Both McFarland (l) and Tessitore will remain in prominent roles at ESPN despite the changeESPN IMAGES
ESPN is going to have a new-look "MNF" booth, as Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland "will not return," according to sources cited by The Athletic's Richard Deitsch. The successors "will be internal," and no decision "has been made yet." Both Tessitore and McFarland will "remain in prominent roles at ESPN" (TWITTER.com, 5/9). In N.Y., Andrew Marchand reported Tessitore is "expected to land back" with college football "in some capacity." Sources added that McFarland is "expected to have a prominent NFL studio role." Steve Levy on play-by-play and analysts Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick and/or Brian Griese "remain the favorites as the replacements." ESPN also has "thought about" NFL Network's Kurt Warner and Nate Burleson. ESPN’s lead college team, Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit, "remain a possibility" as well (N.Y. POST, 5/10).
MOVING ON: In Miami, Barry Jackson noted McFarland became ESPN’s sole "MNF" analyst last season, but he "struggled during ESPN’s playoff telecast and that sealed his fate" (MIAMI HERALD, 5/9). NBCSPORTS.com's Peter King notes ESPN has been "snakebitten trying to get a booth on the level of the other networks." McFarland is a "smart guy and good analyst, but he was still getting much-needed TV reps when he was placed on the huge primetime stage with the weird Boogermobile or whatever that thing was in 2018" (NBCSPORTS.com, 5/11).
