Defender Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 It's about time Lego-hair man got the boot. ESPN fired Trev Alberts on Sunday after the college football analyst failed to show up for work at ESPN's studios in Bristol, Conn. "He phoned and said that he wasn't going to show up," Mark Shapiro, ESPN's Vice President of Programming and Production, told SI.com on Tuesday night, "and when he didn't, he was in breach of his contract and we terminated him."Alberts, a former All-American defensive end at Nebraska and member of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, was embarking on his fourth season as part of ESPN's popular College Football Scoreboard and College Football Gameday team. But on Sunday morning, in the midst of college football's first big weekend of the season, Alberts phoned ESPN's coordinating producer of college football, Ed Placey, and voiced his discontent."He phoned us and told us that he was unhappy with his role on College GameDay," said Shapiro. "He felt that he was playing second fiddle."As the day wore on, according to both Shapiro and Alberts, there were several conversations between Alberts and ESPN senior vice presidents Jed Drake and Norby Williamson. Finally, Alberts announced that he would not be reporting for work that afternoon (ESPN and ESPN2 aired three college football games between 3:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.). Once Alberts failed to appear for his studio show assignment with host Rece Davis and fellow analyst Mark May, he was fired."They first wanted me to resign," Alberts said on Tuesday night from his Atlanta home. "Then they fired me. I obviously have a serious problem with the word 'breach', but that's something my attorney will work out."Alberts joined ESPN's studio show in 2002 after five years of working in a similar capacity at CNN/SI. Cantankerous, passionate and opinionated, Alberts often feuded with May about issues relating to the sport, but the feud never turned (or even appeared to seem) personal. Davis played the role of genial arbitrator to a tee."We were just trying to be three guys in a frat house talking football," said Alberts. As far as his discontent and the phone calls to management, Alberts said that both began long before Sunday. "It wasn't just this weekend," he said. "There were conversations for awhile. I fully understood the privilege of the seat I sat in. And it was never about wanting to be part of the GameDay crew. But no matter what business you're in, if you're not respected internally, you're going to have a hard time being respected externally."Alberts declined to elaborate. The GameDay crew, with Chris Fowler as host and sidekicks Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit, has evolved into a wildly popular cult phenomenon. Each Saturday the trio's visit to a college campus is cause for pre-game pandemonium among the tailgating set.Alberts claims that he never aspired to that, nor does he begrudge Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit their widening popularity. "The GameDay guys have earned that," Alberts said. "Mark, Rece and I, we had searched for something we could call ours. All we wanted was something we could take ownership of. We felt like the midnight wrap-up show was ours, but as the season began I could see that we'd be more of a support crew for [Fowler, Corso and Herbstreit]."Never once did I say, Why aren't I on commercials? Why aren't I making more money? I'm a huge fan of all these people who work at ESPN, including Mark [shapiro]. It's just a matter of not wanting to be marginalized."Shapiro concurred that the ESPN stable may have had a few too many thoroughbreds. "Over the years there's been some discomfort over how to integrate the two teams," he said on Tuesday. "But, it's like a coach who has a lot of good backs and receivers. Everyone has a role to play."Everyone except Alberts. He has been dismissed from the team. Shapiro said that in the short term a replacement will come from in-house, but as for a full-time replacement for Alberts, "essentially, we're open for business." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsbengalsbucks Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 Finally they got rid of the Big 12 bias on the show, now maybe we can here about some other divisions and not have them compered to the latest over-rated Big 12 team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 "Playing second fiddle"What a baby. You're not going to be the star of a show that includes Lee Corso, Kirk Herbsriet (spelling?) and/or Mark May. Those three are the ESPN college football guys, and Alberts would've always been the "other guy." If he doesn't like that, he doesn't belong on TV.He was annoying anyways. If anyone disagreed with his picks or his predictions, he looked at them like complete idiots. Later, he would proceed to be wrong, and make excuses.The show is better off without him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alense Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 If I had the chance to work for ESPN I would be the tenth fiddle. He's an idiot. I hope he doesn't get hired on anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirkendall Posted September 9, 2005 Report Share Posted September 9, 2005 Finally they got rid of the Big 12 bias on the show, now maybe we can here about some other divisions and not have them compered to the latest over-rated Big 12 team. It'll change after OSU puts a woopin' on Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShulaSteakhouse Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 ESPN = MTV...terrible and silly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 ESPN = MTV...terrible and silly. ESPN certainly has it's low points, but I wouldn't go so far as to compare it with MTV! I'd rather watch 5 hours of the Disney Channel than 1 hour of MTV...ESPN is a good channel for conveying sports news, but they do take it too far sometimes with their 90 arguing shows and new Starship Sportscenter layout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buck3y3d Posted September 10, 2005 Report Share Posted September 10, 2005 My favorite moment remains the fact that he picked Miami (fl) to beat OSU 44 - 0 in the Fiesta Bowl, and well, we all know the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalNation1281 Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 ESPN = MTV...terrible and silly.ESPN certainly has it's low points, but I wouldn't go so far as to compare it with MTV! I'd rather watch 5 hours of the Disney Channel than 1 hour of MTV...ESPN is a good channel for conveying sports news, but they do take it too far sometimes with their 90 arguing shows and new Starship Sportscenter layout. Why watch five hours of Disney? they show all of the good shows again on "ABC Kids" on Saturday mornings, and you don't have to pay for it.(Sadly, I watch "ABC Kids," and I don't have any children).But MTV is worthless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stripes Posted September 12, 2005 Report Share Posted September 12, 2005 ESPN = MTV...terrible and silly.ESPN certainly has it's low points, but I wouldn't go so far as to compare it with MTV! I'd rather watch 5 hours of the Disney Channel than 1 hour of MTV...ESPN is a good channel for conveying sports news, but they do take it too far sometimes with their 90 arguing shows and new Starship Sportscenter layout. Why watch five hours of Disney? they show all of the good shows again on "ABC Kids" on Saturday mornings, and you don't have to pay for it.(Sadly, I watch "ABC Kids," and I don't have any children).But MTV is worthless. An adult that frequents ABC Kids, and I'm a teenager that frequents the History Channel..................Times, they are a changin'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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