Vinny
shiny happy fan
I wasn't a bit fan of Guerrero, so this is good news to me.
CBSportslineNEW YORK -- Michele Tafoya will replace Lisa Guerrero as the sideline reporter for ABC's Monday Night Football. Guerrero lasted just one season after taking over for Melissa Stark. In discussing the switch Monday, producer Fred Gaudelli said he didn't think Guerrero was a good fit for the job. "The sideline reporter role is in an incredibly hectic environment, nothing is predictable," he said. "It was our hope that we would work like gangbusters to expedite that curve as quickly as we could, but in the end the talent and role weren't as compatible."
Tafoya brings much more experience than Guerrero, a former cheerleader and actress. Tafoya spent last football season as ESPN's onsite reporter at Monday Night Football games, and joined ABC Sports in 2002 as a courtside reporter on NBA telecasts. This June she will work her second NBA Finals for ABC. Tafoya joined ESPN in 2000 and also serves as an NBA sideline reporter for the network. Other ESPN roles include men's and women's NCAA basketball play-by-play and studio host, and college football and basketball sideline reporter.
Before joining ESPN, Tafoya also worked for CBS as a game reporter and studio host for NFL, college football and college basketball telecasts. Her first assignment in her new role is the Hall of Fame game Aug. 9 from Canton, Ohio, when the Denver Broncos play the Washington Redskins. She was the only person interviewed for the job. "Every single sideline reporter is different and brings something different to the table," Tafoya said. "I'm excited we're going to do this and make it work in the telecast the best we can."