Dan Patrick criticized ESPN for showing clear favoritism towards the New York Knicks during their coverage of the Knicks-Pacers series. On his Fox Sports Radio show, Patrick called out ESPN for their East Coast bias, saying the network focused too much on the Knicks and ignored the Pacers.
Patrick pointed out that the coverage was overwhelmingly Knicks-centric, with segments featuring Knicks broadcasters, fans, and personalities like Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee. He felt this was unfair and embarrassing, as it seemed like ESPN forgot the Pacers were even playing.
Pacers fans and neutral viewers were frustrated with ESPN’s bias, but it didn’t help Knicks fans either. While ESPN seemed to cater to Knicks supporters, even they were annoyed, especially when commentator Mike Breen excitedly called a go-ahead three-pointer by Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard.
In the end, ESPN’s bias didn’t make anyone happy. Knicks fans didn’t enjoy the extra attention on personalities like Stephen A. Smith, and Pacers fans felt neglected. Patrick’s criticism highlights a broader issue with ESPN’s coverage that seemed to please no one.
