The sweat hasn’t even finished drying on Ray Lewis face, and ESPN already has huge plans for him in 2013. ESPN President John Skipper has made it known Lewis will have a huge role on the network according to CBSSports.com.
John Skipper told SI.com’s Richard Deitsch that the network has hired Lewis and he’ll have a “significant role” on Monday Night Countdown, Sunday NFL Countdown and SportsCenter.
A formal announcement hasn’t been made reportedly, because the contract hasn’t been finished. After that though, expect to see plenty of Lewis on ESPN next season.
Skipper said the network weighted the pros and cons of adding Lewis, and his positives basically outweigh the controversy surrounding his double murder charge, and his accusations of PED’s during the Super Bowl.
“We had an opportunity last fall to get Ray, and we debated internally some of the history,” Skipper told Deitsch. “Obviously, we decided we were comfortable with it. We must have because we did it. I will tell you we did remind ourselves of some of the issues. We sort of decided that the NFL welcomed him back into the fold and the fans welcomed him back into the fold. I think we are fine with second chances, and we think he will make great television. Ultimately, we were comfortable with it.”
Reports state that one of Lewis biggest requirements was flexibility in his schedule that would allow him to see his son play football for the University of Miami. That’s apparently not a problem with the network.