John Anderson, who’s worked as a SportsCenter anchor for 25 years, hosted ESPN’s flagship show for the final time on Friday night.
Anderson was reunited with his longtime partner Steve Levy, who paid tribute.
“I haven’t done a Friday night SportsCenter since 1998,” Levy said. “I’m here to express, on behalf of every SportsCenter anchor John Anderson has ever worked with over the past 25 years, our utmost admiration.”
After Levy called Anderson “The most consistent and reliable co-anchor that I have ever shared a desk with,” a montage aired, featuring some of Levy and Anderson’s more humorous moments as a pair.
The tributes came in through the episode from the likes of John Buccigross and Kenny Mayne .
LeRoy Butler, who Anderson presented into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, also had a message.
“I thought to myself, back in 2007, who should induct me into the Packer Hall of Fame? I came up with one name. The best SportsCenter anchor, John Anderson. Congratulations, my brother — 25 years of excellence. And yes, Go Pack Go.”
Anderson isn’t leaving ESPN’s air entirely. He’s taking a job at the University of Missouri but will still be part of the network’s track and field coverage. To that end, Anderson interviewed Grant Halloway, who earlier in the day earned a spot in the Paris Olympics by winning the 110-meter hurdles at the United States Olympic Trials in Oregon.
Anderson asked Halloway to tell viewers who may not be familiar with him why they should cheer for him.
“John Anderson and I been kicking it way back,” Halloway said. “John loves track. Why not support someone who has the charisma and has the same attitude as Mr. John Anderson.”
Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Several of Anderson’s co-workers at ESPN — both past and present, including Neil Everett, Nicole Briscoe, Stan Verrett, Linda Cohn, Hannah Storm, Scott Van Pelt, David Lloyd and Jay Harris — paid tribute to Anderson in a video montage.
Levy then showed a series of messages on X before Anderson signed off.
“I am really grateful,” Anderson said. “And you can name a billion people that have been great here. Actually more like thousands. But if Al Jaffe doesn’t hire me, like so many of us, none of it happens. So, we’ll go with Al Jaffe and then everybody in the wake of that, I am grateful for and thankful for.
“I’m indebted to a bunch of people. And I’ve always said, Linda Cohn helped make my career here because she’s the first person I sat next to and she was a made guy. Right when I took off. So I had instant credibility. And then when I got to work with you, it went even more because I was next to Steve Levy. And everybody knows, Steve “TV” Levy. And I benefited greatly from being next to you so many times and we had so many great times.”
After briefly remembering being on set during a 22-inning game in San Diego, Anderson signed off, with Levy walking over and embracing his longtime partner as SportsCenter went off the air.
[Photo Credit: ESPN]
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