Van Patrick(1916-1974)
- Writer
For 30 years, Patrick broadcast everything from rodeos to the World Series. But he was best known for his highly charged play-by-play accounts of football games. Patrick broadcast Detroit Tiger baseball games regularly from 1952 to 1959, and in 1949 was on the first World Series telecast. For years he broadcast the Detroit Lions on local television, but, to the great displeasure of many Lion fans, he was forced to leave the Lion television broadcast when the CBS television network went to its own announcers.
Patrick was offered a spot as a CBS announcer, but would not have been assured Lion games, and could not have continued broadcasting Notre Dame football games. He refused the job. He continued to broadcast Lions games on radio, how-ever, and many Detroiters began placing radios near their television sets, turning off the CBS announcer and listening to Patrick broadcast the games on WJR radio with his partner, Bob Reynolds.
Patrick was offered a spot as a CBS announcer, but would not have been assured Lion games, and could not have continued broadcasting Notre Dame football games. He refused the job. He continued to broadcast Lions games on radio, how-ever, and many Detroiters began placing radios near their television sets, turning off the CBS announcer and listening to Patrick broadcast the games on WJR radio with his partner, Bob Reynolds.
