Dirty Announcing Rumor Mill: Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News is reporting that his sources are saying that ESPN could move Joe Morgan to the Wednesday night telecast, and team Jon Miller with Rick Sutcliffe. (Hat tip to Can’t Stop the Bleeding.)
“We expect both Jon and Joe to be back in the Sunday night booth next season,” an ESPN spokesman said.
Of course there is a big difference between “expect” to be back and definitely returning. So there is something up here. Miller and Morgan have spent nearly two decades together. During that time their relationship has had its rocky moments. That’s no secret.
What’s coming to light is how unpopular Morgan has become with many of his ESPN colleagues, who are less than thrilled with the way he prepares for a telecast. Some of them also don’t respond well to what they call Morgan’s haughty attitude, which he has displayed during some of his more outspoken performances in internal ESPN meetings.
I’d be fine with Morgan getting a heave-ho, he analyzes by the seat of his pants more rather than any sort of actual study and I’m sure there are plenty of you out there who aren’t enamored of his “old-school is best” mentality. But I wouldn’t believe it unless it actually happens first.
Also, let’s not think that Sutcliffe would be a major improvement. He would make our baseball watching lives more interesting with his tendency towards more embarrassing gaffes on Sundays instead of buried during weeknight games.
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