ESPN on-air personality, Dan Le Batard raised some eyebrows when he said this about co-worker Skip Bayless’s departure, presumably to Fox Sports for a huge payday:
“The ego of these guys is such that they don’t believe they’re choosing money over winning,” Le Batard said on his show this morning. “They believe they are going to make the difference. It’s happening right now in the sports opinion business. I told Colin Cowherd not to leave this spot. We were having conversations — now I’m revealing private conversations that I shouldn’t be — even though it would have benefited us, I was telling Colin Cowherd I don’t think you leave. You leave, you’re going to get lost, you’re going to do it for money and no one’s going to know where to find you. We don’t do this to have your voices stuffed in a drawer; we do this to be heard.”
After some backlash, Le Batard elaborated on the subject further, during Thursday’s live broadcast of his ESPN radio show:
Le Batard is absolutely, 100% right.
ESPN is a well-oiled machine, and even while hemorrhaging money, viewers, and talent; it’s still THE premiere name in sports news & entertainment. The best and brightest will most likely still pass through ESPN’s doors, before building their personal brand using the platform and be on their merry way.
The people in charge at ESPN surely realize this. Don’t count on Skip Bayless being the last star personality to leave in the near future.
