The world of sports broadcasting can be wrought with competition, but ultimately, most of the pundits and analysts share a mutual love for the game which they cover. Some of them could even be former teammates or co-workers. That’s why it’s no surprise that Charles Barkley took a moment on Inside The NBA to give his heartfelt response to ESPN’s recent layoffs, which left over 100 employees jobless.
https://twitter.com/PriceAtkinson/status/857375187905413121
“I’ve been in the business a long time, we know all the people in the sports business. We see them in the Finals, we see them in the conference finals, and a lot of people at ESPN got laid off today and I want to wish all the guys and girls nothing but the best. This is a tough business at times, and you see these people all the time on television. You see them doing events. I just want to let them know I was thinking about them. ESPN is not our competition. We’re in this thing together.”
Barkley hits the nail on the head — sportscasters and those who work alongside the athletes to deliver a fun show for the fans are in this together. There may be ratings competitions and a finite number of jobs, but everyone has the same goal: to cover and celebrate sports.
We can think about why the business model of ESPN needs to change, or the way fans consume the sports and the coverage of the sports in order to avoid massive layoffs like this happening again in the future, but for now, the best we can do is hope many of these talented people who help make the sports we love even more enjoyable land on their feet.
