ESPN Layoffs

NCHawker

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ESPN layoffs include:
Jalen Rose
Todd McShay
Jeff Van Gundy
Mike Breen
Mark Jackson
Suzy Kolber
Max Kellerman
Steve Young
David Pollack
Matt Hasslebeck
Keyshawn Johnson
Jason Fitz
LaPhonso Ellis
Rob Ninkovich
Ashley Brewer
Joon Lee
Jordan Cornette

More expected today.
 
There are some surprises on this list but none more than their entire first-string lineup for NBA games. I don't watch much NBA in the regular season but do towards the end of the playoffs and Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson were good.

I think this is emblematic of the cord cutting that has affected all of the linear networks. This type of thing is pretty common recently and will continue at least until things level out.
 
David Pollack was my favorite. Being a multiple time All-American at Georgia, he gives very good analysis and insight. He'll easily find a job. If nothing else, the SEC Network. Wait, never mind. He just got fired from there.
 
None of these people are making less than mid six figures and most are more than that, and many were millionaires before getting hired . They’ll be fine and they’ll all find new jobs if they want. If this puts them in a financial pinch then they shouldn’t have been stupid enough to have 7 figure mortgages and Lambos.

No one here has taken this stance, but there are people out in the Twitterverse and beyond acting like ESPN is Ebeneezer Scrooge putting a bunch of fuckin’ orphans in the gutter. Do not feel sorry for these folks. Be upset about losing your favorite announcers or be upset with ESPN for doing something you think is stupid, but no one should feel bad or rage about the “humanity” of this situation.

These people are all absurdist caricatures of real people with real jobs and bills.
 
None of these people are making less than mid six figures and most are more than that, and many were millionaires before getting hired . They’ll be fine and they’ll all find new jobs if they want. If this puts them in a financial pinch then they shouldn’t have been stupid enough to have 7 figure mortgages and Lambos.

No one here has taken this stance, but there are people out in the Twitterverse and beyond acting like ESPN is Ebeneezer Scrooge putting a bunch of fuckin’ orphans in the gutter. Do not feel sorry for these folks. Be upset about losing your favorite announcers or be upset with ESPN for doing something you think is stupid, but no one should feel bad or rage about the “humanity” of this situation.

These people are all absurdist caricatures of real people with real jobs and bills.

I agree with everything you are saying, but it still sucks to get laid off. Having to hit the reset button when you do not want to is never fun, even if you have deep pockets.
 
Agreed. Some decent folks on that list but I've never liked Rose.

Wow...that's quite a list. What kind of nosedive is ESPN taking?

Looks like most of them are prob high salary people. they are dumping salary, apparently.

At this point, I only watch games on ESPN so doesn't really bother me.
 
ESPN layoffs include:
Jalen Rose
Todd McShay
Jeff Van Gundy
Mike Breen
Mark Jackson
Suzy Kolber
Max Kellerman
Steve Young
David Pollack
Matt Hasslebeck
Keyshawn Johnson
Jason Fitz
LaPhonso Ellis
Rob Ninkovich
Ashley Brewer
Joon Lee
Jordan Cornette

More expected today.
Beth Mowins?
 
Brad Nessler works for CBS so I couldn't care less about these layoffs. I appreciated Suzy and Steve Young, but the rest? Snore.............
 
None of these people are making less than mid six figures and most are more than that, and many were millionaires before getting hired . They’ll be fine and they’ll all find new jobs if they want. If this puts them in a financial pinch then they shouldn’t have been stupid enough to have 7 figure mortgages and Lambos.

No one here has taken this stance, but there are people out in the Twitterverse and beyond acting like ESPN is Ebeneezer Scrooge putting a bunch of fuckin’ orphans in the gutter. Do not feel sorry for these folks. Be upset about losing your favorite announcers or be upset with ESPN for doing something you think is stupid, but no one should feel bad or rage about the “humanity” of this situation.

These people are all absurdist caricatures of real people with real jobs and bills.

Well said. At this point of my life, the only thing I truly care about sports-wise is Iowa football, but I have a morbid curiosity about the rest of the Big Ten and the SEC as well. That's it. Nothing else. I will watch some basketball come late Franuary, but I haven't watched a single tournament game after the first weekend in years (probably coincides with Iowa basketball sucking for decades now).

