Colin Cowherd
Andrew Bucholtz: ESPN
Yes, ESPN’s facing budget cuts, but retaining Cowherd should be a priority for them. He’s valuable on radio, and he has shown some TV value too. He also doesn’t get them into as much hot water as Simmons or Olbermann, as he doesn’t often target the powerful, and he doesn’t create as much bad press as First Take. He’s a key part of their radio lineup, and ESPN seems like a good fit for him right now. Fox also might not be the best landing spot from a TV side: look at the issues Francesa has had. Those don’t magically go away with Cowherd. Fox may try and grab him, but the bet from this corner is that he sticks with the Worldwide Leader.
Ken Fang: Fox Sports.
With Jamie Horowitz in tow, Fox will break the bank for Cowherd to develop a TV show for him as well as a radio show following Dan Patrick and Rich Eisen giving Fox Sports Radio a Murderer’s Row-type lineup. Cowherd will anchor a new daytime talk show lineup on Fox Sports 1 which means the end of the Mike Francesa Show experience. Not only that, Cowherd gets his wish to move back out to the West Coast and base his new show out of Los Angeles.
Dan Levy: ESPN
Cowherd isn’t leaving. Maybe ESPN lets him move to their Los Angeles studios. Maybe they let him dabble in “non sports” conversations more and more. But he’s not leaving because he’s the perfect storm. ESPN needs a daily radio host like Cowherd, even though his show has been in and out of more markets than a guy looking for the last loaf of bread in a hurricane. And frankly, Cowherd could do well at Fox and Fox Sports Radio, but not as good as he can at ESPN. Very few people leave ESPN and have anywhere near the success they had in Bristol. Besides, Cowherd is the one personality ESPN has tried to expand off radio that hasn’t necessarily worked. He’s had countless TV shows for ESPN over the last five years and none of them have been hits, most not even lasting more than a season, it seems. He’s pretty clearly just a hugely successful radio guy who has a TV show where he talks on the radio. On radio, he’s amazing. Awful at times, but amazing. I can’t see Cowherd going anywhere.
Joe Lucia: Fox Sports
I think ESPN would like to retain Cowherd more than any of the other particulars on the list. But he also doesn’t exactly bring a lot of TV programming to the network – three hour radio simulcasts of The Herd aren’t must-see TV. Even though Fox is cutting their budget in places, I’m sure Jamie Horowitz would love Cowherd to be the face of his new and improved Fox Sports 1…for better or worse. And to an extent, I’d agree with him – as long as daytime soccer isn’t banished to the nether corners of Fox Sports 2 and Fox Soccer 2 Go because of him.
Ed Sherman: ESPN
If I’m Cowherd, I’m staying at ESPN. The network gives him the most exposure at many different levels. He would make a mistake to go elsewhere. Perhaps he could bring in Jim Harbaugh as his new sidekick.
Matt Yoder: ESPN
As much as I disagree with a lot of Cowherd’s commentary on sports and the inflaming remarks he’s made over the last several years (and ESPN’s insistence to insulate him and Skip Bayless from punishment anyone else as the network would receive for the same transgressions), even I have to admit the man is a supremely talented at what he does. There are very, very few individuals who can skillfully carry a show individually for a weekday block every morning and Cowherd is one of them. Can you really imagine ESPN Radio losing Cowherd and SVP in the same year? That’d be a massive blow. ESPN is in an era of tightening the purse strings and cutting high profile salaries from the books. (See above.) However, Cowherd is one of those multi-platform talents the network can’t afford to let go. For better and for worse, he defines the current era at ESPN and ESPN will do everything they can to keep him.
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