Former NFL and MLB player Tom Brown has died at age 84, the UK Daily Mail reported. Brown is best known for the interception that clinched the 1966 championship game for the Green Bay Packers.
Brown was a remarkable athlete who played professional baseball and football. His loss was memorialized by the former players of the National Football League Players Association on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.
"Today, we mourn the loss of former player & two-time Super Bowl Champ, Tom Brown. As a passionate & determined two-sport athlete, and beloved member of the Former Player Tampa Chapter, his brothers and his union are sending love and comfort to all of Tom's loved ones," the official NFLPA Former Players account posted on X, formerly Twitter, on
Today, we mourn the loss of former player & two-time Super Bowl Champ, Tom Brown. As a passionate & determined two-sport athlete, and beloved member of the Former Player Tampa Chapter, his brothers and his union are sending love and comfort to all of Tom's loved ones. #rip pic.twitter.com/5bmuH2xNr2
— NFLPA Former Players (@NFLPAFmrPlayers) April 30, 2025
The Laureldale, Pennsylvania, native also played basketball before initially settling on football and baseball as his main sports. He moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, located just outside of Washington, D.C., during his high school years.
After graduating, Brown attended the University of Maryland, where he continued playing football and baseball. Brown would ultimately back away from the sport after visiting the Packers locker room.
"These guys are big," Brown observed during his visit at the 1962 NFL championship game. "I'm going to play baseball," Brown added.
He joined the Washington Senators, skipping out on his last season of college baseball. He ended his career with a home run, 17 hits, four RBIs for a .147 batting average.
The Green Bay Packers picked Brown in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft, while the Buffalo Bills chose him in the third round in the AFL Draft. He initially passed on the opportunity to continue playing baseball, but joined the Packers after the Senators sent him down to the minors.
Brown stuck with Green Bay for five seasons and one season with the Washington Redskins. However, it was a remarkable run for Brown, who was part of the team for coach Vince Lombardi's stellar win in three consecutive NFL championships.
From 1965 to 1967, Green Bay dominated, and Brown played an integral role in the team's success. During the 1966 NFL title game, the Packers were up 34-27 against the Dallas Cowboys in the last minute of the game.
In the final play, Dallas had possession at the 2-yard line and could have tied up the game. Instead, Brown intercepted a pass to Don Meredith, thus ending the game and securing the win. Brown would make a similar game-saving play in the 1967 playoffs that allowed Green Bay to beat the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Packers would go on to win their third NFL title against Dallas with Brown on the team. In 1969, Brown followed Lombardi to play his final season for Washington. He ended his career with six fumble recoveries and 13 interceptions over 71 regular-season games, plus the championship plays.
Brown's contributions to his team and the sport were significant. Although he passed away at an advanced age, sports enthusiasts will still mourn his loss.
A federal judge has blocked local law enforcement officials in Florida from enforcing a new state immigration law, Breitbart reported. The local law was enacted to pursue illegal immigrants who enter the Sunshine State.
Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law in February. His state attempted to work in conjunction with President Donald Trump's hard line against illegal immigration, which was a priority since the president's first term.
However, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams imposed a preliminary injunction on the new law and extended the stay as of Tuesday. So far, 15 arrests have been made under the statute.
After the initial strike down, Florida Attorney General James Ulthmeier told police officers to ignore Williams' injunction, which did not sit well with the judge. "What I am offended by is someone suggesting you don’t have to follow my order, that it’s not legitimate," the judge said.
According to a Feb. 19 news release from the governor's office, DeSantis gave Florida authorities the ability to enforce immigration law. He signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to further Trump's agenda.
It allowed law enforcement to perform duties such as questioning immigration status, making arrests based on federal immigration law, and collecting statements and data from suspects. DeSantis touted it as a framework for other states to follow.
"Florida is setting the example for states in combating illegal immigration and working with the Trump Administration to restore the rule of law. By allowing our state agents and law enforcement officers to be trained and approved by ICE, Florida will now have more enforcement personnel deputized to assist federal partners," DeSantis said at the time.
"That means deportations can be carried out more efficiently, making our communities safer as illegal aliens are removed," the governor added. DeSantis also set aside $298 million for the cause, including hiring at least 50 new officers to carry out immigration enforcement as well as funding for training, equipment, and facilities required, the Associated Press reported.
One of the more controversial provisions allowed for the death penalty for illegal aliens who commit crimes such as murder. Opponents, including Democratic politicians and civil rights groups, said that this was unconstitutional.
