NFL reporter Ed Werder, who was recently part of ESPN staff cutbacks, yesterday said that his layoff was "not expected," despite the fact that he had "not eliminated the possibility." Werder, co-hosting the second episode of "The Doomsday Podcast," said the “quality of work should be the only consideration” in determining who is laid off and “if it’s not any part of the equation then I kind of find myself a little vulnerable under that criteria." Werder said he was told his dismissal was "effective immediately," but ESPN asked for him to "stay and cover the Saints draft, which seemed like an odd way to begin your unemployment." Werder: "It seemed like it was my option and I chose not to. I just didn’t feel like it was the right place for me to be.” He noted that while ESPN is "going to honor our contracts," former employees will not be able to "double-dip" if they take a job elsewhere. Werder said in order to continue "being paid by ESPN for the duration of my contract," he is not allowed to work in TV or other media "without risking all that they owe me, except for the podcast, which I had gotten clearance in advance on." He added, "I'm not the only one who in my mind was unjustly fired. There were an awful lot of really good people let go and you can staff an entire sports network with them."
WHERE IS ESPN GOING? Werder said reflectively, “What is ESPN about? I thought it was about news and information and highlights and I’m not sure that is the point of emphasis anymore. How is ESPN going to cover the NFL without all of the people who just lost their jobs? ... Are we really about to see a time when ESPN can no longer afford to cover its most valuable property in the way historically it has?” Werder said the “most surprising” person to reach out to him after his firing was NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who Werder said was "angered" by the moves. Werder: "I haven’t spoken to him yet, but that surprised me and that tells me something about Roger Goodell as a human being” ("The Doomsday Podcast," ART19.com, 5/1).
FROM THE OTHER SIDE: ESPN's Ryen Russillo yesterday also addressed the recent cuts at the top of his radio show, which he had co-hosted with Danny Kanell for two years before Kanell was let go last week. Russillo said he thought he "was gone" ahead of the cuts coming down. He explained he was "off last week because I was out in Los Angeles shopping for houses, because I was finally going to make the move” to the west coast and work in television after leaving ESPN. Russillo said, “It would be so weird to crack the mike today and go, ‘Clippers: Blow it up?’ and not ever mention Danny.” But he added the “reward is still really, really great” working at ESPN. He said ,"That’s how I feel about this place. That’s how I feel about the fact I still have a show in this slot. ... I want this to work out. I don’t know what the plans are, I really don’t. I don’t know who my co-host is going to be. We don’t know that right now. This thing happened so fast.” Meanwhile, Russillo addressed a report that said he was “going to have a reduced role, which meant a lot of people thought I had begged for my job back and that I offered up less money to come back." Russillo: "It’s not even remotely true. I’m going to be working more, and I’m still under contract through next summer. It was planted by an agent, who decides to keep messing with me because they’re all hurt about the fact that I left them” (“The Ryen Russillo Show,” ESPN Radio, 5/1).
