Mike Lupica’s reputation within sports media circles is not good. The words “insufferable,” “pompous,” and “diva” have been used to describe him and those are the kinder ones.
The latest
- NBC exec Jon Miller: ‘We have no desire to be the network of soccer’
- Inside The NBA pays tribute to retiring producer Tim Kiely: ‘You’re the best of all time.’
- The American Gladiators Documentary delivers, but not for the reasons you may have hoped for
- Kim Clijsters talks women’s sports’ drive for equality, International Tennis Hall of Fame, and more
Last month, ESPN announced that The Sports Reporters final program will air in May.
UPDATE: ESPN has issued this statement from President John Skipper denying that Lupica was the main reason for the cancellation of The Sports Reporters:
“The story suggesting that the decision I made about the future of The Sports Reporters had anything to do with Mike Lupica is completely inaccurate. Mike has been a constant throughout the show’s long history and played an important and constructive role in the difficult transition following the tragic death of his good friend and long-time host John Saunders.”
Johnson reports that when Saunders passed away last August, Lupica wanted desperately to be the man who replaced him. But Johnson writes that Lupica didn’t help the program’s cause by mistreating staff and being a bloviator.
“He was a total diva,” one insider said. “He was abusive to people, and mean to the staff.”
But the biggest problem was that Lupica talked too much.
“When you’re a panelist, you are there to give your opinions. When you’re the host, you’re supposed to elicit other people’s opinions. He could never shut up,” said my source.
There’s no word from either Lupica or ESPN on this. We’ll see if ESPN will have Lupica make the rounds on TV as it did Steve Young or if radio silence will be maintained.
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