This recent attack on the Florida law is part of a larger trend of judges attempting to block Trump's agenda. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. opened the door for a class action lawsuit against the administration for applying the Alien Enemies Act against Venezuelans, Fox News reported.
Trump had signed the executive order "Invocation of the Alien Enemies Act Regarding the Invasion of the United States by Tren De Aragua" on March 14. On the very next day, the administration deported 137 Venezuelans as families protested that those targeted were not members of the crime organization.
Rodriguez granted the plaintiffs "class certification" in a lawsuit in the Southern District of Texas. "The unusual circumstances of this case present a compelling justification to utilize a procedure equivalent to a class action authorized by Rule 23," Rodriguez, a Trump appointee, wrote.
The problem of illegal immigration has persisted because many officials are squeamish about enforcing the law. Several of Trump's provisions have faced challenges before liberal judges, who have struck them down.
Florida should have the ability to enforce immigration laws because the federal government has been unable or unwilling to do so for a long time. Instead, the courts continue to resist while the states are left to clean up the damage.
Legendary conservative opinion leader and author David Horowitz passed away Tuesday at age 86, Breitbart reported. The news was shared to his official X, formerly Twitter, along with a video of personal and career highlights.
In the video caption, his account noted the correct date and that Horowitz died from cancer, though he didn't publicize what type. "On behalf of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, we are very saddened to announce the passing of the Center’s founder, David Horowitz," the account captioned the video.
"After a lengthy battle with cancer, David passed yesterday at the age of 86. David Horowitz, 1939-2025. Requiescat in pace," it added.
On behalf of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, we are very saddened to announce the passing of the Center’s founder, David Horowitz. After a lengthy battle with cancer, David passed yesterday at the age of 86.
David Horowitz, 1939-2025. Requiescat in pace. pic.twitter.com/F47yooJL3K
— David Horowitz (@horowitz39) April 29, 2025
The early life of Horowitz was surprising for a man who would go on to shape the conservative movement. He began his life in Forest Hills, New York, as the son of schoolteachers.
As he revealed in his book Radical Son, Horowitz's parents also happened to be members of the Communist Party USA. They believed they were "secret agents" of the movement who would bring the ideology to their fellow Americans.
"Underneath the ordinary surfaces of their lives, my parents and their friends thought of themselves as secret agents. Even if we never encountered a Soviet agent or engaged in a single illegal act, each of us knew that our commitment to socialism implied the obligation to commit treason, too," Horowitz wrote.
As a young man in the 1960s, Horowitz was a radical in his own right. He was a leader of the New Left, which included far-left activist groups like the Black Panther Party. He would go on to write for Ramparts magazine, which advanced the cause of radical leftists.
In the 1970s, Horowitz officially became part of the Black Panther Party, but that all changed with the murder of his friend Betty Van Patter. Horowitz believed they were responsible for killing her after she was found dead on a California beach after he introduced her to the movement.
As fate would have it, Horowitz turned his zeal completely to the conservative movement after Patter's murder. He voted for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and was a prominent proponent of the emerging conservative movement.
In 1998, he founded the David Horowitz Freedom Center with the mission of restoring the culture and political landscape for the right. After the 9/11 attacks, Horowitz warned against the proliferation of radical Islam and its accompanying sin of antisemitism.
In 2010, an exchange with a student at the University of California, San Diego demonstrated just how severe the problem had become. "I’m a Jew. The head of Hezbollah has said that he hopes we will gather in Israel so he doesn’t have to hunt us down globally," Horowitz began when speaking to a female Muslim student.
"For it or against it?" he asked her directly. "For it," the young woman responded, which proved Horowitz's central thesis about the extent of the problem. "Thank you for coming and showing everybody what’s here," Horowitz flatly added.
Horowitz was a prominent figure in the conservative movement. His legacy will not soon be forgotten, even as the man himself is laid to his eternal rest.
Meghan Markle insisted her marriage to Prince Harry is in the "honeymoon period," Fox News reported. Rumors persist about the pair, who have been married for seven years, and whether they may be getting a divorce.
The Duchess of Sussex appeared on an episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast released Monday. In an effort to address persistent rumors of divorce, host Lima asked Markle if she thinks she "will be married forever" to the Duke of Sussex.
Markle gave a firm "yes" to the question before protesting a little too much. "He’s also a fox, if you haven’t noticed. My husband’s very, very handsome. But his heart is even more beautiful," Markle responded.
