More Cuts at ESPN

ESPN's Maria Taylor At 'Half-Yard Line' of Deal with Rival NBC

 

Didn’t he melt down the first time he was on ESPN?

 

So I wonder if this means Kathryn Tappen will head elsewhere (TNT I would think) after all

 

You know who else was at the half-yard line once?

 

She doesn't make enough of an impact at ESPN to merit Stephen A. money. Sadly, the serious journos who moderate stuff don't rate at ESPN (I don't consider Greeny a serious journo). The people who can tweet something and it becomes the daily fodder - probably do at this point. I do think she's hit the ceiling at ESPN for what she can do there. The NBC offer is good. Just make sure you just handoff to Beast Mode and not get cute with a pass play.

 

Olympics, Football Night in America host (Sorry Liam) and assorted fill-in/correspondent work with Today. Honestly, the only thing worse than being a prime anchor at a morning show has to be someone who is hopeful they will get a chance at the big couch in 5 to 7 years. It's tough being in her spot - what is her upper end? A daily talk show like Ellen? Hosting America's Got Talent"

 

Michael Strahan is on GMA, and Blaise White Guy from ESPN might be on there too. (I can't even remember his name - Josh Elliott?) So, there's a path for "sports commentator to morning show" pretty established already. Ever since the Megyn Kelly debacle at NBC, their third hour is just the benchwarmers from the first two hours (Al Roker, Dylan Dryer, Carson, etc.) hosting, and the fourth hour is Hoda and Jenna Bush - can't imagine Hoda wants to do that job for infinity. Taylor at NBC would seemingly have options in the morning, if she wanted.

 

Those daily talk shows still pay pretty fucking wells so if that's the upper end it's not a bad gig.

I was telling someone last week that if Taylor went to NBC that they would have to offer her the chance to do some takeout features on Today. Good for her.

 

Geez Josh Elliott. There's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Back in the day, there was some conjecture he was one of the more...contentious posters on this board (he was not). But that's not him on GMA. Apparently, per Wiki, he went from ABC to NBC to CBS and out of the biz all from 2014-17. That's some run.

 

NBC pulled him away from GMA for $4m a year hoping to put a dent in GMA's ratings surge and serve as leverage in contract negotiations with Lauer. NBC really didn't have much for him to do except "hosting" broadcasts like FNA and the Triple Crown and he left after a year when Lauer re-signed. He ended up at CBS and quit/was fired contentiously after a year of hosting their on-line news program. Like I said above, I guess a morning show is a "good gig" if you just want to be on TV, make some decent scratch and be pleasant. It's not like any of them are Mike Wallace or Ted Koppel.

 

I go straight to the league websites for scores - nhl.com and nfl.com.

And I don’t watch many things live anymore, unless it’s the playoffs.