The Athletic layoffs

It's interesting to me how effusive almost everyone was in their laid off posts about working at The Athletic. Don't know that I've ever seen such a ringing endorsement for a place from people who were just let go (as well as those still there like Moddy).

 

As I said, your view on "financial abuse" is pat. But that isn't a critique I'd levy at The Athletic alone.

 

That's kind of the template on public social media. And it's wise. The market is tough enough without the Trumpandemic. It's even more absurd now. Going out on the high road is the best course.

 

Good thoughts. Hard day. Praying for those who lost work and those whose friends did. I’ve been on both sides.

 

Without knowing the plans, etc. I feel safe in saying that giving those recently released health care for the rest of the year is commendable.

 

Wait, there were columns comparing Brees to Satan? My goodness, how did I miss them? Links please. I did read quite a few pointing out Brees' good works in the community.

Anyway, I'm devastated for the people who lost their jobs. I've been looking for full time work for years, and it's awful.

 

I obviously took some liberties with the hyperbole. I'll also admit that most of the hottest takes I saw/read were video clips and not columns. Just didn't seem like there was much diversity of opinion on a subject that is pretty divisive for the public at large.

Regardless, it's not my aim to take a dump on The Athletic. Some of my very good friends lost jobs today. I hate it.

 

First off, my butt is not miserable. It feels fine. At least today.

Second off, no I have never applied for a job at The Athletic.

Third off, I’m sick and tired of getting picked on every time I say something about The Athletic while everyone else here gets a free pass. No shit it’s terrible that 46 people lost their jobs today. We can all agree that there are some good people who deserve better. But I notice nowhere in your insult-nado do you offer any rebuttal to my criticisms about lack of strategy. As you and others have said, people left good jobs that it will be hard to get back. So that means you owe it to the rest of the people still employed to have something more structured than a spray and pray. I’m still getting the same promoted Mike Leach story from September popping up in my twitter feed in June for god sake. “Let’s throw shit at the wall and see which ones stick” is what you do at Monday’s football practice, not on Friday night when all the lights are on. In the 3-4 years people have been talking about The Athletic on this board I’ve yet to hear anything about KPIs or benchmarks. Just “oh they just hired so and so, they’ve got a good following on Twitter, be interested to see how they fit.” Or, “wow, they got more venture capital, wondering what ROI they’re expecting”. And for whatever reason every time I, and basically just I, voice a complaint, all I get is “STFU you’re just jealous you don’t work for them”. Are you shitting me.

Anybody else on this thread asks “Is the whole plan to just get acquired by somebody?” and we get three pages of jimbo234’s fuzzy bar napkin math. I ask why The Athletic is writing 2000-word soliloquies about the hot dogs in the Montreal Forum press box — something maybe 30 people care about, all of them in said press box — and apparently I’m just jealous because I wish I worked there. Yeah, you’re right, I wish I could get paid six figures to write about absolutely nothing with no guardrails. Meanwhile on planet earth the rest of us are living and dying by clicks and impressions, mostly for gas station wages, and if we don’t hit certain goals our asses are grass.

Again, obviously terrible what happened today. But you owe it to the hundreds of people who love it there, as you say, to have a real strategy that isn’t going to jeopardize their ability to support their families a year from now. That sports section you want us to “fall in love with again” is a halcyon passion to folks of a certain age but a relic to everyone else. Stop moving the goalposts and put up some guardrails.

TLDR: My butt is fine. I’ll be OK for now.

 

Awful. With sports planning to come back soon, I thought The Athletic might get through with no added pain.

Lots of talented people out in an even tougher job market.

 

Dude, this is pure bullshit.

Since the Athletic started you've posted barely-literate one-line snark here over and over and over. Now you get called on it and you're acting like you were just trying to spur dialog about KPIs or benchmarks.

Just stop.