NFL Network’s layoffs continue.
Having been purchased by ESPN at the start of the year for an estimated $2 billion, NFL Network now appears to be being dismantled for parts.
“Over the past several months, we’ve made significant progress integrating the NFL assets that we acquired into ESPN,” the memo from ESPN read.
“Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our collective teams, resources and organizational structure to best position us for the future.
“As a result, we had to make some difficult decisions about job impacts that we will be communicating today.”
As of writing, eight of the network’s on-air talents have been laid off, spearheaded by analyst Ryan Clark and insider Tom Pelissero while Pat McAfee is reportedly earmarked for a bigger role within the revamped offering.
Clark’s lay-off was particularly damning as the announcement was made during an appearance on Monday’s NFL Live show, with him leaving the program midway through, and not returning.
His future, though, was brought into doubt due to reports that his relationship with ESPN executives had ‘soured’ after an on-air exchange with colleague Peter Schrager last year.
Other names who have so far been affected include MLB play-by-play announcer and host Karl Ravech, SportsCenter anchor David Lloyd, and First Take contributor Cam Newton.
Sports media personality Dave Portnoy is raging about what is unfolding in the industry.
The Barstool Sports founder took to social media on Tuesday, where he took a swipe at ESPN for their lack of loyalty to their employees.
“Another glaring difference between ESPN and Barstool,” Portnoy posted to X. “When our stars become huge and command tons of money like Mcafee at ESPN we part ways rather than fire people who have been with us for decades to pay for the 1 star.
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“Loyalty matters here. At ESPN, there is no such thing. Not saying our way is right but just more family vs corporate.”
Whilst Portnoy outlined how Barstool would never act in the way that ESPN has done, he does take a swipe at some of their existing employees in response to the lay off of Karl Ravech, questioning why Mina Kimes, in particular, is still there.
“Boo!!!! Karl Ravech is awesome! How does Mina Kimes have a job before Ravech? Mina Kimes is the worst of the worst of the worst!” he posted.
When challenged on his view by somebody in the comments, Portnoy fired back with, “Mina Kimes is the definition of trash. Read a book for me 1 time. Specifically my book. I’d tag Mina but she’s a coward and blocked me.”
Kimes is a well-respected journalist at ESPN, having served at the network since 2014, before being announced as an NFL analyst for NFL Live from 2020.
Stephen A. Smith speaks out on ESPN cuts
ESPN frontman Stephen A. Smith, who penned a five-year, $105 million deal to remain with the network at the start of last year took to his titular YouTube show on Tuesday afternoon where he was left furious by the layoffs to some of his colleagues, especially Clark.
“My brother Ryan Clark, a person that I consider to be arguably the best NFL analyst in America, is no longer a member of ESPN. And I can’t even tell y’all how much that hurts,” Smith said.
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“I am not happy about this decision one bit. The bosses know I’m not happy about this decision. I’ve made that very very clear.
“… For all I know, and I don’t know the names yet, but for all I know, some more of my friends are going to be gone. The only thing that I can definitively say to you is that there’s nobody that’s going to be let go that was more of a friend and a brother to me than Ryan Clark.
“… Working with somebody like Ryan Clark. Anytime I talked about the NFL, anytime I talked about life, I walked away feeling that way about him, because I had just finished talking with him or debating with him or arguing with him about something because the brother’s that smart.
“He’s that conscientious. He’s that thoughtful. He’s that sincere. He’s that real. He’s that authentic.
“And over the last few hours, I had to really really refrain,” Smith continued.
“Damn near got blisters on my tongue and my fingers from biting my tongue and biting my fingers from refraining from going after folks when I saw how people were talking about him. I was like, ‘they don’t know him at all’.
“… I just wish that I could have been in enough of an influential or powerful position to prevent his exit from happening.”
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