More Cuts at ESPN

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The Familiar Lousiness of the ESPN Layoffs – The Ringer

The ESPN layoffs remind me of the gutting of newspaper sports pages that has been going on in fits and starts for two decades. Talk to people who worked for newspapers in the ’90s and they’ll tell you they thought their paper was as “invincible” as the Worldwide Leader. After all, classified-ad dollars were going to keep rolling in like cable subscriber fees. Newspaper writers were going to do good work, make decent money, and cruise into retirement age.

When the first layoffs came, they didn’t take out the loudmouth columnist, just as ESPN didn’t take out Stephen A. Smith. No, the first layoffs surgically removed the organs of the paper — that feature writer graying at the temples; the horseracing writer; the sports TV columnist. And so ESPN cut Jeremy Crabtree, who covered college recruiting; soccer writer Mike L. Goodman; and the redoubtable Werder, who wore a hole in the ground standing outside the Cowboys’ practice facility in Valley Ranch.

The newspaper sports page left behind after the layoffs may have looked the same. But it was flimsier and more top-heavy and, on a slow news day, it was clear it didn’t have anything resembling a bench. Starting today, I think we’ll think the same thing about ESPN.

 

People get really weird about ESPN.

Remember -- ESPN is not the sports equivalent of the New York Times. ESPN is a sports programming network, and some of that programming is journalistic in nature. A lot of it isn't.

Stephen A. Smith is safe because ESPN makes many millions of dollars off of a show built entirely around Stephen A. Smith. Stephen A. Smith was about 100 times more valuable to ESPN than Ed Werder was. (And let the record show, I think Ed Werder is damn good at his job and I think SAS is an assclown. It's still a business. SAS makes money for the business.) At some point it's like complaining that CBS lets go of its Istanbul bureau chief while keeping the guy from "The Big Bang Theory." Their value is not the same.

I feel terrible for everyone involved. I've been laid off before. It sucks. It also sucks for the people who stick around after their co-workers are gone. I hate seeing this happen.

That said... I keep looking at the list and thinking "Who the hell are these people?" ESPN had gotten insanely bloated. For every "name" on the layoff list there are seven or eight people I've never seen or heard of. With all due respect to the guy who had the job, I would have been nervous as hell from day one as ESPN's University of Wisconsin reporter. It's just really hard to see how that made any sense for a national company.

 

Everybody is citing the continued employed of Stephen A. Smith as an abomination and a waste of money. But wouldn't he be under contract? I'd bet a large sum that they have to pay him regardless, so there would be no savings in ditching him.

 

Also out: Dr. Jerry Punch. One of those guys I'd forgotten was there.

EDIT: And legal analyst Roger Cossack. Because no athlete will ever get into trouble, nor will any team ever try to break a lease.

 

I am still not sure how or why people here are so adamant that quality has zilch to do with people choosing to cut back on cable packages or to drop them entirely.

There will always be people who cut the cord to cut costs or to be cool or to try something new. But there are people -- more than some here want to believe -- who make that decision based on perceived quality. My own cable package is not what it once was. The driving force behind that is saving money and lacking time to watch some things, but quality plays a major role. If the next tier were worth getting, I would probably do it.

 

Yes. There has been mention of some people being told their contract isn't being renewed -- he would definitely fall into that category if it happened.

 

To be fair, I actually agree with Vigilante 1's point. But the seeds for this crap were sown a long time ago. Anyone who questioned it was told to get a sense of humor or to stop longing for the days of antiquated SportsCenter.

 

Alright. According to Google, his contract expires "at the end of 2017." So it would have cost something like $2 million to send him away.

If he's there next year, it's a sign of their programming decisions, but for now it's just a business move.

 

I suspect they were trying to save some bucks by decamping to a right to work state, plus there was a talent pool to draw from with Raycom Media alumni and folks who've done NASCAR work. SEC Network is produced out of there too, or at least was when I went to sleep last night.

 

It's both. Within the parameters of its budget, ESPN consciously decided it had room for SAS and not a Jayson Stark. Priorities have changed.

 

An excellent post.

Now, the stream of responses from the people who refuse to believe your point. In 5 ... 4 ... 3 ...