Latest news with #TreyWingo
Fox News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Ex-ESPN star criticizes company's direction after fan complaint
Trey Wingo, a former ESPN staple on "SportsCenter" and "NFL Live," appeared to lament the direction of his former employer earlier this week in a post on social media. Wingo responded to another user on X who wrote, "Kids today don't realize it, but you used to be able to turn on ESPN and not see Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee. They were glorious times...." "Let me preface this by saying I have so many wonderful memories and so many great friends still working there that I want to succeed… but he's right," Wingo wrote Tuesday on X. "It used to be a glorious buffet where you could pick and choose what you wanted. Now it's like a banquet dinner: chicken or fish?" Smith has been a figurehead at ESPN for years and his popularity has only grown since he started doing "First Take" with Skip Bayless, Max Kellerman, Shannon Sharpe and others. He's appeared on NBA coverage and has his own podcast separate from ESPN. McAfee came into ESPN as one of the most popular podcasters in sports. The former Indianapolis Colts punter has feuded with ESPN execs since joining the company. But with his Q score improving, McAfee has been seen on "College Gameday" and on WWE broadcasts. "SportsCenter" is still a main part of ESPN programming in the mornings and evenings. However, the program lineup is such that it's not on throughout the mornings anymore. Wingo left ESPN in 2020 and has done work with Caesars Sportsbook and Peacock since then. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Former ESPN star Trey Wingo rips what network has become
Former ESPN host Trey Wingo is not particularly pleased with the present-day programming on the network. Responding to a complaint that 'you used to be able to turn on ESPN and not see Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee,' the former 'NFL Primetime' host agreed that the Worldwide Leader's direction isn't one he's on board with. 'Let me preface this by saying I have so many wonderful memories and so many great friends still working there that I want to succeed,' Wingo wrote on X on Tuesday. 'But he's right. It used to be a glorious buffet where you could pick and choose what you wanted. Now it's like a banquet dinner: chicken or fish?' Advertisement Trey Wingo at the NFL Draft on the show SportsCenter. AP Wingo was a part of ESPN from 1997 up until 2020, and in recent years has watched flagship shows like 'Around the Horn' and 'Outside the Lines' get canceled and replaced by Smith and McAfee as centerpieces of network programming. At the time of writing, ESPN produces four talk shows, with half featuring McAfee and Smith. That's down from 2017, when the network produced seven of those types of programs. The two talking heads are also fixtures of 'SportsCenter,' which airs 10 hours per day. Advertisement Pat McAfee at the Home Run Derby on Monday. Getty Images McAfee, the former NFL punter, has become ubiquitous with his titular show and 'College GameDay' gig among others, and drew plenty of scrutiny for his work on Monday's MLB Home Run Derby broadcast — and seemed to lean into it a bit. 'Good morning beautiful people Fresh off a break.. got a chance to do something new with a different sport..,' McAfee wrote on X Tuesday morning. 'I really enjoyed it and think it went exactly how all parties envisioned it.. let's see what X has to say…' Advertisement The results weren't exactly complimentary — nor were they as tactful as Wingo. What's clear, however, is that ESPN has changed its tack and it's all-in on its current stars, whether the old guard likes it or not.