As part of a softball setup, Lima quoted Harry's recent praise of his wife that was given to the press. "I'm so happy for my wife and fully support absolutely everything she’s done and continues to do," Harry said, no doubt also trying to dispel rumors of an impending split.
"He’s such a great partner. I feel that every day, how supportive he's been and is, but I didn't know he said that, so that's really nice," Markle responded to Harry's supportive words.
"That man loves me so much and, you know, look what we’ve built. We’ve built a beautiful life, and we have two healthy, beautiful children." However, this life they built came after Harry and Meghan famously left the royal family to pursue their current endeavors.
Markle leaned into the royal angle, perhaps having learned that it was the only thing that made her and her husband interesting. "I always think about it like the end of Super Mario Brothers, and you get to the final final level, and what’s the goal in Super Mario Brothers? Slay the dragon, save the princess," the 43-year-old As Ever founder claimed.
"I’m like, that’s my husband. He’s just out there constantly… going to do whatever he can to make sure our family is safe and protected and uplifted, and still make time for date nights," Markle claimed.
Markle's over-the-top praise for her husband and their marriage continued when she claimed they were more in love now than ever. "You have to imagine, at the beginning, everyone has butterflies, and then we immediately went into the trenches together right out of the gate, six months into dating," Markle claimed.
"So now, seven years later when you have a little bit of breathing space, you can just enjoy each other in a new way, and that's why I feel like it's more of a honeymoon period for us now," Markle claimed. The host then gave the duchess a letter "via Papa" from her children, Archie and Lilibet.
"We love your cooking. We love your pancakes and we love love love your hugs," they purportedly wrote.
"You're the best mummy, and we love you," Markle read from the letter. Of course, this all seemed a little too on the nose since, Markle has been trying to brand herself as a homemaker and mom influencer in her With Love, Meghan series on Netflix.
Whatever is happening in their marriage is their business. However, Markle seems to be trying extra hard to be more likable while also trying to convince everyone that her marriage is solid, and this smacks of overcompensation.
Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz had continued praise for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth amid continued controversy including alleged leaks, security lapses and reports of chaos in the Defense Department under his leadership.
Fox News's Maria Bartiromo asked Waltz Sunday whether the Trump administration would be able to accomplish its foreign policy goals under "what appears to be a chaotic, weakened Defense Department."
"I'll tell you about a weakened Pentagon," Waltz fired back promptly. "That was one that had a Defense Secretary that disappeared for two weeks just last year, and nobody knew about it."
Waltz pointed out that Hegseth is "leading from the front" in contrast to his predecessor and praised early reform efforts at the Pentagon.
"He is leading the charge, and he has no tolerance for leaking," Waltz said, denying the reports of chaos as a "media narrative" that they would "power through."
Waltz also had a more positive take on the recent departure of top aides including Hegseth's Chief of Staff Joe Kasper last week.
"Maria, there’s 20,000 people in the Pentagon," Waltz said. "There is a record number of generals."
"And the other piece— there is accountability," he added. "We have had several general officers who weren’t getting the job done, and admirals get fired and get replaced… That’s what the Pentagon needs."
"Whether it’s leaks, or not getting the job done, or failures in terms of procurement acquisition, now you have a leader that’s in charge," Waltz said. "And I couldn’t be prouder of Pete Hegseth."
Despite reports of dysfunction, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said several days before Waltz's interview that Trump still strongly supported Hegseth.
"Let me reiterate: The president stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth and the change that he is bringing to the Pentagon, and the results that he's achieved thus far speak for themselves," Leavitt told reporters at a briefing last week, calling the negative reports a "smear campaign."
It has been a little difficult to tell whether things are going poorly in some of Trump's agencies, or whether it's just the press trying to make the administration look bad to dishearten voters and bring down approval ratings.
Trump dismissed the so-called Signal leaks that included an editor from The Atlantic as "fake news."
“I don’t view Signal as important,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday as he flew to attend Pope Francis's funeral service.
Liberals across the country are up in arms over the arrest last week of a Wisconsin judge accused of obstructing the apprehension and arrest of an illegal immigrant.
However, the Trump FBI's decision to take Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan into custody has found at least some degree of support from a seemingly unlikely source, namely, the man who served as acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under former President Barack Obama, as Breitbart reports.
As Fox News explains, Dugan was arrested on Friday morning on allegations that she endeavored to hide an illegal immigrant who had been previously deported in order to thwart his arrest by ICE agents.
Federal officers from a handful of agencies attempted to make the arrest of Eduardo Flores-Ruiz of Mexico after a court appearance before Dugan related to battery charges.
