SportsCenter anchor Neil Everett leaving ESPN

For the last 14 years, SportsCenter viewers have been greeted by a “Howzit?” when the show moved to its Los Angeles studios. That’s when they’d see Neil Everett and Stan Verrett at the desk taking them through the highlights of the day — or the previous day, if they got up early enough.

One half of that duo is leaving the network, though.

Everett is on his way out the door, he confirmed to Front Office Sports on Thursday. When he shared a statement with FOS, he did so in a fashion only he could.

“Bartender…last call,” he said.

Of course, “Bartender, Jack” was one of Everett’s many catchphrases while working the desk alongside Verrett. That, along with “Aloha means goodbye,” were two of his most iconic lines when reading baseball highlights.

He’s also known for music and movie references during the show, including when he would read the Top 10 plays. When the countdown got to No. 8, he’d say “Mark it eight, Dude” — referencing the line from “The Big Lebowski.”

Everett got his start in television in Oregon at KCST-FM in Florence. From there, he moved to Hawaii, where he worked outside of media before getting back in the game at KITV. He worked his way up from news writer to assignment editor and eventually sports anchor.

ESPN then scooped up Everett in 2000 as an anchor on ESPNews. In 2009, he and Verrett moved to California as the network created a late-night SportsCenter from Los Angeles. Verrett is still on that program, working alongside Ashley Brewer and others now.

For Everett, though, he’s ready to focus on some of his other ventures. He has worked for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers the last couple years, and FOS also reported he has “several side projects in the works.” Although he noted the impact ESPN had on him, he’s ready to move on.

“ESPN changed my life, but now it’s time for me to change my life,” Everett said in a statement. “Time to write a new chapter.” 

Verrett also reacted to the news, tweeting out a tribute to his longtime partner.

“I started at ESPN in 2000, a few months after Neil Everett. We joined up for ‘SportsCenter’ from LA in 2009. For 14 years, he was the best teammate I could imagine,” Verrett tweeted. “Selfless, caring, generous, and a pro’s pro. He’s moving on now, but we are brothers for life. That’ll never change.”

Everett’s departure comes amid multiple cuts at ESPN, and on-air talent is expected to be part of the next round of layoffs. NHL analyst Chris Chelios will also leave the network, FOS reported earlier this week, and more are sure to follow.