Ley on his final "OTL" appearance shared a glass of wine with his longtime colleague Jeremy SchaapESPN IMAGES
ESPN's Bob Ley admitted that he had been "thinking about retirement when he started what would become a nine-month sabbatical in September, and that it had showed him that 'civilian life' could be pretty good," according to Kevin Draper of the N.Y. TIMES. Ley yesterday announced he is retiring from the net after nearly 40 years, and he "informed ESPN about his decision" earlier this month. He reiterated what he said yesterday on "OTL" with longtime colleague Jeremy Schaap that he "expects to continue working with Seton Hall, his alma mater, and spend time with his family, especially his grandchildren." Whether he will do "anything high profile he doesn’t yet know, or won’t say." While anchors like Keith Olbermann and Stuart Scott were "known for their wordplay, catchphrases and energy, Ley usually played the straight man." He was a "forceful proponent of diversity at ESPN, bringing outside voices onto 'Outside the Lines' and reporting numerous stories on the intersection of sports, labor, health, politics and race." When ESPN needed to cover "hard news, Ley was the first choice." However, the "ground underneath Ley’s feet has shifted" recently, as stories about "race, politics and health that once would have been covered exclusively by 'Outside the Lines' have flourished across the network, though not always without consternation from viewers." Under ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro, the company has "worked feverishly to repair its relationship" with the NFL, a partnership that was "damaged, in part, by the coverage Ley and others gave to vexing issues like concussions and protests during the national anthem." Despite that, Ley "rejected the notion" that ESPN "won’t continue its tough reporting on league partners" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/27).
A BIG LOSS: Ley's announcement did not come as a huge surprise to people inside ESPN, though most of whom were hoping for a different decision. Sources said that Ley was affected by the number of layoffs ESPN has gone through over the past several years, adding that he took notice when Chris Berman was squeezed out of his on-air role. However, sources all said that Ley was in no danger of being pushed out. They said that Ley, who had been at the net since September '79, could pick his time to leave. Schaap said, “He was in a tenured position where he could do this for as long as he wants. It’s unusual in this business for people to abdicate the throne, but Bob’s walking away on his own terms. The sabbatical gave him a chance to fully appreciate the other things that he has going on in his life. It’s not a coincidence that he’s now a grandfather of two and walking away.” Even without Ley, Schaap said that he is certain ESPN’s commitment to journalism will not waver -- even with stories that paint league partners in a negative light (John Ourand, SBJ Media).
