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Dan Lebatard Lives the Life We Dream Of
2006-05-09 23:41
by Scott Long

While working at the Fort Lauderdale Improv last week, I got a chance to appear on the Dan Lebatard afternoon sports show. Lebatard, who is a great columnist for the Miami Herald and ESPN the Magazine, just happens to be one of the best sports talk show hosts around as well. I've heard his weekend show on ESPN Radio, and the guy has the rare ability of doing interesting sports radio without coming off bombastic.

So let's go down the list. Lebatard is a columnist for a major newspaper and is at the front of every issue of ESPN the Magazine. He fills in on PTI, the best show on the all-sports channel. He hosts a top-notch local sports show, plus a weekend program on ESPN Radio. He's got almost as good of a resume as Tony Kornheiser, which considering he's quite a bit younger and better looking than TK, could easily lend itself to ego-mania. But it doesn't. My experience with him was great.

Lebatard has a self-deprecating, laid-back style that makes him really difficult to hate, despite my natural inclinations. I respect how he has taken a contrarian view to a lot of the major issues of the day, unlike most columnists and talk show hosts who spew up the majority line just to pander to their audience. A good example of this was during a recent ESPN the Magazine column where he doesn't condone Barry Bonds' steroid use, and uses Chris Rock's great line about O.J. Simpson as an analogy: "I'm not sayin' he should have killed her... but I do understand." In the rush to judgement on many athletes, Lebatard is one of the few in the business who exposes how hypocritical we can be in our condemnations. (See this Miami Herald column for further evidence.)

Too many bloggers see the mainstream media as the enemy. While many of them are stuck in their old school ways, we need to celebrate the ones who regularly produce quality work. While I don't agree with all of his points, Lebatard generally gets it right.

So yeah, his life is better than ours, but at least as a sports columnist and talk show host in Miami, he has to cover the NBA on regular basis. From my view that is some punishment for the good life Lebatard lives, as I think I would rather cover the tarp at Pro Player's Stadium than cover the NBA.

* * *

At the ESPN 790 the ticket site for Lebatard's show, there are some really funny clips of The Juice comic favorite Frank Caliendo doing his thing. Let me suggest this clip as a starting point.

Comments
2006-05-10 07:22:23
1.   Tom
I like Lebatard on PTI quite a bit. With all the abuse he takes, I am surprised neither Tony nor Michael mention that his name means "the bastard" in french.
2006-05-10 07:26:27
2.   SaveFarris
I take issue with your description of ESPN as an "all-sports channel".
2006-05-10 09:10:46
3.   Another Tom
I can't stand the guy. Couldn't stand his writing or his self-publicizing when I lived in Miami and can't stand his interviews when I hear him now complain about his girlfriend's schnauzers like he's doing a bad stand up routine and brag about being in People's 50th a couple years back.

Someone needs to tell him that sports exist west of the Mississippi. Then again, someone needs to tell that to ESPN as a whole.

2006-05-10 10:30:30
4.   Smed
I like him - he's a lot easier to take than some overbearing windbags! Whenever Mariotti is on PTI, I turn the channel. And Skip Bayless and Woody Paige can go eat it.
2006-05-10 17:43:39
5.   TFD
Ahh the days of ESPN The Mag on ESPNradio on Sunday mornings. Now there was a radio show...Lebatard at this best. He used to light-up stupid emailers quite regularly. He's a little pro-PA for me, but still a very bright guy, and as you point out Scott, a nice contrarian.

Kudos to you my man for a good post!

Now will you'all post something about music already?! Neil Young...Young...Young...Bueller?

2006-05-10 21:03:48
6.   thewebb
Funny that this was just posted. A buddy of mine and I were talking about Lebatard just yesterday.

My take on him is that he's one of those rare guys where I can read one article of him and absolutely disagree with what he is saying (the Jeter not being clutch article for example), then the next article of his I think he's making an excellent point. (the article about how Cuba shouldn't be allowed to play in the WBC)

I think he's talented as he always keeps me interested regardless.

I know I'm in the minority, but I actually enjoy ESPN and am thankful that such a thing was created back in the day, if nothing else just to prove to some of my relatives that I wasn't the only person on the planet who eats, drinks and sleeps sports. Lots of talent, solid sports radio, Baseball tonight, Sportcenter, games, etc.

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