Multi-year extension for Bob Ley comes on heels of standout FIFA coverage

Dick Vitale and Bob Ley on ESPN's College Basketball Report in the early 1980s. Editor's Note: With today's breaking news of FIFA President Sepp Blatter's resignation, ESPN is once again offering blanket coverage of the stunning developments all day on SportsCenter and ESPN.com. Below is a glimpse into last week's incredible work on the topic. *** What is this notion of time? â€“ Sepp Blatter, resigning FIFA President on Friday Possibly the only thing Outside the Linesâ€™ Bob Ley- and recently signed to a multi-year extension - will ever agree with Sepp Blatter on is that question, posed by the soon-to-be-former FIFA President (he announced today he will be resigning). Time was barely a notion for Ley â€“ not to mention ESPN reporters Jeremy Schaap, Gab Marcotti, ABCâ€™s Kendis Gibson and the ESPN News team that gave blanket FIFA scandal coverage from early Wednesday morning on SportsCenter through the weekend. (Producer Jim Witalka took an unexpected trip to Zurich with little notice, so the news desk could have at least one of ESPN's own producers on the ground.) Ley was at the center of it all, anchoring both within SportsCenter blocks and during extended and regular versions of OTL and appearing on other on- and off-network shows (Olbermann, "The Rich Eisen Show"). Ley's 4:30 a.m. ET Friday wake-up call was in anticipation of a vote taking place sometime before the first, scheduled, live hour of ESPN (9 a.m.). Ley was prepared to break in with pertinent developments from 6 a.m. Instead, the election was drawn out until after 2 p.m. on Friday. Ley first appeared in the anchor chair with breaking news SportsCenter on Wednesday at 9:01 a.m. ET with anchors Jaymee Sire and Kevin Negandhi tossing to Ley from across Studio X. â€œAn absolutely stunning development approximately nine hours ago,â€ Ley said. As the stunning developments continued over the course of the next 50-plus hours, Ley live-anchored 293 minutes* (4 hours, 53 minutes). During a "normal" week of OTL anchoring, Ley would be on air for approximately 155 minutes (2 hours, 35 minutes). The tally includes: â€¢ Two 48-minute live-anchoring stints (Wednesday's hourlong afternoon edition of OTL; Thursday's hourlong primetime special) â€¢ By day, Ley live-anchored 76 minutes on Wednesday; 48 minutes on Thursday; 169 minutes on Friday. â€¢ Friday had seven Ley-anchored, double-digit minute segments, including 38, 24 and 25-minute stretches as the vote unfolded and concession was delivered by Prince Ali. â€¢ Following the paper "rip heard 'round the nation," Ley trended for most of the U.S. workday. *Live minutes that Ley was anchoring, minus his time on set for 25 minutes of candidate speeches (Friday). This does not include commercials nor does it include appearances on other shows (six minutes on Friday's Olbermann with Adnan Virk, for instance). ESPN football commentators Bob Ley (L) and Howard Balzer in the studio set covering the 1981 NFL Draft. Bob Ley providing updates from the studio for ESPN's coverage of the World Cup in 1982. Bob Ley hosting (L) Outside The Lines with Fay Vincent (MLB Commissioner); David Stern (NBA Commissioner) and Paul Tagliabue (NFL Commissioner) back in 1988. Bob Ley with Outside The Lines' Emmy Awards. Bob Ley filming a "This Is SportsCenter" spot outside the Bristol campus. Vietnam for the Outside The Lines show "Made in Vietnam: The American Sneaker Controversy" in 1998. SportsCenter 25,000th show anchors (L to R) Chris Berman, Dan Patrick, Bob Ley and Stuart Scott. Bob Ley speaking with President George Bush following his interview in Washington D.C back on July 1, 2004. Bob Ley, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Gilberto Silva on the set during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro.

Bob Ley hosting (L) Outside The Lines with Fay Vincent (MLB Commissioner); David Stern (NBA Commissioner) and Paul Tagliabue (NFL Commissioner) back in 1988.

Related Articles