Dan Le Batard
Encyclopedia
Dan Le Batard is a Cuban-American newspaper sportswriter, radio host, and television reporter based out of Miami, Florida
. Le Batard graduated from the University of Miami
in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and politics. During his college career, he was a sportswriter for the college newspaper, The Miami Hurricane
. While at the University of Miami, he received criticism for helping to escalate the rancor in the UM versus University of Notre Dame
rivalry by publishing Lou Holtz's personal phone number and by referring to coach Lou Holtz
as Sir Lou, or Lou Sir (Loser). Dan requested his readers to call all through the week of the game to help distract the coach.
Le Batard began work at the Miami Herald in 1990 and is a columnist for its sports section. His first major work for The Herald was to investigate his former college's football team. In fact, he made his journalistic 'bones' by breaking the Miami Hurricanes Football Team
Pell Grant scandal. LeBatard has also written for a number of magazines including Cosmopolitan, Maxim
, and ESPN The Magazine
.
In addition to his work for the Miami Herald, Le Batard hosts an afternoon radio show
weekdays with Jon "Stugotz" Weiner on WAXY 790 The Ticket
in Miami. Le Batard is known for his self-deprecating humor, which carries over onto the show through running jokes. LeBatard grants very few interviews about his own life, but in a rare one he did with Aventura Business Monthly in Miami in March, 2011, he revealed that Tony Kornheiser
, who began a long-running radio career of his own in 1992 on Washington D.C.-based WTEM, strongly encouraged him to embark on a career in the same medium, telling him: "It will link [you] to [your] community in a different way [than newspapers]. That it will be more intimate, more fun. It's not as lonely as writing. Writing is just you and a computer, and that it's not communal in any way. Radio is much more intimate."
Le Batard prides himself on being the "uncomfortable" sports journalist. He often writes about controversial topics, especially race. Guests on his radio program may be asked questions ranging from the racial undertones of the Michael Vick case to the effect that race has on how players are drafted into the NBA. After writing a column for The Herald on the former topic, Le Batard was featured on Fox News's Hannity & Colmes
to discuss the issue.
Le Batard is an outspoken critic of disciplinarian coaches, feeling that the disciplinarian style of coaching is ill-suited to the modern era of high player salaries and guaranteed contracts.
Le Batard is a frequent contributor to many programs on the ESPN
television network. Among others, he is a recurring guest on Outside the Lines
, The Sports Reporters
, and College GameDay. He is also a regular guest host of Pardon the Interruption
, where he has been christened "The Hateable Dan Le Batard" due to his sometimes controversial (and usually contrarian) opinions, as well as his unorthodox attire. Hosting duties on PTI have allowed Le Batard the implementation of the catch-phrase "Bam!", which he exclaims in various ways at the beginning of each show he guest hosts. Le Batard has a joking rivalry with PTI stat boy Tony Reali
.
Dan Le Batard is also famously critical of Jets fans; often referring to them as "apes and cavemen".
In 2011, it was reported that Le Batard will get his own ESPN show. The show, called "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable
", airs on ESPN2 as part of the afternoon "Sports Talk Block".
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. Le Batard graduated from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and politics. During his college career, he was a sportswriter for the college newspaper, The Miami Hurricane
The Miami Hurricane
The Miami Hurricane, founded in 1929, is the official student newspaper at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, in the United States. It is published twice weekly by a staff of mostly undergraduate students...
. While at the University of Miami, he received criticism for helping to escalate the rancor in the UM versus University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
rivalry by publishing Lou Holtz's personal phone number and by referring to coach Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
as Sir Lou, or Lou Sir (Loser). Dan requested his readers to call all through the week of the game to help distract the coach.
Le Batard began work at the Miami Herald in 1990 and is a columnist for its sports section. His first major work for The Herald was to investigate his former college's football team. In fact, he made his journalistic 'bones' by breaking the Miami Hurricanes Football Team
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
Pell Grant scandal. LeBatard has also written for a number of magazines including Cosmopolitan, Maxim
Maxim (magazine)
Maxim is an international men's magazine based in the United Kingdom and known for its pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, sometimes pictured dressed, often pictured scantily dressed but not fully nude....
