Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Mike Lupica is being blamed for the cancellation of “The Sports Reporters” after the show’s run of nearly 30 years on ESPN.

The Daily News columnist was a panelist for many years on the Sunday morning show, on which he and other print reporters such as the Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan and the Detroit Free Press’ Mitch Albom discussed the week’s hot-button issues in sports.

When longtime host John Saunders unexpectedly died at 61 in August, Lupica jumped at the chance to replace him.

“He was a total diva,” one insider said. “He was abusive to people, and mean to the staff.”

But the biggest problem was that Lupica talked too much.

“When you’re a panelist, you are there to give your opinions. When you’re the host, you’re supposed to elicit other people’s opinions. He could never shut up,” said my source.

ESPN announced last month that the show will end in May.

Lupica’s sports talk-radio show on ESPN New York was canceled in 2015, as he was beaten badly in the ratings by Mike Francesa on WFAN, who at the time had roughly triple Lupica’s audience share.