AA: Back to the television side, there’s going to be some people saying ESPN wouldn’t be this hard on FIFA if they still had the World Cup. What’s your response to that question and what does this coverage mean for ESPN’s journalistic operation and ESPN’s continued soccer presence?
Ley: Nobody has ever reigned us in, even while we were a business partner of FIFA’s on the World Cup. We’ve been very tough and very fair on FIFA. If anyone was going to be told to dial it back it would have been myself as the host of the last two World Cups. I didn’t get that memo because that memo hasn’t been written.
There is a wall between church and state. I know for a fact that absolutely befuddles and astonishes senior executives at at least one of the leagues with which we are a major business partner that can’t understand why we would want to investigate a business partner and report on things.
AA: You wouldn’t want to share which league has those executives?
Ley: No, thank you for asking, you’re only doing your job. You know, why get in the way of making money? The fact is there is that separation. We have never been dialed back. We have the Euro Championships, extensive MLS and national team commitments and we’re in additional negotiations as well. Trust me, nobody was happy that we’re out of the World Cup. But that’s the way it fell and the hand we’re dealt. But we’ll definitely continue in this sport and our reporting over the last 4-5 days is a part of that.
Just today I was on a phone call trying to nail down exactly where our host set in Paris will be next summer for the European Championships. I lived in Paris for a month back for the World Cup in 1998, going back again this time they’re using Euros not Francs. We’re not skimming. We’re going over there to put on a first class production because when people turn on soccer from us that’s what they expect.
AA: Do you take extra pride beyond your current roles for soccer and Outside the Lines that ESPN turns to you to anchor live breaking news coverage, whether that be for the events of the last week or the Boston Marathon bombings or other major events that happen in sports? Do you feel extra responsibility when days like Blatter’s resignation come?
Ley: You stay as well briefed on as many different things as you can. It’s nice, but the minute you rest on your laurels is the minute you lose your sharpness. DiMaggio used to say, and it’s true, there’s always someone out there who never saw you play before. And every day you’ve got to prove yourself. If you don’t approach it that way then your game slips.
AA: Finally, it just so happened that while you were on the air the news broke about your re-signing with ESPN for a “long-term” extension.
Ley: Really, it did?!? Oh, shoot. [Laughs]
AA: In case you weren’t aware, that happened.
Ley: Well, I was a little busy today.
AA: How long is that contract for and have you thought about how many years you want to stay at this? As long as there has been ESPN minus three days or so, there has been Bob Ley at ESPN, and that’s been over 35 years now. Have you thought about what lies beyond and how much longer you have at the network?
Ley: My wife married me for better or worse, but not for lunch every day. As far as the length of the contract, as we say it’s “long-term” and that’s as specific as I care to get. Absolutely we talked a long time about the future and how much of a commitment I wanted to make and how much energy I wanted to summon. But I still enjoy what I’m doing, I work with great people, and I find a challenge in it. What’s at the end of this? I don’t know, but every day is different and that’s what’s fun.
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