ESPN on air personalities take another hit

[AU64 10,122]

Another batch to go in May...considering that basketball will be over then, I'm betting on NBA and college basketball "experts".   Though most of these people have job descriptions that refer to them as "Talent".....which right away tells me that many of them are drawing a paycheck under false pretenses ...the trend continues as we have discussed in the past. 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/espn-will-cut-40-air-personalities-may-161210167.html

[Gowebb11 9,313]

26 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Another batch to go in May...considering that basketball will be over then, I'm betting on NBA and college basketball "experts".   Though most of these people have job descriptions that refer to them as "Talent".....which right away tells me that many of them are drawing a paycheck under false pretenses ...the trend continues as we have discussed in the past. 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/espn-will-cut-40-air-personalities-may-161210167.html

I quit watching the talking head shows for sports, including ESPN several years ago. That includes Gameday and Finebaum. I simultaneously quit listening to politics on talk radio. I can't begin to explain how much happier and more positive I have been. 

[Randman5000 4,226]

They are cutting around 100. Many folks Tweeting goodbyes

[bigbird 60,456]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/early-lead/wp/2017/04/26/espn-announces-layoffs-with-100-people-reportedly-affected/

[auburnphan 6,050]

Very disappointing to see them release so many talented journalists and keep loudmouths like Corso, Finebaum, Hill and Smith.

[GwillMac6 20,663]

DO NOT want finebaum to go. Say what you want about the man but I like ESPN having a big sec fixture on their network in some shape, form or fashion. Keeps Auburn and the conference at the tip of everyones tongue and limelight. If espn goes under that will take a big chunk of Auburns revenue stream away because they and the other sec members make so much from the sec network money now.

[GwillMac6 20,663]

Classy words by Burt.

[AU64 10,122]

Three times in my working career I experienced major layoffs by my employer involving from several hundred to as many as a thousand people basically all at once and it's brutal. .  Real estate market was destroyed in a couple of towns that took years to recover and a mob of people with similar skills fighting over a handful of jobs.

A Sea change is going on and most of these people will not be able to find comparable jobs at comparable salaries for quite a while...if ever. 

[GwillMac6 20,663]

3 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Three times in my working career I experienced major layoffs by my employer involving from several hundred to as many as a thousand people basically all at once and it's brutal. .  Real estate market was destroyed in a couple of towns that took years to recover and a mob of people with similar skills fighting over a handful of jobs.

A Sea change is going on and most of these people will not be able to find comparable jobs at comparable salaries for quite a while...if ever. 

That is always tough to hear stories like that. Because you know so many families are being hurt by it. perfectly put and well said. Espn used to be able to go above and beyond the market value for anyone they wanted to come work there and those days are now over. Wherever else they go no doubt they will be taking a paycut. They have no leverage either since they are not being courted by another network while they are under contract from wwe. They are un employed now.

[warhogone 103]

Been there, done that, ain't fun. Having said that, I always watched ESPN for "sports reporting".  When they started trying to do investigative reporting, got into politics, chasing rabbits to fill time brackets, and moved away from what made them welcome in the American home, they lost me. Got too big for their britches and like many of us at various times in our life, have had to pay the piper.

[GwillMac6 20,663]

now THAT is one of the things that makes a GREAT Auburn Man!!! Way to go chuck!!! classy as heck!

[Gowebb11 9,313]

21 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

DO NOT want finebaum to go. Say what you want about the man but I like ESPN having a big sec fixture on their network in some shape, form or fashion. Keeps Auburn and the conference at the tip of everyones tongue and limelight. If espn goes under that will take a big chunk of Auburns revenue stream away because they and the other sec members make so much from the sec network money now.

I realize a lot of their issues are around more customers cutting the cable, but I also think there is some ESPN fatigue. I don't think ESPN is going under, but like many great organizations I believe they have strayed from their original business model. They we built on 24/7 sports events, intermingled with Sportscenter updates and highlights. They slowly morphed into 24/7 talking heads, intermingled with occasional sporting events. Lately they have even moved into some politically based themes. If I want to spend my time listening to guys sitting around arguing with each other or pushing some kind of agenda, I have about twenty channels to to choose from. They need to return to broadcasting sporting events and delivering highlights and updates.  

