ESPN Tabs Mike Greenberg To Replace Sam Ponder On Sunday NFL Countdown

Last week, ESPN made the somewhat surprising decision to sideline Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III (RG3) just weeks before the start of the NFL season.

The biggest decision that the company had to make was who would replace Ponder as the host of the network's NFL Countdown, which serves as ESPN's de facto pregame show for NFL football on Sundays, airing from 10 a.m. ET until 1 p.m. when games begin. 

It's an important role, and it appears that decision is in. According to Andrew Marchand, Mike Greenberg will take Ponder's slot when the show begins next month. 

Hilariously, the original article that Marchand posted on the New York Times website incorrectly said that someone named "Andrew Greenberg" would be the choice. Whoops! 

The <i>New York Times </i>mistakenly said "Andrew Greenberg" would be the new host of ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown, but they meant Mike Greenberg. 

(Google.com/Screenshot)

The network had a few options to choose from, including Laura Rutledge, Elle Duncan and Ryan Clark. 

Behind-the-scenes, Clark reportedly pushed for the gig, citing his desire for more hosting roles after ESPN handed him a generous contract extension. 

They didn't have much of a choice after Clark decided to publicly deride the company and all but came out and said he would blame racism if they didn't pay him more money. 

But they bypassed all the potential "diversity" hires and landed on the veteran Greenberg, who already hosts a daily TV show ("Get Up") and a daily radio show ("Greeny") for the network. 

Greenberg previously hosted NBA Countdown, so he clearly can handle the hosting duties of this role. 

While Greenberg isn't particularly dynamic, he's a solid host and a veteran of the industry. 

ESPN pulled Sam Ponder off of Sunday NFL Countdown and elected to replace her with Mike Greenberg.

(Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

As someone who worked with Greenberg at ESPN, I know that politically he leans to the left, but unlike many ESPN personalities, he keeps that to himself. 

That's probably part of the reason that the network tabbed him for this role. They picked a very inoffensive and safe choice that was least likely to ruffle feathers or bother fans. 

Greenberg, essentially, was the "path of least resistance" for ESPN. 

Although, internally, the DEI crew probably isn't happy to see an older white male get an opportunity. Particularly since the role was previously held by a female. 

But the company clearly felt Greenberg was the right choice and the right fit and didn't take into account his skin color and gender. 

That's a step in the right direction, so it's hard to fault ESPN for that choice.