Pat Forde is Leaving ESPN for Yahoo Sports Effective Nov. 1
Pat Forde, the longtime ESPN.com columnist who is the Worldwide Leader’s foremost college football and basketball writer, is leaving ESPN for rival Yahoo Sports, according to multiple sources. Forde’s contract at ESPN expires Nov. 1, at which point he’ll move to Yahoo.
Forde didn’t answer a phone call or reply to a text, and ESPN.com Editor-in-Chief Sr. VP of Editorial, ESPN Print and Digital Media Rob King refused comment when reached on his cell phone.
Forde’s departure, which is apparently amicable (unlike Bruce Feldman’s in September), has been rumored in nerdy sports media circles for months. Sources say Forde has long been unhappy with what he couldn’t report on or look into because of ESPN’s many conflicts of interest. Additionally, Forde might be the only ESPN writer to take a jab at the Longhorn Network, and sources say he wasn’t thrilled with the way the Feldman saga unfolded (Forde, obviously, wasn’t the only one).
I’ve got to be blunt: This is a massive, massive loss for ESPN. Forde was a staple on the radio and TV, and his Forde-Yard-Dash column was probably the .com’s most popular college football feature.
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38 Responses to “Pat Forde is Leaving ESPN for Yahoo Sports Effective Nov. 1”
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October 13th, 2011 at 4:48 PM
Great move
October 13th, 2011 at 4:53 PM
Stupid Mizzou hack. Yahoo should have hired Lisk if they wanted someone with Tiger blood.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Its been a while since we’ve heard from him.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:54 PM
I’m not a big Forde fan, but good for him for leaving ESPN if he felt constrained by their way of doing business.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:55 PM
Huge loss for ESPN, but good for Forde. One of my favorites to follow.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:56 PM
Based on that picture alone, I can see him smoking a cigar with Alec Baldwin.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:57 PM
I have obviously heard of him, but I can’t say that I watch enough ESPN anymore to recognize him on the street.
October 13th, 2011 at 4:57 PM
This seems a little over the top. They are a machine. They will be just fine.
/Never read his stuff
October 13th, 2011 at 4:57 PM
I think ESPN will be okay.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:00 PM
ESPN sucks…
/Breesus
October 13th, 2011 at 5:03 PM
I wonder what new pun they will come up with
October 13th, 2011 at 5:04 PM
has jimmy been around to give us some info on BSPN?
October 13th, 2011 at 5:05 PM
The Katz Meow
October 13th, 2011 at 5:06 PM
Cruz Control.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:07 PM
TBL showing off his rolodex.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:08 PM
You nailed it, TBL. Kudos.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Good for BBoB.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:13 PM
I don’t see how this is a big deal for ESPN. They’ll just plug-n-play someone else to cover CFB and CBB.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:14 PM
Pat Forde: Bronco fan.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:15 PM
I’m a man! I’m Forde!
/best i got
October 13th, 2011 at 5:15 PM
Sure they’ll plug someone in but it won’t mean they’ll be good.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:17 PM
It’s two person writing team.
I just Holtz myself. May-be I did.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:18 PM
not sure i get your point.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:22 PM
I feel like it will be harder for me to avoid his hacky writing on yahoo than it was on espn.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:23 PM
His staying wouldn’t mean they’d be good either. Forde was popular; built a name for himself; but it was largely b/c he was the main company man at ESPN.
ESPN would have a problem if they lost real talent but it will really require a new network with a great website to compete and a serious exodus of folks like PTI & others. And, if you scored DP – then they might have problems.
There are clearly cracks at ESPN. But, those cracks are at the bottom of the driveway right now. No one’s worried about the house.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:26 PM
I already miss Brian Kenny sparring with Mayweather.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:27 PM
The Great Tiger! I except Tim Ryan’s comments to now start at the top of the thread, flash all over my screen and then appear at the bottom only to hit me in the face.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:28 PM
He’s a blowhard and a tool. His Mother Superior got tired five years ago.
October 13th, 2011 at 5:29 PM
/coop’d?
October 13th, 2011 at 5:31 PM
They have lost some real talent over the past few years: DP, Feldman, Brian Kenny, Peter Gammons, Rich Eisen, Dave Revsine, Matt Winer, Josh Elliott, and others.
They’ve lost the good ones and haven’t necessarily replaced them with people on that level. Ever since Kornheiser and DP left ESPN Radio, the quality of the radio programming has gone down the shitter. Other than SVP and Russillo, there’s nothing worthwhile there (occasionally Gottlieb’s smarmy ass).
October 13th, 2011 at 6:00 PM
I liked Forde until he became insufferable with his Boise State bullshit last year.
October 13th, 2011 at 6:39 PM
And yet Craig James remains employed by the WWL.
October 13th, 2011 at 6:45 PM
And Matt Millen..
October 13th, 2011 at 9:37 PM
Damn. Love the 40-Yard Dash and the Dashettes.
October 13th, 2011 at 11:48 PM
The real question is this: Will the King of Hacks (Simmons) continue to have him the podcast, or will he kneel (as he normally does) before his ESPN overlords.
October 14th, 2011 at 10:58 AM
I liked his thoughts on local beer in the dash as a counter to King’s coffee snobery.
October 14th, 2011 at 12:12 PM
ESPN is a great brand. But from a journalism standpoint, they are nothing but one big #@$%ing conflict of interest. Kind of said when you think about the proud heritage of the company. Yahoo has no such conflicts so Forde will be free to write more of what fans want and deserve.
October 16th, 2011 at 9:19 AM
Lets slow our roll a little bit. Not one of those moves have hurt them, and if it hasn’t hurt them, that means those people have been replaced. Patrick was at his best when he was teamed with Olbermann. Eisen was at his best when teamed with Scott. Dave Revsine and Brian Kenny, you’re reaching.