All too often, media sports announcers and commentators make themselves the story, when rarely do they deserve to be so central to the news.

But today, we learn that Dan Patrick, the sole remaining half of Sportscenter's legendary The Big Show (where have you gone, Keith Olbermann?) is leaving ESPN ... the site, the show, the radio bit, the whole deal. That really is a news story for those of us who grew up on Dan & Keith and the rest of the desk pilots at the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network.

Arguably the best in the business, Patrick -- we can only hope -- is bound to turn up elsewhere quite soon, just as Olbermann did. Thanks, Dan, for years of sportscasting that has been -- dare we say it? -- en fuego.