Jamie Horowitz is out of the Fox Sports picture, but he managed to leave a final fingerprint on the battle of the top sports networks.
NFL analyst Mark Schlereth, a close friend of the recently fired Horowitz, made his first appearance on FS1 Tuesday morning after leaving his 16-year post at ESPN for the rival. Schlereth, who won three Super Bowls as a guard with the Redskins and Broncos in the ’90s, had long been a staple of ESPN’s NFL coverage on “SportsCenter,” “NFL Live” and “Mike & Mike.”
Schlereth’s introduction comes during a rocky period at Fox Sports, which, in just two weeks’ time, laid off about 20 writers and editors in a shift toward video-based, debate content and fired Horowitz amid a sexual harassment investigation. Schlereth reportedly had been in talks with Horowitz about the job for months and felt confident enough in Fox Sports’ mission to sign on after his friend’s sudden departure.
Schlereth debuted on FS1 on Tuesday with ex-ESPNer Skip Bayless and former Broncos teammate Shannon Sharpe on “Undisputed,” a show that epitomizes the network’s trend away from traditional reporting and toward debate-style shouting. Fox Sports President Eric Shanks intends to see Horowitz’s editorial vision through,
, and should hand-pick Horowitz’s replacement accordingly.
“At its core, these are high-profile, credible personalities that people enjoy watching on television,” Shanks told Sports BusinessJournal on Monday. “The idea of ‘Embrace Debate’ really has been overplayed. Good TV is good TV.”
Schlereth, 51, appears to mark Horowitz’s last effort to poach on-air talent from ESPN with million-dollar contracts during his two-year presidency. Bayless, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Chris Broussard, Doug Gottlieb and Ray Lewis all made the jump from Bristol in recent years.
Meanwhile, ESPN may be stealing one back, as Katie Nolan appears to be headed to the Worldwide Leader.
Rivalry aside, ESPN and Fox Sports employees alike wished Schlereth well on his new journey.
.@markschlereth is one of the best people I've ever been fortunate enough to know. Really gonna miss you Stink. Thanks for all the laughs.
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) July 11, 2017
Welcome to the family @markschlereth!!
— Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews) July 11, 2017
For 15 years we rode together on NFL LIVE. Thrilled for @markschlereth new gig. Sad to see him go brothers forever pic.twitter.com/cygdqd3q9J
— trey wingo (@wingoz) July 11, 2017
“At its core, these are high-profile, credible personalities that people enjoy watching on television,” Shanks told Sports BusinessJournal on Monday. “The idea of ‘Embrace Debate’ really has been overplayed. Good TV is good TV.”
Schlereth, 51, appears to mark Horowitz’s last effort to poach on-air talent from ESPN with million-dollar contracts during his two-year presidency. Bayless, Colin Cowherd, Jason Whitlock, Chris Broussard, Doug Gottlieb and Ray Lewis all made the jump from Bristol in recent years.
Meanwhile, ESPN may be stealing one back, as Katie Nolan appears to be headed to the Worldwide Leader.
Rivalry aside, ESPN and Fox Sports employees alike wished Schlereth well on his new journey.
.@markschlereth is one of the best people I've ever been fortunate enough to know. Really gonna miss you Stink. Thanks for all the laughs.
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) July 11, 2017
Welcome to the family @markschlereth!!
— Erin Andrews (@ErinAndrews) July 11, 2017
For 15 years we rode together on NFL LIVE. Thrilled for @markschlereth new gig. Sad to see him go brothers forever pic.twitter.com/cygdqd3q9J
— trey wingo (@wingoz) July 11, 2017
