Bob Ley Retires After 40 Years As an ESPN Anchor.
Bob Ley announced his retirement after a 40-year long career as an ESPN Anchor on Wednesday.
Let joined ESPN at the beginning of its launch on September 9, 1979, as an anchor of the SportsCenter. He was the host of Outside the Lines from the shows beginning in 1980 and the host of E:60 show on Sunday mornings.
He has won 11 Sports Emmy Awards. Outside of the line and Ley won the DuPont Award in 2014. They also won four Edward R. Murrow Awards.
Ley shared in his Twitter account that the decision of retirement has been done in good faith, that it is his decision. He writes about the experience he has gathered as the longest-running anchor in the network, the friends he had made and gratitude towards the fans.
Too many folks to thank individually, right now, but know that I have you all in my mind and my heart. Some news to share: pic.twitter.com/Qydhpcy4MV
— Bob Ley (@BobLeyESPN) June 26, 2019
He says, “To be clear, this is entirely my decision. I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change.”
Thanking the ESPN President, Jimmy Pitaro and his senior leadership team, he says, “for their understanding and patience over the past months.”
He addresses his viewers and says, “I have been gifted by our viewers and consumers with a precious commodity — your trust. To be invited into your homes was a privilege I never took for granted, one I worked each day to uphold. Thank you for that.”
He ends his open letter by saying this, “In September, I signed off my last show saying, ‘I’ll catch you on the flip side.’ Now it’s time to take that vinyl off the turntable (ask your folks), flip it over, and drop the needle on the B-side. There are always great cuts, and hidden gems on the B-side.
Thank you for a great run.”
Pitaro, in a statement, said, “The standard of excellence that has become a hallmark of ESPN began in the early days when we were a startup with a bold vision. Bob was there for all of it and, over the years, his unwavering commitment and unparalleled work ethic drove our journalistic ambitions. The best way we can thank Bob for what he’s meant to ESPN and sports fans is to continue to uphold the journalistic integrity and principles he’s instilled in ESPN for nearly 40 years.”