Credit: ESPNAccording to ESPN’s Rob King on Twitter, he’s stepping down after 20 years as one of the company’s top senior sports journalism executives. However, that’s not the whole story.
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Revealed by an inside source, allegations of harassment on social media were brought up to ESPN’s human resources, leading to King being fired. It is unclear to the extent of harassment and what exactly was exchanged by the executive, but it was enough to warrant a termination. These details were left out of King’s Twitter post.
After nearly 20 years with ESPN, I have decided the time is right for me to leave the company. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my family and friends, and wish the company continued success.
— Rob King (@ESPN_RobKing) March 21, 2023
King was a major player at ESPN, working directly under the network’s President, Jimmy Pitaro. King oversaw ESPN.com and their most popular program, SportsCenter.
Who Else Could be in Trouble at ESPN?
Last week, when discussing ESPN’s future, Stephen A. Smith, one of the network’s top sports commentators, said, “They’re going to have cuts coming.” Smith may not have been aware of King’s termination at the time, but instead, he was referring to Disney’s 4000 layoffs coming to the company. Nevertheless, Smith’s comments were somewhat foreshadowing King’s exit from ESPN.
Smith added, “Hell, for all I know, I might be one of them. Now I doubt that. But it’s possible. No one knows.” Inadvertently, Smith may also be predicting his termination in the future; whether or not he’s caught up in a scandal of his own will only be revealed with time.
Right now would be a perfect time to clean house since ESPN is under the Disney umbrella, and as everyone is aware by now, they are going through some significant changes. With executives getting caught harassing people online, it is much easier for Disney to decide who should get the boot first.
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Here’s hoping Stephen A. Smith is safe from being let go, and has no allegations against him, because he truly is a fan favorite for the network.
Are you worried about layoffs affecting ESPN? Let Inside The Magic know in the comments.