Danny Pudi on Olbermann

[ChicosBailBonds]

Cowherd and Simmons let go, too.

Cowherd was offered more than $5M PER YEAR to stay.  He declined.  Fox got him for $6M per year.  CC was not "let go". 

Simmons is what he is.  His whole career is because of the platform that ESPN gave him.  I like Simmons, and he may really unleash his brand even further on his own, but the great irony here is that as much as he rips on ESPN, he is nothing in this world without them as his platform.

[Lennys Tap]

Cowherd was offered more than $5M PER YEAR to stay.  He declined.  Fox got him for $6M per year.  CC was not "let go". 

Simmons is what he is.  His whole career is because of the platform that ESPN gave him.  I like Simmons, and he may really unleash his brand even further on his own, but the great irony here is that as much as he rips on ESPN, he is nothing in this world without them as his platform.

I don't know much about Cowherd but you're 100% dead on right about Simmons.

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Cowherd was offered more than $5M PER YEAR to stay.  He declined.  Fox got him for $6M per year.  CC was not "let go". 

Simmons is what he is.  His whole career is because of the platform that ESPN gave him.  I like Simmons, and he may really unleash his brand even further on his own, but the great irony here is that as much as he rips on ESPN, he is nothing in this world without them as his platform.

ESPN is a stepping stone job.

I don't know, Simmons really made it his own even though it was based off the ESPN platform. I think Grantland would have been successful without ESPN. I didn't even know it was an ESPN entity until Simmons was let go.

[ChicosBailBonds]

ESPN is a stepping stone job.

I don't know, Simmons really made it his own even though it was based off the ESPN platform. I think Grantland would have been successful without ESPN. I didn't even know it was an ESPN entity until Simmons was let go.

ESPN is such a monster, the amount of impressions and traffic they drive is incredible.  I work day to day now with Ooyala, who is ESPN's video player backend.  I believe ESPN is around 30th in the country in traffic.  Simmons was also on ESPN television shows, and other programs from the mothership to broaden his brand.  That is very difficult to duplicate elsewhere.

[Eldon]

ESPN is a stepping stone job.

I don't know, Simmons really made it his own even though it was based off the ESPN platform. I think Grantland would have been successful without ESPN. I didn't even know it was an ESPN entity until Simmons was let go.

Well played

[ChicosBailBonds]

ESPN's Colin Cowherd today addressed his impending transition to Fox Sports, leading off his radio show by saying, "I bet management is listening to me today. I never can quite tell if management is listening, I think they'll be listening today." Cowherd: "Yes, I'm leaving ESPN. ... It's amicable. I'm on the air today talking about it – that tells you the relationship I have with this company and with my bosses, who are friends for life." He added, "They offered me a great new contract, incredibly fair, could not have been more reasonable, never argued, totally transparent. It wasn't about the money, it was about the funny" ("The Herd With Colin Cowherd," ESPN Radio, 7/22).

------------------------

Colin Cowherd is expected to move to Fox Sports when his current deal with ESPN expires, and his salary there is anticipated to be "north of $6 million annually when you include radio and television work," according to sources cited by Richard Deitsch of SI.com. ESPN Senior VP/Production & Business Divisions Traug Keller said, "We put in an aggressive bid for Colin and I think he got a better one from Fox. As you know, that's life." Deitsch noted one of the questions remaining for Fox was whether ESPN "would let Cowherd out of his contract early, keep him on air until the end of his contract, or pay him to sit ... until his contract's end." Keller said that the net and Cowherd would have "an amicable parting," though he would not confirm an end date. A source said that Cowherd's ESPN contract "ends in December but he'll be off ESPN well before that." Deitsch notes Cowherd has a book coming out Oct. 1 and like would "want to be at his new employer to promote that (as well as having his new employer promote the heck out of the book)." Cowherd likely will "host a nationally syndicated show on Fox Sports Radio that's fully simulcast on Fox Sports 1," as well as a "separate 30-minute or 60-minute presence" on FS1. The Big Lead's Ryan Glasspiegel last week reported that one potential idea would have Cowherd on FS1 at 6:00pm ET "to compete with 'SportsCenter.'" Two Fox sources "confirmed such an idea is being kicked around" (SI.com, 7/19).

GOOD GET FOR FOX: In N.Y., Phil Mushnick wrote Cowherd is "provocative but clean, ... clever, not forced; opinionated yet open-minded; well-informed but not overbearing; confident but not conceited." Fox "has a chance to get it -- and him -- right." Fox "should encourage Cowherd to speak his mind, not serve as a Fox shill, to rely on guests who have something to say and something worth hearing, rather than to promote Fox hires, events, products and its biggest-ticket partners -- MLB, the NFL and NCAA." If Fox "would insist Cowherd not serve as a shill," the net "will have landed a good one for all the right reasons" (N.Y. POST, 7/19). In Tampa, Tom Jones wrote getting Cowherd "would be quite the coup for Fox because he is a top-notch talent." He can be "headstrong, arrogant, even borderline offensive at times," but he is also "genuine and thought-provoking." Jones: "Roll all that together and you have a commentator you want to listen to" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/19).