Kenny Mayne, longtime ESPN commentator, leaving the network

Calling himself a “salary cap casualty,” longtime ESPN commentator Kenny Mayne announced that he was being let go by the sports network.

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Mayne, who has been at the network for 27 years and is an anchor on the 11 p.m. “SportsCenter,” announced that his last day at ESPN will be May 24.

The New York Post reported that ESPN made an offer to Mayne, 61, but the offer amounted to a pay cut. The Washington Post reported that a person familiar with the situation said Mayne turned down a multiyear offer of unspecified terms.

According to his biography on ESPN’s website, Mayne began to work for the network as a freelancer in 1990, then became a full-time employee in 1994.

Mayne joined ESPN as an ESPN2 “SportSmash” anchor, providing 5-minute score and news reports every half-hour, and as a feature reporter for “Sports Night,” the biography read.

“Beginning in September 1995, he served as the original host of ESPN2′s weekend auto racing news and highlights programs, Sunday morning’s “rpm 2day” and “rpm2night” on Saturday and Sunday. He also occasionally anchored “SportsCenter” until assuming that role fulltime in August 1997.”

He also created “Mayne Street,” a series on ESPN.com that was a fictional take of life on sports television.

Cox Media Group