Say Goodbye to those ESPN Personalities Ya'll Love So Much: Official ESPN Layoffs Thread

[Wear My Dawg's Hat]

Stephen A., Max and Molly have less-than-zero chemistry.

It is amazing how long the show has prevailed with good ratings.

But as ESPN is now demonstrating with this move, it is all about Stephen A. and his skills as an entertainer.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

You aren’t trying to be demoted and go back to morning radio even if it’s a coveted radio spot. That’s the point.

Greeny got $6.5 million to leave Mike and Mike and go to Get Up. Imagine how much bread he’d be giving up doing the inverse even if it was still a coveted radio spot.

Max’s radio spot doesn’t mean shyt if the only reason he’s in the gig in the first place is because on First Take in the morning. That’s double income, which is exactly the double dipping that Greeny is doing now.

Bro, if the choice is lose your tv job and keep your own radio show at a terrible time when no one listens or lose your tv job and move to the morning radio show, you’re being “demoted” from tv either way. No one is saying being dropped from FT is a win, people are saying being promoted to the morning drive is a win given he still plans to stay with them to do radio and his boxing show.

And you don’t know this man’s income, espn could’ve easily had him doing two jobs for just his FT salary. No point of even speculating about how the money is working out

 

[drifter]

What do you mean by flagship? It’s the most talked about due to SAS’s hot takes and virality, but ratings? PTI still holds the throne doing 2x the number of viewers FT does.

And max wasn’t going to be on FT anymore - that’s a sunk cost. But that freeing him to host the morning slot over his own show buried in one of the worse radio slots outside of graveshift is an upgrade. Y’all don’t understand radio if you think simply having your own show matters more than where you’re slotted

We're at the point where shares on Youtube, TikTok, IG, & Twitter are more important than traditional ratings because nobody's doing anything numbers wise and haven't since 2016. If I go on ESPN's Youtube rn I wouldn't be able to find one clip from a whole 30 minute episode of PTI, I'm 100% sure FT will be there multiple times over.

FT I'm sure without question is the most viewed show on their morning block, so if it carries the morning programming and is the most virally shared content on their social pages, I don't see how you can call it anything but the flagship.

But I see your view when you give thoughts on Max saying he's a sunken cost, if it were Skip would you still say it's an upgrade? Because that's the difference, at that point you take the radio spot because your next spot is Fox Sports if you don't. If that Skip/SAS/Jay Crawford formula was there with Max sending him to radio wouldn't even be an option. Add in that the two highest paid personalities in the company at one point both did FT and neither were Mike & Mike and yeah it's a downgrade.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

We're at the point where shares on Youtube, TikTok, IG, & Twitter are more important than traditional ratings because nobody's doing anything numbers wise and haven't since 2016. If I go on ESPN's Youtube rn I wouldn't be able to find one clip from a whole 30 minute episode of PTI, I'm 100% sure FT will be there multiple times over.

FT I'm sure without question is the most viewed show on their morning block, so if it carries the morning programming and is the most virally shared content on their social pages, I don't see how you can call it anything but the flagship.

But I see your view when you give thoughts on Max saying he's a sunken cost, if it were Skip would you still say it's an upgrade? Because that's the difference, at that point you take the radio spot because your next spot is Fox Sports if you don't. If that Skip/SAS/Jay Crawford formula was there with Max sending him to radio wouldn't even be an option. Add in that the two highest paid personalities in the company at one point both did FT and neither were Mike & Mike and yeah it's a downgrade.

ESPN threw $30 million at Skip to come back ESPN and work with SAS until Fox came in and outbid them at $32 million. I knew right then and there that his time on FT was numbered as there was no way they could still work together knowing that SAS went behind his back like that even if it was just business.

If he could make the same if not more moving to FS1 then yes he should make the move even if it doesn’t move the needle ratings wise like that. If FS1 really wanted him, then they’d jack one of those morning show spots from someone else to bring him in.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

We're at the point where shares on Youtube, TikTok, IG, & Twitter are more important than traditional ratings because nobody's doing anything numbers wise and haven't since 2016. If I go on ESPN's Youtube rn I wouldn't be able to find one clip from a whole 30 minute episode of PTI, I'm 100% sure FT will be there multiple times over.

FT I'm sure without question is the most viewed show on their morning block, so if it carries the morning programming and is the most virally shared content on their social pages, I don't see how you can call it anything but the flagship.

But I see your view when you give thoughts on Max saying he's a sunken cost, if it were Skip would you still say it's an upgrade? Because that's the difference, at that point you take the radio spot because your next spot is Fox Sports if you don't. If that Skip/SAS/Jay Crawford formula was there with Max sending him to radio wouldn't even be an option. Add in that the two highest paid personalities in the company at one point both did FT and neither were Mike & Mike and yeah it's a downgrade.

No, we’re not. TV still makes money from ads, a company is going to pay more for ads during PTI than FT. Social shares don’t do anything for ESPN to help with ad buys. It does keep their own brand relevant, but dollars and cents? Those negotiations come down to ratings.

no offense, not even sure what you’re getting at with the rest of this stuff. I’ve never said being on radio is better than being in FT, simply that if being let go from FT, it’s better for him to move to am radio. And as if what we know now, no one if throwing the bag at max to come create his own show on another network

 

[keond]

Stephen A., Max and Molly have less-than-zero chemistry.

