# Pat Sajak to retire **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** reality-or-game-show\ **Created:** [June 13, 2023, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401 "2023-06-13T03:27:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/101 "2024-06-09T16:58:11Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Gene Rayburn Sorry, but this is the SD. Rayburn started in radio, then was an actor, an announcer, then a game show panelist before he became a host. Now if you’d said Allen Ludden or Bill Cullen, I would have remained silent. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/102 "2024-06-09T17:08:30Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Sorry, but this is the SD. Rayburn started in radio, then was an actor, an announcer, then a game show panelist before he became a host So did Sajak, for that matter. Started out as a DJ, got into TV news doing voice-overs, and later as the weather man, before Merv Griffin offered him host of _Wheel_. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/103 "2024-06-09T20:53:40Z")
[quote=“kenobi\_65, post:95, topic:985401”](…Alex Trebek, Gene Rayburn, Bob Barker, among many others) or retired (Wink Martindale). [/quote] Anyone remember Jack Narz?? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/104 "2024-06-09T21:42:54Z")
Tom Kennedy, Jim Perry, Bob Eubanks, there were a lot of game show hosts back in the day. I remember Chuck Woolery hosting _Wheel of Fortune_. Anybody else remember who used to turn the letters back then? Susan Stafford ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/105 "2024-06-09T22:16:36Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Anyone remember Jack Narz?? Of course! The host of (non-classic) Concentration when I watched in the 70s. He is the brother of the last Password+ hose Tom Kennedy. Just watched an episode yesterday where jack was the celebrity guest, and he and Tom switched roles on a whim. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2024, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/106 "2024-06-09T22:35:01Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Tom Kennedy, Jim Perry, Bob Eubanks, there were a lot of game show hosts back in the day. My favorite was Bert Convy on Super Password. Dumb as a box of hammers. Several times he read the answer on his card out loud even though the match was still in play. I’m surprised the producers didn’t take them away. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/107 "2024-06-10T21:48:27Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > Bert Convy …Dumb as a box of hammers. He was a celebrity player on Password+ several times. He did OK. Couple times he plugged his new movie, coming out that year, which he called _Cannonball_. Either the producers realized after filming that there was already a movie about the same coast-to-coast race called _Cannonball_, or Burt forgot 50% of the title. 🙂 One 70s game show host I liked was this dude, Joe Garagiola. I thought he was a good host. It wasn’t until years later I found he had another previous job that he was also quite good at. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/108 "2024-06-10T23:48:12Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > One 70s game show host I liked was this dude, Joe Garagiola. I thought he was a good host. It wasn’t until years later I found he had another previous job that he was also quite good at. When I was a kid in the '70s, it seemed like NBC used Garagiola for _everything_. Announcing baseball, hosting _Today_, guest-hosting the _Tonight Show_, hosting game shows, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2024, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/109 "2024-06-10T23:51:23Z")
I remember that; I wasn’t really aware of his baseball career. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/110 "2024-06-11T14:57:53Z")
> **[Peanuts by Charles Schulz for February 06, 1988 | GoComics.com](https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1988/02/06)** > > Charlie Brown sits in a beanbag chair. Sally says, "Our teacher wants us to do a ten-page report on a famous person . . I chose Joe Garagiola . ." Charlie Brown smiles and says, "He's a perfect choice . . I'll be anxious to read it." Sally says,... Joe Garagiola got name-checked in Peanuts quite a few times, probably because Charles Schulz found his name amusing. > **[Peanuts by Charles Schulz for March 09, 1976 | GoComics.com](https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1976/03/09)** > > Marcie and Peppermint Patty walk. Marcie says, "Sir, I think you're taking advantage of Chuck . ." Peppermint Patty replies, "Don't be silly, Marcie!" Peppermint Patty continues, "Chuck's team is so bad already, you can't possibly hurt it, and I... > **[Peanuts by Charles Schulz for August 07, 1982 | GoComics.com](https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1982/08/07)** > > Sally sits at the table and writes. Charlie Brown watches. Sally says, "I'm gonna help you with your baseball problem, big brother . . ." Sally continues, "I'm writing a letter to Joe Garagiagiariolia." Charlie Brown interrupts, "Garagiola." ... > **[Peanuts by Charles Schulz for May 18, 1969 | GoComics.com](https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1969/05/18)** > > Charlie Brown talks into the phone and says, "Hello? Just a moment, please . . . I'll call him . . ." Snoopy lies on the doghouse. Charlie Brown says, "Telephone!" Snoopy sits up and thinks, "Who could be calling me? It's probably bad news . ." ... ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/111 "2024-06-11T15:26:55Z")
Since we’re on Garagiola for a while, he had the best seat for Willie Mays’ “The Catch”. [![](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/t_16x9/t_w1024/mlb/dqkowsomy3cclxhodxzv) ](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/t_16x9/t_w1024/mlb/dqkowsomy3cclxhodxzv) That’s Garagiola looking out the clubhouse window. He had been traded to the Giants so late in the season that he wasn’t allowed to dress and sit on the bench, he watched the entire Series from the clubhouse. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/112 "2024-06-11T15:35:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Joe Garagiola got name-checked in Peanuts quite a few times, probably because Charles Schulz found his name amusing. I never realized he was a real person until now! I wonder if Schulz got his permission to name-check him so often. (On the other hand, as a professional baseball player he was a public figure, and he was always portrayed in a positive light, so it might not have been necessary.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/113 "2024-06-11T15:37:09Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I never realized he was a real person until now! I wonder if Schulz got his permission to name-check him so often. Not to be confused with Charlie Brown’s favorite baseball player, [Joe Shlabotnik](https://peanuts.fandom.com/wiki/Joe_Shlabotnik), who is an invention of Schulz. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/114 "2024-06-11T15:38:15Z")
Joe Gariagiagiaola lived in Scottsdale AZ and often would come down to Diamondbacks games and visit in the booth almost until he died at 90. I was happy to see he wasn’t some old fossil they patronizingly brought in, but he was pretty sharp. He certainly was more interesting than Randy Johnson, who never met an anecdote that he couldn’t stretch for three or more innings. 🙂 As for this thread, don’t forget Pat Sajak was in Airplane! AHHHHHHHHH! [![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2QxqyMhZyy-vEP1lsYDbu3HBrYScYOY09BBR5GsDtFG0mALPzTXYY2OxApbhWfFVGNOfc9aLOOKzfZ3CERg7RNpHbo1oWGi-VJMgOBwgel_eFYlf9-gbCqeU9y3oTPbwY9RRWsd_VY8/s1600/pat+sajak.jpg) ](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx2QxqyMhZyy-vEP1lsYDbu3HBrYScYOY09BBR5GsDtFG0mALPzTXYY2OxApbhWfFVGNOfc9aLOOKzfZ3CERg7RNpHbo1oWGi-VJMgOBwgel_eFYlf9-gbCqeU9y3oTPbwY9RRWsd_VY8/s1600/pat+sajak.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401/115 "2024-06-11T15:42:11Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > > [@robby](#): > > > > I never realized he was a real person until now! I wonder if Schulz got his permission to name-check him so often. > > Not to be confused with Charlie Brown’s favorite baseball player, [Joe Shlabotnik](https://peanuts.fandom.com/wiki/Joe_Shlabotnik), who is an invention of Schulz. Not to be confused is right…I totally conflated the two. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pat-sajak-to-retire/985401.md?page=5)