More Cuts at ESPN

I'm not sure where she'd fit in - Savannah and Hoda seem pretty entrenched. Sometimes they try to squeeze in Craig Melvin, and he just seems completely unnecessary, and I doubt they want a third woman. The third hour of Today is bullpen by committee, with Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones, Al Roker and Melvin all eating innings. Hoda probably wants "off" that fourth hour at some point, and Jenna Bush is a poor woman's Kathie Lee Gifford, which seems strange to type. But Kathie Lee was "mom's drunk entertaining friend" at that hour, whereas Jenna, you can feel the flop sweat and her trying too hard.

In a related note, I watch too much morning TV, because it's the one thing my wife really likes, ha.

 

But in two or three years... who knows?

Maria Taylor has already made the jump from sideline reporter to anchor/studio host. She's good at that. (Erin Andrews just didn't have the skill set for hosting.)

Is she worth $5 million? I'm not sure.

SaS *is* worth the money because he brings people to his show and they stay and watch/listen. Maria is on shows where people are already there to watch an event. If I see Maria Taylor on there... I may watch for a minute or two longer than otherwise. But I don't watch because of her.

That is how TV management determines your value.

 

Kathie Lee was fantastic as drunk Kathie Lee. Wiig was just a hat on a hat.

 

Is Maria Taylor a bigger next big thing than Michelle Beadle was?

 

Clock is also ticking on Maria Taylor for her to "move on" to something bigger at her current salary.

The same elements (young, attractive, athletic, confident) that launched her career to this point at 34 will, unfortunately, be why she needs to keep moving. There's a 22-year-old finishing up college somewhere who will be the next version of her on a regional sports network this fall, asking two questions of the coach at halftime.

She was once the young phenom. There's always another one coming.

The question is whether she can actually be a person that millions of people will tune in to watch. She'll need some layers beyond sports (similar to Robin Roberts). Will she be interesting through a audio-only podcast? Or will she always need to be "seen" to be an asset?

 

Good question.

Beadle had a similar background but it wasn't real sports journalism -- doing the pregame shows for, I think, the TB Lightning. When she and Cowherd did SportsNation, that was right before podcasts and true fragmentation. Interesting show when it came out. I think she simply believed she was bigger than the product. Power to her... she made her money and now can do whatever she wants.

I see Taylor as a very disciplined career climber. I don't see her as terribly interesting, however, or even that relatable to the morning show audience. That is her next hurdle for marketability.

Late add... I see Jalen Rose came out and said ESPN needs to give her a raise. I like him and his work. Never stick your nose in TV contract talks involving someone who isn't you.

 

IIRC, Beadle flexed really hard *after* she got paid.

As far as Rose goes, he's not Kenny, Chuck, or Shaq. Not irreplaceable by any measure.

 

Who is the highest profile female broadcaster for CBS Sports? NBC seems to have SNF and the Olympics, 85 percent of their sports staffers aren't salaried but work by the gig. Fox always seems to have a sideline slot they can fill. And I doubt other cable sports outlets would come close to what ESPN would offer. Just not much of a market.

 

Guy Morriss just punched another hole in the drywall.

 

“ … that place is a snake pit.”

A Disparaging Video Prompts Explosive Fallout Within ESPN