It was then that Dugan told the officers to go to the chief judge's office, and when Flores-Ruiz's hearing concluded, she allegedly escorted both him and his lawyer out via a restricted exit away from the public part of the building where agents were waiting to apprehend him.
As a result of her conduct, Dugan was charged with obstruction of an official proceeding and also with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.
Not surprisingly, the arrest has spurred a host of heated reactions on the left, including from Wisconsin Democrat Gov. Tony Evers, who alleged that the Trump administration is employing “dangerous rhetoric to attack and attempt to undermine our judiciary at every level, including disobeying the highest court in the land.”
However, not every Democrat was so quick to jump to Dugan's defense, as John Sandweg, who served as acting director of ICE during Obama's tenure, outlined his objections to the judge's conduct on Friday.
During an appearance on NewsNation's Cuomo, Sandweg, while expressing concern over the impact on ICE cases such as this may have, noted that Dugan's actions were far from appropriate.
Sandweg said of what unfolded in Wisconsin last week, “I would like to see the ICE agents just pick him up outside the courthouse or pick him up as he leaves the courthouse. During the Obama administration, as you know, during the Biden administration, we had a sensitive location policy.”
“We couldn't arrest people in a courthouse. I think there are good reasons for that,” he added.
With respect to Dugan specifically, Sandweg said, “I'm not here to defend this judge. … I think she overstepped here. I think there are other ways to lodge her objections.”
As Fox News noted separately, Dugan's fellow Wisconsin judge, Monica Isham, threatened not to hold court as a means of protesting what occurred on Friday, saying, “I have no intention of allowing anyone to be taken out of my courtroom by ICE and sent to a concentration camp, especially without due process. … Should I start raising bail money?”
Unfortunately, despite all the liberal exhortations that “nobody is above the law,” articulated endlessly during the campaign of lawfare against Donald Trump, it in fact appears that the lion's share of Democrats do believe that those who sit on the bench are entitled to an exemption from that supposedly foundational principle.
President Donald Trump pardoned health care executive Paul Walczak, whose mother was involved in the plot to expose Ashley Biden's diary, The New York Times reported. Walczak was convicted of tax evasion just two weeks ago.
Due to his conviction, Walczak was ordered to pay $4.4 million in restitution and serve an 18-month prison sentence. The executive allegedly used the money he withheld from the government to purchase luxuries, such as a yacht.
"Paul and his family are truly grateful to the president, and Paul looks forward to returning his focus to his lifelong passion for improving the country’s health care system," Raymond R. Granger, the attorney who drafted the pardon, said. Some believe Trump is rewarding his loyal allies through pardons.
Although he only donated $450 to Trump in the 2020 election, Walczak's mother, Elizabeth Fago, is a longtime Republican fundraiser who helped Trump in his 2020 presidential campaign. She was part of the Ashley Biden diary controversy, which was unrelated to Walczak and his conviction.
In the runup to the 2020 presidential election, the contents of a diary kept by Ashley Biden, daughter of Joe Biden, were leaked to the press. Fago allegedly had a part in that as she was roped in as a donor and fundraiser for the GOP.
Sources close to the matter said that Robert Kurlander, who possessed the diary, reached out to Fago. She immediately saw it as an opportunity to undermine Joe Biden's campaign by releasing the information contained therein.
At a September 2020 fundraiser at Fago's Jupiter, Florida, Kurlander passed around the diary. Later, Fago made the most of the incriminating journal and tipped off Project Veritas about it.
The whistleblower organization paid Kurlander and another woman, Aimee Harris, $40,000 to purchase the diary. The Department of Justice later became involved because the property was considered stolen, and Kurlander and Harris were both convicted as a result.
Fago and her daughter were not convicted, nor was anyone from Project Veritas. However, the legal battle would eventually prove that the diary was indeed authentic and belonged to Joe Biden's daughter, who made some startling admissions.
Once Joe Biden became president, his Department of Justice pursued criminal action against Kurlander and Harris. This proved that what recovering drug addict Ashley Biden wrote was true, at least in her own mind.
In pages released to the press, a handwritten note asking whether she "was molested" and later that she showered with her father and that it was "probably not appropriate." The X account Libs of TikTok shared it with a caption about Harris's conviction.
"Ashley Biden’s diary is real. A woman is now going to prison for selling it. Here’s a reminder of what she wrote," the April 9, 2024. post stated. "Joe Biden showered with his daughter. She felt it was “probably not appropriate” and also questioned if she was m*lested."
