‘Fuck you, Aaron Rodgers’ Kenny Mayne signs off from SportsCenter for final time
Kenny said goodbye with the help of Aaron Rodgers, Soo Bird, Marshawn Lynch and others.
In early May, Kenny Mayne announced that ESPN would be dropped as a "salary cap casualty" after the sports media company's rejection of a new contract offer, which he says amounted to a 61 percent pay cut.
I joined ESPN on a full-time basis in 1994 and worked on Sportsmash and RPM2Night on ESPN2 before moving to the main network's SportsCenter. After gaining some notoriety with his sarcastic and humorous style, he made horse racing coverage, Sunday NFL Countdown feature, The Mayne event, scripted series Mayne Street, and world-touring Kenny Mayne before rejoining SportsCenter in 2013. Wider World of Sports.
While his contract officially expires on May 31, Mayne hosted his final SportsCenter on Monday evening and he went out in style, kicking things off with his signature playful annoyance at the fact that the lead -These baseball game took a little longer than expected to end. .
After a 26 minute wait, we’re off and running with Kenny Mayne’a last SportsCenter. pic.twitter.com/Q0NS2fWruf
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2021
"Great call to that exceptionally long baseball game. Hope everyone loves baseball as much as we… we've got a full slate of action in baseball. Also ... I quit."
The episode received a major boost from the presence of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who finds himself in the midst of an off-season drama that may not have a Green Bay Packers quarterback with him. Rodgers, who has not talked too much about the nuances of his issues with the club, eventually explained some of the reasons and clarified other concerns.
Aaron Rodgers joined @Kenny_Mayne for his final SportsCenter:
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 25, 2021
"I'm just here so I won't get fined. ... I'm just here because it's your last show and that 's the only reason I'm here." pic.twitter.com/hzcFgmVWYQ
"With my situation, look like it's never been about a draft pick, picking Jordan [Love]," Rodgers told Mayne. "I love Jordan; he's a great kid. [We] enjoyed working together. Love the coaching staff, love my teammates, love the fan base in Green Bay. An incredible 16 years . It's just about a philosophy and perhaps forgetting that it's about the people who pursue it. It's about the character, it's about the culture, it's about doing things the right way. Is about to do. "
Rodgers said during the interview, "A lot of it was put into motion last year, and the wrench was thrown into it when I won the MVP and the way I played last year." "It's just kind of, I think, a spill-out of all of that. But it's about the people, and that's the most important thing. Green Bay has always been about the people - the owners from Curley Lambeau and Being the founder of '90s teams with [Vince] Lombardi and Bart Starr in the' 60s and Coach Holmgren and Favre and the Minister of Defense with all the incredible names we've been on. It's the people. Is about. "
Rodgers also took some time to pay tribute to Mayne, and when Kenny reprimanded Aaron for this, he responded by saying, "I don't fuck ... I don't care."
50/50 we get a Meadowlark Rodgers and Mayne podcast by the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/wv790bScNI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2021
As the interview closed, Mayne finished things off, as only Mayne could, taking a fickle shot at the QB and saying "Fuck you, Aaron Rodgers" to get things off. best.
Only @Kenny_Mayne could end his interview with @AaronRodgers12 this way. pic.twitter.com/Aw09nrT4Eq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 25, 2021
"The last time we interviewed together, you asked me to go heavy in the cryptocurrency game. I did. We're down 40 percent. Then my job went away. Gretchen just wants a new comforter. Screw Go, Aaron Rodgers. "
From there, it was a convoy of notable sports stars such as Sue Bird and Marshawn Lynch, as well as the presence of longtime ESPN personalities such as Barry Melrose.
The key to interviewing someone is asking the right questions pic.twitter.com/fCoBOACcWS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2021
And you thought Tom Rinaldi leaving for Fox meant you wouldn’t get emotional while watching ESPN anymore pic.twitter.com/vx4lbEFsfn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2021
Meanwhile, Jamal Crawford appeared in a beautiful old-school Kenny Mayne tribute T-shirt.
Jamal Crawford rocking the @Kenny_Mayne shirt tonight 🙌@JCrossover pic.twitter.com/JnE8dShhkG
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 25, 2021
I moved around anchoring some sports highlights like in the old days, ensuring pepper in some of the special things he was known for, and adding such acerbic touch as well.
"And that ball has entered the transfer portal... and so have I."- Kenny Mayne 😂 pic.twitter.com/kEUQh3rr6Y
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2021
"And that ball has entered the transfer portal ... and I too."
Eventually, Mayne completed that transfer process as he signed for the last time from SportsCenter. I have said that they think they still have something in them and may soon land on another network or service. But in the meantime, ESPN bid farewell to another iconic host and personality, the latest in a long line to shuffle loosely in recent years.
Kenny Mayne walks off the SC set one final time. Truly an ESPN legend and one we know will continue to shine bright wherever he lands next. pic.twitter.com/NgGRFzgVYk
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 25, 2021