ESPN Layoffs

• like_that

  

  Might as well start a thread. Here is a list that keeps getting updated:
  
  https://sports.yahoo.com/news/updated-list-biggest-names-laid-150419050.html
  
  I am actually pretty surprised Kanell got canned. Russillo & Kanell are one of the few shows ESPN have worth tuning in.
• like_that

  

  Heretic;1849884 wrote:I think the main problem with ESPN is a mix of a few issues.
  
  1. Costs a shit-ton to buy rights for various pro/college leagues. Adding to that, a lot of conferences are exploring their own networks. Like, I saw a decent few of the guys being let go are NHL people (ESPN doesn't have their rights) and people covering the B1G (has their own station).
  
  2. Leading to a lot of programming being more "entertainment" and less sports. Tons of highlight shows, tons of HOT TAEK shows and so on. Sort of like how MTV went away from music videos and into reality shows and other shit, ESPN went away from broadcasting sports and put more of a focus on their anchors and commentators being entertaining, either with catch-phrases and one-liners (SC) or with loud, crazy opinions (every fucking hot taek show).
  
  3. And also way too much "dead air" to the casual viewer. Constant re-running of SportsCenter (which they've always done, to be fair) and a lot of niche stuff like spelling bees and so on, which might have value to some people, but none whatsoever to me.
  
  Like, for example, this is baseball season. So what does ESPN have? Wednesday night, Sunday night and Monday night. One national game each night, usually focused around the same handful of markets (I've seen my Pirates twice...both times against the Cubs, so I think we can all guess what team they were there for). Hell, their next three games (counting tonight) are all games in Boston. Then, the next three all feature the Yankees as one of the two teams involved. Unless you're a fan of one of the big-market teams they focus their coverage around, they have next-to-no value as far as baseball goes, because you can get any info you can glean from any of their countless highlight shows from the Internet.

  Took this post from the politics forum. I think #2 can attribute to 90% of the reason they are failing. Sadly, the competing stations think this is what the viewers want as well.
  
  It used to be a solid formula, because it was a "fresh" take on sports coverage. Viewers have grown tired of it. The Lebron departure was the culmination of ESPN's hot taek douchniess, and I think they have been on a decline since that day.
• sleeper

  

  With all these layoffs, where will you guys get your sports opinions? Might actually have to watch games now. Big loss.
• friendfromlowry

  It's ironic the people they lay off but keep around SaS, Lebatard, StuGotz, tried to keep Skip Bayless last year, etc. There's no way those guys are that well liked or popular.
• Laley23

  

  I'm pretty sad to see Dana O'Neil and Eammon Brennan go. 2 GREAT College Basketball Journalists. That said, I'm sure they will be scooped up and I can continue to read them.
  
  Sounds like ESPN will be outsourcing a lot of their coverage now. Particularly MLB and NHL. MLBN's "MLB Tonight" is light years ahead of what "Baseball Tonight" is, will be interesting to see which programming they bring over.
• Iliketurtles

  

  Laley23;1849941 wrote:I'm pretty sad to see Dana O'Neil and Eammon Brennan go. 2 GREAT College Basketball Journalists. That said, I'm sure they will be scooped up and I can continue to read them.
  
  Sounds like ESPN will be outsourcing a lot of their coverage now. Particularly MLB and NHL. MLBN's "MLB Tonight" is light years ahead of what "Baseball Tonight" is, will be interesting to see which programming they bring over.

  Definitely agree with you. Loved reading Dana and Eammon. I didn't watch SC at all anymore but always loved Jay Crawford back from Cold Pizza. Len Elmore, Ed Werder and Jayson Stark are long timers who will be missed loved their work as well.
  
  It sucks when people lose their job and I'm not happy about them being fire but people who I won't miss - Trent Dilfer, Jane McManus, and Jean Jacques Taylor.
• Heretic

  

  Laley23;1849941 wrote:I'm pretty sad to see Dana O'Neil and Eammon Brennan go. 2 GREAT College Basketball Journalists. That said, I'm sure they will be scooped up and I can continue to read them.
  
  Sounds like ESPN will be outsourcing a lot of their coverage now. Particularly MLB and NHL. MLBN's "MLB Tonight" is light years ahead of what "Baseball Tonight" is, will be interesting to see which programming they bring over.

  Yeah, Brennan's Bubble Watch columns was one of my favorite reads on their site. Actually, it might have been the only thing I regularly read there.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  like_that;1849927 wrote:Took this post from the politics forum. I think #2 can attribute to 90% of the reason they are failing. Sadly, the competing stations think this is what the viewers want as well.
  
