Kenny Mayne Says He's Leaving ESPN After 27 Years

BRISTOL, CT — Popular ESPN personality Kenny Mayne is leaving the network after more than a quarter-century of injecting a trademark light-heartedness into his segments.

"I am leaving ESPN ... Salary cap casualty," the 61-year-old Mayne said in a Monday afternoon Twitter post.

Mayne's 27 years at ESPN started in 1994. It was a wild year in sports — George Foreman regained the heavyweight title at 45, the New York Rangers broke a 54-year Stanley Cup drought, Hakeem Olajuwon became a household name after the NBA finals, an 18-year-old golfer named Tiger Woods won the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. hosted a World Cup.

His first job, though, was relatively low-profile as the anchor for ESPN2's "SportSmash" show. Mayne quickly ascended to the host of a weekend motorsports show called "RPM 2Night," and, in 1997, took a chair as a full-time anchor on "SportsCenter."

He also hosted a popular segment called "The Mayne Event" on ESPN's "NFL Sunday Countdown" show.

Mayne was known for injecting humor into most of his segments.

According to Mayne's biography, the Washington state native was an All-American quarterback at Wenatchee Valley Community College. He transferred to UNLV and was a Runnin' Rebel for two years. He was signed as a free agent by the Seattle Seahawks and then turned to a career in television.

Here is his Tweet: