After news broke Wednesday that ESPN would be cutting around 100 people, mostly on-air personalities, it wasn’t long before people pointed to the sports network’s continual detours into liberal politics as a probable cause.
Bleacher Report football columnist Michael Freeman slammed as “pathetic pieces of garbage” those who blamed politics for the layoffs, and Wednesday evening, ESPN Public Editor Jim Brady chimed in to clarify that the layoffs were a matter of economics, plain and simple; although he did acknowledge the network’s drift to one side of the political spectrum. Hmm … wonder which side?
It was just two weeks ago that Brady published a nearly 3,000-word essay concluding that “ESPN has made it clear: It’s not sticking to sports.”
My latest column: Like it or not, ESPN is not sticking to sports: https://t.co/tZ7wleaW5b
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 13, 2017
How's that working out for you?
— CoachSnow (@coachsnow) April 27, 2017
My latest comment: Like it or not, This is why you'll continue to lose viewers and have zero clout with carriers.https://t.co/zVEz7AMF9C
— BonkPolitics (@BonkPolitics) April 26, 2017
This won't end well. https://t.co/5vm84rZEEh
— Ken Gardner (@KenGardner11) April 26, 2017
Nope. Brady wasn’t quite as gruff as Freeman, but his message was similar: ESPN’s mix of sports and politics had nothing to do with the layoffs.
To those suggesting that ESPN's layoffs today were all because of politics or not "sticking to sports," I'm sorry, that's just silly. (1/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
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Layoffs are almost all about the less favorable economics of an unbundled cable world. Articles laying this out aren't hard to find. (2/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
As my November column mentioned, I think the network has drifted too far to one side politically, and I think that's a risky play. (3/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
And there are surely people who have abandoned ESPN because of its politics, or because they don't want culture coverage or whatever. (4/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
But just because some want this to be about the karma of ESPN’s political shift does not make it so. It's economics, pure & simple. (5/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
Newspaper economics didn't collapse because they shifted politically. They collapsed because people stopped buying ads & classifieds. (6/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
Like w/ ESPN, politics surely caused some to abandon papers, but to cite is as the key driver is more wishful thinking than reality. (7/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
Finally, sincere best wishes to those who lost their jobs today. Whatever you think of ESPN, humanity should override pettiness today. (8/8)
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
And, BTW, I am not a full-time ESPN employee. I work from outside the organization as part of this role. I don't speak for the company.
— ESPN Public Editor (@ESPNPublicEd) April 26, 2017
Supposing it’s true that the layoffs at ESPN were a function of “the less favorable economics of an unbundled cable world” — what would it hurt to listen to the public and lay off the politics? “Like it or not” isn’t what most would consider responsive customer service.
Like it or not @ESPNPublicEd i'm not sticking ESPN
— BB (@Madyank2) April 27, 2017
Like it or not you lost a customer.
— Mufin (@meatmufin) April 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/nabby60/status/857398521607200769
https://twitter.com/fysbox/status/857400495165538306
When you admit you most often heard line from your fan base is "stick to sports" and your response is "no" your network is done. SMH
— Sid – Can Be Vicious (@sidblair) April 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/bobby15248309/status/857399472292335620
It's the one and ONLY reason I quit watching. Not alone
— Robert Dunaway (@robert_dunaway) April 27, 2017
Aaaaannnd STILL with the "holier than thou" attitude!!
It's almost like *insanity???— debra leonelli (@debra45283816) April 27, 2017
https://twitter.com/WaynesterAtl/status/857275807009562625
https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/857349708133675008
It's like they're trying to find new excuses to fire people.
— MrH (@HomeIsTheNorth) April 26, 2017
Customers complain abt liberal politics at ESPN
1. Fire some of best reporters.
2. Retain moronic political commentators
3. ?
4. Success— William Keane (@largebill68) April 26, 2017
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Related:
NATION IN CRISIS: Presidential tradition of filling out NCAA bracket for ESPN dies with Trump https://t.co/ucCaYXrHIG
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 16, 2017
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