Meh, I’m an old guy who has watched GameDay since its inception. Change is nothing new.
Beano Cook, Tim Brando and Lee Corso were nothing like the Fowler years that followed, nor the Rece Davis era that followed that. Not to mention that Craig James, Trev Albert’s, and many others had time on the show. So lineup changes are pretty commonplace.
ESPN is in the entertainment business. It is the first word in the acronym. Changing the lineup is part of the process/evolution, and bringing Pat onboard is just another iteration of that process. I respect the guy. He played in the league, and has built his brand.
What has changed is the saturation. In the late 80’s they were the only game in town. No internet, and cable TV was still growing.
In today’s market there are many options for eyeballs. They almost have to be a little louder, a little more over the top just to keep/maintain their market share. Pat gives them some of that.
Now, Tim Rinaldi, they can jettison his ass any fucking time.