OT: Big Layoffs at ESPN

RUschool

Heisman
Jan 23, 2004
49,910
14,001
78
I don't why everyone is cheering for the layoffs since it's people lives. I don't know when the BIG Ten contract expires but it will be lower next time which will affect us. All sports rights, college football, NBA, NFL and baseball will be negotiated down with the change that is occurring.
 

RUschool

Heisman
Jan 23, 2004
49,910
14,001
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I think you're seeing a wide trend of powerful media outlets are far left and believe if they push their agenda enough, the viewer will hop on board. However, a large amount of their viewers are either middle of the road or generally conservative and are really turned off by it.

You see it with Hollywood, you've seen it with this past election, you're seeing it sports. It's not a vast majority, but it's a large portion and I'd argue at least the majority by a bit.

This is a little out of the box, but you could make a decent argument that NASCAR tried to buy in to new-age sports to a degree and "progressiveness" to a degree , changing rules and technology etc...to try and appeal to that portion of society and while it seemed to work for a moment, they became bored with it and while that was all happening, "conservative" viewers that liked things the way they have been were lost. Now NASCAR ratings are in the absolute toilet as a result.
You're an idiot. Less people paying for cable , less ratings which means less revenue and paying too much for the sports rights.
 

knight90

Sophomore
Jun 22, 2009
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They got rid of both Big 10 bloggers Brian Bennett and Austin Ward who just put out an article on Janarion Grantt his morning.
 
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SJScarlet

All-Conference
Jan 30, 2006
1,991
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Oh man the schadenfreude is so strong...multiple media people FINALLY going after NJ.com and calling them trash. Of course it takes media layoffs to light a fire.
They learned their insensitivity to media layoffs from Julie Hermann!!
 

MulletCork

All-Conference
Sep 1, 2012
2,630
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They got rid of Jayson Stark, a great baseball reporter

Damn, he was a good writer for MLB too. Much more than just some talking head.

I saw that Danny Kannell and Trent Dilfer got shown the door on the NFL side too.

Man, it's carnage.
 
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Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
85,815
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Trent Dilfer.
 

jmc11201

Heisman
Dec 16, 2005
11,742
16,920
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Wow.

If they're getting rid of a legit, quality sports reporter/writer like him, I honestly don't know the direction they are taking.
If I were to guess, they will be more focused on 'minor' sports like X-Games, Lacrosse, etc...where content is less expensive and they can carve out a niche. Seems like major leagues (NFL, NHL, MLB) getting whacked good in terms of actual analysis of the sport (maybe the NBA an exception). So probably keep the talking heads and focus on niche stuff.
 

RUskoolie

Hall of Famer
Aug 1, 2007
220,821
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Is there any chance Beth Mowens gets her walking papers?

She has to be the worst college football announcer in history.

You think the SJW network is going to fire a female football broadcaster? If I know ESPN they will likely hire 4 more women broadcasters who are just as bad to call football games. (In before I'm called a msyognist).
 
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BlockR

Heisman
Dec 28, 2015
20,947
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politics and sports dont mix..maybe ESPin found that out in ratings recently..too bad..so sad..
 
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RURM85

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Dec 1, 2012
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So who's going to write the articles for the ESPN Big Ten blog now that Temple, Ward and Bennett have been let go? Or will they put the blog out to pasture?
 
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Dec 17, 2008
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The devil is in the details of those contracts. The story is the "purge" is going to eliminate up to 70 on air personalities who are making $1-3 million a year on average. Assume those cuts save them $140 million a year. That is less than they are paying the NFL for just one of the Monday Night Football games they get.

I get that live content is the only thing that can keep them going. My point is that they completely overpayed for the NFL and NBA contracts, hoping that was going to be the bold move that forced everyone to still need their family of channels for another decade, but that bold move failed. They are stuck with bad contracts with long terms yet to run, cord cutting keeps accelerating, and their overall cost structure due to those contracts is going to make it very hard for ESPN to reasonably price those new delivery methods you cite.
Overpaid is somewhat relative. If it's something that keeps you "alive" it's as much necessity as anything if you don't have a choice. Like I said I don't remember any of the numbers, just that they were all large. How much less they could have gotten away with paying? Who knows.

