Another round of ESPN layoffs came and went Wednesday, receiving very little attention for one simple reason: those who lost their jobs were not big-name, on-camera personalities. They were the type of behind-the-scenes folks who make shows possible without receiving much credit for the final product.
But even if the public doesn’t understand the impact that the 150 people who were laid off Wednesday had on ESPN, those inside the company certainly did. A number of notable ESPN personalities chimed in Wednesday or Thursday to shout out colleagues who lost their jobs.
On “Around the Horn,” Tony Reali took a few seconds to mention 27-year NFL veteran David Brofsky.
Really nice tribute by @TonyReali and team to beloved producer David Brofsky. Maximum respect and admiration to David, a great friend and mentor to so many over a stellar 27-year run. pic.twitter.com/KkqBntsIRI
— Scott Turken (@Turk0219) November 30, 2017
Bomani Jones, Don Van Natta, and others also mentioned Brofsky by name.
i didn’t know about brofsky until late last night. great dude who also did great work and was incredibly and unnecessarily kind to me personally. i’m not where i am without him. https://t.co/YBhIQr8iNV
— bomani (@bomani_jones) November 30, 2017
these layoffs got ppl most of you wouldn’t know. a couple were crucial to me. they move on, we move on, but that doesn’t make it any better.
— bomani (@bomani_jones) November 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/DVNJr/status/936210926201720832
T.J. Quinn mentioned Brofsky, as well as Stu Barbara.
Too many to say goodbye to, but a few of the people we lost yesterday deserve special mention. I worked for years with David Brofsky and Stu Barbara on OTL, and you'll never have two better, more generous, colleagues or friends. Completely pros.
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) November 30, 2017
Numerous current and former ESPNers had glowing things to say about John Sawatsky, who coached hundreds of reporters on interviewing practices.
Some of you might have heard the name John Sawatsky. His impact on the network is immeasurable. He took some of the best journalists in the country and made them better. His methods should be required in every J school. https://t.co/Zz7WXBltFt
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) November 30, 2017
When you first get to ESPN you have to take his course on how to interview people. A lot of us chuckled and thought, "uh, I think I already know how to do this." Doesn't take long until you wonder how you ever got this far without knowing his methods. https://t.co/jGkpSeIxy1
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) November 30, 2017
When you hear yourself or someone else ask a bad question, you find yourself saying, "that wasn't very Sawatsky." I never did a major interview without consulting with him first. https://t.co/XR7cvxq00e
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) November 30, 2017
Whether John Sawatsky is at the network or not, many of us will never conduct an interview or write a story without applying his principles. Thank you, John. https://t.co/72WhgoUmiX
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) November 30, 2017
John Sawatsky is among the most influential people I’ve met at ESPN. He is a trusted mentor & friend. He changed my entire approach to interviews. Such an influence, that I always think, “would Sawatsky do it this way?” He’s brilliant & the best. Thanks John. #openneutrallean https://t.co/slZYawTSyC
— Rece Davis (@ReceDavis) November 30, 2017
Amen. Single most useful thing espn did during my time there was mandating his three-day interviewing course. https://t.co/dSqSPABhLG
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) November 30, 2017
Every time I go back and visit with Mizzou J school students I use almost entirely the methods John Sawatsky taught me. Had a huge impact on me and countless others https://t.co/0eiRJVo7EN
— Mike Hall (@MikeHallHere) November 30, 2017
https://twitter.com/Bonnie_D_Ford/status/936265565857046528
Truth https://t.co/DnLeNqYGU0
— Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) November 30, 2017
This is exactly right. John taught us much with his mastery of the art of interviewing. https://t.co/1Ph5igtsQe
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) November 30, 2017
Those passionate tributes to Sawatsky and others offer a reminder that just because most ESPN employees don’t work in front of the camera doesn’t mean they’re not important to the network. Even beyond Sawatsky, Brofsky and other ESPN veterans who received love on Twitter, dozens of talented people who made ESPN function are now out of a job. There’s not much to say about that other than that it really, really sucks.
UPDATE: Bob Ley devoted the final minute or so of “Outside The Lines” on Thursday to Brofsky, saying “without him, we wouldn’t be in the position today to deliver this show.
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/EwRoQEA4tD
— Bob Ley (@BobLeyESPN) November 30, 2017
About Alex Putterman
Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.