A Struggling ESPN Lays Off Many On-Air Personalities

I used to love ESPN but now I gravitate more towards the networks associated with the individual sports like the MLB Network or NFL Network. Also, ESPN tries to be too funny in my opinion. A little humor is good but often times they go a bit overboard with the "comedy"

 

Time for FS1 to pick up the pieces. They should throw a lot of money at Jay Crawford and put him on the Morning Show.

 

Yeah, I tend to gravitate more towards the individual sports channels as well. I'm also really into hockey and they act like it doesn't exist. I don't find any of their shows entertaining outside of Sportscenter, which I'll have on in the mornings when eating breakfast or whatever.

Still crazy though to see it just fading away.

 

fuck fox sports though, all they do is hire the biggest tools in the industry

 

Thanks to the ESPN layoffs, they're going to get even bigger! At least there's a lot of talent in these recent layoffs.

 

I've hated the vibe, the comedy, the set.. There haven't really been very many things about Sportscenter I've liked in a long time lol.

 

a lot of people fired weren't even on air personalities, they were people who wrote incredible articles for the site. journalists to their core

 

Isn't it doing awful? Those Skip Bayless ratings are pathetic.

 

richard deitsch's tweets comparing random programming to skip bayless ratings is one of my favorite things on twitter

 

I was hoping that FS1 would actually present a viable alternative to ESPN, but holy shit FS1 is fucking awful.

 

I just do ESPN1000 radio here in Chicago and that a little much because of their midday guys sometimes...

 

It's in a weird time slot at 930am eastern I believe. If they put Crawford with someone else from 6-930am (or move Skip to 9), I think you could get a nice morning crowd throughout the country. Could be wrong.

 

I'm just saying, if FS1 were to show New Japan Pro Wrestling live or very close to the live show, I'd watch the hell out of that. I feel like a ton of wrestling fans would too.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

 

There's really no flow to the programming from what I've seen. If you built had Jay Crawford - Skip - Cowherd, it wouldn't be a bad lineup. The only problem is that they don't have a SportsCenter type show where they can fill in during the non peak hours.

 

That would be a killer move! Idk how much it would be but even television rights to RoH would be a solid get.

 

Basically fired the entire hockey coverage crew during the NHL playoffs. It's the epitome of how ESPN has treated the sport over the years. Pierre Lebrun is one of the best in the business, and it is a major fuck up to let him go. He and Burnside will be able to get jobs ASAP.

 

That would be awesome (or if they got RoH), but based on most Meltzer tweets, it sounds like NJPW does shitty on TV even in Japan. Their time slot is 2 AM. But he makes it sound like the culture (ie. it'd be even worse if they were on cable vs network) might be a contributing factor

 

I also have been reading that names like Hannah Storm and Ryen Russillo (especially with Kanell gone), will see their airtime reduced. It's too bad because I think they have some incredible talent at ESPN that get unnoticed because clowns like Stephen A. Smith are on the network. Wonder how long it will be until they cut Around the Horn and PTI to save money. But seriously, I can't believe some of the names they let go. I wouldn't be shocked if Kanell and Crawford are both scoped up by the end of the week.

 

I think it's weird that The Ringer is covering this. Although I see the connection because of Grantland, it seems really vindictive. Maybe I'm oblivious, but I don't see Rolling Stone writing about Billboard Magazine's subscription problems.

 

I'd love to see NBC expand their sports coverage and try to take the number 1 spot from ESPN eventually. They do a great job with everything they cover. ESPN has been bad for a long time and Fox has been garbage from the start, so I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that NBC could overtake them.

 

Getting rid of Ed Werder who was nothing but NFL for 17 years the day before the draft is super shitty. Couldn't hold off until Monday at least?

 

Never watched ESPN much because hockey is really the only sport I care about. And its pretty obvious ESPN doesn't care much for hockey.

 

Screw ESPN. Let's Go Penguins

 

Fuck me...Jayson Stark??? Really? He's about the only writer I make a point of following over there, and he's fantastic. Hope he finds work somewhere else fast.