I’ve always been a fan of Bonnie Bernstein. To my knowledge, she was the original hottie sideline reporter, pre-dating Melissa Stark and Erin Andrews. And she’s aged well. Beautiful lady.
(Bonnie B.: What hath thou forsaken thee?)
So it saddened me last year when she stopped doing sideline game reporting to become a fill-in studio host at ESPN on shows like NFL Live, Outside the Lines, Jim Rome is Burning, First Take and College Football Live. The move was in part due to a serious bout of deep vein thrombosis, as chronicled by USA TODAY in 2007.
Now, thanks to Neil Best at NEWSDAY, come to find out she’s left TV altogether for a radio gig at ESPN 1050 in New York. As you know, I have nothing against radio, it was my life for 16 years - and 1050 is certainly a legit station in the biggest market. But based on her role at the station, I’m a little dubious of the move.
Best reports that Bernstein has joined the afternoon drive Michael Kay Show as a “co-host.” When I first read that, I assumed that Kay’s current co-host, Don La Greca, was being let go. Nope, he’s staying. Here’s how Bernstein describes her role on her official blog:
I’ll be co-hosting, doing interviews and handling all the SportsCenter updates and breaking news.
As such an accomplished, nationally-recognized TV broadcaster, it’s a little hard for me to understand why Bernstein would go from an ESPN-TV show host (albeit fill-in) to doing radio updates on a ratings-challenged sports radio show in New York. (Though I actually like Kay and La Greca better than Mike Francesa. By a mile.)
Also makes you wonder why ESPN-TV, if it valued Bernstein as a talent, would bless her leaving TV to take the gig.
Bernstein though sounds ecstatic about the job in her blog, also noting how close the station’s studios are to her home in New York City. That seems to indicate that her medical condition might be a factor in the move. Of course if that’s the case, you certainly can’t quibble with her decision.
Thought I’d never admit to missing a sideline reporter on a telecast. But Bernstein is the one exception. Hope the radio thing works out. Actually, on second thought, hope it doesn’t - if that means getting her back on TV.
3:17 am on September 16th, 2009
Well, she’s pretty. But, I don’t know. With all those clothes on I can’t really guage her value. Could she take em off and dance around in front of a hole in the wall? >snort, grunt
6:19 am on September 16th, 2009
just this week weren’t you just bitchin about sports radio only havin white male hosts. and now a woman joins a show and u say u’d rather have her not go?
8:49 am on September 16th, 2009
I saw a rumor somewhere that said Bernstein was going to be the “face” of ESPNNewYork.com when it launches, so she might just be in a holding pattern at a radio station until that happens.
But I agree that she is The sideline reporterette Standard. She was also on the gymnastics team at the University of Maryland. She’s hot and flexible!
9:05 am on September 16th, 2009
TOTALLY AGREE!! Bonnie Bernstein was and is still one of my favorites, and definitely one of the prettiest sideline reporters ever. She’s a natural beauty, and there’s no fluff when it comes to her, and that makes her even MORE attractive. I have missed her over the years as she’s slowly disappeared, and I’ll miss her more now. Someone needs to compile a highlight video of her!
11:11 am on September 16th, 2009
replace her with the vagina necked Michelle Tafoya or Latafoya, whatever her big assed name is, she is awful
11:29 am on September 16th, 2009
I am not sure if she ever enjoyed the spotlight, like E.A apparently does. Remember when she quit to become a consultant/mentor to aspiring female journalists then suddenly reappeared as soon as the $$$ was running out?
She had been fearful of something like what happened to E.A. was going to occur to her.
1:18 pm on September 16th, 2009
Gracious retreat for health reasons for a truly gracious little lady ???
Hey, like we just lost Patrick Swayze….
Whatever the reasons, best for you always, Bon.
6:49 pm on September 16th, 2009
Rudy,
Well played.
6:50 pm on September 16th, 2009
Shocking Pete’s comment came at 3am.
11:46 pm on September 16th, 2009
First off, being one of Bonnie Bernstein’s biggest fans, her health condition was deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot that began in her legs and moved to her lungs back in October of 2006, which she recovered from and now travels the country creating awareness of the condition.
I’m happy for Bernstein because this gives her a daily co-hosting spot, and from what I’ve been able to hear, she has an excellent rapport with Yankees announcer Michael Kay and co-host Don LaGreca and shows the listeners she is still top notch when it comes to sports knowledge. She will combine her new radio duties with espnnewyork.com whenever it does launch.
However, I am very disappointed that ESPN couldn’t fit her in as a regular host on one of the studio shows she has filled in on, while they seem to think that hosts such as Dana Jacobson should continue to have a regular position despite her infamous drunken rant a couple of years ago, and Stuart Scott should continue to have regular slots despite irritating viewers with unnecessary hip hop references, not to mention others at ESPN who shouldn’t be there.
Hopefully, the four letter network will have Bernstein on from time to time on different shows just to give her a national presence again.
11:58 pm on September 16th, 2009
I was up REALLY REALLY EARLY! Wide eyed and bushy tailed. (and sleep deprived).
2:00 am on September 17th, 2009
Great point about Dana Jacobsen. Bonnie a million times better.