ESPN fires Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Rose

[JohnFSilver]

They let go of Max Kellerman too and Keyshawn Johnson.

Even my old boss (used to be a contractor for ESPN) was laid off after 19 years.

Rough times at Disney.

I been there. Lol. Mis management.

They stopped hiring News journalists.

 

[Rowdy831]

ESPN like many other programmers have lost sight of what brought in the viewers. I will watch WCBB on ESPN and some college football but overall I think their talk shows are mostly forgettable. They do have a huge presence in sports but that is being challenged by a lot of other people with deep pockets and they are feeling the pinch.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I been there. Lol. Mis management.

They stopped hiring News journalists.

Once cold pizza became their top show they took that formula and ran with it. Unfortunately.

 

[Tampahusky]

Sad to hear Malika Andrews wasn’t let go. Jay Williams I’m hearing is gone that’s a plus. I liked Kellerman especially when talking about boxing.

 

[superjohn]

They went down the path of thinking they're a cable news organization. I don't care what your politics are, cover the damn games. Beyond that it's just tired controversy and constant arguing, none of them look like they're having any fun.

It's amazing how ESPN who created the genre and has all the resources are the ones who are so stale and tired.

TNT is just so much better for NBA and Fox Sports is just so much better for college hoops.

I found this a great moment, there's no better man and no more beloved guy in sports than Ernie...

 

[UCTitleTown]

I was laid off in my late 40s and that age the state requires employers to report it to the state to prove it wasn't age related, but part of larger cuts due to positions being completely eliminated, not just rehiring someone younger for less money. I never considered late 40s old, but I guess the state does. I imagine ESPN needs to justify laying off older employees which could be considered age discrimination in the the cases of Kolber and Van Gundy and others unless they accepted nice sewerage packages and agreed not to sue.

 

[NJHusky]

The fact that Kellerman makes $5m a year is astonishing. There are Hollywood stars who don't come near that amount of money. Breathtaking when I just read that.

The amount of money they pay announcers and sports shows hosts is mind numbingly stupid imo.

People don’t watch the games because of announcers, though we might like some folks better. 18million to broadcast 17 FB games???

They could replace every show host for someone making 20% and few shows would suffer.

 

[Fishy]

They went down the path of thinking they're a cable news organization. I don't care what your politics are, cover the damn games. Beyond that it's just tired controversy and constant arguing, none of them look like they're having any fun.

It's amazing how ESPN who created the genre and has all the resources are the ones who are so stale and tired.

TNT is just so much better for NBA and Fox Sports is just so much better for college hoops.

I found this a great moment, there's no better man and no more beloved guy in sports than Ernie...

The TNT crew is just some orbit above whoever is the second best.

They somehow paired the perfect people with each other.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Wow. That is a LOT of big names.

Disney is hurting bad with their seemingly endless stream of movie and show failures

 

[Tampahusky]

Oh man they let go of Todd McShay …. Todd Todd Todd !!! Loved him !

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

They went down the path of thinking they're a cable news organization. I don't care what your politics are, cover the damn games. Beyond that it's just tired controversy and constant arguing, none of them look like they're having any fun.

It's amazing how ESPN who created the genre and has all the resources are the ones who are so stale and tired.

TNT is just so much better for NBA and Fox Sports is just so much better for college hoops.

I found this a great moment, there's no better man and no more beloved guy in sports than Ernie...

They think they can be like Amazon and sit back and take everyone else’s ideas and it’s not working.

They even hired the guy who ran House of highlights to run their socials. Now it just looks like house of highlights part 2. Really lazy. They used to be innovators.

 

[huskymedic]

Oh man they let go of Todd McShay …. Todd Todd Todd !!! Loved him !

Suzy Kolber, Matt Hasselbeck and Steve Young also gone.

 

[Smp7598]

ESPN is fine and so is Disney. ESPN is becoming it's own entity soon and will report their own earnings, independent of Disney. Rumor has it they will be very impressive numbers.

Tell the people who just lost their jobs how great Disney and ESPN are doing.

 

[Tampahusky]

Suzy Kolber, Matt Hasselbeck and Steve Young also gone.

Amazing how a lot of the bad ones stayed. Must of been cheaper.

 

[superjohn]

The TNT crew is just some orbit above whoever is the second best.

They somehow paired the perfect people with each other.

Absolutely, I could listen to those guys talk about rocking chairs or brands of paper towels and they'll make it fun and entertaining.

Sports are supposed to be fun. ESPN has somehow managed to remove all fun from it which is really difficult to do.

 

[3rdbass]

Perkins by himself is not good. But him and RJ has made the NBA shows entertaining.

He’s taken on the role of Charles Barkley pretty much.

Edit to clarify: RJ making fun of Perk is entertaining.

Yep he is exactly the ESPN Charles Barkley. Comic relief and you can't take him seriously. I actually like Perk though over Barkley.

 

[3rdbass]

Sad to hear Malika Andrews wasn’t let go. Jay Williams I’m hearing is gone that’s a plus. I liked Kellerman especially when talking about boxing.

What is wrong with Malika? She is just q pretty host. All channels need one of those.

 

[3rdbass]

Absolutely, I could listen to those guys talk about rocking chairs or brands of paper towels and they'll make it fun and entertaining.

Sports are supposed to be fun. ESPN has somehow managed to remove all fun from it which is really difficult to do.

Yeah that is whyi don't mind Perks.

 

[Chin Diesel]

.................................................. none of them look like they're having any fun.

It's amazing how ESPN who created the genre and has all the resources are the ones who are so stale and tired.

This. They seemed to forget that many viewers want to watch sports for enjoyment and not as an extension of whatever viewers do outside of sports.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Oh man they let go of Todd McShay …. Todd Todd Todd !!! Loved him !

Suzy Kolber, Matt Hasselbeck and Steve Young also gone.

Tell the people who just lost their jobs how great Disney and ESPN are doing.

I wish no ill will towards any of them but they have all been compensated in the top 1% or 2% of income earners in this country for many years.

If there is a market for their skills, they'll get hired for it. If not, they should learn to code and be marketable (Strike that. AI is doing any coding worth getting paid for doing).

 

[alexd]

JVG is a surprise, he was actually good. The rest of the names that have come out aren't a surprise, Kellerman, Rose, Keyshawn were all terrible and easily replaceable

Remember when ESPN weekday morning shows were things like "Body Shaping"??

 

[superjohn]

Yeah that is whyi don't mind Perks.

There's nothing fun or funny about that guy, IMO. He's a bully and he's dumb. His non-stop Jokic bashing making it about race and getting the facts wrong should've warranted at least an apology.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Remember when ESPN weekday morning shows were things like "Body Shaping"??

I bet the ratings for Cory Everson and Kiana Thom were better than what they put om now. In the pre-internet era, those shows were gold.

The best sports TV people don't make it about themselves. But those who don't make it about themselves don't become the high paid star TV personalities. Very few of them manage to be unique and good at the same time. Cosell started it. Dickie V was one. John Madden for sure. Most of the time if they overdo it on the personality side they stop focusing on the game.

Guys like Nantz, Al Michaels, Vin Skully and Ernie Johnson never made it about them.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Remember when ESPN weekday morning shows were things like "Body Shaping"??