"You'll get plenty of more opening days. Let Howie and Keith Raad finish it the right way with 40,000 people, with optimism, hope, and then Howie can drop the mic and say I'm out."
His retirement announcement, which comes just before he turns 90, is being met with celebration, reverence—and an honest question: did ESPN wait too long?
The final episode of the regular season, which aired ahead of the SEC Championship Game, averaged 2.1 million viewers and was its best conference championship episode since 2010.
As a whole, the program registered as the fourth most-watched regular-season episode of all time and is up 21% over the comparable edition from last season.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information...
"You'll get plenty of more opening days. Let Howie and Keith Raad finish it the right way with 40,000 people, with optimism, hope, and then Howie can drop the mic and say I'm out."