It is amazing how long the show has prevailed with good ratings.

But as ESPN is now demonstrating with this move, it is all about Stephen A. and his skills as an entertainer.

I think he liked and respected Skip, he dont fukk with Max like that, plus last year when he was catching heat during the Protests, folks was saying Max was blacker than him and Max aint really push back, that really soured him. SAS is a c00n anyhow

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

No, we’re not. TV still makes money from ads, a company is going to pay more for ads during PTI than FT. Social shares don’t do anything for ESPN to help with ad buys. It does keep their own brand relevant, but dollars and cents? Those negotiations come down to ratings.

no offense, not even sure what you’re getting at with the rest of this stuff. I’ve never said being on radio is better than being in FT, simply that if being let go from FT, it’s better for him to move to am radio. And as if what we know now, no one if throwing the bag at max to come create his own show on another network

If ratings were the end all be all to get paid, then TK and Michael Wilbon would be the highest paid personalities at ESPN and FS1, which they aren’t.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

If ratings were the end all be all to get paid, then TK and Michael Wilbon would be the highest paid personalities at ESPN and FS1, which they aren’t.

No one said they were the end all be all to talent being paid

they are how the network gets paid from advertisers

 

[drifter]

No, we’re not. TV still makes money from ads, a company is going to pay more for ads during PTI than FT. Social shares don’t do anything for ESPN to help with ad buys. It does keep their own brand relevant, but dollars and cents? Those negotiations come down to ratings.

no offense, not even sure what you’re getting at with the rest of this stuff. I’ve never said being on radio is better than being in FT, simply that if being let go from FT, it’s better for him to move to am radio. And as if what we know now, no one if throwing the bag at max to come create his own show on another network

We'll just have to agree to disagree because FT has pretty clearly carried ESPN for like the last decade like it's not even for debate, it seems ridiculous to even try lmao

The rest of the stuff is to illustrate how the highest salaries in the company both went to First Take chairs. The poster I was talking to first said Greeny got demoted going from radio to TV which is what you're now saying you're not arguing. And I'm not arguing that if he's being let go from FT and doesn't have a say in the process that he should take the radio job. So it sounds like you and I have been on the same page the entire time lol

 

[Optimus Prime]

Max already tried the move to Fox Sports for this own show before. It was called I,Max. That's how he ending up in LA. He not doing that again.
All these guys know the money has dried up and if you are not SAS or Skip, its better to stay at the place where all the sports are.
Bomani mentioned this somewhere after he and Pablo reupped the last time after their show was canceled. They both realized this was probably the last time they could cash in so they took the money.
Max getting the morning radio gig, that's really at TV show simulcast for radio, is a pretty good parachute. Zubin hasn't been there since March. Keshan is the only one thats there everyday. I don't even think Jay has been back since he got COVID back during the Finals.

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

Max already tried the move to Fox Sports for this own show before. It was called I,Max. That's how he ending up in LA. He not doing that again.
All these guys know the money has dried up and if you are not SAS or Skip, its better to stay at the place where all the sports are.
Bomani mentioned this somewhere after he and Pablo reupped the last time after their show was canceled. They both realized this was probably the last time they could cash in so they took the money.
Max getting the morning radio gig, that's really at TV show simulcast for radio, is a pretty good parachute. Zubin hasn't been there since March. Keshan is the only one thats there everyday. I don't even think Jay has been back since he got COVID back during the Finals.

Bo also said on TEJ after he signed his extension to do HN that just because you sign an extension doesn’t mean that it’s for more bread.

So there’s no way were Bo and Pablo cashing in after their show got cancelled and at the height of the pandemic. Even Nolan complained about having to take a paycut when she re-signed around the same time that they did and her show got cancelled. Now her and Bomani are in the same boat with no defined role at ESPN, while Pablo is being groomed to take TK’s spot on PTI.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Bo also said on TEJ after he signed his extension to do HN that just because you sign an extension doesn’t mean that it’s for more bread.

So there’s no way were Bo and Pablo cashing in after their show got cancelled and at the height of the pandemic. Even Nolan complained about having to take a paycut when she re-signed around the same time that they did and her show got cancelled. Now her and Bomani are in the same boat with no defined role at ESPN, while Pablo is being groomed to take TK’s spot on PTI.

By cash in, I think he means they took whatever contracts they were given cuz they know there won’t be a contract next time and there was no place for them to go had they turned down those contracts. Not cash in as got paid more

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

By cash in, I think he means they took whatever contracts they were given cuz they know there won’t be a contract next time and there was no place for them to go had they turned down those contracts. Not cash in as got paid more

Even then though, The Mouse is making ESPN force talents to take even more of a paycut on top of the 2-3 they’ve already had to take because of the pandemic. I don’t care what industry you work in, there’s only so many pay cuts you’re going to take and even then that’s still not going to save a lot of them from layoffs during the next round of cuts.

There’s no excuse for Max, Bo or other talent out here not being able to get their own show when Michael Smith of all people has one on Peacock.

 

[FukkaPaidEmail]

I think people are overestimating First Take .

PTI apparently has more people watching which makes sense because of the time-slot.If you’re working a normal 9-5 no way you can watch FT or Undisputed..but PTI at 5:30 is easy viewing

First take and undisputed may get more people checking out clips of what they missed

 

[iamduval]

I really like max. He at least knew what he was talking about most of the time and made good points even if you disagreed