Last Call for ESPN’s McNeil
Friday night was closing time for ESPN 1000′s “Afternoon Saloon”. Station execs informed longtime station personality Dan McNeil that the option on the final year of his contract will not be picked up. McNeil’s current deal expires in May, but he’s being taken off the air effective immediately.
In a prepared statement, as reported by the Trib’s Phil Rosenthal, ESPN 1000′s GM Jim Pastor said:
“We’re looking to try some new things in the afternoon, and given the economic climate, we feel like this is the right time to do it. Mac’s played a big part in ESPN 1000′s success. This afternoon I thanked him for that and wished him well in the future.
McNeil’s tenure at ESPN 1000 WMVP-AM had been marked by controversy. He joined the station in 2000 and since the launch of the Mac, Jurko, and Harry in 2001, McNeil served several suspensions. In 2002, McNeil and Harry Teinowitz were both suspended after an altercation and subsequent on-air skirmishes. Then, in 2006, the two were again suspended for two weeks. In 2007, McNeil was dinged for three days when he called Comcast Sports Net Executive Producer Lissa Druss Christman a “bitch.
Prior to joining ESPN, McNeil had logged nine years at crosstown sports talker The Score WSCR-AM.
For the immediate future, ESPN 1000 mainstay Carmen DeFalco will join Teinowitz and John Jurkovic during afternoon drive. It’s not clear what the long-term plans are for that daypart on the station.
McNeil’s departure marks yet another big name talent to be axed. Last year, Mike North walked away from The Score, Steve Dahl was taken off the air at CBS’s WJMK-FM, and Eddie & JoBo ended their long tenure on B96.
I have been a listener and a fan of the show for several years. Ironically though, I have been hoping McNeal would be shown the door. I became sick of his negative attitude and know it all about everything to do with sports, especially football. I was a division 1 football lineman and have multiple friends who have enjoyed playing carers and some others who r regarded as excellent NFL coaches. That certainly makes me no expert, but I feel I have a fair and reasonable knowledge of the game. A great example that I will never forget is when I listened to McNeals ripping of Bears multiple probowl center(remeber the probowl is voted by NFL players)Olin Kreutz. He was ripping into him as being terribly overrated, and went as far as too say he “his butt is too low in his stance, which cause these issues with the center/QB exchange”. PLEASE!!!!!!! What a joke! I think the man knows how to get in his stance. I really love listening to Jurko and Harry, and hope the show continues to remain the afternoon saloon. I wasn’t a fan of Carmen this week, but maybe it will work. I would love to see Dan Hampton or Mongo join. That would be a riot!!!