Ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen.

Hey everybody, this is Richard Deich, and welcome to the sports media podcast. My producer, as always, is Chris Flannery. Two guests this week. Originally had one plan, but the news of Bob Lee retiring changed up our schedule. First up is John Or'Rand and John and I talk about Bob Lee's

announcement, the longtime host anchor outside the lines presenter who was the conscious of

ESPN for 40 years. So John and I discuss Bob Lee and his career. We also get into the

Women's World Cup ratings. Fox's interest or in John's reporting, lack of interest

in going after more PGA tour rights. And then we finish up with a sports media draft that I

was part of that John also had fun commenting on. So check that out.

The last part is Jim Miller, who popped on the podcast. I really appreciate that for 10 minutes to

give his reflections of Bob Lee. Jim Miller, of course, best-selling author of the book,

The oral history of ESPN, and has been someone who's known Bob Lee for decades and has written about him many times, spoke to him many times, and Jim gives some really elegant words on the impact of Bob Lee.

So first up, me and John O'Rand, and that's followed by Jim Miller coming up on the sports media podcast.

John O'Rand, welcome back to the sports media podcast. Oh, he's a good to call on the sports media podcast. John O'Rand, welcome back to the sports media podcast.

Oh, he's a good to call on the already.

All right, John, this news broke this morning, as we are taping this on Wednesday, June 26th.

Bob Lee has announced his retirement from ESPN after, I'll make sure I sort of have this,

40 years working there. He joined ESPN on its first weekend in 1979. He's retiring from ESPN at the end of

the month. And as Sandy Padway, the acclaimed sports journalism professor at Columbia,

someone whose class I took, somebody who worked at ESPN with Bob Lee as a consultant on Outside the Lines,

was a former Sports Illustrated New York Times editor.

Called Bob Lee the conscience of ESPN.

I thought that was probably the best term I've ever heard for Bob Lee. John, this is very, very big news. Even though ESPN has

changed over the last couple of years and a lot of Bob Lee's contemporaries are gone, it really, man,

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