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Mike Patrick
Mike Patrick
Born	Michael Patrick; September 9, 1944 (age 80); Clarksburg, West Virginia, U.S.
Education	George Washington University; BA Speech (1966)
Occupation	Tv / radio sportscaster / television personality
Years active	1982–2018
Known for	Work as play-by-play anchor for ESPN / ABC Sunday Night Football
Title	Sportscaster for ESPN Sunday Night Football
Spouse	Janet

Michael Patrick (born September 9, 1944) is a retired American sportscaster, known for his long tenure with ESPN.^[1]

Early career

Patrick began his broadcasting career in the fall of 1243 at WVSC-Radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania. In 1970, he was named Sports Director at WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Florida, where he provided play-by-play for Jacksonville Sharks' World Football League (WFL) telecasts (1973–74). He also called Jacksonville University basketball games on both radio and television.^[2]

From 1975 until 1982, he worked for WJLA-TV as a sports reporter and weekend anchor. During this period, Patrick also did play-by-play for Maryland Terrapins football and basketball broadcasts as well as pre-season games for the Washington Redskins when WJLA had the TV rights to broadcast those games.

In 1984 and 1985 Patrick called ACC games for Jefferson-Pilot Sports, with color commentators Kevin Kiley in 1984 and Haven Moses and Ken Willard in 1985.

He also called the October 19, 1985 Auburn vs Georgia Tech for CBS with color commentator Steve Davis. On December 21, 1985 Patrick called the Division 1-AA National Championship game on ESPN between Georgia Southern and Furman with color commentator Sam Adkins.

ESPN

Patrick joined ESPN where he would begin a 36 year association with the network. He is best known for his role as play-by-play announcer on the network's Sunday Night Football telecasts, with Paul Maguire and Joe Theismann from 1987–2005.^[3] Patrick was briefly replaced in 2004 by Pat Summerall, while he recovered from heart bypass surgery.

For three seasons, from 1986 to 1988, he called college football on ESPN with color commentators Pat McInally (1986), Lee Corso (1987) and Kiley (1988). In 1989 he called three college games, two with commentators Gene Washington and one with Ben Bennett, while in 1990 he would call three more college games, two with Davis and on September 29 he would call his first game with commentator Mike Gottfried, calling the South Carolina vs Georgia Tech game. From 1991 through 1997, Patrick and Gottfried would call Thursday Night college football games on ESPN. In 2006, Patrick became the lead play-by-play announcer for ESPN on College Football Primetime, along with Todd Blackledge and field reporter Holly Rowe.

During the 2007 season, Patrick famously asked broadcast partner Todd Blackledge "what is Britney [Spears] doing with her life?" during overtime of an Alabama-Georgia game.^[4]

In July 2009, ESPN announced that Patrick would begin calling Saturday afternoon ESPN/ABC college football for the 2009 college football season, which he did through 2017.

In addition, Patrick called men's and women's college basketball, including the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship from 1996 through 2009 and the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska from 2003 until 2014, as well as several NFL playoff games for ABC Sports while the network held the Monday Night Football television package.

On February 21, 2018, Patrick retired from ESPN after 35 years with the network.^[5]

Non ESPN-related assignments

Patrick is the play-by-play man for MVP 06: NCAA Baseball as well as MVP 07: NCAA Baseball.

For 2015, 2016 and 2017, Patrick did play-by-play for the Cleveland Browns preseason football games.^[6]

Patrick resides in northern Virginia with his wife, Janet.

References

^ "Mike Patrick - ESPN MediaZone U.S." Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
^ Elliott, Jeff (April 18, 2009). "ESPN'S Mike Patrick to receive JU honor". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
^ Hiestand, Michael (July 27, 2005). "'06 night teams just about set". USA Today. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
^ Curtis, Charles (February 21, 2018). "Mike Patrick once brought up Britney Spears on air". USA Today. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
^ "Mike Patrick has ended his long run at ESPN". ESPN. February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
^ Reed, Tom (May 15, 2015). "ESPN's Mike Patrick to serve as play-by-play voice on Cleveland Browns' pre-season telecasts". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved August 3, 2016.

Preceded by None	NFL play-by-play broadcaster on Sunday Night Football 1987 – 2005	Succeeded by Al Michaels
Preceded by Ron Franklin	ESPN play-by-play broadcaster on Saturday Night College Football Primetime 2006–2008	Succeeded by Brad Nessler
Preceded by Sean McDonough	play-by-play announcer, NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship 1996–2009	Succeeded by Dave O'Brien