Mike Golic Opens Up On Rachel Nichols, Maria Taylor Story

Former ESPN employee Mike Golic knows the network very well. And he has become one of many former and current members of the network to speak on the Rachel Nichols comments on Maria Taylor.

Nichols has been a massive storyline since The New York Times leaked a phone call where Nichols was skeptical of why Taylor was getting assignments in the NBA Finals.

Check out what Golic had to say about the whole thing:

“Here’s my problem and it’s been my problem with a lot of things over time whether it’s at ESPN or anywhere else. It’s communication,” Golic said during an episode of StuPodity, via Barrett Media Sports. “Communicate more. You let this situation get bad…Somebody higher up at ESPN needs to get involved and say listen, you guys both work for this company, we’re all going to get in one room and we’re going to talk about this. The lack of face-to-face meetings with people to talk about anything, things that need to be talked about, to me is embarrassing.

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Mike Golic is probably right. I don’t think Rachel Nichols’ half-assed apology to Maria Taylor is going to make the story go away.

“This had been a year old. Somebody in leadership needs to step in and say ok, that person’s texting and you aren’t responding to the texts,” Mike Golic added. “No, we are going to the same room. We are going to be in the same room and talk about it. I have said this from Day 1 and I learned this from my parents, especially from my father. You deal with people face-to-face, voice-to-voice during COVID. Even if it is the aftermath and you are trying to clean things up, get face-to-face, somehow, someway. One party wanted to, the other didn’t, and that’s fine, but that’s when leadership needs to take charge.”

Rachel Nichols made a brief apology to Maria Taylor prior to her show, “The Jump”, on Monday.

“The first thing they teach you in journalism school is don’t be the story, and I don’t plan to break that rule today or distract from a fantastic Finals,” Nichols said. “But I also don’t want to let this moment pass without saying how much I respect, how much I value our colleagues here at ESPN, how deeply, deeply sorry I am for disappointing those I hurt, particularly Maria Taylor, and how grateful I am to be part of this outstanding team.”

I’m with Mike Golic here, Rachel Nichols is going to have to face Maria Taylor face-to-face. Sometimes, old-school is the way to go.

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