Gus Johnson has "stepped down as Fox's No.1 soccer broadcaster," according to Richard Deitsch of SI.com. Johnson last week called Fox Sports President & COO Eric Shanks and said that with a "full schedule of college football and college basketball, he could not give soccer the attention it deserved and that viewers demanded of a lead broadcaster." Johnson "admitted his decision was influenced by the loss of his mother," B Troy Johnson, "who died on June 7 from ovarian cancer." Johnson also said that he had another "life-changing event; he just got engaged." He said, "I want to hang out with my wife and that is where I’m at. I don’t want to be exhausted, tired and unprepared. What I realized about calling soccer and especially international soccer, I needed to do 35-40 games just to get my bars up and my chops going. Because of my schedule, I never had a chance to get that kind of experience and work in. I always felt like I was cramming, and I don’t think that’s a good thing." Deitsch wrote Shanks denied that the "external criticism of Johnson's soccer work" had not impacted his decision. But he said, "I am not going to lie and say we were unaware of it. We make decisions based on how we feel, and in this case, in consultation with Gus.” Shanks added that he "still wants Johnson to call some soccer matches and both would not eliminate the possibility" of calling some '18 FIFA World Cup games. But Johnson will "not be Fox’s lead announcer" for the '18 World Cup, nor will he "serve that role" at the '15 Women’s World Cup. Shanks said that Fox "has a relationship with the acclaimed British soccer broadcaster Martin Tyler." Deitsch: "So look to see if that connection increases over the next year" (SI.com, 9/14).
