Bob Ley announces he’s taking a six-month sabbatical

Bob Ley is not only one of the most respected people at ESPN, he’s one of the most respected people in sports media. The General has been with ESPN since the third day of the company and has witnessed the ups and downs of the sports industry over the past 39 years.

Ley announced on Twitter that he is taking a six-month sabbatical from hosting Outside the Lines starting October 1 in order to recharge the batteries, and maybe avoid a Connecticut winter. ESPN PR announced that in the meantime, Outside the Lines will be hosted by Kate Fagan, Jeremy Schaap and Ryan Smith.

We completely support Bob’s decision and look forward to his return April 1. In the meantime, @OTLonESPN is in great hands with @JeremySchaap, @KateFagan3, @RyanSmithtv and the award-winning production team. https://t.co/Xvd4STETeK

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 15, 2018

The good news is that this is only six months and that both Ley and ESPN are on the same page and Ley is going to be back in April. And given the kind of show Ley does, a hard-hitting journalistic show especially in today’s current media and political climate, I can’t really blame Bob if he wants to take some time off. And if the occasional break every once in a while is what it takes to keep someone as integral to the industry as Bob Ley for the foreseeable future, that’ll be something we’ll have to accept for the greater good.