I
f you ask ESPN Radio, the official word is that Michael Irvin’s contract expired this week. According to Dallas Morning News columnist Barry Horn, Irvin’s radio show contract expired January 10th, 2010. The show was two years old.
Irvin’s show continued an extra month (a little bizarre) and just happened to be officially canceled following the press release that Irvin has been accused of rape. It’s apparently a two year old charge, but one which, nonetheless, will garner a lot of attention during Super Bowl Weekend.
In case you’re inclined to believe ESPN that it was a simple matter of not renewing a contract, let me reference again Barry Horn’s DMN article where he says:
On the flip side, rumors have been circulating for weeks that Irvin and ESPN soon would be splitting. Never a threat to overtake The Ticket in the 11 a.m.-to-2 p.m. time slot, Irvin’s show has found itself in a ratings battle with Newy Scruggs and Richie Whitt of “The Fan” KRLD-FM (105.3).
Irvin has heard the rumors, too. So he walked in to his bosses at ESPN radio and asked if they had plans to end his show.
“They said they did not,” Irvin said.
Pete Dits, 103.3′s general manager, confirmed the conversation.
“We both agreed that we like being on the same team,” Dits said Friday afternoon. Dits acknowledged that better ratings remain a goal but that the show has drawn a “very healthy” number of total listeners.
As of today, Ben and Skin now fill the lunchtime slot. While this is purely conjecture, I assume that the reason the show is gone is because the radio ratings weren’t worth the headache of Super Bowl Week scandal.
Would ESPN Radio send Michael Irvin and Kevin Kylie to Miami to broadcast live from radio row this week if they planned to cancel them before week’s end? I don’t think so. This is controversy laden.
Despite Michael Irvin’s statement, “Radio is my pleasure and purpose. I am going to grow my show. I am not going to let anyone stop my show” – Irvin’s radio run in Dallas is over.
Best of luck to Kevin Kylie, Irvin’s cohost.
According to Barry Horn at 10am this morning, “Irvin’s other employer, NFL Network, told me earlier this morning they had not decided if Irvin would work any more Super Bowl studios.”
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MICHAEL IRVIN SHOW WAS ACTUALLY VERY GOOD! GOOD DISCUSSIONS, INSIGHT AND FUN TO LISTEN!!! SCREW ESPN FOR FIRING MICHAEL AND CANCELLING THE SHOW. THE GALLOWAY SHOW IS THE ONE THAT SUCKS –IT'S SO DAMN BORING! WOW 2 YEAR OLD RAPE CHARGE–SOME BIATCH
Hard to believe that a Pro Football Hall of Famer could have done that. I always think Irvin a great person.