The promotion of ESPN's Jemele Hill and Michael Smith to host the 6:00pm ET version of "SportsCenter" beginning in February is the latest example of the net "rewarding some of its personalities and programs that take an authentic approach to their conversations," according to Chad Finn of the BOSTON GLOBE. The assignment should provide a "bump in profile for Smith and Hill," one they "deserve, and one they are ready for." Hill and Smith currently host "His & Hers" on ESPN2, and what they do not do is "debate, even if there's a topic upon which they disagree." Smith: "Debate is a dirty word to us. We may disagree organically, but we’re not saying I’m going to win this debate. It’s a conversation." Smith and Hill "allow room for nuance in their conversations, and it’s clear both listen to and respect the other’s opinion" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/14). Hill said the response to the net's announcement "has been overwhelming," and "it’s still very surreal" for the two of them. Smith said, "This is a family here at ESPN and people have been so congratulatory and supportive.” Smith said he and Hill were having meetings with ESPN execs about the transition and were thinking, "‘Do y’all really watch the show? Do you know half the stuff we do and say and talk about on this show? And you’re sure you want this? We’re not exactly ‘SportsCenter’ type.’” Smith said the execs told them they want “you to do what you do at 6:00,” and this was not “something Jemele and I solicited” (“His & Hers,” ESPN2, 10/12).
IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME: In N.Y., Michael Blaustein notes ESPN's Dan Le Batard on Wednesday "seemed to inadvertently confirm" the rumored split between ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. Le Batard on his Wednesday show joked about how he "wanted to break up with his own ESPN radio co-host, Jon 'Stugotz' Weiner." He said, “These marriages don’t tend to last. The nature of television partnerships and radio partnerships is that they flame out because forever contracts make it hard to be in these relationships and not get tired of each other." He then added, "‘Mike & Mike’ it’s been reported ... well, I don’t know what’s been reported out there, and what’s not out there, and what’s real and what’s not real, but it’s been reported that ahhh ... OK, never mind.” Blaustein notes if “Mike & Mike” is no more, it means ESPN’s "highly successful block of shows between" 6:00am-12:00pm each "will have changed in the past six months" (N.Y. POST, 10/14).
