Taylor McGregor Announces She's Leaving The Cubs After 7 Seasons Covering The Team, Pursuing A Full-Time Role At ESPN

Michael Reaves. Getty Images.

It's a tough day for Chicago sports, as Taylor McGregor has announced that she will no longer be the sideline reporter for Cubs games moving forward. Taylor has been with the Marquee Network since it launched in 2020, but her impressive track record covering college football for ESPN has allowed her to pursue a full-time job with the worldwide leader in sports. 

She stole the show most recently when the fucking power went out at the SMU-Florida State game. With the entire ESPN audience confused as to what the hell was going on, it was Taylor's reporting that carried the broadcast until the folks in Tallahassee finally got the lights back on. It was a sideline MASTERCLASS. 

The Stoolies might know her better, though, from her appearances on Wake Up Barstool and Mostly Sports. She's a longtime #Family member, who once coined a phrase that we still use on the show to this day. She said somebody had the "heart of a horse," and it was such a funny moment that we asked her to fit that sentence into a Cubs broadcast sometime. She did it without hesitation.

But the real Barstool sickos know her as a one-time guest on the now defunct cult classic, Wake Up Mintzy. Her and Mintz have developed a strong bond over Widespread Panic in years past. Actually the last time Taylor was on Mostly Sports, Mintzy waited an hour and a half for her to get off the air so he could see her. Unfortunately, I think she left the office while he was in the bathroom, and he was gutted that he couldn't say hello to his good friend. Sad scene. 

And it's a sad scene for Cubs fans today. I'm sure most of them knew deep down that she eventually was gonna go off to bigger and better things, but it's still crushing to see a beloved reporter for your favorite sports franchise go in another direction. Hell, you could make the argument that there isn't a stronger connection in sports than the one between fans and their local MLB broadcast team. These personalities are in your living room for over half the year, and it hurts when one of them is no longer on your TV. Especially a personality as great as Taylor. 

I'm not even a Cubs fan, but a very similar situation happened in Philly when it was announced that Taryn Hatcher wouldn't be covering Phillies games anymore. The entire city was devastated. I damn near cried. But there was another element there where it seemed like Taryn was let go for some dumb fucking reason, so I'm glad that Taylor at least got to head out on her own terms and receive a proper sendoff.

So shoutout to Taylor. While she will be missed on the Chicago airwaves, it's fucking incredible to see her get this opportunity. And as a former member of the Association for Women in Sports Media myself, I wish her nothing but the best in the future. Family.