Ashley Biden’s diary is real. A woman is now going to prison for selling it.
Here’s a reminder of what she wrote.
Joe Biden showered with his daughter.
She felt it was “probably not appropriate” and also questioned if she was m*lested. pic.twitter.com/510xM4x5pt
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 9, 2024
As the president, Trump can pardon anyone he pleases, just as Joe Biden did. However, the bigger story is that a man was elected president in 2020 who, at the very least, was privately implicated in some twisted interactions with his own daughter.
President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order Wednesday barring schools from applying diversity, equity, and inclusion when administering discipline, Breitbart reported. The White House said this will make schools safer as outcomes will be based on student behavior.
The White House touted the changes in a preview of the order. "The Order requires new guidance to local and state educational agencies regarding school discipline, emphasizing compliance with Title VI protections against racial discrimination and preferencing," it said.
"It calls for appropriate action against educational agencies that fail to comply with Title VI by continuing to use racially preferential discipline practices," the document said. The order also demands further study to ensure "federal funds do not support racially preferential policies, including through nonprofit organizations, and proposing model discipline policies rooted in American values."
This order reverses former President Barack Obama's guidance on school discipline. The 2014 policy required schools to "equalize disciplinary rates by race" rather than focusing on the behavior of individual students.
According to the Federalist Society, Obama penned a "Dear Colleague" letter that used the threat of the federal government to urge schools to consider the "disparate impact" discipline has on racial minorities. It claimed that all disciplinary action should be color blind.
However, it then went on to recommend exactly the opposite in application. Schools were urged to examine the "disproportionate and unjustified effect on students of a particular race" before meting out any punishments.
Instead of behavior-based discipline, schools were forced to consider the racial makeup of the students getting caught. It claimed that "even if that policy is applied to students without regard to their race (i.e, there is no intentional discrimination), the policy might still violate federal law if it has a 'disparate impact,' i.e., a disproportionate and unjustified effect on students of a particular race."
Although it was never proven, some believed that this philosophy led to Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz falling through the cracks, Fox News reported in 2018. After committing vandalism as a middle school student, Cruz was never criminally charged and may have been put into a diversionary program called PROMISE.
However, the school district was cagey about his involvement in it after the shooting. "I was repeatedly told that the Parkland shooter was never in the Promise Program I was asking questions about. Now it turns out that in fact he was," then-Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio said.
Trump's Executive Order, signed on Wednesday, was a step toward righting the wrong that Obama began, and then-President Joe Biden continued. Trump's executive assistant, Will Scharf, said the policy hindered proper discipline in schools.
"Basically, they focused on [Critical Race Theory] and diversity ideology, instead of actually just enforcing the rules in classrooms to ensure a safe learning environment," Scharf said. Eliminating the "disparate impact theory" is in line with Trump's effort ban all DEI.
"This is a theory that underlies a lot of the modern DEI and CRT-driven diversity culture. The basic idea is instructing your department and agencies to no longer rely on disparate impact theory as they're regulating, as they're issuing guidance, as they're making rules," Scharf went on.
"We want to focus on results, we want to focus on actual fairness, we want to focus on merit, not things like disparate impact theory and the whole sort-of diversity, equity and inclusion cult," Scharf said. This order will go a long way to restoring sanity with a single pen stroke.
The left believes that any outcomes unfavorable to racial minorities must be because of racism, and then they enact racist policies ostensibly to counter the effects. Thankfully, Trump is eliminating this philosophy from every corner of American life.
Sources say that Elon Musk and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent were locked in a contentious debate over who should head the IRS, Newsmax reported. The sources say the tussle took place in the presence of President Donald Trump.
This sensational story was first published by the leftist news outlet Axios on Wednesday. The report allegedly came to the news outlet through "two witnesses and three sources who were briefed on the matter."
The two men were arguing about whether Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender or former acting Commissioner Gary Shapley should head up the IRS. This occurred at an Oval Office meeting on April 17, and witnesses likened it to a professional wrestling match, although there was no physical altercation.
"It was two billionaire, middle-aged men thinking it was WWE in the hall of the West Wing," a witness claimed. Bessent actually has a net worth of about $520 million.
The report claimed that this was more than a fleeting exchange. "They were not physical in the Oval, but the president saw it, and then they carried it down the hall, and that's when they did it again," a witness said.
This would surely have angered Trump, especially considering the way a second witness described it as quite a spectacle. "It was quite a scene. It was loud. And I mean, loud," the source claimed.
