Behind ESPN’s decision to move on from Michelle Beadle

Whether you love or hate ESPN, there is one thing about the ethos of the world’s most powerful sports media company that you should know.

At its core — forgetting all the internal politics, the sometimes relentless corporate synergies and the overproduction on games — it is built on the backs of grinders.

As ESPN gets back to basics under relatively new network president Jimmy Pitaro, it means its NBA coverage is more like 24/7/365 scoopmeister Adrian Wojnarowski than it is like punching-the-clock host Michelle Beadle.

That is the main reason Beadle no longer fits in at ESPN. Even at $5 million a year, she has no significant place on its air because she wasn’t all-in.

She was already moved from the morning show, “Get Up!”

Now, she has been deemed expendable as the host of ABC/ESPN’s premiere NBA studio show, “NBA Countdown.”

Once at the top of ESPN, she is not officially gone yet, but she might as well be.

When former ESPN president John Skipper resigned because of a cocaine problem, Beadle lost her most important backer at the company, a man who kept upping the ante to entice Beadle back to New York from Los Angeles for what turned out to be a failed stint on “Get Up!”

Now, even though it’s unclear if she has one or two years left on her deal after some reworking upon her “Get Up!” escape, the fact is that either way, ESPN is still stuck with the crazy tab.

Skipper’s All-Stars continue to lose clout in Pitaro’s world. Last September, Jemele Hill was allowed to leave amicably, taking with her the $5 million left on the final two years of her deal. Hill’s former “SportsCenter” partner, Michael Smith, is still collecting his $2.5 million per year salary, but has been forced into gold-plated purgatory. Now, Beadle is on her way out, even if the exact timing is TBD.

Beadle grew out of favor because she doesn’t fit with the back-to-basics mindset Pitaro has clearly made a priority. There are no more scholarships, so a Rachel Nichols will box out a Beadle.

Nichols, a hard worker who has made it clear to executives that she wants more, is all over free agency and NBA news.

Simply put, Nichols’ work ethic is more Woj than Beadle’s will ever be.

Nichols will share “NBA Countdown” with rising star Maria Taylor. Taylor is expected to remain a key member on ESPN’s college football telecasts, where among other roles, she is the lead sideline reporter on its National Championship-calling No. 1 team. She will then go to the NBA. She will be grinding.

ABC/ESPN has not gotten to all the particulars, but Nichols will divvy up the Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. If the network just sticks with those two, it should be quite a corporate fight to see who wins the coveted spot as the main host prior to the NBA Finals. ESPN is trying to reinvent its coverage, so perhaps there will be room for both.

Beadle is just the latest former “NBA Countdown” contributor. The show has made so many changes over the years, an in-his-prime George Steinbrenner would be jealous. The network never knows how it wants to attempt to compete with Charles Barkley and TNT.

Beadle, 43, could have some real beefs — and not only because the ground has always been shaky under the program.

For example, “NBA Countdown” was not always the go-to show after the NBA Finals, as ESPN favored featuring Scott Van Pelt’s “SportsCenter.”

It made sense because of Van Pelt’s popularity, but wasn’t the best for the growth of “NBA Countdown.”

Beadle made it up the ranks, starting on YES’s Nets broadcast, moving to ESPN New York radio’s “The Michael Kay Show” and transitioning to ESPN’s “SportsNation” with Colin Cowherd by being funny, personable and a real talent.

By 2012, she first left ESPN to be a No. 1 option at NBC Sports and “Access Hollywood.”

Almost the moment after she signed on with NBC, the folks there couldn’t wait to get rid of her, eventually letting her out of her contract.

Skipper welcomed her back to ESPN and eventually paid her, oddly, $5 million per year. It is unclear if he was bidding against anyone.
Pitaro seems bent to not be tied to the Skipper All-Stars, no matter their paychecks. For the new ESPN, that is looking increasingly like what made ESPN the worldwide leader.

It is a 24/7/365 network. If you are not all-in, you very well could be out — no matter your salary.

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