Did ESPN’s SportsCenter change the role of the sports anchor?
“Absolutely. No question. ESPN rules the world, and rightfully so. They became a national authority on sports. One thing that took them a long time to do was deal with local issues and local teams. There was still room for both ESPN and a local sportscast. But ESPN kept creeping in. For some reason, general managers of station — especially general managers from out of town — would make decisions. They didn’t grow up or live here, and they decided what we should talk about on the air. They’re the ones who should really be held responsible. They just didn’t get it. They didn’t get what sports in Boston meant. They didn’t get the relationship between the on-air person and the audience. Now, that’s over and done with. There’s no sense crying over spilled milk. That’s just the way things evolved.” Did you have a personal connection with some of the athletes? “The answer, I think, is yes. Friendly was probably pushing it. I think it was a mutual respect. I tried to respect their space. I fel
