How Lindsay Czarniak got past her surprising ESPN split

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When Lindsay Czarniak left ESPN over the summer after six years with the network, the “SportsCenter” personality realized embracing the unknown was a blessing in disguise.

“It actually is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” the mom of two told the Washington Post. “It’s awesome to kind of be forced to take a step back and sort of open your eyes to what’s around you. Initially, it was like I was jumping off a diving board — Oh my gosh, what am I doing? — and then it quickly became, ‘Wait a minute, this is actually such a gift.’ That sounds totally cliched, but it really is.”

Following the birth of her second child, daughter Sibby, last November, Czarniak, 39, went on maternity leave, but was told by the Worldwide Leader “SportsCenter” was being restructured with Jemele Hill and Michael Smith. Unable to reach an agreement with the network over a new role, Czarniak parted ways with the Bristol, Conn., network, holding no ill will toward her replacements.

“When I look back at it, I am shocked at the amount of things I was able to do there, honestly, and that’s the truth,” she told the paper.

“That’s partly what also makes it really bittersweet and hard at the same time. If you do what I do, what we do in this industry, to do all those things and be at those places and cover the World Series and be there live on the field, I mean, that’s a freaking dream. … And the people along the way that you meet — the athletes, the coaches, the colleagues — it’s really hard for me to leave the people.”

After defying orders from the network heads by getting political on Twitter, Hill was sidelined for two weeks in response to a second violation of ESPN’s social media guidelines. The move by her former employer prompted Czarniak to speak out.

The suspension of my friend @jemelehill is sad and disappointing on a number of levels

— Lindsay Czarniak (@lindsayczarniak) October 9, 2017

Her tweet, posted Oct. 9, has since been retweeted over 1,100 times and liked by 4,500 followers.

“I did not and I do not think that it was the right move to do that, to suspend [Hill] for that,” Czarniak said. “I just feel like it’s really important to back people up, and to support one another, and I don’t think that’s something that always happens.”

With Hill set to return to ESPN this month, it’s evident she’ll have an ally both on and off the social networking giant.

“The reason that they’re there, doing that [show], is because they’re great at voicing their opinions,” Czarniak shared. “Regardless of how you feel about there not being a suspension for previous comments, I was just shocked that that was what they decided to suspend her for. And I also felt for her, because they are so good at doing what they do. And I think it’s really difficult to then come back and do what you do. I just think she’s in a very difficult place.”

Though Czarniak hopes to return to broadcasting one day, for now, she’s enjoying the simpler things in life, including visits with her parents, taking her children to the pumpkin patch and a Bible-centric book club.

“Deep Thoughts, with Lindsay Czarniak,” she quipped.

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