Carnage at ESPN

[RSE]

Includes Jayson Stark and Ashley Fox.

[Susquehanna Birder]

It's a real dose of reality for some of those people. It sucks to be in that position (I've been there), but most of them definitely have the talent to land on their feet.

[Sect 236]

Dana O’Neil too.

[wynnron123]

Trent Dilfer

[RSE]

Yep. Missed that.

[slag]

The live sports broadcast model is imploding in a similar manner to brick and mortar stores and malls.

Shifting times.

[RSE]

I think it's the subscriber based cable model, in ESPN's case. Live content is still valuable.

[BigSlizz]

Whew! I thought I was going to have to live without Sarina Morales telling me what people are Tweeting!

[slag]

True ... live streaming alternatives are hurting them ... but I saw something recently about the popping live sports bubble, ... too many channels, over saturation of product driving down viewership etc., etc.

[Greenstealth]

Shifting times and a garbage product. Olberrman and Patrick were hilarious along with Charlie Steiner, Craig kilborn and Bob ley and Stuart Scott. ESPN is pushing a lot of crap anymore. Everything has to stir a pot, be racially motivated or just sensational. Id rather not include that in my daily sports consumption.

[slag]

Don't disagree there either ... I get a little kick out of LeBatard's "sports zoo" style on his simulcast radio show and generally get a laugh or two watching Highly Questionable ... but the rest of it is not all that interesting.

I still watch PTI here and there also.

[Raptor]

Long overdue IMO

....the product has been weak for some time, I understand the reasons they are giving but it doesn't explain the explosion and success of other outlets.

I'm prejudicial on the subject having past personal experience however,I couldn't help noticing a sigficant change in quality once the Mouse fully got its claws into the product.

I wish the best for the long term talented people who have been released.

[HEREisAKERS]

I'd argue that LeBron James' THE DECISION set this is motion, as it was one of the first major, MAJOR non-event sports moments of the Twitter, Facebook reporter era that demonstrated how well hype and sensationalism would sell. When every moment is a reportable sports moment, no moment is a reportable sports moment and everything seems behind. People want to see the event and hear it from the players themselves.

[art vandelay]

I think it started with "Who's Now?" 2005/2006, ESPN has a daily countdown to see which athlete is "now." This combines on-field play with off-field buzz. I don't remember who won, but ESPN crossed a line of geighness and went full tabloid with "Who's Now."

[CbEagle]

I dropped the package that includes all of the ESPN channels from my directv account, have not missed it one bit.