Fox Sports Ohio introduces new team after departure of Allie Clifton

LeBron James wasn’t the only fixture in Cleveland to leave for Los Angeles over the summer. Allie Clifton, who had become a fan favorite, left Fox Sports Ohio and her role as a sideline reporter to cover the Lakers for their cable affiliate, which left a vacuum the network would have to fill. On the eve of the regular season debut for the 2018-19 Cleveland Cavaliers in Toronto, which will be broadcast on Fox Sports Ohio, they’ve announced the additions of Angel Grey and Cayleigh Griffin to the team.

Grey will take over Clifton’s role as sideline reporter.

From a Fox Sports Ohio release:

Angel Gray begins her first season as the sideline reporter for FOX Sports Ohio’s Cavaliers telecasts. Gray has over eight years of experience as a sports analyst and sideline reporter, and most recently served as the play-by-play announcer for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks on Spectrum SportsNet this past season.

Gray has additional broadcasting experience in college basketball, the WNBA and NCAA football, and has covered the NCAA women’s basketball tournament, the WNBA Finals and the NBA All-Star Game for NBATV. Prior to joining the Cavaliers, she previously served as FOX Sports Southeast’s sideline reporter for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, a role she had held since July 2015, and additionally worked as the Dream TV reporter from June 2014-May 2017.

Griffin’s role is described as a “feature reporter and digital host”. From the same release:

Cayleigh Griffin enters her first season with the Cavaliers as FOX Sports Ohio Digital Host and Cavs Reporter. In her role, Griffin will be the lead presence for FOX Sports Ohio’s social and digital media efforts, focusing on creating feature segments and live stream content delivery. She will be a regular contributor on CAVS HQ and FSO’s “In the Paint,” and will produce content for Cavaliers Live, the pregame and postgame show on FOX Sports Ohio. Griffin will also create insider segments for the Cavaliers’ social media platforms and will periodically host and moderate special organizational events. In addition, she will occasionally host and report on the Cavs Radio Network and serve as color analyst for various Canton Charge telecasts, while providing support with digital and social features for the Charge.

Prior to joining the Cavs, Griffin most recently served as the reporter for the San Antonio Spurs, covering the team for FOX Sports Southwest, spurs.com and the Spurs’ social media platforms.

Both Grey and Griffin would seem to be more than qualified for their new roles, and it’ll be exciting to have them as part of the team and family. There’s an art to these jobs, as criticizing the team is generally discouraged, but Clifton was able to bring value to her role on a nightly basis. Over time, I’m sure we’ll feel the same about Grey and Griffin.