CATCH HIM ON THE B-SIDE

ESPN Anchor Bob Ley Announces Retirement After 40 Years

Ley first appeared on the network three days after ESPN launched in 1979.

ESPN’s longest-tenured sportscaster Bob Ley will retire after 40 years at the network, he announced Wednesday. Ley, 64, made his ESPN debut three days after the network launched in September 1979, and he signed off from his last show in September 2018 to take a leave of absence. In a Twitter statement, Ley ensured his retirement was entirely his own decision: “I enjoy the best of health, and the many blessings of friends and family, and it is in that context that I’m making this change.” While at ESPN, Ley won 11 Sports Emmy Awards and four Edward R. Murrow awards, ESPN reports. A recent inductee into the NSMA Hall of Fame for Sports Broadcasting, Ley hosted the first-ever NCAA selection show and live NFL draft. In his Twitter note, Ley shared the following: “In September, I signed off my last show saying, ‘I’ll catch you on the flip side.’ Now it’s time to take that vinyl off the turntable (ask your folks), flip it over, and drop the needle on the B-side. There are always great cuts, and hidden gems on the B-side. Thank you for a great run.”