In the words of Jay-Z, it’s "on to the next one" for longtime sportscaster Kenny Mayne, who is heading into his final stretch of shows for ESPN, his home of nearly 30 years. Mayne announced his departure from the network earlier this week, describing himself as a “salary cap casualty.” Though he doesn’t harbor any ill will toward his employer of 27 years, Mayne felt it was pretty evident ESPN didn’t want him around anymore.
“None of this is said with any malice. I wish them well. Most of my friends are there. I’m not bitter or in some big battle with ESPN,” Mayne relayed to Richard Deitsch of The Athletic in a phone interview Tuesday night. “They made a choice. They put a number on my worth. I’ve been pitching many other things and to do more things for them and they weren’t interested in those things. So it was just kind of time.”
After being asked to take a “substantial” pay cut, the SportsCenter veteran knew it was time to move on. “It was a 14-percent reduction in time worked and a 61-percent reduction in money earned,” said Mayne, whose final show is scheduled for May 24th. “I’m not asking anyone to feel sorry for me. It’s my choice to stay or not stay. It was still a good amount of money in the real world. I’m not trying to frame this as woe is me. Nothing like that. I just think I can do better elsewhere.”
Known for his quirky sense of humor and signature deadpan delivery, Mayne admitted he isn’t sure of his next step, though he’s excited to see what’s out there. “I think they might have done me a favor, actually. There are other things out there that might make me happier and might even be more lucrative,” said Mayne, cognizant of the success ESPN alums Bill Simmons and Dan Patrick have had in their post-Bristol careers. “It felt like a liberation week. My daughter said to me, ‘Dad, you have been talking about this since I was like 9.’ She’ll be 22 soon.”
Mayne said he had the option to leave immediately, but wanted to fulfill his obligations to ESPN by completing his final six shows. “I’m not going to go out there and sabotage the network,” Mayne assured. “I will be as unprofessional as I have always been!”
Famous for anchoring SportsCenter alongside Patrick, Stuart Scott, Scott Van Pelt, Rich Eisen and others during ESPN’s “golden age” in the 1990s and early 2000s, Mayne joins Dan Le Batard, Tom Rinaldi, Mike Golic and Trey Wingo among the company’s recent wave of high-profile departures. “They gave me 27 years. I gave them 27 years. It doesn’t seem like they wanted me to stay very much,” said Mayne. “They’re going to miss me.”
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram