http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2547377 Michele Tafoya will replace Lisa Guerrero as Monday Night Football's sideline reporter this fall, ABC Sports announced Monday. Tafoya will become the show's third sideline reporter in as many seasons, succeeding Melissa Stark, who left after the 2002 season to have a baby and now works for NBC News, and Guerrero, an actress and model whose primary sports credits before joining ABC included game shows and variety shows for Fox Sports Net. Tafoya, in contrast, has worked as a play-by-play announcer for Olympic softball on NBC and the WNBA on Lifetime and is ABC's courtside reporter for NBA games and ESPN's on-site reporter for Monday Night Football. She also worked for CBS as a game reporter and studio host from 1994 until 2000, when she joined ESPN. Guerrero was criticized for frequent on-air errors and lack of experience as a game reporter, so Tafoya's appointment would seem to signal a return to substance over style for ABC. But Fred Gaudelli, Monday Night Football's producer, said it was a matter of matching the talent with the responsibilities of the job. "I'm a believer in Lisa's talent. I just don't think her talent in this role matched up," Gaudelli said. "It was my hope that we would work like gangbusters, as Lisa did, to expedite the learning curve as quickly as possible. But the talent and the role were not compatible." Gaudelli said Guerrero, who signed a three-year contract with ABC last year, will be given a chance to remain with the network. She has worked on ABC's figure skating broadcasts and other events. Her agent did not return calls for comment Monday. Tafoya, meanwhile, said she hopes to supplement booth announcers Al Michaels and John Madden through observation and preparation. "No one does a better job of explaining and calling the action than John and Al, but there are ways we can enhance the telecast with things I see and things I learn in preparing for the games that are best told from that vantage point (the sidelines)," she said. "That is what we want to provide, enhancing the broadcast in a way that can't be done from the booth." Out w/ the old: In w/ the new: - She's on the right....couldn't find a damn pic of her. Hmm...wish Carmen Electra was on the sidelines...
Tofoya is not that bad looking for an older lady. Plus she is good at her job. That pic of her is a bad representation of her attractiveness.
Tafoya is great. She does a tremendous job as the sideline reporter for ESPN's NBA games. She has done numerous college football games. She isn't bad looking either. And that photo of her above in this thread is a bad outdated photo. What sets her apart from Lisa is that Michele thinks on her feet much better. She is more resourceful and more assertive with her interviews. She will do a fine job on MNF. If you liked Melissa Stark from a few years ago then you will probably like Tafoya. For those that care, here is a more recent photo.
This is the greatest news ever!!! While Lisa G. is nice to look at, I fully and totally respect and admire Tafoya's sports knowledge and interviewing skills. Finally, a wise decision made by a big time network. First Al Michaels, now this. I'm proud of ABC.
I'd like to disagree with you slightly. The greatest news ever would be for Tafoya to annouce Rox games on ESPN.
Tafoya holds her own on PTI, when she fills in for either Wilbon or TK. That's enough said... considering most of this BBS couldn't match the sports current events knowledge needed to be a host on that show.