When asked about the argument, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt admitted that "it's no secret President Trump has put together a team of people who are incredibly passionate about the issues impacting our country." Still, Leavitt tempered her sentiments with a truthful observation.
"Disagreements are a normal part of any healthy policy process. And ultimately, everyone knows they serve at the pleasure of President Trump," Leavitt said. The supposed manner of this disagreement plays into rumors of Musk's volatility.
Musk has locked horns with other administration officials, including Trade Adviser Peter Navarro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. "Everyone thinks DOGE is great, but Elon's antics are just a bit much," a third administration official said about Musk's position as the outgoing head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Amid these reports, Trump has remained publicly supportive of Musk. "He’s an incredible… brilliant guy. He was a tremendous help both in the campaign and in what he's done with DOGE," Trump said when asked by reporters on Wednesday.
Trump noted that Musk's Tesla company has suffered financial losses because of his willingness to work with the president. He went on to praise Musk for his achievements at SpaceX, as well as his character.
"When you see those rockets go up and come back and land in the same gantry, nobody else can do that but this man. So he's just an incredible person, and he's a friend of mine as a nice person too, as a very nice person," Trump said. Musk shared a clip of Trump's remarks on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 24, 2025
Musk has done great things for the nation and for Trump by providing support and guidance. Even if these reports are true about a disagreement, it doesn't take anything away from that fact. The leftist media will want to make the most of it just the same.
Former ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick has passed away from natural causes at 80 years old, the Daily Caller reported. Patrick's career as an announcer spanned several sports over several decades before his retirement in 2018.
Local authorities confirmed Patrick's death on Tuesday. He is best remembered as the announcer for "Sunday Night Football" on ESPN, where he spent 18 years of his career.
Beginning his stint on the show in 1987, Patrick worked with other greats, including fellow broadcaster Paul Maguire and former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann. Patrick would tell ESPN that he ended his media career satisfied with his life's work.
“It’s wonderful to reflect on how I’ve done exactly what I wanted to do with my life. At the same time, I’ve had the great pleasure of working with some of the very best people I’ve ever known, both on the air and behind the scenes," he said when announcing his retirement.
According to ESPN, Patrick is a graduate of George Washington University, where he served as a commissioned U.S. Air Force Second Lieutenant. He began his broadcasting career at WVSC-Radio in Somerset, Pennsylvania, in 1966.
Patrick would become the sports director at a Jacksonville, Florida, television network and would become a Hall of Fame sports broadcaster for his coverage of Jacksonville University's basketball team. In 1975, Patrick used that experience in Washington, D.C., where as a weekend anchor and sports reporter for WJLA-TV.
Between 1975 and 1982, Patrick announced play-by-play for Washington and Maryland football and basketball from 1975 to 1978. Notably, Patrick also covered more than two dozen ACC basketball championships and called the NCAA Women's Final Four from the 1996 season to the 2009 season for the network.
However, Patrick would become an icon for his time in the broadcasting booth at SNF and become the iconic voice of the broadcast. The last time Patrick used his talents at ESPN was announcing the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, held on December 30, 2017.
Patrick died on Sunday in Fairfax, Virginia. His death was confirmed by his doctor as well as city officials in his native city of Clarksburg, West Virginia.
Patrick was remembered by some of the greats in broadcasting, including fellow college basketball sportscaster Dick Vitale. "I'm so sorry to learn about the passing of Mike Patrick," Vitale said Tuesday as news of Patrick's passing broke.
"I called him Mr. ACC as he had a great love for doing the big ACC games. Mike had great energy and a keen knowledge of ACC basketball, and I truly enjoyed sitting next to him calling so many special games over the years," Vitale said.
Basketball analyst Jay Bilas took to social media to remember Patrick. "So sorry to learn of the passing of the great Mike Patrick. Mike was the voice of ACC Basketball when I was a player, and I had the honor of working with him and calling him a friend. Mike Patrick was a pro’s pro. RIP Mike Patrick," Bilas posted to X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday.
So sorry to learn of the passing of the great Mike Patrick. Mike was the voice of ACC Basketball when I was a player, and I had the honor of working with him and calling him a friend. Mike Patrick was a pro’s pro. RIP Mike Patrick. pic.twitter.com/AGkzs07StY
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) April 22, 2025
Patrick was one of the greats in sports broadcasting, as even his colleagues have recognized. His passing is a sad day, but his legacy will live on as others attempt to fill his empty spot in the booth for years to come.