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).
THE REPLACEMENTS: SI.com's Deitsch cites sources as saying that "The Dan Le Batard Show,'" which airs on ESPN Radio from 4:00-7:00pm ET, is the "frontrunner to take over" Cowherd’s morning 10:00am-1:00pm spot. That would "cause an opening in Le Batard’s current spot, with multiple in-house candidates being kicked around including Bomani Jones, who currently hosts an ESPN Radio show" from 9:00-11:00pm. The choice of Le Batard "makes a lot of sense internally for a number of reasons," including the fact ESPN President John Skipper is "personally fond of Le Batard." But just because ESPN management "thinks Le Batard is a good fit by no means assures it will happen." Le Batard and Jones "work on 'Highly Questionable,' which tapes" at 12:30pm ET (the slot Cowherd currently hosts). That show "is very important" to Le Batard and Exec Producer Erik Rydholm, "not to mention ESPN’s TV side." Keller "rolled off a number of additional ESPN Radio names from Jones to the L.A.-based Max Kellerman and Marcellus Wiley to the Chicago-based duo of Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman to the New York-based ESPN Radio show featuring Michael Kay and Don La Greca to Michael Smith and Jemele Hill, the hosts of ESPN2’s 'His and Hers'" (SI.com, 7/19). In N.Y., Bob Raissman wrote ESPN Radio "has plenty of candidates already on its roster" to replace Cowherd, but "we endorse Bomani Jones." He is "quick with original insight, clever [and] funny." Jones’ presence would help ESPN Radio 98.7 N.Y. "on one huge level." Since Stephen A. Smith left the station, African-American listeners "have exited 98.7 in droves, which has impacted the station’s ratings" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/19).
