According to Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead, Mike Ditka is being replaced on Sunday NFL Countdown by Matt Hasselbeck. The Quarterback who has spent seventeen years in the NFL playing for the Packers, Titans, Seahawks and Colts is expected to join ESPN this week.
Hasselbeck, is an unrestricted free agent and had expressed interest in playing one more season but negotiations with ESPN heated up and it looks now as if he’ll be making the move into his second career.
Countdown has been getting a makeover this offseason. Hasselbeck and Charles Woodson have been added to the show, Ditka and Keyshawn Johnson have been removed. Chris Berman, Tom Jackson and Chris Carter are expected to continue in their normal roles.
Although Ditka is being dropped from Countdown, he’s not leaving ESPN. The former Coach is expected to take on another role at the network.
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
