"With a potential $60 million-$65 million annual extension reportedly waiting in the wings, ESPN is clearly wanting to make a significant investment in his future. Whether you love McAfee, tolerate him or cannot stand him, there is little denying his ability to generate attention."
"It's bittersweet. What I will do is just be grateful. I'll be grateful for the 26 years with Salem, and the 50 years in the business, and the wonderful people that I've worked with."
Tuesday's tribute worked because it felt honest, not staged. Consequently, it's the kind of moment that reminds viewers why they tuned in beyond the headlines.
For an up-and-coming political communicator, White House press secretary can be a career-defining opportunity. It can take someone from relative obscurity to national prominence almost overnight.
Networks that only cater to their existing base tend to shrink over time as that base ages out. Consequently, if a scrolling text chain is what it takes to pull younger eyes toward CNN's programming, that's a trade worth making.
Nobody wants an outside ownership group walking into their newsroom and announcing that everything's been done wrong. That conversation never goes well, no matter who's delivering it or how it's framed.
Press secretary is a demanding job: early mornings, late nights, and a level of scrutiny that makes cable news look gentle by comparison. It also doesn't pay like cable news or national radio syndication does.
"It's bittersweet. What I will do is just be grateful. I'll be grateful for the 26 years with Salem, and the 50 years in the business, and the wonderful people that I've worked with."
"I was only going to use it to mess with people. I did not plan on it being big at all. But it lends to what I do, which is find stuff. And because it’s sports, it makes it that much better for me."