The younger generations care far less about sports than the Boomers or Gen X did. And with population growth driven by immigration vast swaths of the new population only care about boxing or soccer and ESPN ain't got the content those folks are looking for.

I think ESPN is finally wising up to the fact that three people sitting at a desk and talking about LeBron's latest tweet is not of interest to anyone.

I saw that Keyshawn reportedly got paid $18 million on a 5 year deal. I mean come the hell on, how bad of a manager do you have to be to sign off on that? Most of these people don't really have any talent as TV personalities and the value of that skillset is worth a fraction of what it was years ago. Video killed the radio star and internet killed the TV star. I think it's hilarious that the "sit on your butt for 13 hours a day eating hydrogenated oil fried carbs and drinking swill high fructose corn syrup crap sold by our advertisers" model is shattering right before our eyes. It gives me hope for the future of our society.
 
Well said. At this point of my life, the only thing I truly care about sports-wise is Iowa football, but I have a morbid curiosity about the rest of the Big Ten and the SEC as well. That's it. Nothing else. I will watch some basketball come late Franuary, but I haven't watched a single tournament game after the first weekend in years (probably coincides with Iowa basketball sucking for decades now).

The younger generations care far less about sports than the Boomers or Gen X did. And with population growth driven by immigration vast swaths of the new population only care about boxing or soccer and ESPN ain't got the content those folks are looking for.

I think ESPN is finally wising up to the fact that three people sitting at a desk and talking about LeBron's latest tweet is not of interest to anyone.

I saw that Keyshawn reportedly got paid $18 million on a 5 year deal. I mean come the hell on, how bad of a manager do you have to be to sign off on that? Most of these people don't really have any talent as TV personalities and the value of that skillset is worth a fraction of what it was years ago. Video killed the radio star and internet killed the TV star. I think it's hilarious that the "sit on your butt for 13 hours a day eating hydrogenated oil fried carbs and drinking swill high fructose corn syrup crap sold by our advertisers" model is shattering right before our eyes. It gives me hope for the future of our society.


Is it about the younger generation caring less about sports or is it about how they consume it? Sports is the only thing we want to see in real time and how Disney cracks that code to appease shareholders is the only thing that matters to them.
 
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I agree with everything you are saying, but it still sucks to get laid off. Having to hit the reset button when you do not want to is never fun, even if you have deep pockets.
They don’t have to hit the reset button and it does not suck for them. They’re all rich enough to not have to work again if they don’t want to; these announcing jobs are cushy hobbies for these folks. Sorry.
 
David Pollack was my favorite. Being a multiple time All-American at Georgia, he gives very good analysis and insight. He'll easily find a job. If nothing else, the SEC Network. Wait, never mind. He just got fired from there.
Have to agree to disagree on that one
 
Is it about the younger generation caring less about sports or is it about how they consume it? Sports is the only thing we want to see in real time and how Disney cracks that code to appease shareholders is the only thing that matters to them.

It's both caring less and how they consume it. Sports is the only thing holding the cable bundle together but the commitments these companies have made are greater than the revenues they are drawing from the content licenses they bought. That's why Bally went under, NBC got rid of NBCSN and ESPN is slashing their variable costs. Fans think they want a direct to consumer model, but that's just going to substantially jack up prices for those who still watch and harm the future prospects even more.

Disney had a real opportunity to create a one-stop shop for college sports that they could have packaged onto a direct to consumer platform, but they failed to get the Big Ten, which is necessary top tier content to get a program like that to work.
 
Brad Nessler works for CBS so I couldn't care less about these layoffs. I appreciated Suzy and Steve Young, but the rest? Snore.............
Same I kinda like Todd McShay as well. What Young was doing for ESPN was just a side gig he's a busy dude with other Irons in the fire he'll be fine but I enjoyed seeing him sometimes. Suzy losing her gig really kinda sucks she's been there forever and was just a recognizable voice on NFL coverage she shoulda been able to leave on her terms. Get rid of someone else like Lee Corso or Desmond Howard. I'd be really curious to know how they decided on who goes and who stayed
 
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