ESPN's Maria Taylor asks an interesting question

No, it's not a toss up when it relates to the intricacies of the sport. He played it. He knows it. (Joel Klatt is better.)

As it relates to the kinds of bland sound bytes he gives on SportsCenter, though, Rowe could probably do better. Herbstreit ain't that bright of a guy and he's not all that patient, either.

Rowe surely knows more than I do, of course. Or 98% of men.

 

Joel Klatt is an even bigger embarrassment than Herbstreit with his nonstop Harbaugh-B1G slurping. And give me a break with this "he played it" nonsense. We've forever taken offense at coaches snapping at reporters, "you never played the game" as being a bullshit copout response. Yeah, Herbstreit played...in the 1980s. The players are different. The coaches are different. Society is different. Concussion protocol in Herbstreit's day was, "get up, you pussy."

 

As it relates to Herbstreit's knowledge of the sport he's around every week of the year that he also played...I think he knows the sport.

I think in our culture the word "knows" has morphed, on some level, to mean "is right about." Which is very subjective. I'm rather confident Herbstreit knows the sport. Whether or not I agree with him - or Klatt - is another thing. Just because he's wrong doesn't mean he doesn't know it. Troy Aikman is boring and obvious as hell as a commentator. He knows football though. Of course he does.

 

And they get there at 26 because their value in the industry is largely in their looks, which of course age.

 

I think LeBatard's shows were the venue she could've become a breakout star on ESPN, but she's been incredibly awkward in her radio appearances (and the rest of the cast has been awkward with her, to be fair). She's better on HQ, but she's just never clicked. Shame because that's the only place her sensibilities fit.

 

I was a casual fan of Katie Nolan. I can't find her any more. Is she on a milk carton?

I really am beginning to believe the @exmediahack theory that networks throw money at people on other networks just to hide them.

 

ESPN did this with Rick Reilly 20 years ago by lifting him from SI and then barely having him do any work. Wasn't he getting $2 million a year? Now he's irrelevant.

Oddly enough, Simmons is the only person I can think who left ESPN and was able to build or maintain a substantial brand away from the WWL. Dan Patrick is fairly meh but people who are 55-60 like him.

If Katie Nolan clears $1M, how can she generate $4M of product to justify the salary? Or... they're just lifting from FOX.

 

But this is a game that we all understand the rules when we get in.

Women can be asking coach two questions at halftime on Fox Sports Midwest at age 24 but, by the time they're 40, time to go do PR for a hospital or a school district.

That's also why I have immense respect for people like Holly Rowe, Suzy Kolber, Pam Oliver, etc. They're survivors.

 

I subscribe to your theory, but ESPN tried with Reilly. They even put that hack on Sportscenter. The problem with Reilly was they couldn't hide his hackiness.

 

She hosts a show called Always Late on ESPN+. It's decent enough. Funny. Kind of sports version of Last Week Tonight, though not nearly as good. (LWT is a high, high bar.)

They slow-rolled it out and I think they're doing more pub for it now.

 

I remember those specials where he'd bring an athlete back to his hometown. I think Reilly thought that was going to be his capstone achievement. Just hang out at the four majors and do those things like he's the sports version of Barbara Walters for 25 years.