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sports Diasabra 8 Januari 2022

Riddick happy at ESPN, yet still has goal of running a team

(AP) - Louis Riddick real- pro personnel departments be considered, but they can
izes he is in a favorable po- with both franchises. only go so far. Riddick said
sition. He is an analyst on the pipeline has plenty of
the NFL’s most iconic tele- After being mainly a stu- candidates who hold either
vision package — ESPN’s dio analyst during his first director of scouting, director
“Monday Night Football” five years at ESPN, Riddick of player personnel, or co-
— and still has hopes of started calling games in 2018. ordinator roles. However, it
running a franchise as a He was part of the Friday still comes down to owners
general manager. night college football crew in making the final decision.
2018-19 before moving to the
But with the offseason start- “Monday Night Football” “We could have a Rooney
ing for many teams on Mon- booth in 2020. He had done Rule where 15 minority can-
day, will this be the year he studio analysis for MNF in didates are interviewed 20
returns to a front-office role? 2018-19. times each, and it wouldn’t
matter if they don’t decide to
“I have one of the great Riddick said moving from make the choice that, ‘Hey,
broadcasting jobs in America, the studio to the booth was a this minority candidate is are expected to let go of GM pand his scouting base and
period,” Riddick said. “I have challenge he wanted to take. the best candidate,’” Riddick Dave Gettleman. Riddick was philosophies on building a
always been very up front, said. one of four who interviewed team.
starting with (ESPN presi- “There’s a lot to being a good in December 2017 after Jerry
dent) Jimmy Pitaro that this analyst — it happens fast, “Judge me based on my Reese was fired. The difference though com-
is not a situation where I’m and there is no down time. merit and qualifications. To pared to Mike Mayock, John
going, ‘I want to get back to It’s different than obviously this point there hasn’t been However, Riddick did go on Lynch and Matt Millen —
the NFL.’ If teams call and doing studio work,” he said. enough of that. I think the further to say that his experi- who went from the booth to
want to talk to me about be- “ESPN was very open and re- focus does need to be on the ence talking to owner John GM roles — is that Riddick
ing a general manager, then ceptive to it. They wanted to actual hiring process and the Mara was one of his best has held front-office posi-
I have a definite interest in allow me to grow and expand. educating and preparation by meetings during his time in tions.
that kind of thing because it’s They knew that ultimately I owners and team presidents the NFL because it encom-
always been a career goal of would want to be considered who are doing the hiring passed a wide array of topics. “It has been an absolute grad-
mine, and it’s always been a for “Monday Night Football” to be sure that they are ask- uate-level education process
challenge that I have been in- and that’s where it ultimately ing the right questions and “I can say that that did not being able to talk to all these
terested in. ended up.” they can identify the kind of happen everywhere,” Riddick teams. It really is,” he said.
answers and characteristics said. “When you feel like it’s “If someone were working
“And if it were to be some- After having only two Black that are best suited for their a combination of it all, that’s for a team, they would not
thing that was a great fit for general managers in 2020, team.” when you feel like you kind ideally say, ‘Well, I’m just go-
them and me, then sure, then the league made gains last of hit the jackpot in terms of ing to leave here and go do
we would take it down the year, with three of the seven When it comes to where Rid- this is the ideal type of inter- TV and do analyst work and
road and see how far it would vacancies filled by minority dick might be a candidate view, and that was one that I then come back because that
go.” candidates. According to the this upcoming offseason, he have consistently said I came seems like the best career
NFL’s 2021 Diversity and In- said he would assess each out of feeling that way re- path and the best avenue for
Riddick’s resume was solid clusion report, 28 of the 59 situation individually if ap- gardless of how it ended up.” real growth.’
even before he joined ESPN GM candidates interviewed proached.
in 2013. The San Francis- were minorities, compared to Riddick wouldn’t be the first “Every person who has gone
co 49ers drafted him in the only three the previous year. However, Riddick wanted to analyst to parlay that into that route though has said
ninth round in 1991 and he make one thing succinctly running a team. The past they are much better for hav-
played seven seasons in the Riddick interviewed for mul- clear during his nearly hour- four years of visiting college ing stepped outside. Taking a
league for four teams. He tiple openings last year. He long interview: “I’m not campuses and NFL facilities 30,000-foot view tapped into
followed that with nearly 13 thinks the league office and campaigning for the damn during the week for produc- the minds and philosophies
years in front-office roles Fritz Pollard Alliance are do- Giants job.” tion meetings and talking to of various coaches, front of-
with Washington and Phila- ing everything to get minor- other executives, players and fice people, players and sup-
delphia, including leading the ity candidates in a position to After four seasons, the Giants coaches allowed him to ex- port staffs.”

U.S Golf Association event women’s golf will nearly double this year

(AP) - Long considered The U.S. Golf Association en’s sports. the classic U.S. Open designs
the biggest event in wom- announced Friday the purse that for decades have hosted He said the partnership with
en’s golf, the U.S. Wom- will nearly double this year to The purse was $5.5 mil- the men. That list includes a ProMedica helps make that
en’s Open now has prize $10 million, by far the rich- lion when Yuka Saso won at return to Oakmont and Pine- happen. The health group
money and future sites to est in women’s golf and chal- Olympic Club last year. hurst No. 2, along with Riv- also will be a marketing part-
match. lenging top prizes in wom- iera, Oakland Hills, Merion, ner of the USGA, and its
Helping to make it possible Inverness and Interlachen. “ProMedica Impact Fund”
was the USGA bringing on a The USGA said Pinehurst will be the official charity
presenting sponsor — Ohio- would host the men’s and of the Women’s Open. The
based PreMedica, a not-for- women’s Open in successive fund is committed to rais-
profit integrated health orga- weeks in 2029, just as it did ing more than $1 billion
nization serving 28 states. in a highly successful debut over eight years for programs
in 2014. Martin Kaymer won geared toward improving
With ProMedica’s backing, the U.S. Open, and Michelle individual and community
the U.S. Women’s Open Wie captured her first major health.
purse plans to increase to at the U.S. Women’s Open
$11 million and eventually the following week. The Women’s Open is June
$12 million over the next five 2-5 at Pine Needles Lodge
years. It’s the first major initiative by in North Carolina, and then
the USGA since Mike Whan, it moves to Pebble Beach for
Along with a massive jump the former LPGA Tour com- the first time the following
in money, the USGA is send- missioner, took over as CEO year. Pebble Beach was al-
ing the women to some of last summer. ready on the schedule.