“The Man Cave” provoked controversy even before it hit the air. That’s because it never launched, despite weeks of promotion on Washington’s “ESPN 980” WTEM. Rumors circulated that station and Redskins owner Dan Snyder pulled the plug on it. Now, in a thickening plot twist, the show is set to debut on Monday.
It remains unclear why “The Man Cave” was delayed from its original March 16 launch date. Theories include Snyder’s supposed displeasure with one of the hosts’ criticism of the Redskins, and ESPN’s alleged unhappiness about the new local morning show bumping its “Mike & Mike” from the ESPN 980 lineup.
Adding to the mystery, the Washington Post reports someone claiming to be ESPN president John Skipper made prank calls to WTEM ordering the show’s cancellation. The person’s imitation of Skipper’s Southern drawl and his intimate knowledge of ESPN’s inner workings were enough to convince WTEM managers that the calls were legit, according to the Post, citing three people with knowledge of the events.
Billed as a blend of sports, comedy and entertainment, “The Man Cave with Chris Paul and Jason Reid” teams 16-year “Donnie Simpson Show” co-host Chris Paul with former Washington Post sports writer Jason Reid. WTEM promoted the new show for nearly a month. But its March 16 start-date came and went without the new local show launching. Station officials were mum about the reasons why. And uncertainty over the show’s status reportedly contributed to the resignation of WTEM program director Chuck Sapienza, after programming the station since July 2010, reports Inside Radio.