I really did believe that we had hashed out all the behind the scenes bullshit and come to some sort of agreement on creative lines, media criticism rules, the promotion of the column and everything else on ESPN.com. Within a few months, all of those things changed and certain promises were not kept. It's as simple as that.I was talking to my roommate Eric about the way TSG is responding, and I don't know if he can really do a much better job. If he just writes what he wants, as far as content goes, the editors will chop it up, make it suck, and his relationship with them will go – or continue to go – downhill. So instead, he's chosen to cut his production down. And he is also publishing on his own again. Well, at least he has published one thing on his own. It's a story he wrote way back in 1996, and you can find it here.
In one of the deadspin comments someone mentioned that this would be breach of contract or something like that. But if he feels like they screwed him, I don't blame him. Especially since he has such a cult following, a lot of friends with good connections, and clout on the internet.
I hope that the outcome of this is that either his situation at ESPN improves to the point he's hoping, or he parts with the worldwide leader and ventures back out on his own.
1 comment:
Yeah, I worry that this could get ugly (although there is a new Podcast today with Jemele Hill). I appreciate the fact that he's frustrated and I am sure it can be "stifling" from a creative/content standpoint to work for a large corporation like Disney, but I just want to be able to keep reading him.
Also, I am sure he's probably still writing enough to keep the minimum requirements of the contract (and thus no breach of contract). He's probably just not writing any MORE than that.
Thanks for the shout-out at the top.
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