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The ax fell on Cam Newton during ESPN's most recent round of layoffs and while he certainly wasn't happy about the news, it looks like he's choosing to just move on.
On the latest episode of his 4th & 1 With Cam Newton show, the former NFL MVP made it clear that he holds no ill will towards ESPN over their decision and treats his run on the network more like an internship than a job he lost. He said that he still has 4th & 1 while fellow ex-ESPN employee Ryan Clark has The Pivot, so neither one of them are leaving the airways anytime soon.
“Working alongside some of the most talented journalists and sports individuals that cover sports was something that got me to realize I have a newfound respect for the skill,” Newton said. “You can’t make me hate ESPN. What I’ve learned, it was an internship. I am a former athlete that did not study journalism, so now when you see how production actually works, you’ll be a fool not to take your notes.”
That said, Newton did not approve of how ESPN handled Clark's departure.
“It’s messed up how they did Ryan,” Newton said.
“If you don’t own your own platform, you’re gonna get overlooked, bypassed, and be extinct like dinosaurs. It’s unfortunate what happened to Ryan Clark, but what I will tell you is this: Ryan Clark gonna be OK. The Pivot ain’t going nowhere. It’s unfortunate what happened to me — some would think — but I’m good. I got 4th & 1. I ain’t going nowhere.”
The Layoffs
While many behind-the-scenes production and operations employees were affected by the new layoffs, several high-profile on-air personalities were also let go, including Newton, Clark, veteran baseball broadcaster Karl Ravech, NFL insider Tom Pelissero, longtime SportsCenter anchor David Lloyd and fantasy football analyst Stephania Bell among others.
According to ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro, the workforce reduction follows the company's acquisition of NFL Network, NFL Fantasy, and RedZone distribution rights, which created overlapping roles across multiple departments.
That's not much of a consolation to sports fans who feel that ESPN's layoffs are just more signs that the network is in a decline.
