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The Sports Media (Sports Radio, Podcasts, Shows, Networks, Etc.) Thread

Cari Champion is leaving ESPN, she announced on Twitter this afternoon after The Big Lead reached out for comment. Reps for Champion did not respond to inquiries about next steps and an ESPN spokesperson declined to comment.

"After consulting with mentors, family and friends, I have come to the decision that it’s time to leave ESPN," Champion tweeted. "Over the past 7 years, I’ve grown from hosting First Take to having my own show on SportsCenter, and experiencing so much more in between."

A dynamic anchor, Champion joined ESPN as host of First Take in 2012. She began doing SportsCenter in 2015, and also spent some time on SportsNation. Most recently, she has co-hosted SportsCenter Coast to Coastwith David Lloyd weekdays at noon ET. Lloyd will remain with ESPN.

Sources say the new anchors for the noon edition of SportsCenter will be Matt Barrie and Elle Duncan. The duo has hosted ESPN's flagship news and highlight program together on weekends and they have strong chemistry. Separately, Barrie anchored ESPN's Saturday college football coverage this past season, and Duncan filled in with Mike Greenberg on Get Up during Laura Rutledge's maternity leave. She also appears regularly on Highly Questionable.
Duncan and Barrie declined to comment for this story.
 
Tony Romo is a prized free agent and is going to be paid handsomely to comment on football in the future. Whether that's with CBS, ESPN, or somewhere else remains to be seen. Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy is out with a new report that the Worldwide Leader is ready to back the Brinks truck up for the talented analyst:
ESPN is preparing an offer that would make Tony Romo the highest-paid sportscaster in TV history, with a multi-year deal that would pay him between $10 million to $14 million annually, said sources.
- Michael McCarthy, Front Office Sports
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This would make him the highest-paid broadcaster in history, which is a great note for his agent to get out into the public. And while it's technically true, consider that John Madden signed a four-year, $32 million contract in 1994. Adjusted for inflation, that's around $13.8 million annually.

The plan, according to sources, would be for Romo to replace Booger McFarland in the booth. Monday Night Football is currently looking for a new producer and, from the outside, is in a state of flux. Once the most important broadcast of the week, it's struggled to keep up with its competitors in recent years.

CBS is entitled to match any offer, and it'd be truly surprising if they let Romo get away. This weekend, serious people who pay attention to this kind of stuff were suggesting he's the best analyst to ever analyze football on television. In my opinion, that's good news for his employer.


There's also the question if Romo would even be motivated to leave the safety of his Columbia Broadcasting nest. His rapport with Jim Nantz is so fantastic and natural that it's tough to see him with Joe Tessitore or another replacement player. He's obviously infinitely charming and would get the job done, but there's something special about the top CBS booth and everyone knows it.

The most likely scenario, it would seem, would be Romo staying put and then eventually being able to have great input on his partner when it comes times for Nantz to step away. Actually, no. The most likely scenario is him making a bunch more money over the next few decades in whatever form NFL broadcasts eventually take.
 
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