I've said I see the sports property market becoming more fractured in the future and if it really was budget busting all the more likely it will happen IMO. From the originator side there may be more pieces being sold of what in the past would be just one package (see B10 T1 rights) and from the network side probably more joint venture bidding like with the PAC12/B10 from Fox/ESPN. ESPN will have to loosen its grip on the monopoly it's had but if costs/expenses demand it well then what can you do.

Contractually not sure it's possible but even read one suggestion today that maybe ESPN could sell off pieces to some of the rights for the NBA/NFL they own. Basically, somewhat analagous to that joint network bidding I mention but don't know if it's even possible in the middle of a contract.

Bigger than the money issues looking out really long term I kind of wonder about what someone in thread mentioned that sports is less important with the younger generations and not as must see by and large with notable exceptions for big events. I kind of feel there may be some truth in that there may be a secular shift in the importance of sports in the future. Maybe not for some time but somewhere down the line.
 

MorrisAsh

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Dec 5, 2015
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I don't get the schadenfrued that some are spewing here. Most of these people are losing a dream job and will most likely have to relocate their families after dealing with an extensive job search. Don't know if any of you have dealt with the financial and mental pain of a job loss but it is a tough road.
 

bac2therac

Hall of Famer
Jul 30, 2001
238,705
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About the politics angles.. I wonder if this will be a purge of all those not playing on the same side as management. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they kept their most political employees. I am a little surprised that Disney has not fixed this situation already. They are a first class operation in taking care of their customers.. but I guess ESPN has been such a cash cow that they have been given free reign.

But in the bigger scheme of things.. I think ESPN's agenda-pushing toward conferences with which they have the biggest deals is as much to blame as anything else. While I hated it way-back-when when The Big Ten was ABC/ESPN's biggest deal and they pushed the Big Ten to no end... and then they orchestrated their number 2 conference deal.. the ACC.. to get better in football by raiding the Big East over and over... NOW.. with the rise of competition from Fox and BTN (50% owned by Fox).. and even NBCsports to a lesser extent.. ESPN has actually gotten WORSE in pushing the SEC and ACC.

They used to be the only game in town for sports news.. and now there are so many options at the same time they have gone overboard in pushing their products and their political leanings.


didnt they get rid of Sage Steele...a black women conservative reporter
 

Mikemarc

Heisman
Nov 28, 2005
69,080
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About the politics angles.. I wonder if this will be a purge of all those not playing on the same side as management. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they kept their most political employees. I am a little surprised that Disney has not fixed this situation already. They are a first class operation in taking care of their customers.. but I guess ESPN has been such a cash cow that they have been given free reign.

But in the bigger scheme of things.. I think ESPN's agenda-pushing toward conferences with which they have the biggest deals is as much to blame as anything else. While I hated it way-back-when when The Big Ten was ABC/ESPN's biggest deal and they pushed the Big Ten to no end... and then they orchestrated their number 2 conference deal.. the ACC.. to get better in football by raiding the Big East over and over... NOW.. with the rise of competition from Fox and BTN (50% owned by Fox).. and even NBCsports to a lesser extent.. ESPN has actually gotten WORSE in pushing the SEC and ACC.

They used to be the only game in town for sports news.. and now there are so many options at the same time they have gone overboard in pushing their products and their political leanings.


didnt they get rid of Sage Steele...a black women conservative reporter

She is still at ESPN
 
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bac2therac

Hall of Famer
Jul 30, 2001
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she actually didnt say that per se...Star Liar took her words out of context which were probably said with inflection and a sly wink if I know Julie

but anyhoo she was right about that rag and sports journalists who tend to trash people for a living everyday

the issue is that there were too many people working there..you dont need hundreds of bloggers when they are repeating themselves