Dan Patrick Joins SI Staff [J. Mark English]

Dan Patrick will join the pages of Sports Illustrated. ESPN has not been the same without the staple of their Sports Center broadcast. He had a unique way of mixing facetiousness, wit, and wisdom in his commentary.

Sports Illustrated, which is already chalk full of quality writers, will only continue to improve with Dan Patrick as a member of the staff. Here is more from Variety:

Dan Patrick, who left ESPN earlier this year to help organize his own company the Content Factory, has signed a deal with Sports Illustrated to write a weekly column for the magazine and place his website under SI's Digital Group.

The Patrick column begins in January, and SI will supervise the audio simulcast of Patrick's daily radio show on his website, starting early next year. SI.com will also carry the radio show, encouraging people, eventually, to download the program as a podcast. SI writers will make regular appearances on the Patrick radio program, including Peter King, Tom Verducci and Rick Reilly.

Patrick said his radio show, which kicked off two weeks ago, airs on about 50 stations. It's distributed by Premiere Radio.

SI will have nothing to do with any TV programs Patrick does next year, which will occur through the Content Factory. He joked that his next TV job might be as host of "Wheel of Fortune," playing off all the rumors that he was on the shortlist to replace Bob Barker as host of "The Price Is Right," a plum that eventually went to Drew Carey.