Everyone has an origin story in the sports media business, but some have funnier wrinkles than others. Ryan McGee relived some snippets of his first days at ESPN with Dan Patrick this week, during a time when Patrick and Keith Olbermann anchored SportsCenter together.
The ESPN senior writer and host of Marty and McGee on ESPN Radio and the SEC Network was a production assistant in charge of drawing up shot sheets to cue Olbermann and Patrick on SportsCenter in the early 90s. Unfortunately for McGee, his handwriting wasn’t necessarily up to standard.
“Speaking of mental health,” McGee starting asking during his guest appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. “You remember a time in the mid-90s on SportsCenter, and this PA turned in a shot sheet, and the handwriting was so atrocious that it caused like a week of firestorm controversy on campus?”
McGee answered the rhetorical question with himself and reminded Patrick of the advice he gave during that week.
“I think it was ‘when I come to you and tell you that your handwriting is atrocious, you probably should listen and not be so defensive,’ in my defense, I was 23 years old. I think six months earlier I was sitting in Western Civ class so.”
Olbermann played a part in McGee’s early days as well, all thanks to the Southington Cab Company’s business model.
“I drove him [Olbermann] to work two or three days a week,” McGee explained to Patrick. “My first day as a PA, I walk into the newsroom, and Keith is putting fliers in the mailboxes because the Southington Cab Company has increased its rates. So he’s looking for a ride to work, and I had just come from Al Jaffe’s office I still had my tie on, and I go ‘are you serious?’ and he goes ‘yeah’ I said ‘what time do I pick you up tomorrow?'”
McGee and Olbermann are two of the many unique personalities to work at ESPN. A backseat spot to listen in on those car rides would’ve been a treat.
“I drove Keith to work for the whole two years I was up there,” McGee continued. “I be like ‘Dan’s mad should I be worried?’ he goes ‘Yes you should be worried, you should talk to Dan and get this straightened out.’ I’m just like ‘Ok, thank you, Keith.'”