Big layoffs at ESPN, including Hodger and my favorite, Dana O'Neil + Andy Katz

Yep, 100%. LeBatard's show is barely even 50% sports, it's about the furthest things from Mike & Mike. I'm with you...been listening to that show religiously for about 7 years now, long before they went national. I don't even particularly like Dan, but the rest of the crew/shipping container plus the setup and premise? Absolutely hilarious.

I about lost it when I saw they had Tone Loc on. Just so ridiculous it was amazing.


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I really miss SVP and Russillo, I could listen to their Boston "accent" portion all day long!

Did Danny Kanell get the axe?
 


That one shocks me. One of the best employees they had.

I would imagine the ones that got cut had a lottery element to it, otherwise Disney would be setting themselves up for age, race, gender discrimination lawsuits.
 

I would imagine the ones that got cut had a lottery element to it, otherwise Disney would be setting themselves up for age, race, gender discrimination lawsuits.

No.


You can have objective ways to fire/lay employees off without it being a lottery or for discriminatory factors. Unless I'm completely misunderstanding what you meant by "lottery".
 



Wow - this is shocking:

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Go Gophers!!
 





Couple of articles on the ESPN situation:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...g-the-networks-issues/?utm_term=.d4211c73a1c0
http://theweek.com/articles/694772/how-espn-went-from-powerhouse-bloodbath

I wonder if pro athletes today and through the next 10 years or so will be living in the glory days of outrageous salaries. I'm assuming TV broadcasting packages will start coming down. I suppose this will also mean less money for BTN in the future.

Said this earlier in the thread, but I'd put money on there being at least one major lockout over this. Probably the NFL.
 

Couple of articles on the ESPN situation:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...g-the-networks-issues/?utm_term=.d4211c73a1c0
http://theweek.com/articles/694772/how-espn-went-from-powerhouse-bloodbath

I wonder if pro athletes today and through the next 10 years or so will be living in the glory days of outrageous salaries. I'm assuming TV broadcasting packages will start coming down. I suppose this will also mean less money for BTN in the future.

My bet is on baseball, because even more than national TV contracts (which for MLB pale in comparison to those of the NFL and NBA), baseball relies on major deals in their local markets, which appear to be even less sustainable long-term than national deals. Add to the mix the most powerful union in sports and I'm afraid there could be a repeat of the ugliness of the mid-90s.
 


My bet is on baseball, because even more than national TV contracts (which for MLB pale in comparison to those of the NFL and NBA), baseball relies on major deals in their local markets, which appear to be even less sustainable long-term than national deals. Add to the mix the most powerful union in sports and I'm afraid there could be a repeat of the ugliness of the mid-90s.

Don't sleep on the lingering resentment between players and management in football, though - it's been quietly brewing for a while, not least because of the concussion settlement ugliness. Remember we almost got a lockout during the last labor dispute, and that was when TV revenues were increasing. NFL players are also relatively undercompensated compared to baseball and basketball players, a fact which sticks out even more when you consider football is far more popular than either. They aren't going to take kindly to losing their share when management has basically been winning for decades. The NFL also doesn't have a viable streaming service - they're lagging behind every other major sports league.

To be honest, the question isn't whether or not there's going to be a major lockout - the question is how many lockouts there'll be.
 



Don't sleep on the lingering resentment between players and management in football, though - it's been quietly brewing for a while, not least because of the concussion settlement ugliness. Remember we almost got a lockout during the last labor dispute, and that was when TV revenues were increasing. NFL players are also relatively undercompensated compared to baseball and basketball players, a fact which sticks out even more when you consider football is far more popular than either. They aren't going to take kindly to losing their share when management has basically been winning for decades. The NFL also doesn't have a viable streaming service - they're lagging behind every other major sports league.

To be honest, the question isn't whether or not there's going to be a major lockout - the question is how many lockouts there'll be.

They don't have an all-in-one because of the nature of their existing contracts. DirecTV does stream Sunday Ticket and the broadcast games are often available via the individual network (NBC and ESPN both do.) I would bet that when the current DirecTV deal is up, Amazon or Google will win the rights or it will be some sort of package deal.
 

They don't have an all-in-one because of the nature of their existing contracts. DirecTV does stream Sunday Ticket and the broadcast games are often available via the individual network (NBC and ESPN both do.) I would bet that when the current DirecTV deal is up, Amazon or Google will win the rights or it will be some sort of package deal.

Andy Katz was definitely one of my favorites. Add this on top of the ACC bias in basketball, the SEC bias in...everything, the lovefest for a mega-cheater (UNC), an annoying focus on the major market teams, and awful analysis, and I have one more reason NOT to watch ESPN.

Hopefully my cable prices will go down as ESPN falls by the wayside and can't charge as much. Yeah right.
 


Saddest thing about this is the ones who brought substance to ESPN's various platforms (basketball only), O'Neill, Katz, and Brennan are gone. Not a great day for the story tellers and the hit the ground day to day journalists that provide real information and some analysis. It will reduce desire and need I have for going to ESPN's app and website. Like a lot of others, I abandoned non game programming on ESPN years ago, with the exception of the 30 for 30 documentaries, which in general are really good. ESPNU which often had poor production, won't get any better, and the others will decline as well. Likely to be miserable for those left behind, too, as the Leader transitions into something new.

Count me amazed that Myron survived and Brennan and Katz didn't.
 

Count me amazed that Myron survived and Brennan and Katz didn't.

That one definitely a head-scratcher. Guessing a lot of close followers of college basketball are thinking the same thing, including his cohorts at ESPN.
 

Saddest thing about this is the ones who brought substance to ESPN's various platforms (basketball only), O'Neill, Katz, and Brennan are gone. Not a great day for the story tellers and the hit the ground day to day journalists that provide real information and some analysis. It will reduce desire and need I have for going to ESPN's app and website. Like a lot of others, I abandoned non game programming on ESPN years ago, with the exception of the 30 for 30 documentaries, which in general are really good. ESPNU which often had poor production, won't get any better, and the others will decline as well. Likely to be miserable for those left behind, too, as the Leader transitions into something new.

Count me amazed that Myron survived and Brennan and Katz didn't.

Actually ESPNU might get better. They had separate production studios in Charlotte, NC but it is being shut down, and everything will be handled from the Bristol campus.
 


Not sure about their contracts but that one could have been purely $$$ related.

Probably right. On a related note, are they just doing more with less, or will they be bringing up Triple A talent to replace the higher paid cast offs? There is a lot of on-air talent gone, just in numbers. Interesting to see where this goes.
 


Probably right. On a related note, are they just doing more with less, or will they be bringing up Triple A talent to replace the higher paid cast offs? There is a lot of on-air talent gone, just in numbers. Interesting to see where this goes.

Myron P Metcalf coming to a TV near you. Get pumped.
 




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