ESPN Stupidly Let Erin Andrews Leave And Now We Know Why

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Erin Andrews is one of the most popular, connected and respected sideline reporters in all of sports, so of course ESPN let her bolt for FOX in 2012.

Good for us, though!

Andrews started at ESPN back in 2004, and quickly rose to prominence over the next eight years.

She was mainly used as the network's sideline reporter for primetime college football games, and also hosted the first hour of ESPNU's College GameDay.

Andrews also held various other roles at the network, including college basketball reporting, sideline reporting at the spelling bee (awesome gig), and even a few years of MLB reporting.

The former Florida Gator did it all ... except the NFL. Apparently, that's exactly why she left.

"I knew I was never going to get Monday Night Football," Andrews told the 'Marchand And Ourand' podcast earlier this week. "That role was just never offered to me."

Erin Andrews left ESPN because of Monday Night Football snub

Dummies!

How do you not offer Erin Andrews the Monday Night Football gig?

Also, how about the connections our girl has? She just casually gives Chip Kelly and Coach K a buzz to discuss her options. Not a bad think tank!

"I was really tight with him," she says of Kelly, who was the coach at Oregon at the time.

Andrews ultimately got the opportunity to join FOX in 2012 and get her NFL beat, and she took it.

Erin Andrews is a star at FOX.

Erin Andrews left ESPN and has become a star at FOX. (Photo by Jason Mendez/WireImage)

"The NFL seems glamorous, cool, something I hadn't done," she said. "And I remember Coach K saying to me, 'How many Alabama-LSU games are you gonna do?'"

How about Coach K with a little backhanded slap at college football and Alabama? Risky move, buddy.

Anyways, Andrews has been at FOX ever since, and has obviously become a star. A decade later, ESPN seems to have finally fixed its awful Monday Night Football team with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.

All's well that ends well, I reckon. Still, seems like a pretty big swing and a miss on ESPN's part.

What else is new, though?

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Zach grew up in Florida, lives in Florida, and will never leave Florida ... for obvious reasons. He's a reigning fantasy football league champion, knows everything there is to know about NASCAR, and once passed out (briefly!) during a lap around Daytona. He swears they were going 200 mph even though they clearly were not.