ESPN cuts Sam Ponder
- Thread starter rick64
- Start date
Yeah, I used to listen to Finebaum's show on the way home from work. He'd have some excellent guests early, then start taking calls from his halfwits and thankfully by then, I would be pulling in the driveway.
People keep missing out on how many layoffs Disney has had the last 4 years. They are just bleeding cash and have to fire anyone that they can. It looks like Disney is going to have to pay Comcast another $5 billion for their stake in Hulu. They don't have that money on hand so they are going to be cutting and taking tax write offs bigly.
The report states that his "stock had fallen," which makes you wonder if his outcries about the unfairness of the playoff selection process weighed in on the decision. Griffin was let go with two years remaining on his contract although ESPN still intends to honor his seven-figure salary.
^How do they fire someone citing "budgetary reasons", and then still intend to honor their salary? Paying out the money completely negates the reason provided for the firing.
It's probably true that they need to cut expenses, but the question is how do they decide on who gets the axe? Their opinions on certain topics appear to be deciding factors whether factual or not. The timing of right before football season is odd too. Will either be able to get a job this season? If not, then it's almost as if its to punish them too.
https://www.si.com/college/fsu/flor...spn-days-after-defending-florida-state-ponder
It's crazy they are gonna pay him to not work for 2 years.
I assume Ponder gets a similar deal.
Of course, if either gets another job I assume that deal ends and a lump sum severance is provided.
They can pay it out immediately and take the entire hit on this year's taxes. They would also save on any expenses they'd be paying him not tied to salary, like traveling to games for the broadcast, etc.
ESPN has cut nearly everyone that has been with the company in a commentary role, regardless of viewer perception (Rachel Nichols?), for years now. ESPN is hemorrhaging money because they over spent for TV deals and didn't anticipate the great cord cutting.
This isn't some conspiracy, it's cost cutting. Sam Ponder has been there for quite some time and probably made good money. As we all know, why pay someone 10x for something someone else can do for 1x? The quality of the programming will suffer as a result.
Meanwhile you've got the highest paid on screen personality, who is clearly not a liberal, woke hipster (McAfee), and the most prominent example they had of that (Jemele Hill) got fired too (deservedly so).
God damn I hate culture wars.
This isn't some conspiracy, it's cost cutting. Sam Ponder has been there for quite some time and probably made good money. As we all know, why pay someone 10x for something someone else can do for 1x? The quality of the programming will suffer as a result.
Meanwhile you've got the highest paid on screen personality, who is clearly not a liberal, woke hipster (McAfee), and the most prominent example they had of that (Jemele Hill) got fired too (deservedly so).
God damn I hate culture wars.
Quit dreaming about me and, because you cannot stop, quit reporting your dreams. It’s weird.
McAfee is a weird dude and weird hill for ESPN to go to war for and maybe die for one day. I don't like him on GameDay and wouldn't watch his show if you paid me.
Him getting the money he does baffles me far more than stephen A.