, and ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
.
In addition to his work for the Miami Herald, Le Batard hosts an afternoon radio show
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz is a sports talk radio showhosted by Dan Le Batard and Jon "Stugotz" Weiner and broadcast on 790 The Ticket from Miami, Florida. The show is heard Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. ET until 7 p.m. ET...
weekdays with Jon "Stugotz" Weiner on WAXY 790 The Ticket
WAXY
WAXY is a radio station licensed in South Miami, Florida broadcasting on 790 kHz with a sports talk format. The station is owned by Lincoln Financial Media, which was previously known as Jefferson-Pilot Communications...
in Miami. Le Batard is known for his self-deprecating humor, which carries over onto the show through running jokes. LeBatard grants very few interviews about his own life, but in a rare one he did with Aventura Business Monthly in Miami in March, 2011, he revealed that Tony Kornheiser
Tony Kornheiser
Anthony Irwin "Tony" Kornheiser is an American sportswriter and former columnist for The Washington Post, as well as a radio and television talk show host...
, who began a long-running radio career of his own in 1992 on Washington D.C.-based WTEM, strongly encouraged him to embark on a career in the same medium, telling him: "It will link [you] to [your] community in a different way [than newspapers]. That it will be more intimate, more fun. It's not as lonely as writing. Writing is just you and a computer, and that it's not communal in any way. Radio is much more intimate."
Le Batard prides himself on being the "uncomfortable" sports journalist. He often writes about controversial topics, especially race. Guests on his radio program may be asked questions ranging from the racial undertones of the Michael Vick case to the effect that race has on how players are drafted into the NBA. After writing a column for The Herald on the former topic, Le Batard was featured on Fox News's Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes was a live television show on Fox News Channel in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 6, 1996, and the final episode aired on January 9, 2009. It was the...
to discuss the issue.
Le Batard is an outspoken critic of disciplinarian coaches, feeling that the disciplinarian style of coaching is ill-suited to the modern era of high player salaries and guaranteed contracts.
Le Batard is a frequent contributor to many programs on the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
television network. Among others, he is a recurring guest on Outside the Lines
Outside the Lines
Outside the Lines, or also referred to as OTL, is an American television program on ESPN that looks "outside the lines" and examines critical issues in American sports on and off the field of play....
, The Sports Reporters
The Sports Reporters
The Sports Reporters is a sports talk show that airs on ESPN at 9:30 a.m. ET every Sunday morning . It is broadcast from Bristol, Connecticut at the main ESPN studios. However, before 1999, it was broadcast from a studio in Manhattan. and from 1999-2010 it was recorded at the ESPN Zone at Times...
, and College GameDay. He is also a regular guest host of Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption
Pardon the Interruption is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, ESPN America, XM, and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. It is hosted by Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon, who discuss, and frequently argue over, the top stories...
, where he has been christened "The Hateable Dan Le Batard" due to his sometimes controversial (and usually contrarian) opinions, as well as his unorthodox attire. Hosting duties on PTI have allowed Le Batard the implementation of the catch-phrase "Bam!", which he exclaims in various ways at the beginning of each show he guest hosts. Le Batard has a joking rivalry with PTI stat boy Tony Reali
Tony Reali
Anthony Joseph Paul "Tony" Reali is an American sports personality and television host, and the current host of Around the Horn on ESPN...
.
Dan Le Batard is also famously critical of Jets fans; often referring to them as "apes and cavemen".
In 2011, it was reported that Le Batard will get his own ESPN show. The show, called "Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable
Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable
Dan Le Batard Is ¿Highly Questionable? is a 30-minute sports talk show hosted by Dan Le Batard, a writer for the Miami Herald. The show, which aired its debut on ESPN2 on Monday, September 12, 2011, airs weekday afternoons at 4pm ET as part of ESPN2's new afternoon block...
", airs on ESPN2 as part of the afternoon "Sports Talk Block".