SportsCenter at 6pm is going to look a lot different come next month.
SC6 with Michael Smith will no longer have Jemele Hill, who has opted to leave the show on her own volition and make her way to The Undefeated. Her reasoning has more to do with what she wants to do from here on out, which is reporting and writing.
She took to social media to explain her decision and why she was moving on:
Life comes at you fast doesn’t it? And while I’m amused at the rumors that I was demoted, kicked off the 6pm SportsCenter or whatever else can be conjured, the truth is simple and not nearly as dramatic.
I asked to leave the show –some of y’all probably need to read that sentence again– because of a strong desire to return to reporting, writing and commentary. Not many people get to say they were a SportsCenter anchor (although I wonder if I have the record for the shortest stint…ESPN Stats & Info get on that!). So I consider myself lucky to have worn that title, and sat in the same chair as many icons in our business.
I am not leaving ESPN (some of y’all need to re-read that sentence too). I’m going to work for our vertical, The Undefeated. I chose to work with The Undefeated because i respect their passion, creativity and storytelling. I have a lot of friends and people I’ve admire there for a long time. I’m honored to now be on their team.
In addition to The Undefeated, I will be contributing to a myriad of ESPN shows. There are also some things that I’ll be involved in that I can’t quite announce today. But let’s just say it will make this next phase of my career that much more exhilarating.
I’d like to thank my co-host, Michael Smith, the SC6 staff, and my wonderfully supportive colleagues for their love and encouragement. You are all the best.
Anyway, I’m sorry if that isn’t sexy enough for some of you. But this next chapter is going to be something else.
Hill was caught up in backlash recently, with comments made on social media about Donald Trump being a white supremacist. What got her suspended from the show was her stance on Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and how she felt there should be a boycott for his kneeling. She has never been one to hold her tongue and her new position at SC6 wasn’t stopping her.
Ultimately, a combination of that and the fact there had been structural changes at the network that affected how SportsCenter was presented led to her decision. The His & Hers commentary had been axed, John Skipper left the network and the new bosses probably left a sour taste in her mouth.
One time for Jemele for keeping it G.
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