ESPN staff feeling 'a palpable level of insecurity' in Bristol: report

The names of those laid off by ESPN in recent years include those of several high-profile on-camera talent: Mark Jackson and Stan Van Gundy in 2023, Zach Lowe, Sam Ponder and Robert Griffin III in 2024, to name just a few.

In an office that isn't the subject of books like the one in Bristol, Conn., that might be enough to leave the survivors of the job cuts feeling nervous.

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So, how are the survivors in Bristol feeling? The author of Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN, James Andrew Miller, told ESPN alum Bill Simmons this week that the vibes aren't great.

"Freud, one of his definitions of maturity is the ability to handle ambiguity," Miller said on the latest episode of Simmons' podcast. "So I think there are a lot of people becoming mature. Or else they’re drinking themselves silly on the weekends,” theThose Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPNauthor said. “Because it used to be — you know this — particularly because ESPN’s in Bristol, Connecticut, you gotta move your ass up to Central Connecticut. You put your kids in school. Everybody’s there for 25, 30 years. I mean, if you’re at CBS Sports and you don’t like it, or you get recruited to NBC, you’re just going across town.

“So a lot of people are there for 25, 30 years. Those jobs aren’t as safe as they used to be. And a lot of people were having a very difficult time, particularly since some real legends were laid off during these layoffs. So I think there’s a level of insecurity, a palpable level of insecurity, Bill, that’s never been there before.”

"That's what I'm hearing as well," Simmons added.

Listen to the full podcast episode if you enjoy hearing Simmons and Miller delve into classic banter about SNL:50.

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ESPN staff feeling 'a palpable level of insecurity' in Bristol, James Andrew Miller and Bill Simmons say

By J.P. Hoornstra | Feb 19, 2025