Even worse is that they didn't even tell him! He found out from a reporter! http://nypost.com/sports/31795.htm ESPN Shocker: Kiper Gone. By ANDREW MARCHAND October 15, 2004 -- Mel Kiper Jr. is off ESPN's draft board, NYP TV Sports has learned. After a 22-year run as ESPN's NFL draft expert, Kiper is being let go by the network. "ESPN will not be renewing Mel Kiper's contract," Mark Shapiro, the network's executive vice president, confirmed. "He would not agree to extend the standard non-monetary contract provisions of his current deal.'' ESPN would not elaborate. Reached yesterday, Kiper, 44, was unaware of ESPN's final decision. "You are telling me something ESPN hasn't told me," said Kiper, whose last contract expired Oct. 1. "There was some language that we were not agreeable to. As far as I was concerned, negotiations were ongoing.'' Kiper agreed that money was not an issue. He acknowledged that the language of the contract was the problem, but wouldn't go into great detail. Pressed for an example, he did say he wanted to know a specific number of SportsCenters he would be required to do. Expect to see more of ex-Met GM Steve Phillips on ESPN next year. "He worked the phones more than I think anyone else on our staff," said ESPN senior coordinating producer for baseball, Tim Scanlan. Next year, Phillips is to be in studio and in three-man game booths. Larry Bowa, Barry Larkin and Todd Zeile also are on ESPN's radar for next season. Bowa, the fired Phillies manager, did one postseason Baseball Tonight. While Larkin may play again, Zeile - who lives in California - probably would only want to do a limited amount of games and not commute to Bristol for Baseball Tonight. Outspoken ex-Golden State coach Eric Musselman is finishing up negotiations that will make him the lead regular-season NBA game analyst on ESPN Radio. If you win, everything is better - even your personality. During Week 1, Fox' Terry Bradshaw called Tom Coughlin a "jerk." This past Sunday, before the Giants extended their winning streak to four, Bradshaw said, "I never should have called Coughlin a jerk." Too little, too late. If Bradshaw wanted to demonstrate real remorse, he should have done it in Week 2, before the victories. Sam Rosen and John Davidson are an enthusiastic duo when it comes to Ranger hockey, but it will be interesting to see if they can genuinely turn up the adrenaline when they open the AHL Hartford WolfPack season on MSG tomorrow. The draft will never be the same! Fox Sports better jump on this guy and sign him NOW! Give him his own "PTI" like show and team him up with Kellerman and get rid of that hack Holley now!!!!!!!!!!
First Aldridge and now Kiper. What the heck is ESPN doing by dropping some of their best guys (and not even for financial reasons). All they need is to dump Kurkjian and have FOX pickup all these guys, for there to be some legit competition for the all-sports network.
Maybe ESPN refused to honor the annual hairspray rider in Kiper's contract. That was almost like a signing bonus.
Looks like talks aren't totally finished!!!! THANK GOD!!!! MEL, ESPN TALKIN' AGAIN By ANDREW MARCHAND October 16, 2004 -- Mel Kiper Jr. wants his NFL draft job back, and it appears the people at ESPN are open to the idea. "Mel expressed interest in renewing talks on our last proposal," ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said. "We are amenable to that and have resumed discussions." ESPN head Mark Shapiro said in Friday's Post that the sports network was finished with Kiper, explaining, "He would not agree to extend the standard non-monetary contract provisions of his current deal." So what changed? "Mark was quoted accurately and Mel renewed the discussion," Soltys said. Shapiro, vacationing yesterday, was unavailable for comment. After The Post story appeared Friday, Kim Kiper, Mel's wife and business representative, said she had been told by ESPN that Kiper wasn't returning because they believed talks were finished. "They said they assumed that negotiations were done," Kim Kiper said. A source said at one point the Kipers wanted just a radio and Internet deal for Mel, which implied that he had another TV offer. Kim declined to comment on that information. Kiper's last contract expired Oct. 1. I thought I was going to have to fly to Connecticut and go postal.
BTW, I read the issue that was causing the conflict was the number of Sportscenters Kiper was required to do. He wanted a set number and ESPN wanted to leave it so they could make him do it whenever they wanted. The money part was ok on both sides. I'm guessing they'll work something out because Kiper will be hard to replace. Whether you like him or not, he's got a ton of info on all the prospects and is pretty much synonomous with the draft.
oh my mistake...but still...when it was Dan Patrick/Rich Eisen/Craig Kilborn.....those were the days...yenno...before Disney bought them....*goes off to bed now*
Michael Holley's not a hack. He was a columnist for one of the best sports sections in America and he and Kellerman play off each other perfectly on IMAX. I watch that show everyday.
Could you explain to me the credentials of that guy that serves as the judge on 'I, Max'? I'd never seen him in my life before that show. Who be he? Thanks.
damn kiper sure folded fast. didn't call their bluff at all it seems. didn't espn get aldridge back eventually, too? or did i make that up?
