Natalie: Sandy?
Dan: Is her name Sandy?
Natalie: Randy
Dan: Mandy
Natalie: Mandy?
Dan: Madeline!
Casey (one phone in other room): NATALIE!

The Apology Trivia #1

Notice that 17 seconds into the episode you’ll see Dan looking out onto the New York City night sky while talking to Natalie. On the reflection on the window there is a red neon “666.” The shot cuts back to Casey on the phone and then at 25 seconds the shot cuts back to Dan. This time, the “666” is gone.

Dan: Dude, I’ve been in your car. You’ve got the Starland Vocal Band singing, “Afternoon Delight.”
Casey: “That’s right. Wait. I do not have the Starland Vocal Band. It’s not like I went out and bought the single. It’s on my Time/Life “Sounds of the 70’s.”
Dan: Well, there you have it.

Casey finally catches up with Dan in their office moments before Dan has to go into Isaac’s office for a meeting with the organization’s Standards & Practices department regarding his comments.

Dan’s comments?

Dan admitted he was part of an organization that supports the legalization of marijuana.
The meeting with standards and practices gets heated and heady.

Dan’s position

A law that makes criminals out of 15 million Americans is probably not a good law. Also, he believes that the issue is a health care issue and not a criminal issue.

Dan also notes he is also a member of the Partnership for a Drug Free America.

Standards and Practices is especially concerned that Dan knew the exact date he stopped doing drugs.

Gilbert (Lawyer #1): “‘11’ is an odd number.”
Dan: “Yeah. It’s also a prime number.”
Chase (Lawyer #2): “He means that it’s an unusual number.”

Finally, Isaac works out a deal with the lawyers, much to Dan’s objection, that Dan would apologize for his remarks during the evening’s episode of “Sports Night.”

The Apology Guest Star

It was hard to hear him cite complete sentences after seeing him play Tackleberry on Police Academy, but, ‘yeah,’ that’s David Graf playing Chase (aka – Lawyer #2).

The Apology Trivia #2

Before his untimely passing, David Graf also appeared in a couple episodes of The West Wing as, oddly enough, Colonel Chase.

The Apology Trivia #3

Though it isn’t validated, the name “Gilbert Chase” – the names of the lawyers – is also the name of one of the first music historians of American & Spanish music. Given Aaron Sorkin’s propensity to include musical culture in his works, it would be a safe bet the names were picked for Mr. Chase.

Story Line Two: The Ballad of Dana & Jeremy begins

While Dan’s fighting “the man,” Natalie has Casey helping Jeremy cut his first highlight. Natalie would do it but she believes she is developing feelings for Jeremy. Casey’s task: to get Jeremy to understand that he only gets 30 seconds to show the 3-hour Cubs/Marlins game despite the fact that there is “action beyond scoring.”

Story Line Three: The Ballad of Casey & Dana begins:

Natalie digs into Dana to let her know that Casey needs a woman. Dana begrudgingly takes her advice and tries to get him something for his new apartment.

As for the Apology:

Before Dan left the meeting, he asked Isaac to whom he should apologize

Isaac: “Who cares?”

Dan took him at his word in perhaps the best monologue of the season:

Award won for Sports Night: The Apology

According to SportsNight.net, The Apology won the PRISM Award for its description of drug abuse.

Music featured in Sports Night: The Apology

Starland Vocal Band, “Afternoon Delight.”

What do you think of “Sports Night,” The Apology? Season 1, Episode 2