Karl Ravech may soon have to change his name to Art Vandelay.
The veteran sports commentator Ravech surprised fans on Thursday by calling ESPN’s broadcast of the Atlanta Braves-Washington Nationals game at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga. Ravech took his usual spot in the booth as the play-by-play man alongside color commentator Eduardo Perez.
It was a bizarre sight to see given that Ravech was just [checks notes] fired by ESPN last week. But there Ravech was calling Thursday’s Atlanta-Washington game for The Worldwide Leader as if nothing had even happened.
In response to Thursday’s spectacle with Ravech, fans all made the same joke. They joked that Ravech was just like George Costanza from “Seinfeld” who once tried to show up for work like normal after quitting his job.
Pulled a Costanza and just showed up for work
— Eddie Kinnaman (@ekinn3) July 30, 2026
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) July 30, 2026
Karl Ravech pulled a George Costanza????? https://t.co/jYupv02Rna
— Chris Gamez (@Metsochist4Life) July 30, 2026
Did Karl Ravech pull a George Costanza (sorta) and just show up for work? pic.twitter.com/pIjsQ13ERv
— Len Hochberg (@LenHochberg) July 30, 2026
Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that Ravech has still been laid off by ESPN but was given the option to work some more summer dates (since it is in the middle of the MLB season) and has chosen to do just that. Ravech is also reportedly expected to work this year’s Little League World Series for ESPN as well as a New York Yankees game in August.
Just nine days ago, we learned that Ravech had been let go by ESPN after 33 years at the network (alongside some other notable names). But out of class or just out of pure love of the game, Ravech is still out there clocking in for The Worldwide Leader, as strange as that sounds.
