ESPN has issued a statement in response to our report that Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber have been dumped from the Monday Night Football broadcast.

“Michele and Suzy will still be assigned to our multiplatform Monday Night Football presentation, including the game, pre-game and post-game,” the statement says. “Their precise roles are currently being determined.”

Also, we’ve been told by an ESPN spokesperson that Tafoya and Kolber will continue to travel to the site of each game.

So what does any of this mean?  Clearly, something is up.  Otherwise, there would be nothing about their roles to “determine.”  Also, ESPN might be holding out hope that they opt to give up their assignments to MNF, so that in the end it will appear that they weren’t removed from the team.

Said one of our sources in response to the statement, “It’s bullshit .  That’s all I can tell you.  Utter bullshit.  They are no longer sideline reporters.”