Neil Everett
ESPNBy Arthur Weinstein on

Longtime SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett bid farewell to viewers on Friday night’s show,  as ESPN paid tribute to the colorful broadcaster.

Everett confirmed June 8 he would part ways with the network, which he joined in 2000. He has been a fixture of the late edition of SC since 2007, amusing fans with his catchphrases, insight and quirky sense of humor.

Yet he reportedly ended up a victim of the network’s widespread cost-cutting measures, failing to reach agreement on a new contract offer featuring a pay cut.

But there was no bitterness Friday, only memories. ESPN honored the longtime SC co-host with a touching, humorous two-minute clip of Everett’s best (and sometimes worst) moments. The clip featured him interviewing iconic legends such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Joe Namath and Vin Scully, wearing shorts on-air in tribute to Bill Walton, and generally showing why his SC appearances were so much fun.

After the segment, Everett signed off for the last time with a hilarious anecdote shared with him by longtime co-host Stan Verrett, sitting alongside him one final time Friday night.

“This is the end of the line for me,” Everett said. “I’m not on social media, but Stan has told me that some of you have left some favorable tweets …”

“It’s been non-stop,” Verrett interjected.

“And I appreciate that,” Everett said. “The one tweet I remember … it said, ‘I’ve been watching SportsCenter religiously for 20 years, and I’ve never heard of Neil Everett.'”

“Love is a long road, I’ll see you down it,” Everett concluded.

Everett told Front Office Sports in early June he may spend more time with the Portland Trail Blazers. He joined the team as studio host at the start of the 2021-22 season. He also “has several side projects in the works.”

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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