Sean Salisbury on Leaving ESPN: 'I Couldn't Be Happier ... ESPN Capped My Ceiling'

ESPN and NFL commentator Sean Salisbury went their separate ways yesterday, and in the joint announcement they released, Salisbury sounded just fine with it.

But in a subsequent interview he gave, Salisbury suggested that ESPN would never let him become one of its star broadcasters because he wasn't a star NFL player. From Awful Announcing via the LA Times....

"I'm a free agent," he said. "I've been liberated. I knew this was coming, but I couldn't be happier.

"I'd grown tired of being punished for not being an NFL superstar. Analysts who don't work as hard as me, don't prepare as hard as me, and don't have my resume were making more than me just because of their ability to throw or catch a football.

"Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the opportunity ESPN gave me, but they had capped my ceiling. There was only so far I could go there.

"I'd done nothing wrong, and if you hear otherwise, it's not true. I did everything that was asked of me."

If Salisbury is saying ESPN puts too much of an emphasis on attracting star players to its stable of analysts, he has a legitimate point, with Emmitt Smith as the primary example of a star NFL player who wasn't ready for the high-profile TV role ESPN gave him.

But if Salisbury is suggesting, as I think he is, that he has great talents that weren't being put to good use at ESPN, well, let's just see how long a line of network suitors comes to his door.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-27-2008 @ 11:45AM

Adam said...

"I did nothing wrong", you know, except for photographing my penis and showing it around the office. Douchebag.

2-28-2008 @ 1:05AM

shane yale said...

good for u sean, go to the NFL network, u were always a pro on the air. the ESPN crew r a bunch of jock sniffer geeks anyway, good luck buddy.

2-27-2008 @ 11:52AM

Dutchthunder said...

Good riddance! Michael Irvin wasn't as arrogant as this schmuck

2-27-2008 @ 12:05PM

Justin said...

Do you think this has anything to do with him calling John Clayton "Cryptkeeper" over and over?

3-10-2008 @ 6:13PM

Richard Sanders said...

it has to do with the fact that ESPN thinks Emmit Smith is anything other than horrible at his job. I didnt play pro ball and I know more about the game than half the yahoos on ESPN. Sean was one of the few I actually enjoyed hearing his opionin for it was found in facts and knowledge.

2-27-2008 @ 1:24PM

Herb said...

Salisbury is much better than some of the other ex-NFL star "analysts." Emmitt Smith needs to learn how to speak and Michael Irvin shouldn't interrupt everyone. ESPN really screwed up when they got rid of NFL Primetime with Berman/Jackson. "The Blitz" is a total joke. Most of us have to be up early monday for work and dont have the time to stay up until 1:00 watching Sportcenter for the occasional highlight.

2-27-2008 @ 1:22PM

petejayhawk said...

How much of Salisbury's bluster and bombast was actually his style and how much of it was he made to do by the producers at ESPN?

2-27-2008 @ 1:28PM

buccs19 said...

Rick S.

Emmitt may be a terrible commentator but I'd bet everything I have to argue that he knows more about the game than you do.

And Salisbury wasn't that great of a commentator. There was the Crypt keeper comment for one. Then, he claimed to know exactly what it takes for a qb to be successful in the league. Why he didn't apply that knowledge is beyond me. I personally can't stand when benchwarmers try to act like they know so much about the game. Quarterback is all about football IQ. You don't need to be fast or have the strongest arm to at least be a decent starter. He couldn't even accomplish that. I'd take Steve Young's analysis over his anyday.

2-27-2008 @ 3:51PM

budman999 said...

Good riddance to the biggest GASBAG,SELF-ABSORBED JACKASS there ever was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2-27-2008 @ 3:43PM

tdcstar said...

I'm not big on Carter coming in, but at times Sean could be overbearing and irratating as well. I prefer the insight Sean had, but question Carter being his replacement. But then, ESPN has really taken a nose dive over the past few years, sometimes I can't stand to watch the ESPN shows, and find myself jumping over to the NFL Network. There still are some good people at ESPN but they really need to look at the type of people they have on air. For the love of all that is true and pure, get a whole new cast for Monday Night Football. Tony Kornhole is a complete goofball, He looks like an unmade bed. Jaws is too busy sucking up to every QB in a game to give any solid information or decent play calling and then Torico is so timid he makes watching grass grow seem interesting. But then Carter is an improvement over Keyshawn. Anyway, good luck Sean.

2-27-2008 @ 5:26PM

sandman said...

ESPN is a joke. Salisbury was probably the best analyst and knew the most. How does Emmitt Smith still have a job there, he can't even speak english. And Bob Holtz??? Cmmon, the guy sounds like a freakin retard with his "pregame speeches." Screw ESPn, they are scumbags.

2-27-2008 @ 9:44PM

Brian said...

Goodbye Steakboy, your mouth will not be missed .

2-28-2008 @ 1:44AM

Gern Wormstead said...

Sean Salisbury sucks, I'm glad he's gone, but Cris Carter?? He's horrible. I guess he's better than Dan Marino but that sure as hell ain't saying much, I thought they were both terrible on Inside the NFL. It's probably why it got cancelled on HBO.

2-28-2008 @ 2:00AM

G. Hale said...

Salisbury is as bad as Berman, they both think if they talk about themselves that people will want to watch. We don't and in a matter of days after this wipe leaves ESPN nobody will miss him. Good bye, Sean, ESPN just got better.

2-28-2008 @ 2:06AM

dave said...

maybe salisbury lost his job because he was too busy blowing tom brady and bill belichick. thank god hes gone he sucked (not saying emmitt is better) but id much rather have carter

2-28-2008 @ 2:10AM

.... although im not gonna lie i did love his arguments against clayton haha

2-28-2008 @ 12:29PM

billy c bowden said...

sean salisbury's confrontational style never sold me because he was so mediocre as a player..if he knew so much, he would have been more effective as a player..he was frankly, a terrible qb..yett, so overly critical of current players -- a jim rome style critic -- scorched earth style of announcer, that might have worked had he had dan marino's resume instead of chris simms'..

2-28-2008 @ 2:07PM

John Brunswold said...

When I herd my favorite channel let go of salisbury, I threw out a fist pump. Bye Sean u suck. ESPN has a long way to go to find decent football people. Sick of Berman and the nosies he makes (really old). Young and Emmit are garbage. Emmit your dumb. Iving is funny that's it. I have know answers I can only judge them as I see them. Young is bye far my least favorite. Pompous a s h l e

3-02-2008 @ 11:37AM

Ray said...

Hopefully Rome, Stephen A. and Coward will be next.

5-13-2008 @ 11:55PM

John said...

Salisbury is right on about his comments on Emmit Smith. He has trouble speaking English. I guess the ability of speaking proper English isn't a requirement anymore to be an analyst. Actually I am waiting for Emmit to say "Ya know what I'm sayin?" Chris Carter was a much better receiver than an analyst. Michael Irvin, now he was a treat to listen to. At times I thought I was listening to Al Sharpton. And he needs to learn how to tie a better knot on his ties.