It's Our Fault for ESPN Layoffs

                                                                                                                                                     
      It's rare for the week's biggest story in the sports industry to involve the news source itself, but that was the case last week when ESPN announced that it would be cutting ties with around 100 employees ranging from on-air talent to beat writers.

It's no secret that social media such as Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter dominate society and ESPN recognizes that, citing their layoffs as a way to begin their shift. Last week, ESPN President John Skipper told reporters "Our content strategy still needs to go further, faster, and as always must be efficient and nimble."

Now don't get me wrong while ESPN is in no danger of going bankrupt, their finances are no-where near where they need to be. They overpaid for TV rights, and have rubbed people the wrong way with some of their on-air talent.

Which brings me to my next point.

ESPN did not just layoff 100 employees last week, they laid off several employees who had a decade or more of tenure at ESPN. Many of whom are well respected in the sport journalism world.

Look at NFL reporter Ed Werder, Werder had been a correspondent for 17 years. I grew up seeing Ed Werder on television every Sunday morning, I enjoyed his inside pieces.

I don't think you can find a better baseball reporter than Jayson Stark outside of maybe Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci. For years, Stark was my favorite baseball personality at ESPN, his well-rounded knowledge and passion for the game became something that I grew jealous of and have attempted to emulate. I loved his Tuesday Trivia on "Mike and Mike" and enjoyed reading just about story or column he wrote.

How about college basketball writer Andy Katz? Katz had been with ESPN since 2000, and was one of the best in the business.

There were several more who were laid off by ESPN. Many of them which I enjoyed, but to me It's not about who they laid off that speaks to the direction of ESPN, its who they didn't.

Stephen A. Smith is still there, Jamele Hill is too, so is Max Kellerman and Michael Smith. Nothing against these guys, but they are far-cry away from the traditional reporters.

(ESPN laid off baseball reporter Jayson Stark after 17 years with the company)

The competitive industry of sports media has became a world that is more supportive of egos and agenda, than it is traditional journalism.

Don't get me wrong ESPN is not the only network who employs these type of journalists. Many personalities from ESPN's rival FOX that include former ESPN talents Colin Cowherd and Skip Bayless are guilty of the same absurd journalism. I give Cowherd a little bit of a pass because at least he's right a majority of the time.

But look at Skip Bayless' twitter or listen to him on his show "Undisputed", and you'll understand what I'm saying. How can a guy be so critical of once in-a generation type athletes like Aaron Rodgers and Lebron James, yet cherish the ground that guys like Tim Tebow and Tony Romo walk on and it be acceptable?

Former and current ESPN personalities are not the only ones who do this. As I'm typing this out Fox Sports on-air talent Clay Travis finds himself in hot water with social media followers over remarks he made about former UCLA Linebacker Takkarist McKinley bringing a picture of his deceased grandmother on stage with him after he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.

Travis has received multiple replies on Twitter from imbeciles telling him to "kill himself" as well as many other remarks that could be viewed as threats.

I've read what Travis said, and while I don't think what he was said was meant to be offensive and was probably all in good fun. Chances are Travis probably knew that what he said would some ruffle some feathers. Which is why he did it.

Same reason ESPN flaunts Lavar Ball out on a stage to argue with Stephen A. Smith about stupid stuff.

Same reason Skip Bayless attacks Lebron James on Twitter or the same reason Colin Cowherd does what he does.

Because we pay attention.

 American society is fascinated with dysfunction and insanity. It's the same reason the Jerry Springer Show lasted as long as it did. It's also part of the reason that this past Presidential election cycle was as crazy as it was.

If we ignored the Skip Baylesses  and Clay Travises of the world, they might in time go away, and maybe it wouldn't make want young sportscasters to want to be like them.

If you truly don't like this type of sports media, then ignore Stephen A. Smith screaming at poor Max Kellerman, shut the television off when Skip Bayless comes on,  unfollow them on Twitter.

Educate yourself by reading more stories by guys like Tom Verducci, Peter King, Jeff Passan and Wright Thompson just to name a few. Listen to respected journalists like Buster Olney.

Buy your local Omaha World Herald or Kansas City Star and read the works of guys like Tom Shatel, Sam McKeowon, Rustin Dodd and Sam Mellinger.

Now, I'm by no means saying that journalists should never be critical of an athlete or team, that is part of their job, but not the most important job. Their most important job is to inform the public and give them the story. Not to be a piece of the story.

This is the only way to keep "true" sports journalism alive. If people truly can't stand listening to guys like Cowherd, Stephen A. or Skip, then drown them out, because if you don't, even if you want to. Those guys will just continue on, and when they leave, they will be replaced by personalities that will be clones of them.

Keep this up and someday there might not be anymore personalities like Jayson Stark, Ed Werder, or Andy Katz

It might just a bunch of bafoons blabbing about whatever wild-haired thought or opinion they get in their head.

Is that what we really want?

As a young- sportscaster, I would say no.

And you shouldn't want that either

Each Team's Worst First Round Pick Since 1990

For every late round steal that a team finds out chances are there's a player taken in the first round that doesn't pan out. Not every top pick can turn out to have the career of Peyton Manning or Larry Fitzgerald, some of them just don't cut it for a plethora of different reasons. Maybe it's off the field issues, maybe it's injuries, or maybe they just weren't really that good. Here's a look at the one player that each team wishes they wouldn't have spent a first round pick on since 1990.

                                                            ARIZONA CARDINALS

                                           Andre Wadsworth, Defensive End, 1998, 3rd Pick

The Cardinals took this Florida State pass rusher one spot ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson. Wadsworth had a solid rookie season, amassing five sacks of his eight career sacks and recovering three fumbles, but a knee injury in 1999 slowed down Wadsworth's production and 2000 would be his last season in the league. Wadsworth remained out of football for six years before attempting a comeback with the Jets in 2007. He failed to make a roster. 

