Go Solo

Plenty of broadcasters and sports personalities have left ESPN in recent years, but when Dan Patrick decided to leave the four-letter network nearly 20 years ago, it was about as bold of a move as anyone in sports media could make at the time. 

Patrick wasn't just betting on himself - always an admirable move - he was very much risking his career when leaving the ‘worldwide leader in sports’ at the peak of its power in 2007.

Patrick has found his footing, to put it lightly, since leaving ESPN with the success of ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ becoming a national radio program simultaneously streaming on Peacock. But, as he looked back on the moment he left ESPN during a recent episode of ‘Pardon My Take,’ he remembers the "smear campaign" the network ran against him which turned into a nerve-wracking, yet motivational moment in his career.

"Oh, frightening, because there was this smear campaign that started," Patrick said when asked how he felt leaving the network.  "Any radio affiliate that had my show, you’d be dropped as an ESPN affiliate if you decided you still want to carry me. It was heavy-handed, but I understood.

"It empowered me. I was like, ‘Holy, sh-t, I’m going to  matter. They’re gonna have to deal with me.’ I loved David against Goliath. I’m sure they didn’t care, but in my mind, I would tell the Danettes, ‘These motherfu-kers, man, we’re coming after them.’"

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Patrick also explained how multiple people still with ESPN approached him about leaving the network shortly after he did, but he was quick to tell those folks that he was one of the lucky ones grinding his way to stay afloat after going solo.

"I probably had four people, one a big name and the other three were recognizable names, they wanted to know about leaving," Patrick explained. "And I said, ‘Don’t leave…it’s a million to even larger odds than that.’ I was doing the show in my attic for three years. We didn’t have it made. There was a six-month period where I made sure the Danettes cashed their checks cause I didn’t know if we were gonna make payroll.

Patrick joined OutKick's ‘Don’t @ Me With Dan Dakich' in June of last year and shared more details about his time at ESPN and his departure.