550: Dan Patrick - The Art of Interviewing, Leaving ESPN, Working With Dave Matthews & Adam Sandler, Asking Better Questions, & Taking Care of Your Team

Oct 22, 2023

Sports broadcaster and interviewer Dan Patrick discusses the art of interviewing, leaving ESPN, working with Dave Matthews and Adam Sandler, asking better questions, and taking care of his team. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling, humor, and disarming his guests. Patrick shares his experience with meeting and working with Dave Matthews and Adam Sandler, including a fun karaoke session. He also provides life and career advice for college graduates in the broadcasting industry.

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Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Conversation about University of Dayton, college football, and Ohio University

01:52 • 2min

The Art of Interviewing

03:33 • 13min

Taking Care of Your Team and Fostering Loyalty

16:04 • 18min

From Movie Cameos to Writing Books

33:50 • 3min

Working with Dave Matthews & Adam Sandler: A Fun and Memorable Experience

37:11 • 2min

Life and Career Advice for College Graduates

39:13 • 10min

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What makes a great interview?
- They tell stories
- It feels like your eavesdropping on their conversation (he takes you inside)
- He disarms them with humor
- Ask shorter questions…
Take care of your people… Dan has had the Dannettes with him for many years. He listens to his teammates, Makes them part of his show, and truly cares for him. In return, they are there for him every day. It seems obvious, but it’s not. Dan is evidence that this approach works…
Dan has been influenced by Howard Stern's interviewing style of always being curious... And he makes his staff part of the show.
"I love being a voice in your head. You're in your car, driving, and I love being that voice in your head."
Interviewing... Manage the tension. "Shorter questions get better answers."
Dan met Adam Sandler at Madison Square Garden and agreed that he would be cast in his next movie... He has since been cast in many more.
Dan shares the story of meeting Dave Matthews, spilling his beer on him, and then later singing karaoke with him.
Dan is the author of The Occasionally Accurate Annals of Football: The NFL's Greatest Players, Plays, Scandals, and Screw-Ups (Plus Stuff We Totally Made Up)
Leaving ESPN – Dan admitted he was hurt when good friend, Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly (who would move to ESPN) wrote, "Patrick was making one of the top 5 biggest career mistakes in entertainment history," ranking right under Shelley Long's leaving Cheers and Katie Couric's leaving NBC's Today show for the CBS Evening News.
Life/Career advice:
- Be humble, be hungry, have humility, and be ready to go when your opportunity presents itself. The old adage rings true, “You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.” Always be ready for your opportunity.
Retirement Tour – Dan Patrick announces he plans to continue the Dan Patrick Show for the next four-and-a-half years with the intention of retiring at the end of 2027.