[GwillMac6 20,663]

17 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

I realize a lot of their issues are around more customers cutting the cable, but I also think there is some ESPN fatigue. I don't think ESPN is going under, but like many great organizations I believe they have strayed from their original business model. They we built on 24/7 sports events, intermingled with Sportscenter updates and highlights. They slowly morphed into 24/7 talking heads, intermingled with occasional sporting events. Lately they have even moved into some politically based themes. If I want to spend my time listening to guys sitting around arguing with each other or pushing some kind of agenda, I have about twenty channels to to choose from. They need to return to broadcasting sporting events and delivering highlights and updates.  

none of that would matter honestly if there was not the cord cutting option. So many people pay for espn who never even watch sports. That is what this all comes back to. People can say they do not watch espn all they want if they have cable or satellite but guess what? They are still making money off of you. I def agree people are tired about wanting to go watch sports and them turning it in to shoving their political agenda down our throats. People want to get away from that when they watch sports. There is WAY MORE politics fatigue imo after this election cycle was the most cutthroat ever. But it all comes back to because of cord cutting they are losing 10k subscribers a day and they have lost 13 million since 2011 when they had 100 million subscribers. They are down to 87 and keep on losing more and more as we speak. Their business module is dead. There is no great programing in the world they can do to turn it around.

[AU64 10,122]

4 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

I realize a lot of their issues are around more customers cutting the cable, but I also think there is some ESPN fatigue. I don't think ESPN is going under, but like many great organizations I believe they have strayed from their original business model. They we built on 24/7 sports events, intermingled with Sportscenter updates and highlights. They slowly morphed into 24/7 talking heads, intermingled with occasional sporting events. Lately they have even moved into some politically based themes. If I want to spend my time listening to guys sitting around arguing with each other or pushing some kind of agenda, I have about twenty channels to to choose from. They need to return to broadcasting sporting events and delivering highlights and updates.  

Absolutely right...just grab your remote sometime in the morning on any weekday and then move the cursor across the time blocks and....for just about all of the ESPN stations...... their programming consists of a succession of talk shows...hours and hours of them....until eventually you get to maybe 7PM and you might finally find a ball game of some sort for a few hours and then the talk resumes.   I mean, who watches that stuff to that extent......at the very least it interests you, just get it on line in the background while you are doing something useful.   BUT....looks like reality has caught up with ESPN and some decisions that should have be made gradually and by attrition are now going to cause havoc with a lot of people's lives.

JMO but ESPN might go back to the old days of TV when channels were active just part of the day when they had targeted programming.....and did not feel the need to say something....anything...for 24/7.

 

[Gowebb11 9,313]

30 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Absolutely right...just grab your remote sometime in the morning on any weekday and then move the cursor across the time blocks and....for just about all of the ESPN stations...... their programming consists of a succession of talk shows...hours and hours of them....until eventually you get to maybe 7PM and you might finally find a ball game of some sort for a few hours and then the talk resumes.   I mean, who watches that stuff to that extent......at the very least it interests you, just get it on line in the background while you are doing something useful.   BUT....looks like reality has caught up with ESPN and some decisions that should have be made gradually and by attrition are now going to cause havoc with a lot of people's lives.

JMO but ESPN might go back to the old days of TV when channels were active just part of the day when they had targeted programming.....and did not feel the need to say something....anything...for 24/7.

 

It's kind of personal for me I guess. When Lou Holtz threw an AU helmet across the set because Gene Chizik was turning down their interview request, I lost a lot of respect for them. If that had been a Notre Dame or Bama helmet, he would have been fired. 

Back on topic, It will be a true test of ESPNs leadership to see if they can remake themselves to thrive under very different conditions than existed years ago. 

[AU64 10,122]

24 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

It's kind of personal for me I guess. When Lou Holtz threw an AU helmet across the set because Gene Chizik was turning down their interview request, I lost a lot of respect for them. If that had been a Notre Dame or Bama helmet, he would have been fired. 

Back on topic, It will be a true test of ESPNs leadership to see if they can remake themselves to thrive under very different conditions than existed years ago. 

Lou shilled for ND for as long as I remember and was unapologetic about it....ESPN did  ...and still does ....have their favorites. 

[Randman5000 4,226]

Mark May is gone.

Finally. Best o luck

[Randman5000 4,226]

https://www.google.com/amp/deadspin.com/a-running-list-of-espn-layoffs-1794664091/amp

 

The running list

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Interestingly I had lunch yesterday with my pastor who is Danny Kanell's brother-in-law.  Kanell is a born again believer and had been warned at various levels within the organization that even his personal tweets on Easter were offensive and problematic.  ESPN notified him and gave him 30 minutes to collect his belongings and get out.  Just one more in a long list of reasons to hate that beast.

