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ESPN Layoff Tracker
By Kyle Scott
Published:
To be clear: I take no joy in this. Some of the most talented people in the business work at ESPN, and they’re being let go through no fault of their own. But people want to know. Check back often.
Adding a major one up here: Jayson Stark.
Some more notables late yesterday and last night:
Andy Katz, Claire Smith, Jade McCarthy, Jaymee Sire, Dottie Pepper, Roger Cossack, Doug Glanville, Dallas Braden, and Rauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul Ibanez.
Confirmed:
ESPN not dicking around here. Werder was inarguably one of the more respected reporters, but he’s one-dimensional and ESPN seems to be valuing people they can use on a wide range of platforms. Still, to cut Werder the day before the NFL draft– ouch. It seems like Werder knew it was coming– he started a podcast (using the same cutting edge host we’re using).
Hockey reporter.
Hockey reporter. [I feel like this is going to be a theme– hockey is the ugly stepchild at WWL.]
Titans beat writer. I wonder how many of the NFL team writers they had travel to Bristol for the draft special last night will be let go today?
ESPN’s preeminent hockey guy.
More after the jump.
College basketball reporter. Used to cover Villanova for the Daily News and wrote a book about Jay Wright.
Big 10 reporter.
ESPNU reporter.
Soccer writer.
Hockey died.
UPDATE: Brutal reporting from Marisa Guthrie here– who reported that he was gone and now says he is not done, at least until his contract is up this summer.
Big 10 reporter.
MLB reporter.
MLB reporter.
College football. It seems like they are doing A LOT of specialized, web-based staff, with a few of the bigger names mixed in.
College writer.
College basketball.
College football writer. It seems now that they are focusing heavily on writers and keeping most on-air talent. It’s no longer about “writing”– it’s about audio and video and having a skillset that is more than writing good sentences. That’s how people consume, and more importantly it’s what can be monetized. But, that doesn’t excuse why dipshits like Stephen A. Smith still have a job. He makes ESPN money, sure, but I think they’d be surprised to learn that a sane, intelligent human could be just as interesting on TV.
College football writer.
College basketball writer.
Columnist.
College football analyst.
Dodgers reporter.
College basketball reporter.
Just leaving this here:
ESPN just had a segment on SportsCenter featuring one of their writers & her Etch A Sketch art. Can’t figure out why the ship is sinking. pic.twitter.com/IJ0cMKrTxl
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) April 26, 2017
Part of the problem is that ESPN thinks the answer to their problems is the surface-level fare they put on TV.
Nailed it:
https://twitter.com/Kyle_Feldscher/status/857279850322812928
Reporter.
GOOD GOD THE HUMANITY.
Here come the big ones.
College football.
Cold Pizza pioneer.
College basketball.
College basketball.
?
ESPN Radio.
NFL reporter and formerly of the Inquirer.
Dude.
I have no idea who this is.
I’m honestly not sure.
College sports.
Kyle Scott is the founder and editor of CrossingBroad.com. He has written for CBS Philly and Philly Voice, and been a panelist or contributor on NBC Sports Philly, FOX 29 and SNY TV, as well as a recurring guest on 97.5 The Fanatic, 94 WIP, 106.7 The Fan and other stations. He has more than 10 years experience running digital media properties and in online advertising and marketing.