Deitsch on the Skip Bayless-ization of ESPN

yeah like everybody cares if a fucking yeehaw slapdick announcer leaves, nobody gives a shit if two perennial Top-10 programs are decapitated by cataclysmic scandals.

 

I am a huge fan of Charissa Thompson, who hosted today in place of Crawford. Gave me a reason to watch for a few minutes to find out who she was. Turns out she is the co-host of Numbers Never* Lie. Might have to start watching that. Had never heard of her before today.

 

Jim Rome is leaving ESPN. I don't think it merits a new thread. But I thought it was fun to rehash John Walsh's journalistic integrity tantrum:

http://deadspin.com/5873815/jim-rome-left-partly-because-of-stuff-said-about-him-in-the-espn-book

 

Charissa Thompson used to be on The Best Damn Sports Show, Period. She's also done some sideline work for Fox baseball coverage, I think.

 

Walsh was right. Rome is an embarrassment. An Embarrassment.
Am all for his moving to CBSSN. SN. Maybe he'll quit and sell real estate. Real estate.

 

Darren Rovell tweeted yesterday that Rome makes $30 million a year from radio.

 

I found this fascinating. You wonder what changed Walsh's mind about "journalistic integrity." Hell Rome is Burning might be one of the tamer shows on ESPN.

"We schedule a meeting for the next morning. John comes, looks at me, and says, 'You're going to ruin the journalistic integrity of this network, which we've built up all these years. We're finally getting to a point where we are the real deal in sports journalism, and this guy's going to blow it all in a week on the air.'"

 

Exactly my thoughts when I was reading that, DanO. That ship sailed long ago, but I guess ESPN still had some integrity at that time.

 

Watched "Numbers Never* Lie" to get another look at Charissa Thompson, and it's just another ESPN gabfest. Michael Smith and Thompson with Rob Parker and a couple of other guests. Won't be watching that regularly. Thompson could have changed into something a little more revealing rather than wearing the same outfit she wore on First Take that morning.