Bart Scott says ESPN chose worst possible time to tell him he lost his job

Ryan Clark headlined ESPN’s first round of summer layoffs because ESPN chose to inform him by pulling him off the air from NFL Live on July 20. Bart Scott was also part of the layoffs, but he flew relatively under the radar, even though ESPN apparently informed him in a similarly ruthless way.

“Hey, man, I was going into my radio show, and they called me, like, ‘Hey, uh, just to let you know, wish we could do it in person,'” Scott said while appearing on The Joint Venture Show with Craig Carton and Lil Wayne this week. “Like, no, you don’t, motherf*cker. ‘Oh, I wish I could do it in person!’ Nah. So, it’s like, ‘We’re not gonna renew you.’ My contract is expiring in September. So, I found out that way.”

Despite the lack of respect, Scott explained why he didn’t let the nature of his exit tarnish his entire tenure or his outlook on his future.

“It’s part of the business,” Scott said. “You understand the balance, and I don’t know what they had to do when they had to trim the fat. I had never been there, where my contract was expiring, because usually when it’s a year, I get renewed. But it’s what it is, man. Sometimes, losing your job can be some of the biggest blessings because it forces you to try and do something else and, sometimes, step out of your comfort zone.

“Listen, one thing that is constant is change, and I’ve been fired before. I understand the process, and I hold no ill will. I don’t even know who made the call. But I did enjoy my time there. I enjoyed using the platform, keeping myself relevant. I wasn’t a first-round draft pick; I’m not a Hall of Famer. I think I was a pretty good player, but I just appreciate them giving me the platform, and I’m not gonna hold any ill will toward them. It’s my job to make them regret it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCTrjVnT63o

Scott entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2002. He became an impact linebacker with the Ravens (2002-08) and New York Jets (2009-2012). After retiring, Scott joined CBS Sports’ NFL Today studio crew as an analyst. With Carton and Lil Wayne, Scott cited that experience as a precursor to understanding ESPN’s decision to move on.

“I thought I was going to be able to work with Shannon [Sharpe],” Scott said. “But, sometimes, in this business — at least back then — they want shows to look a certain way.”

“White?” Carton bluntly posited.

“Yeah, you can’t have too many of us,” Scott said. “Me and Shannon are similar. We represent a certain type of demographic. We’re both funny, loud, loquacious, all that type of stuff, and I never got the opportunity.”

Scott joined ESPN in a limited capacity on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN 98.7 in 2017, eventually becoming a full-time personality across ESPN platforms in 2020. He most recently co-hosted Bart & Carlin on ESPN New York and appeared on ESPN’s Get Up! and First Take.