ESPN’s tribute to Bill Rasmussen took an awkward turn when ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ began before the network could finish honoring its late co-founder.
The abrupt transition generated criticism across sports media, especially because Rasmussen’s vision helped shape the very sports television industry that ESPN now dominates. Among those reacting was Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Don Van Natta Jr., who made his feelings clear with a brief response.
Don Van Natta Reacts to ESPN’s Bill Rasmussen Tribute
Van Natta, an award-winning investigative journalist who has worked at ESPN since 2012, reshared a clip of the tribute on X and offered a simple reaction: “This just makes me sad.”
His response came after First Take host Courtney Cronin paid tribute to Rasmussen following news of his death at 93.
The moment Cronin said “His legacy lives on,” the broadcast abruptly cut to The Pat McAfee Show, replacing the tribute with McAfee’s high-energy opening and the view of his studio.
Rasmussen helped create ESPN around the idea that sports could occupy television around the clock, yet the network’s own remembrance of him was cut short as another sports program started its broadcast.
That irony soon became a talking point across sports media. The concern was not simply the switch between two shows, but the timing of a tribute to the man whose vision helped shape ESPN into what it is today.
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The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel wrote, “A tribute to ESPN’s founding legacy getting steamrolled by the DraftKings Thunderdome is perfection.”
Black Sports Online’s Robert Littal wrote, “This almost seems intentional how perfect the cut is.”
Bill Rasmussen’s ESPN Legacy Makes the Moment Hit Harder
Rasmussen died on August 18, 2026, at his home in Florida from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed with the condition in 2014 and later went public with his experience to raise awareness and support research.
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His ESPN story began after he lost his job with the New England Whalers in 1978. While traveling with his son, Scott Rasmussen, Bill developed the idea for a cable network devoted entirely to sports. At a time when many executives doubted that audiences would watch sports 24 hours a day, Rasmussen pushed ahead.
ESPN eventually launched on September 7, 1979, reaching about 1.4 million homes. SportsCenter debuted that night, becoming the network’s signature program and a defining part of American sports television.
Rasmussen also helped establish ESPN’s early influence by securing television rights to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 1980. His concept later became a model for other specialized cable networks, while his work earned him his induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame.
This history explains why Van Natta’s reaction resonated with the broader moment.
For ESPN, Rasmussen was not simply another name from the network’s past. He was one of the people responsible for making the entire operation possible, which made the abrupt ending of his tribute particularly striking.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.