  It used to be a solid formula, because it was a "fresh" take on sports coverage. Viewers have grown tired of it. The Lebron departure was the culmination of ESPN's hot taek douchniess, and I think they have been on a decline since that day.

  I'll throw tebow couverage into the mix as well.
• wildcats20

  

  Dr. Punch from NASCAR coverage and used to do college football was also let go. 30 years at espn.
• like_that

  

  https://twitter.com/stoolpresidente/status/857310591010172928
• Ironman92

  

  A couple posts of thoughts and info I won't take credit for from RedsZone
  
  
• friendfromlowry

  Michael Wilbon‏Verified account @RealMikeWilbon 28m28 minutes agoMore
  
  
  
  Ans as the news continues to trickle out and texts arrive I find out that more friends, like Britt McHenry, are on that list...
  
  
  This was from about 12:15am and is really odd to me. Britt McHenry hasn't said anything about the layoffs (most everyone Tweeted when they found out). Her last Tweet was Wednesday afternoon when she talked about being on Sportscenter draft coverage Thursday morning.
  I think Wilbon meant to say Brett McMurphy? But Brett was one of the first laid off, so it doesn't really sync with this or the rest of Wilbon's tweets. Crazy that he either outed McHenry before she got a chance to address it or started some confusion that she was laid off.
• Azubuike24

  

  Andy Katz. Wow. He WAS their college basketball coverage.
• wildcats20

  

  Azubuike24;1850076 wrote:Andy Katz. Wow. He WAS their college basketball coverage.

  Wow. That's pretty unbelievable.
• Iliketurtles

  

  Azubuike24;1850076 wrote:Andy Katz. Wow. He WAS their college basketball coverage.

  Holy Shit... Definitely did not expect that one either. This might be the biggest name to me.
• like_that

  

  They need Dicky V's old ass to continue to be a caricature of himself.
• Automatik

  

  Azubuike24;1850076 wrote:Andy Katz. Wow. He WAS their college basketball coverage.

  
  Can't believe this one either. Fuck ESPN.
• wildcats20

  

  friendfromlowry;1850041 wrote:Michael Wilbon‏Verified account @RealMikeWilbon 28m28 minutes agoMore
  
  
  
  Ans as the news continues to trickle out and texts arrive I find out that more friends, like Britt McHenry, are on that list...
  
  
  This was from about 12:15am and is really odd to me. Britt McHenry hasn't said anything about the layoffs (most everyone Tweeted when they found out). Her last Tweet was Wednesday afternoon when she talked about being on Sportscenter draft coverage Thursday morning.
  I think Wilbon meant to say Brett McMurphy? But Brett was one of the first laid off, so it doesn't really sync with this or the rest of Wilbon's tweets. Crazy that he either outed McHenry before she got a chance to address it or started some confusion that she was laid off.

  She was let go.
• like_that

  

  Has it been confirmed whether Bucci was let go or not?
• friendfromlowry

  like_that;1850121 wrote:Has it been confirmed whether Bucci was let go or not?

  
  He wasnt let go.
• Ironman92

  

  Anyone find a link on what these ESPN employees salaries are?
• Heretic

  

  Ironman92;1850014 wrote:A couple posts of thoughts and info I won't take credit for from RedsZone
  
  

  RedsManRick stealing my "ESPN is becoming MTV" take! Because I know I have to be the only one who thought of that himself! Definitely.
• Heretic

  

  like_that;1850098 wrote:They need Dicky V's old ass to continue to be a caricature of himself.

  You can either have a legit good reporter or you can have a long-timer who yells a lot, but has "personality". You're ESPN. The choice is obvious.
• Benny The Jet

  

  like_that;1849923 wrote:Might as well start a thread. Here is a list that keeps getting updated:
  
  https://sports.yahoo.com/news/updated-list-biggest-names-laid-150419050.html
  
  I am actually pretty surprised Kanell got canned. Russillo & Kanell are one of the few shows ESPN have worth tuning in.

  Agreed, I listened to Russillo and Kanell on my way home from work every day, liked his input most of the time. During this past college football season and heading into the playoffs, he did get really annoying with his analogies of why PSU should be in. I wonder if they'll have Adnand step in now? Stark and Werder were surprises as well.
• Laley23

  

  Intentional Talk will be added to ESPN on May 1, simulcast from MLBN.
  
  Word is Bucci will be let go when contract is up (or not resigned) later this year, as that is cheaper than a parting package.
  
  Richard Dietsch reporting BBTN is basically done, with a standalone "pregame" version before Sunday Night Baseball.
  
  They have lost a ton of their college basketball coverage. I probably only read that sports stuff on ESPN. Brennan, Katz and O'Neil are big loses for that sport. If they part with Medcalf, I will have zero reason to read ESPN articles again.