ESPN picks up Sports Illustrated's Rick Reilly

[ALIASd]

S.I. Columnist Reilly Jumps Ship to ESPN


John Consoli
Mediaweek
OCTOBER 22, 2007 -

Veteran Sports Illustrated sports columnist Rick Reilly is leaving to join ESPN in a variety of roles, including writing a regular column for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, and as a part-time host of interview shows on ESPN’s cable networks.

Under the multi-year deal, Reilly also will be an “essayist” on SportsCenter, and a contributor to the cable network’s coverage of major golf events.

Reilly has been with Sport Illustrated since 1985. He will join ESPN in June 2008, following a sabbatical.

His column in ESPN The Magazine will run on the back page.

Reilly began his career in 1979 at the Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera, his hometown newspaper. He also wrote for the Denver Post and the Los Angeles Times before joining Sports Illustrated.

He is the author of several books, as well as co-author of a screenplay of the movie Leatherheads, directed by George Clooney, due out in April 2008.

Reilly's move comes on the heels of longtime ESPN analyst Dan Patrick's multiplatform deal with Sports Illustrated.

http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/rec..._id=1003661456

[mouseinphilly]

Ah, The Life Of Reilly goes to ESPN.

[Anders]

I was very surprised to see this today. I guess I should have seen it coming once Dan Patrick signed on with SI last week.

[wdw or bust]

wow, news to me. I love his articles and am quite glad that they will remain at the back of the (albeit new) magazine. It makes it much easier to simply flip to the back of the magazine and read his column.

[TheTexasKid]

One wonders what many readers of "Sports Illustrated," including myself, are going to do. For many of us, Rick Reilly's column is our favourite part of "Sports Illustrated."