ESPN losing Tom Rinaldi is a major blow and a sign of how far the network has fallen

[TMC]

https://www.thebiglead.com/posts/tom...w-01esrb3ber51

Rinaldi, who was lured away by a hefty raise and new opportunities from Fox Sports, "is an unassuming dynamo who slowly but surely reshaped the role of on-air sports reporters through emotion and minor chords struck in production bays," says The Big Lead's Kyle Koster, adding. "He's the Willie Mays in this narrative. The person most suited to handle the delicate and depressed reaction at the Worldwide Leader, to offer hope with a nod of resilience, is out on Jan. 1, bound for the fast-charging Fox where he'll add to a steady trickle of what's become a trendy kinetic energy pipeline. There's no doubt the power balance is shifting with ESPN appearing more outwardly vulnerable than it has in a long time. Losing Rinaldi's steady hand and steady voice is a major blow. He is the best at his craft and capable of wearing many hats — and he'll get to try on some new ones per Andrew Marchand — but he represents something much more. An old-school guy who has never Googled his name, he carries himself with vintage assuredness that suggests he doesn't need a weathervane to know which way the wind blows. That he would surmise now is the time to leave the network he's called home since 2002 is reflective of a cold breeze that's rattled even the thickest, most secure Bristol branches."