Let's just say for a moment that Dan Patrick really is leaving ESPN radio, as many of the rumors indicate.  What happens then?  The answer, is nothing really.

ESPN will find someone else to replace him and life will go on, simple as that.  If you are in a market with both Patrick and Rome, you can choose.  If you are in a market with Patrick vs. live/local, you can choose either as well.

For the majority of ESPN affiliates, it will have no real bearing on anything.  Many ESPN affiliates either run the whole schedule or everything but the afternoon show (primarily market size determines how much ESPN you will want to run.  In Milwaukee, the ESPN affiliate runs live mid-mornings, afternoons and an hour or so in the evening.  In smaller markets, they just run all of the programming.)

Unless ESPN contracts have changed drastically since the last time I saw one, Patrick's time slot (12p-3p CDT) is one that is required to run.  ESPN gets testy with you if you just clear the commercials, they want the content as well.  So, most likely, whoever gets that slot will be required listening even though the sexy factor won't be there.

On to Patrick himself.  Kids, I will tell you from experience that doing a daily radio show is a grind.  And after ten or so years doing it at a place like ESPN, I have no doubt that Dan feels a little weary.  Truthfully, when Patrick first launched his show (we carried it in Nashville) it was great but over time, especially the last couple of years, it has become obvious that Dan has been phoning it in.  Even though he has access to anybody he wants whenever he wants, he's still been a lot less on top of it in recent memory as opposed to earlier in his show.  And where I think Patrick's show jumped the shark is when Rob Dibble left, because he was the perfect foil for Patrick.

If Dan is leaving the network, don't weep for him.  He's made a lot of money, did a lot of good things, added several phrases to the lexicon.  And now, he most likely wants to spend some time with his family and just enjoy life.  Once you get to a certain income level, you can do that and Dan is most likely there.  As far as the affiliates are concerned, ESPN will come up with something; they are huge, they are vast and they are powerful.  I just don't think the world is ready for "The Stu Scott Show" yet.

Lightning Round

• Wouldn't it be great if the White Sox could just do a Roberto Duran, hold their hands up, say "No mas!" and go home for the rest of the season?  That would be so much better than this slop we White Sox fans have been forced to watch this year.  The Sox and Oriloles conclude their series tonight at US Commiskey Park.
• Mark Buehrle wants total trade protection.  Can we just work something out and move on?  Please?
• One of the names on the Cincinnati Reds list of possible new victims, eh managers, is Cubs broadcaster Bob Brenly.  Brenly, of course, managed Arizona to a world title in 2001.  However, before anybody plans a coronation, I wonder seriously if Brenly is interested.  Cincinnati has been known recently as a dysfunctional organization and one with a quick trigger.  Brenly is going to want input over personnel, and I doubt he's going to get it.  He's also going to want them to commit to spend some money on a bullpen and the odds are they won't do that either.  So, unless Brenly really wants to leave a great job for a less than great one, he most likely will stay with the Cubs.  The Phillies, that's a different story.
• Of course, if Brenly proved me wrong and would take over the Reds, the Cubs would need an analyst and everybody (except me) is convinced that Steve Stone would come back.  The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan says that since Dusty Baker and most of the players that Stone had run ins with are gone, it would be easy for Stoney to slide back in.  Here's why they are wrong: Stone still has issues with Cubs GM Jim Hendry, who backed the players and Baker in their disagreements with Stone and his former partner Chip (I get hired because my name is) Caray.  If you recall, when Stone took a couple of years off because of health, he also became involved in a group that wanted to purchase the Oakland Athletics.  Stone's agenda is to become a GM.  I honestly believe, if you listen to him on The Score, he's trying to play GM.  And for Steve Stone, the sweetest revenge of all, would be to, after the sale of the Cubs, show Hendry the door and anoint Stone the new Cub GM.  That's what Stone dreams about when he falls asleep at night.  Personally, I think the guy is a narcissist, but that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
• Shhh.  Don't look now, but here come the Cardinals.
• Memo to the Milwaukee Brewers: The road to the NL Central title goes through St, Louis, Houston and Chicago, not Pittsburgh where you are expected to take care of business.
• Jeremy Roenick has heard the final horn and most likely will go on to be a poor man's Brett Hull on NBC telecasts.
• Sochi, Russia has beaten out South Korea for the 2014 winter Olympic games.  Jimmy Cater is already planning a boycott.
• Some Alabama faculty members and other connected people are sure going to be disappointed when they can't get tickets to the game this year.  U of A officials say it is because of "increased demand."  It would be an awful shame in Nick Saban went 4-8 this year.  Funny, but an awful shame.
• I wonder if each member of the Colorado Rockies has one of those "I heart NY" bumper stickers on their car?
• The mother of the late Chris Benoit says if the feds knew he was ordering massive amounts of steroids, why didn't they do something? With all due respect, isn't that your job, ma'am?
  
• It seems like Univision is attracting more people to it's programming than the English speaking networks are to theirs.  Way to assimilate, guys.
• Recently, a study was done to name the best potato chip.  I did my study years ago and the winner and  champion is Jay's.
• The liberal hate machine slowly turns its gun turrets toward the man from Tennessee.
• The 19 year old mayor of Hillsdale Michigan recently escaped serious trouble after he hacked into a former friend's email account and blew up his Myspace page.  What's that they say about absolute power?
• One of the funniest men alive and my all-time favorite comedians writes a book. 
  
• You may not know his name, but you most likley know his music.  Will Schafer, the man who composed music for "The Flintstones', "I Dream of Jeannie", and "Hogan's Heroes" has died at 78.
• An assclown, trying to impress his girlfriend by showing her his "drifting" moves, drifts off the six floor of a parking deck and in to a dumpster.  That'll learn him.
• A teen is selling her virginity for $25,000 to afford college.  I don;t know if I'd spend that kind of money on something that hasn't at least been broken in yet.
• In honor of what might be the end of Dan Patrick's radio show, here's a Dan and Keith appearance on Letterman: