SportsCenter Anchor Neil Everett Leaving ESPN
Longtime SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett will be leaving ESPN after 23 years with the sports media giant. Everett, 61, came to ESPN in 2000 and began working alongside co-anchor Stan Verrett at the Los Angeles studio in 2009.
In a statement provided to Front Office Sports, Everett said, “Bartender…last call,” a reference to his famous “Bartender, Jack” home run call featured on SportsCenter highlights. He went on, “ESPN changed my life, but now it’s time for me to change my life. Time to write a new chapter.”
Verrett tweeted out his well-wishes to his on-air partner:
“I started at ESPN in 2000, a few months after Neil Everett. We joined up for SportsCenter from LA in 2009. For 14 years, he was the best teammate I could imagine. Selfless, caring, generous, and a pro’s pro. He’s moving on now, but we are brothers for life. That’ll never change.”
Neil Everett’s Departure the Latest in Cost-Cutting Measures for ESPN
Everett’s departure will not effect Stan Verrett’s job at ESPN’s Los Angeles studio. The move is reportedly a result of ESPN’s recent cost-cutting measures. Disney CEO Bob Iger wants to slash jobs and save billions of dollars. There are conflicting reports on whether Neil Everett was outright dropped or if he passed on a new contract with a reduced salary. Either way, the Portland native sees this as an opportunity to branch out and pursue other opportunities. He has been part of the Portland Trail Blazers’ broadcast team since the 2021-22 season and will look to increase his role with the franchise.
The mass layoffs did not stop ESPN from pulling in Pat McAfee with an extremely lucrative contract offer last month, a move that puzzled observers in the context of the company’s efforts to eliminate 7,000 jobs. Just this week, the Worldwide Leader terminated the contract of NHL analyst Chris Chelios. Neil Everett is the latest domino to fall. He may not be the last – it’s theorized that only around 10 employees are considered “untouchable” for ESPN.
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