Dan Patrick Reveals His FAVORITE 'This Is SportsCenter' Commercial | This Was SportsCenter

Dan Patrick didn't set out to create one of the most beloved ad campaigns in sports television history. He just wanted SportsCenter to have its own commercials.

Patrick told Rich the whole thing started when he noticed ESPN was running promotions for the NFL and other shows while SportsCenter got nothing. He went to his boss, John Walsh, with a simple question: why not promote the show itself? Walsh's first answer was they didn't need to. Patrick pushed. Walsh eventually handed him the project and pointed him toward the creative team at Wieden and Kennedy.

The first obstacle was talent. Nobody wanted to come to Bristol, Connecticut for free.

"We couldn't get any athletes to come to Bristol because they wanted to know how much they were getting paid," Patrick said. "And we said, 'Well, we're not paying you. We'll give you a donation to a charity.'"

The going rate, as Patrick described it, was $2,500. He called Grant Hill first. Hill's response was polite but clear: "Dan, I don't think I can do that." Patrick sold him anyway on the idea of having his own commercial. Hill showed up, sat down at a piano in the lobby, and listened to Patrick complain about a rough day on set, hair and teleprompter included. Hill's consolation was dropping a dollar in a tip jar.

The second call went to Jason Kidd, pitched on the concept of flying his highlights in via helicopter. Kidd had the same question about pay. He came anyway, handed over a highlight from the third quarter, and left to get back for early practice.

"Those were the first two guys," Patrick said. "And without them, I don't know how successful the ad campaign was going to be."

But Patrick's personal favorite was never the celebrity spots. It was the one nobody could have scripted on purpose.

He and Keith Olbermann are sitting at their makeup mirrors before a broadcast, casually working through the blush and rouge, while running down hockey's toughest players. Doug Gilmore. Mark Messier. Why Lindqvist has to drop the gloves when guys like Neal and Stevens don't fight anymore. All of it delivered with complete sincerity while someone dabs more rouge on a cheek.

"The juxtaposition of two men putting on makeup throwing out all these tough hockey guys," Patrick said. "That one I thought was just sneaky, sneaky great."

He called it tops. Hard to argue with him.