John Martin has made his return to ESPN West Palm. The longtime host and marketing consultant returned this week after a year-long battle with cancer.
What We Know: Evan Cohen shared the news on ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike Wednesday morning at part of ESPN Radio’s support of ‘The V Foundation.’ Martin, a longtime co-host and teammate of Cohen’s during his time at ESPN West Palm, stayed away from the station for over a year. Doctors kept him away from work entirely during treatment. Meanwhile, he underwent multiple surgeries, including one that lasted 12 hours, before returning to the station this Monday.
What They Said: (All quotes via ESPN Radio’s Unsportsmanlike)
ESPN Radio’s Evan Cohen on ESPN West Palm’s John Martin’s fight with cancer: “Over the last year, he has not been at ESPN West Palm. Not for work. Could not be. Doctors wouldn’t allow it. Was fighting cancer. At one point in one day. Had a 12-hour surgery in addition to another surgery to fight this. It’s one thing after another after another… Well, literally two days ago, for the first time in a year, on Monday of this week, he walked back into ESPN West Palm as a member of the team again.”
ESPN Radio’s Evan Cohen on the personality of ESPN West Palm host John Martin: “Everyone that knows him. He’s the hero. He’s that person, and he’s one of one. He is the person that you love and you trust, and he’s back at work literally one year later. It’s just an amazing thing.”
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear if Martin’s return will be in a full time capacity as he once served.
What It Means: Martin’s return marks a personal milestone and a symbolic one for the ESPN West Palm team. Cohen’s emotional tribute on ESPN Radio highlights how deeply colleagues can become family. For listeners, it signals a beloved voice is coming home. Ultimately, the moment says more about resilience, friendship, and support more than anything else in sports.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.