Sullivan: Payton motivated by ‘the haters’ — just like his father — in new role as Score morning host

New Score personality Jarrett Payton made a cameo on the station Wednesday, a soft launch five days before he replaces Mike Mulligan as co-host of the morning show with David Haugh.

Payton was a morning guest of Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote on the rebranded “Rahimi & Grote Show,” which Grote accidentally referred to “Rahimi and Harris,” momentarily forgetting the Score also fired their former co-host, Marshall Harris.

It’s hard to remember who is where these days at the Score, with vacations and firings and everything else going on.

Payton said he was excited to be at the Score and that hosting a radio show was always his “passion.” He and Haugh will kick off the new “Haugh & Payton Show” on Monday morning. A revolving door of TV personalities has been co-hosting this week with Haugh on vacation and Mulligan let go Friday in a move that has sent Chicago sports radio observers into an uproar that hasn’t died down.

Mulligan hasn’t responded publicly to the news of the end of his nearly two-decade career as morning host at WSCR-AM 670 and FM 104.3, but friends have said he’s doing well after feeling “blindsided” by the decision.

Hopefully he’s enjoying the longest-running Irish wake in history for a fired Chicago sports radio host. Internet-fueled anger over his firing — and the fact Mulligan wasn’t offered a chance to say goodbye to listeners — was more heated than the station bargained for.

Like any true Irish wake, any of his blemishes have been papered over, and he’s being remembered mostly for his wit, passion and eccentricities. “Great stuff,” as he liked to say.

The Score hasn’t disclosed why he was let go, inviting speculation.

Payton, a longtime sports anchor and reporter at WGN-Ch. 9, walks into a difficult position as the new co-host of the morning show. He’s replacing someone who obviously had more fans than anyone at Audacy realized and doesn’t have a long history as a radio personality, much less one whose opinions are expected to help shape the always shifting narratives of the Chicago sports world.

Critics on social media and the internet have already taken aim, which led Payton to thanking them for the hateful comments during his introductory appearance.

“I try to stay off the socials a little bit, it’s a dangerous place,” he said. “I’ll say this too: Thank you to the haters. Now I’m motivated.”

He sounded a little like his dad, Bears great Walter Payton, who once said on “The Late Show with David Letterman” that the worst thing any opposing fan could do was heckle him before a game.

“I can’t deal with that,” Walter told Letterman. “That upsets me so bad, it makes me play better.”

Father knows best?

Jarrett Payton said he and Haugh would disagree on some things, which is what makes sports radio work. He told listeners that his wife and mother-in-law read some of the social media commentary that called him out for saying he left WGN to be with his family.

Then why go back to work so quickly?

Payton said his kids told him: “Dad, you’ve got to do something else. You have to. We want to see you.”

A morning shift actually leaves him more time to be with his kids and their activities, not less.

Payton mentioned his late dad only once to point out that “Pops” didn’t make enough money in his career for his kids not to work.

“It’s funny to see all these comments,” he said.

Payton talked a little Bears with Rahimi and Grote — the left tackle spot, Montez Sweat, etc. — which seemed like a good idea since his knowledge of the NFL and the Bears organization was one of the main reasons for his hiring. It’s fair to wonder about Payton’s willingness to criticize Bears ownership, since the McCaskeys reportedly have a good relationship with the Paytons, including Jarrett’s mother, Connie.

If the Bears were to move to Hammond, would Payton criticize the McCaskeys like the rest of Bears fans? Or would he be the good cop to Haugh’s bad cop?

The stadium issue wasn’t discussed Wednesday, and neither was baseball, which is unfortunate since he’ll also have to establish himself as an expert on the Cubs and White Sox as they navigate this stretch run.

But the 23-minute interview was just an appetizer from the Score to let listeners hear things straight from the horse’s mouth.

Audacy has not made Payton available for interviews, another curious decision in a week full of them. You would think the station would want to promote his hiring instead of downplaying it.

Payton has been the target of some over-the-top criticism, which probably is something he’ll have to get used to if he hopes to make it as a morning show host. A who’s who of former Chicago radio personalities have chimed in on the Score moves, because old radio hosts never really fade away, even if their big paychecks do.

Haugh, a former Tribune sports reporter and columnist, also has been under attack on X in the wake of the Mulligan news, which was expected. He has been around long enough to know that comes with the territory of a high-profile job, and he’s a ubiquitous presence on the sports-media landscape.

“I don’t know if he’s human, honestly,” Payton said jokingly, referring to Haugh’s heavy workload at the Score and Chicago Sports Network.

It will be up to Haugh to steer the show, bring out the best in Payton and keep things interesting enough for loyal Score listeners who are either giddy or disgruntled over the latest Bears game. Unlike many Score hosts, Payton actually grew up in the suburbs, played sports at St. Viator and apparently is a Cubs fan from childhood. That apparently was another sore spot for critics who think the Score waived a couple Sox fans in Mulligan and Harris and didn’t replace either with a Sox fan.

I’ve known Payton, who is likable and well respected in the business, since he was starting out on CLTV “SportsFeed” in the early 2010s. He has come a long way since then, and no one can say he hasn’t paid his dues on the Chicago sports media merry-go-round.

Payton deserves a chance to be heard. And if you don’t think he’s worthy of debating sports in Chicago, punch another station or click on a podcast.

It’s really quite simple.