Dan Patrick To Join NBC's "Football Night In America" Set

Patrick (r) To Join Olbermann On NBC's "Football Night In America"

MIXED MESSAGES: Patrick will also be part of NBC’s Super Bowl coverage when it has TV rights, as well as a member of NBC’s Olympics coverage beginning with the 2010 Vancouver Games (Ruberti). Patrick said that "when he left ESPN he was 'given the green light to do any TV I wanted.'" But Patrick added, "All of a sudden the language changed and I was precluded from doing anything until after the [Beijing] Olympics." Ebersol said that "as soon as ESPN learned he would reunite with Olbermann, it blocked Patrick." But in N.Y., Richard Sandomir notes ESPN Exec VP/Content John Skipper "has a very different story, one that excludes taking revenge on Olbermann." Skipper said that he was "aware of Patrick's unhappiness and that he was considering leaving ESPN when Skipper asked him as a favor to host ABC's NBA studio show" during the '06-07 season. Skipper said he told Patrick, "If you'll do the studio show, I'll let you out of the contract early." Skipper said that at that point he "did not tell Patrick that the price for getting out would be a clause that he not compete against ESPN for the duration of his deal." Skipper: "His contract itself didn't have a non-compete, but I told him over the July Fourth weekend [in '07] that if you have to go, it has to come with some conditions." Skipper added that it was during that weekend that Patrick "told him NBC was wooing him." Skipper: "We said you'll have to sign a noncompete" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/8).

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