Requiem For The Playmaker

As you've probably heard by now — in fact, it's the reason you've been holding a candlelight vigil — Michael Irvin has been let go from ESPN. Perhaps surprisingly, It's not for any scandalous reasons... his contract was up, and ESPN opted not to renew it. The Playmaker's stay at ESPN, just like that, ends with a whimper. I know many of you would have preferred to see that Michael Irvin era end with Irvin getting caught trying to snort a line off of Dan Shulman's head.

Irvin says he wanted to spend more time on his, um, film career, and that ESPN didn't want him to. ESPN spokesman Bill Hoffheimer says the network wasn't at all displeased with Michael Irvin. Both sides are quick to point out that the departure has nothing to do with any standards of moral conduct. I'll understand if you choose not to believe that.

I realize that I'm about the only one on the planet, but I liked Michael Irvin in his role on ESPN. Without him, it's going to seem a little bit like a library on the Countdown set. At the very least, he got people riled up a little bit.

But now, he'll have all the time in the world to pursue a film career. His credits so far include The Longest Yard, a movie in which they cast virtually every football player with a passing interest, and... that's about it. Whatever makes him happy, I suppose, but that seems a little bit like Chris Berman leaving ESPN to pursue a career as a jockey.

Irvin not returning to ESPN [CowboysPlus] Michael Irvin [IMDB]