Friday was a brutal day at ESPN as a number of big-name on-air personalities lost their jobs in the latest round of layoffs at the sports network.
Lead NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy was the first stunner of the day and then we later learned that NBA analyst Jalen Rose and longtime NFL personality Suzy Kolber were also a part of the changes at ESPN.
One of ESPN’s biggest shows, College GameDay, also suffered a huge loss as David Pollack was also reportedly laid off after spending the 12 years with the network.
Author: Michael
Kyrie Irving has agreed to a three-year deal worth $126 million to return to the Dallas Mavericks.
Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors have agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract with a player option in the final season, sources told ESPN’s Andscape.
Gabe Vincent and the Lakers reportedly agreed to a three-year, $33 million deal, according to The Athetic’s Shams Charania.
Vincent, who joined Miami in 2020 on a two-way contract, was one of the Heat’s undrafted players who served a vital role for the franchise in its incredible postseason run to the 2023 NBA Finals as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
In the playoffs, Vincent’s averaged 12.7 points, while shooting 40.2% from the field and 37.8% from three-point range as Miami’s starting point guard.
The 2023 MLB trade deadline is more than a month away, but the Rangers and Royals announced a notable deal on Friday night, with Texas acquiring veteran lefty reliever Aroldis Chapman.
Kansas City brings back a pair of minor leaguers in the deal. LHP Cole Ragans joins the Royals’ Triple A affiliate in Omaha, while 17-year-old outfielder Roni Cabrera will play for the club’s Dominican Summer League team.
The 35-year-old Chapman has put together a solid season in the Royals’ bullpen, posting a 2.45 ERA in 31 appearances, with two saves.
Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer announced Friday his celebrity charity golf event at Trump National Doral in Florida is back on after the event was canceled following backlash.
Poyer joined Fox News’ “America Reports” Friday to announce the news.
“The great news is that the tournament is going to happen,” Poyer said. “We had the most amount of tremendous support around the country. We had a sponsor — PublicSq — based right out here in Florida … they’re going to sponsor the entire tournament.
Jerami Grant is staying put in Portland, his agent told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Cam Johnson has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $108 million deal to remain with the Nets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Johnson was part of the trade for Kevin Durant that saw Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and multiple draft picks and a pick swap be sent to the Nets in exchange for Durant and T.J. Warren last February. While Bridges emerged as the franchise’s star in the second half of the season, Johnson served a pivotal cornerstone piece alongside Bridges.
The former No.
Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson is among the major names laid off by ESPN on Friday, as the network cut ties with numerous on-air personalities.
The decision comes after the network had opted to cancel his national morning radio show, co-hosted by Max Kellerman and Jay Williams. Kellerman was also laid off on Friday.
According to sports media insider Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Johnson may have an opportunity to jump back onto a prominent daily sports show, should he choose to do so.
ESPN weeded out its talent division on Friday, dismissing around 20 on-air employees in an effort to shed $30 million worth of salaries.
The names include Max Kellerman, Jeff Van Gundy, Keyshawn Johnson, Jalen Rose, David Pollack, Suzy Kolber, and Steve Young.
Large-scale layoffs supplies a company an excuse to rid itself of unwanted employees. Suffice to say relationships, backstage politics, and perception factor into one’s status come a layoff period.
Thereby this series of layoffs permitted ESPN to clear itself of its more toxic and headache-creating staffers.