[GwillMac6 20,663]

52 minutes ago, PowerOfDixieland said:

Interestingly I had lunch yesterday with my pastor who is Danny Kanell's brother-in-law.  Kanell is a born again believer and had been warned at various levels within the organization that even his personal tweets on Easter were offensive and problematic.  ESPN notified him and gave him 30 minutes to collect his belongings and get out.  Just one more in a long list of reasons to hate that beast.

just WOW. I mean I dunno where to start........ SO sad. But also not suprising.

[AUsince72 11,084]

3 hours ago, PowerOfDixieland said:

Interestingly I had lunch yesterday with my pastor who is Danny Kanell's brother-in-law.  Kanell is a born again believer and had been warned at various levels within the organization that even his personal tweets on Easter were offensive and problematic.  ESPN notified him and gave him 30 minutes to collect his belongings and get out.  Just one more in a long list of reasons to hate that beast.

Yes, it's one of those "elephant in the room" things that so many are afraid to talk about but bspn has been the MSNBC/CNN of sports channels for years now.  Conservative minded people need not apply, but they'll sign all the brash, trashy, morally questionable figures that they could get their hands on.  They may be fun to watch in the field, on the court, whatever but that just doesn't translate to an information format.  I'm sure the young, urban, hip, millennial whatever thinks it's all cool and funny watching all the posturing and lingo but in the end its all fluff and garbage.  

I suspect a lot of what's left of their viewers are like me, and other posters I've read, and pretty much only watch when a game is ACTUALLY being broadcast.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

3 hours ago, AUsince72 said:

I suspect a lot of what's left of their viewers are like me, and other posters I've read, and pretty much only watch when a game is ACTUALLY being broadcast.

Seems like a reasonable business model that just might could make it...a 24 hour all sports channel that shows all manner of sporting events.  The controlling every aspect of every level and every variety of sports was what killed the goose.  That and Caitlyn Jenner being named most courageous athlete when Lauren Hill should have been the only person considered.  Anybody know what happens when you sell your soul for "all these things I will give you" and the bill comes due?  This is it.

[GwillMac6 20,663]

Just now, PowerOfDixieland said:

Seems like a reasonable business model that just might could make it...a 24 hour all sports channel that shows all manner of sporting events.  The controlling every aspect of every level and every variety of sports was what killed the goose.  That and Caitlyn Jenner being named most courageous athlete when Lauren Hill should have been the only person considered.  Anybody know what happens when you sell your soul for "all these things I will give you" and the bill comes due?  This is it.

A wrestling YOU SOLD OUT chant would be so appropriate towards them right now. Like clay travis says most of sports fans (especially football) are middle america and most are not liberal. They do not know their audience.

[GwillMac6 20,663]

6 hours ago, PowerOfDixieland said:

Interestingly I had lunch yesterday with my pastor who is Danny Kanell's brother-in-law.  Kanell is a born again believer and had been warned at various levels within the organization that even his personal tweets on Easter were offensive and problematic.  ESPN notified him and gave him 30 minutes to collect his belongings and get out.  Just one more in a long list of reasons to hate that beast.

Like I always have said about Kanell is I do not think he is particularly great at his job lol. (I listened to his show every day because his on air partner russillo is one of my favorite sports personality) But you could always tell he is a great guy, super nice, always treated people with respect and great family guy. Espn does not want you to speak up about your beliefs IF you do not share their own similar beliefs. It is why Curt Schilling was fired and Sage Steele was demoted.

[AU64 10,122]

9 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

A wrestling YOU SOLD OUT chant would be so appropriate towards them right now. Like clay travis says most of sports fans (especially football) are middle america and most are not liberal. They do not know their audience.

It was has been hard to know what their audience target is.....seems like maybe the "smart"  urban and millennial set....but without knowing that those are the first folks to be cutting the cable....or maybe never even attaching it to begin with.    They have been able to keep themselves on most cable systems....so they are getting the base money there but as far as eyeballs looking at the screens, that number has to be going down and advertisers are not going to pay big ad fees when nobody is watching.

Looks like they played no favorites though....got some of their most loyal sycophants like May, along with folks like Kanell and Sage.