ESPN suspends Grantland publication
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Effective immediately we are suspending the publication of Grantland. After careful consideration, we have decided to direct our time and energy going forward to projects that we believe will have a broader and more significant impact across our enterprise.http://espnmediazone.com/us/espn-statement-regarding-grantland/
By rodeoclown Go To PostZach Lowe is posting on Twitter like he's out of a job?Sounds like it. So sad.
By reilo Go To PostSounds like it. So sad.That's awful. I'm honestly shocked ESPN would just cut those talented people all loose.
People like Lowe and Jonah Keri and Bill Barnwell won't be out of work long, though. Hopefully everyone else can land on their feet.
the way they worded that shit was cold too--might as well have said grantland aint shit so we trashed it
Suuuuuuuuuuuck it ESPN.
Thankfully all those people will find jobs pretty easily, but it sucks they won't be under the same banner anymore.
So much damn talent. Lowe, Barnwell, Phillips, Serrano, Concepcion, Curtis, the list goes on.
Thankfully all those people will find jobs pretty easily, but it sucks they won't be under the same banner anymore.
So much damn talent. Lowe, Barnwell, Phillips, Serrano, Concepcion, Curtis, the list goes on.
By DY_nasty Go To Postyahoo sports bout to eatThey did just hire Michael Lee. If they got Lowe, they'd pretty much have the best basketball staff out there.
RT @the_blueprint: ESPN is closing grantland b/c it doesn't have a "broad appeal". next sentence, they say grantland had "quality writing" and "smart ideas"
By rodeoclown Go To PostThey did just hire Michael Lee. If they got Lowe, they'd pretty much have the best basketball staff out there.Absolutely.
I wonder if any of the main sports people like Barnwell or Lowe will migrate over to the main ESPN site. I get the impression that the news blindsided them though.
By reilo Go To PostRT @the_blueprint: ESPN is closing grantland b/c it doesn't have a "broad appeal". next sentence, they say grantland had "quality writing" and "smart ideas"ESPN just told on themselves.
Shit, guys, I just realized David Shoemaker is out of work and their wrestling podcast is gone.
/things not that many people care about
/things not that many people care about
RT @BillSimmons: I loved everyone I worked with at G and loved what we built. Watching good/kind/talented people get treated so callously = simply appalling.
Apparently everyone will still get paid through the end of their contracts and the sports people will have the chance to write for the main site.
By KingGondo Go To PostApparently everyone will still get paid through the end of their contracts and the sports people will have the chance to write for the main site.Thought the whole point of writing for Grantland was you were a part of something that wasn't complete shit
Very little reason to visit ESPN now. I basically used it as a boxscore check site outside of Grantland.
Some are talking about having to compete with clickbait news, but I don't think Grantland was entirely above that. They covered and repeated some of the same nonsense, just not in a quick-read format. I'd have more respect for that argument if Grantland wasn't apt to indulge in gossip so often themselves. I read Grantland for the analysis and to hear the podcasts. Once in awhile they had a nice longform piece on a subject that fell outside of the news cycle.
Some are talking about having to compete with clickbait news, but I don't think Grantland was entirely above that. They covered and repeated some of the same nonsense, just not in a quick-read format. I'd have more respect for that argument if Grantland wasn't apt to indulge in gossip so often themselves. I read Grantland for the analysis and to hear the podcasts. Once in awhile they had a nice longform piece on a subject that fell outside of the news cycle.
Granatland wasn't competing with clickbait. They wrote actual articles.
But as others have said, the up front writers wont' have much a problem. Lowe probably received 10 offers already. It's all the back room people that will struggle.
But as others have said, the up front writers wont' have much a problem. Lowe probably received 10 offers already. It's all the back room people that will struggle.
An ESPN spokeswoman said the company remains "totally committed" to two of its other digital offshoots, FiveThirtyEight and The Undefeated. Those two were modeled after Grantland.REALLY?!
By reilo Go To PostREALLY?!At least Whitlock isn't involved anymore.
This is worst news I read to day.
Grantland is only place I went for sports news. I did not know anywhere else to go to read.
