Michele Tafoya had her final game on the NBC Sports NFL sidelines at Super Bowl 56, and she got a heartfelt send-off from Al Michaels, who’s also likely leaving the network.
“We love you,” Michaels said to Tafoya. “You’ve been so much fun.”
At that point, the cameras flashed to Tafoya, who blew a kiss at the screen.
Tafoya is leaving sports media for a yet-to-be-announced new role that will likely be more connected to straight news.
“If I wanted to stay in sports television, I wouldn’t be leaving,” Tafoya said on a conference call in January. “This is about opening a new chapter for me, so that’s really all I can say.”
She made waves on ‘The View’ with conservative leaning opinions about Colin Kaepernick, saying she did not feel sympathy that he has not been given an opportunity to play quarterback in the NFL the last several years.
On NBC’s sidelines, and ESPN’s before that, Tafoya’s job has been to gather and disseminate empirical information. The Post asked her if her next job would be more about sharing her opinions.
“I think the safest answer to that is yes,” she said.
Tafoya’s likely replacement on NBC’s sidelines is Kathryn Tappen.
Michele Tafoya waved goodbye to NBC’s football viewers one last time. Screengrab
Kathryn Tappen is the favorite to replace Michele Tafoya on NBC’s Sunday Night Football sidelines next season. InstagramMichaels is also in all likelihood done as the main play-by-play caller for NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” package. Mike Tirico has been waiting in the wings to take over since he left ESPN in 2016.
The Post’s Andrew Marchand has reported that Michaels has strong interest from Amazon, and that it’s possible ESPN could also bid for his services.
