When Pats linebacker Tedy Bruschi abruptly retired last Monday — presumably because he realized that the Turk would soon be asking for his playbook if Bruschi didn’t surrender it voluntarily — we thought for a moment that it was unfortunate Bruschi waited until late August to leave the game, since the hiring season for network talent had ended.
But the hiring season never ends at ESPN, where there seems to be an endless budget for the addition of former football players and coaches.
According to Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald, Bruschi will be joining ESPN as an in-studio analyst. Bruschi could be making his debut as soon as Thursday.
But just how many former players can ESPN hire as football analysts? And at what point will the music stop with one or more of them unable to find a seat?
Currently, former NFL players and coaches employed by ESPN as NFL analysts include Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Cris Carter, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Tim Hasselbeck, Marcellus Wiley, Trent Dilfer, Mike Golic, Qadry Ismail, Matt Millen, Steve Young, Shaun King, Mark Schlereth, Merril Hoge, Eric Allen, Herm Edwards, Darren Woodson, Marty Schottenheimer, James Hasty, Lomas Brown, and now Bruschi.
That’s 23, by our count. Enough to field a starting offense and a starting defense, with Ditka serving as the head coach.
Frankly, it’s hard not to wonder whether ESPN’s goal is quantity not quality. If nothing else, the fact that so many former players and coaches have gotten jobs at ESPN might cause the many other players and coaches who believe broadcasting to be the ideal “money for nothing” career path after the NFL is finished with them to never criticize ESPN, for fear of blowing their shot to work there.
Then again, criticizing ESPN didn’t hurt Jon Gruden, but possibly only because he had leverage.
Damnit Florio, will you please go to sleep, so I can too?
tedy say it ain’t so! ESPN? really??
Good for Bruschi.
BTW Gruden is doing a fine job in the booth.
Jaworski, not so much.
I guess Katie Couric wasn’t available!
Ditka can still play. Have Marty coaching.
you also forgot kordell stewart
you also forgot kordell stewart
ESPN doesn’t have a penchant for former players and coaches so much as it does for guys flail their hands while talking.
I don’t know about you, but I’d have no idea what half-ass analysis they were trying to communicate if weren’t for a bunch of gibberish sign-language.
Hey hire Al Davis too….lol
Will take any of the above over Cris Collinsworth. How has this guy kept his job for so long?
Should be great at breaking down film…
And it takes virtually all of them, collectively, to formulate one complete sentence.
Joey Sunshine may actually still be collecting a check from there.
Let’s hire more people who have biased opinions because they’ve played with some of the people that might deserve some straight criticism. Who started this business model?
Maybe ESPN’s goal is to have enough analysts that none need to be full time, and therefore ESPN doesn’t have to provide any of them with healthcare benefits, paid time off, or a 401(k).
Thank God!
I was afraid we’d have to go 2 minutes without ESPN brown-nosing the Patriots.
ESPN, the home for misfit toys
or as emmitt would call it
ESPN, that place where the toys go
tedy is going to be great…
he gets really fiery as evidenced in this video of him dropping the S-bomb on national TV http://bit.ly/bruschi
lets hope he does the same on ESPN
I understand that you have a grudge against ESPN and feel the need to bash them at every possible turn. I actually agree that ESPN basically sucks, but who really cares if they hire every single player who was remotely relevant at one time. Anyone who actually listens to a bunch a guys that took about 1000 too many hits to the head has problems of their own. Just let it go.
Well, ESPN has hired way too many player analysts. Many of these guys couldn’t analyze their way out of a paper bag. Bru however will do fine as an analyst, and it is about time there was some tv representation from one of the greatest teams of the decade.
Bru has the intelligence and football knowledge to do well at the job, and he is at ease when the camera is on him. Besides that he is popular. even people who hate the Pats have a respect for Bru. He isn’t likely to spend a lot of time on air taking shots against teams he didn’t like, or players he feels cheated by, unlike many of the analysts on air today, like Faulk.
they only have 8 defenders, but have 4 coaches.
like any gruden operation, they have too many QBs (5?).
Sounds like a pretty killer company picnic football game!
I wonder if ESPN has ever heard of “overkill.” I guess we’re supposed to be impressed with their list of former players? 3/4′s of them don’t know what the hell they’re talking about or they take themselves wayyyyyyyyyy too seriously, like that jackass Schlereth. No offense to Bruschi but seriously, who gives a shit? At least bring back Emmitt so I can laugh while he stumbles through 5 word sentences. Oh Emmitt, where have you gone??
Oh good, you said “thRong”. At first I thought you dropped the “r”.