Are there any good sports place out there? I only read Grantland because I like Kirk Goldsberry and their other writers... Their style helped show me how free form english journalism can be.
Grantland is only place I went for sports news. I did not know anywhere else to go to read.
Are there any good sports place out there? I only read Grantland because I like Kirk Goldsberry and their other writers... Their style helped show me how free form english journalism can be.
The Undefeated is dead on arrival.
Dudes like Zach Lowe and Bill Barnwell don't have to worry about where next paycheck will come from. Sucks for the editors, the video producers, and the graphics guys.
Dudes like Zach Lowe and Bill Barnwell don't have to worry about where next paycheck will come from. Sucks for the editors, the video producers, and the graphics guys.
By etiolation Go To PostI would be surprised if The Undefeated got more traffic or ad revenue than Grantland.Possibly lower costs. Grantland had a surprisingly large staff.
But i've never been to "the undefeated".
By etiolation Go To PostI would be surprised if The Undefeated got more traffic or ad revenue than Grantland.
i would considering most people don't even know the undefeated is a thing.
By domino Go To Posti would considering most people don't even know the undefeated is a thing.I had never heard of it before this thread.
By rodeoclown Go To PostI had never heard of it before this thread.It's the Jason Whitlock project, aka "Black Grantland". It's stunning how big of a failure it was to get it even going.
By rodeoclown Go To PostI had never heard of it before this thread.same. i went to their website and i still don't know what it is.
Read these stories to get a nice view of what a clusterfuck The Undefeated was as a concept and website under Whitlock:
http://deadspin.com/how-jason-whitlock-is-poisoning-espns-black-grantland-1698683962
http://deadspin.com/here-is-the-insane-playbook-for-jason-whitlocks-black-1700506507
http://deadspin.com/how-espns-fear-of-the-truth-defeated-black-grantland-1730894729
It has a chance to be good under new editorship, but I have a feeling ESPN will stop short of allowing the kind of stuff that Greg Howard posts at Deadspin. At least it probably won't be victim-blaming black pathology bullshit.
http://deadspin.com/how-jason-whitlock-is-poisoning-espns-black-grantland-1698683962
http://deadspin.com/here-is-the-insane-playbook-for-jason-whitlocks-black-1700506507
http://deadspin.com/how-espns-fear-of-the-truth-defeated-black-grantland-1730894729
It has a chance to be good under new editorship, but I have a feeling ESPN will stop short of allowing the kind of stuff that Greg Howard posts at Deadspin. At least it probably won't be victim-blaming black pathology bullshit.
Nothing of any real value was lost, the best guys like Lowe will pop up elsewhere. The pop culture stuff was mostly self absorbed. Shoemaker was the dirt worst and largely completely uninformed.
By pilonv1 Go To PostNothing of any real value was lost, the best guys like Lowe will pop up elsewhere. The pop culture stuff was mostly self absorbed. Shoemaker was the dirt worst and largely completely uninformed.Their pop culture stuff was trying way too hard for the most part, for me. I rarely read any of it.
By giririsss Go To PostTheir pop culture stuff was trying way too hard for the most part, for me. I rarely read any of it.
I wish it tried harder, it was dumb.
Oh well, no surprise about ESPN, but it's crazy the authoritarian vibes you get from corporate rule.
By Gabyskra Go To PostI wish it tried harder, it was dumb.Well, i don't think you can legitimately intellectualise "The Bachelor" on an episode by episode basis. So I'm not sure trying more would have mattered in the slightest.
Oh well, no surprise about ESPN, but it's crazy the authoritarian vibes you get from corporate rule.
By Zeus Ex Machina Go To PostWhy? was it losing them money? Or did it start to fall apart without Simmons running it?Simmons took all the editors with him and some other main people like Rembert left too.
They probably weren't willing to rebuild the site if they didn't have confidence in it before everyone left.
By Vlatko Go To PostSimmons took all the editors with him
No, he took five of the worst ones.
Not sure where to put this but Simmons had an interview with Barry O:
http://www.gq.com/story/president-obama-bill-simmons-interview-gq-men-of-the-year
http://www.gq.com/story/president-obama-bill-simmons-interview-gq-men-of-the-year
