ESPN has been struggling financially recently, its investment in key growth media has not panned out as well compared to smaller more agile competitors. Disney as a whole are raking in some serious money with its other things going well. It's always nice to have a few Star Wars films to boost that profit line.
Doesn't surprise me, ever since Yahoo made their deal with Verizon their sports website has gone to hell. There used to be a lot of original articles and content on the website but now it's feeds from other sources meaning they had large scale layoffs at Yahoo Sports. I just hope they don't make him an ESPN Insider otherwise I'll never read his stuff.
It probably chapped their collective a$$es at ESPN to always say, "According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Such-and-So Team is in talks with Such-and-Such team and the deal is just awaiting signatures.....after the break, we turn to the NFL." (camera turns off) "G**damnit, this guy is always beating us to the punch! He's not human! HE'S NOT HUMAN!"
Oh hell. I didn't think of that possibility. Now that you've mentioned it, that sounds like the kind of stupid move ESPN might make. I hope not. It would be a mistake on their part.
The main thing that differentiates him from others is his ability to break news, not provide analysis. So I don't see why they'd bother putting him on ESPN Insider.
Yeah, I agree. It's disappointing to me to see Woj "selling out". I understand it... it's life, it's business... but he was anti-ESPN his entire time. It's just kind of awkward now. I wonder if he will have the same pull when he's working for the establishment.
ANTI-ESPN establishment is (WAS) a BIG part of Woj's appeal. That he is this mercenary reporter who gives you the good pure sh** from the underground not the mainstream junk. He probably says it his HARD WORK and CONTENT that creates the Woj product wherever he's at, not some marketed image. But its hard to deny he had rare "indie cred" in the industry he's in. Itll be interesting to see how he can maintain not only his own integrity, but the customers same interest in his product. His Twitter breaks will be similar. The ESPN interface I already feel I wont like it
I choose to look at it the other way. Maybe he can help make it better. Basketball coverage at least.
I think Woj wants this move, obviously, because of a bigger payday and, more importantly, Yahoo's unstable situation. Their sports section, aside from The Vertical, has really gone down in quality.
This is the Durant Joining the Warriors of the hoops reporting world. Woj is gonna get booed mercilessly during ESPN's next road game at Yahoo.
As long as Woj continues to break news, does it really matter where he works? I mean, the bottom line is information. We should support Woj being put in the best position to allow him to do his job. If that is ESPN, then so be it. Maybe Yahoo wont be it with the Yahoo sale. We want the best Woj.
It seems like the personnel moves at ESPN in the NBA department take place on July 1st. Woj joining and Stein, Ford, etc. leaving. Must have been awkward for the departing guys these last couple months. Stein actually just published a piece at NBA.com today.
