Former SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn says former ESPN executive John Skipper bullied her during a 2017 phone call. Afterward, she nearly broke down in tears over the suspension he handed her.
What We Know: Cohn told the story during an appearance on The Sage Steele Show. The call from Skipper came after her interview with 77 WABC’s Sid Rosenberg, where she criticized ESPN’s direction following a round of layoffs. Additionally, Cohn spent 34 years at ESPN and became its longest-tenured SportsCenter anchor before retiring this summer. Skipper, meanwhile, served as ESPN president from 2012 until his resignation in December 2017.
What They Said: (all quotes via The Sage Steele Show):
Linda Cohn on her suspension by John Skipper following an interview with WABC’s Sid Rosenberg: “He [John Skipper] gets on the phone and he’s yelling at me. When I look back on it, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was on something because he sounded not right. He was yelling at me [and] bullying me. I go, ‘John, what’s going on?’ I really had no idea what he was talking about. I couldn’t believe it. So, I was suspended for whatever. Don’t come in. I’m like okay, I won’t come in. But I was really upset. I was close to tears. I don’t like being bullied, and I definitely don’t like being bullied for no reason.”
Linda Cohn on ESPN’s lean into politics during the John Skipper era: “My question at the time, which of course I couldn’t ask it out loud. ESPN, what do you want to be now? Do you want to stop being the worldwide leader in sports? Are you concerned about the competition in the sports world? Is this your way of separating yourself because of other growing outlets that maybe you don’t think like. I don’t know. It made no sense to me. But I do believe it was a [John] Skipper type of mission statement because that’s what he was all about.”
Linda Cohn reflects on policing social media use and criticism of ESPN: “After two minutes of the press conference, they [ESPN] cut out of it. It was early Twitter days, and I instantly tweeted, “I can’t believe ESPN cut out of this press conference. We’ve been all waiting to hear this live.”… I remember Michael Shiffman, he was one of the bosses. He didn’t bully me or anything. But he’s like Linda, take that down right now. You cannot rip our decision making. And I’m like, okay. I didn’t know. That’s when I knew I had to watch what I say, what I do, and watch how I act. Don’t make waves because I wanted to keep my job.”
Linda Cohn on how bad times with ESPN stay with her longer: “I loved being on SportsCenter. I loved you know being a reporter when they gave me an opportunity to go out and about. I loved all of it. There were so many great times there, but you know how we are because we’re go-getters. We keep powering through. Sadly, the bad times stick with us more than we remember the good times.”
What Remains Unclear: However, ESPN never publicly said whether the punishment counted as a formal suspension. In fact, some 2017 reports described it as simply “a day off.” Cohn also says that Skipper may have been impaired during the call. Though she offered no proof. It the months following Skipper’s resignation, reports show he stepped down following an extortion plot by someone who sold him cocaine. It’s also unclear whether Skipper will respond to Cohn’s account.
What It Means: Ultimately, Cohn’s comments add another chapter to the turbulent Skipper era in Bristol. She also recalled a separate reprimand from ESPN boss Michael Shiffman over a tweet. That moment, she said, taught her not to make waves. Still, she insists she loved SportsCenter, even though the bad times stick with her longest. Cohn officially retired earlier this summer. She spoke about her departure with Barrett Media.
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Nine years later. So strong. Typical.