Grantland, which started out as Bill Simmons’ multimedia passion project, but staggered on after his termination at ESPN, was long in an uncertain situation, with no guarantees about its future. Turns out that when the end came, it came suddenly and without warning for Grantland writers, who found out when ESPN PR tweeted out their statement:
ESPN statement regarding Grantland: https://t.co/VnPjwdNBcp
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 30, 2015
Then the Grantland writers, popular and beloved among Internet sports geeks, tweeted out their reactions to being cut loose from their mother site, but not fired. They cover the gamut of emotions.
Well that's the first time I've ever found out I was laid off via Twitter
— Michael Baumann (@MichaelBaumann) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/rembert/status/660155014619504641
https://twitter.com/rembert/status/660160810581368832
https://twitter.com/jonahkeri/status/660154728072941568
NEVER A DULL MOMENT
— Molly Lambert 🦆 (@mollylambert) October 30, 2015
Just found out that Grantland is shutting down effective immediately. I look forward to seeing this tweet embedded in your post-mortems.
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) October 30, 2015
I prefer at times like these to be grateful rather than sad. Frankly, it's amazing that Grantland was able to exist at all.
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/pappademas/status/660157671278964736
https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/660155160564523008
It's been the best five years of my life. I couldn't be prouder. I couldn't love these people more. Thank you guys. For everything.
— Robert Mays (@robertmays) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/SpikeFriedman/status/660155755199246337
— katiebakes (@katiebakes) October 30, 2015
hi
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 30, 2015
/turns phone off
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/billbarnwell/status/660158747843555328
https://twitter.com/andrewsharp/status/660155415762739200
Welp.
— Andy Greenwald (@andygreenwald) October 30, 2015
Best gig I ever had.
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/runofplay/status/660157198878707712
This was my dream job.
— Danny Chau (@dannychau) October 30, 2015
Grantland had a lot of writers, man. The rest of the Internet was much more universally negative.
https://twitter.com/Ethan_Booker/status/660155453322764288
Terrible awful stupid f—-d up decision. https://t.co/YoFj6rJJlV
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/jonbernhardt/status/660155780969066496
https://twitter.com/williamfleitch/status/660155314621280256
— J.E. Skeets (@jeskeets) October 30, 2015
"Grantland distinguished itself with quality writing, smart ideas, original thinking and fun. So we're junking it." https://t.co/oiQT9YK6fJ
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) October 30, 2015
Big thank you to everyone at @Grantland33 for writing about and covering us. ❤ all of you. pic.twitter.com/uEf8FuGOF0
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/itzbreak/status/660158928433618944
WOW ESPN, posting about the Grantland shutdown on twitter before you even tell your writers? This is some amateur hour bullshit.
— Remy (@RemyConnors) October 30, 2015
I got into film-study and writing because of @ZachLowe_NBA. Man…
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) October 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/silviakillings/status/660155595643871232
And finally, you knew the Godfather of the site was going to weigh in. Would you believe he’s critical of how ESPN handled the situation?
I loved everyone I worked with at G and loved what we built. Watching good/kind/talented people get treated so callously = simply appalling.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) October 30, 2015
The Grantland writers will not be fired, but they will be relocated and they still have no promises about their future at ESPN past their current contracts (few of which will likely last far into next year). Everyone is expecting the writers to find work elsewhere, both because of their talent and because of the certainty that ESPN doesn’t want them. They’d rather pay already-rich former players to mangle the English language.