ESPN's John Skipper resigns

Wow. That's huge in our little corner of the world. Has Simmons tweeted about it?

 

Substance abuse issue that is related to complaints from female employees?

 

Well, prayers and blessings for that. The man owes it to himself to spend the last years of his life outside the grip of drugs/alcohol, presuming (and it pains me to write this) that's all this is about.

ESPN has lost its way as a company. Completely and totally. While pockets of it remain excellent - the magazine continues to do great work, Outside The Lines - the network sorely needs to have a long, deep conversation about what it is, and whether Disney has unduly influenced the political bent of the network in ways that are unhelpful to sports coverage.

 

Hate to say it, but given recent events, you have to wonder if the substance abuse he’s admitting to will be the excuse given for other infractions.

 

LOL. Alma works for Clay Travis?

 

Damn it!

 

"I come to this public disclosure with embarrassment, trepidation and a feeling of having let others I care about down. As I deal with this issue and what it means to me and my family, I ask for appropriate privacy and a little understanding. To my colleagues at ESPN, it has been a privilege. I take great pride in your accomplishments and have complete confidence in your collective ability to continue ESPN's success."

 

Yes, unfortunately, you do have to wonder.

 

Yep. I also wonder if this is at all related to the Fox acquisition.

 

Every corporation like Disney has procedures for admitting to addiction problems, and seeking help for them, that do not require resignation.

I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t complete a comprehensive in treatment program, and come back to his job, if that’s all there was, and that’s what he wanted to do.

Unless he feels like getting away from ESPN would be required for his future sobriety, which would indicate an environment far more toxic than we’ve imagined.

 

Lets assume his problem is substance abuse. He has been head of ESPN for six years and probably gone as far as he thought he would. He appears to be married and have three kids. He should have money to retire. He could rationally decide that beating substance abuse is a bitch and that he does not need the stress of the ESPN job as he tries to beat the demons. May God be with him.