                                                             ATLANTA FALCONS

                                              Tony Smith, Running Back, 1992, 19th Pick

Fun Fact-The Falcons acquired this pick when they traded away their backup Quarterback. His name, Brett Favre. The Falcons used that pick to draft Tony Smith, Favre's former teammate at Southern Miss. Smith failed to come even close to having the same success that Favre had. Smith was on the Falcons roster for three years (1992-1994) but the only playing time of his career came in his rookie year when he had 87 carries for 329 yards and two touchdowns.

                                                            BALTIMORE RAVENS

                                                Kyle Boller, Quarterback, 2003, 19th Pick

The Ravens might be one of the best teams when it comes to drafting in the first round, but that doesn't mean they haven't missed. The Ravens took Boller just three years after winning a Super Bowl with Trent Dilfer at the helm. Brian Billick felt that Boller's strong arm could give the Ravens offense the power they needed to go with their high caliber defense, but it never panned out. Boller's strong arm proved to be innacurate. Boller played six years for Boller, but never could fully supplant himself as the guy in Baltimore, throwing for nearly as many picks as he did touchdowns.

                                                               BUFFALO BILLS

                                            John McCargo, Defensive Tackle, 2006, 26th Pick

Even 9 year old Trevor thought thought the Bills were stupid when they traded up into the late first round to draft McCargo, who was perceived by many to be a late second, early third round talent. He showed up to training camp out of shape and even passed out during conditioning drills. McCargo played five seasons with the Bills, only amassing 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks. The Bills attempted to trade him to the Colts in 2008 after just two seasons, but he failed a physical and the trade was voided. McCargo signed on with the Buccaneers in 2011, his last year in the league. McCargo played in just 44 games during his six year career. 

                                                              CAROLINA PANTHERS

                                                Jeff Otah, Offensive Tackle, 2008, 19th Pick

Remember two years ago when the Panthers O-Line was embarrassed by Von Miller in the Super Bowl? Well, there was a time when the Panthers felt that they were getting their blindside protector for the next decade when they drafted Pitt's Jeff Otah in 2008. That turned out to not be the case. Otah only played in 29 games during his four seasons with the Panthers. Knee injuries plagued Otah. He only played in four games combined between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. The Panthers traded Otah to the Jets during the 2012 off-season, but a failed physical voided the trade, forcing him to be cut.

                                                             CINCINNATI BENGALS

                                                 Akili Smith, Quarterback, 1999, 3rd Pick

The Bengals have had lots of awful draft picks, but none have been worse than Oregon QB Akili Smith. Prior to the draft, the Saints offered Cincinnati all of their draft picks to move up and draft Ricky Williams, the Bengals declined opting to get their signal-caller of the future. Smith never could grasp the intellectual capability required to be an NFL Quarterback and only started 17 games during his four seasons with the Bengals. During those four seasons, Smith threw for just over 2,000 yards, five touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

                                                           CLEVELAND BROWNS

                                                  Brandon Weeden, Quarterback, 2012, 22nd Pick

I could have picked any first round pick the Browns have made except for Joe Thomas or Joe Haden, and had a valid argument. But Weeden takes the cake because the Browns actually thought they had a franchise QB in a 28 year old former professional baseball player who played college football in an offense that doesn't transition over to the pro game. Weeden only played two seasons for the Browns. He started 15 games for the Browns in 2012, throwing for 3,385 yards, a team rookie record. But injuries and inconsistencies sidelined Weeden in 2013. The Browns cut Weeden in 2013, meaning that they used the pick they acquired in the Julio Jones trade for a QB who gave them two seasons and threw for 23 touchdowns and 26 interceptions.

                                                              CHICAGO BEARS

                                                     Curtis Enis, Running Back, 1998, 5th Pick

The Bears chose Penn State's Curtis Enis with Fred Taylor (who should be in the Hall of Fame) still on the board. Enis proved to be another Penn State running back that failed to pan out in the NFL. Enis only played in nine games his rookie season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Enis returned in 1999, but couldn't stay healthy or consistent enough to be a factor. The Bears waived Enis in 2001. He signed with the Browns, but a knee injury ended his career. Enis finished his career with 1,497 total yards and just four touchdowns.

                                                           DALLAS COWBOYS

                                                       David LaFleur, Tight End, 1997, 22nd Pick

The Cowboys were hoping to find their replacement to Jay Novacek in 1997. They had their sights set on Cal's Tony Gonzalez, but had to settle for LSU Tight End David LaFleur. LaFleur had one somewhat respectable year, amassing 35 catches for 322 yards and seven scores. All career highs. LaFleur battled injuries in 2000 forcing the Cowboys to waive him after he failed a physical. 

                                                                DENVER BRONCOS

                                                    Tim Tebow, Quarterback, 2010, 26th Pick

I'm sure that some fruitcake will use the argument "But, Tebow won a playoff game". Which I looked and it's true. The quarterback of the 2011 Broncos team that stunned Pittsburgh in the playoffs was indeed Tim Tebow. None of that excuses the fact that Tebow should not have been a first round pick. His accuracy and throwing mechanics were terrible. He won games by luck, not skill. Including a 17-7 win over the Chiefs in which he only completed two passes, or an overtime win over the Chargers where Tebow didn't complete a pass until the fourth quarter. If Tebow really was a first round pick, a team would have snagged him up and kept him after the Broncos got rid of him when they signed Peyton Manning.

                                                                 DETROIT LIONS

                                                   Charles Rogers, Wide Receiver, 2003, 2nd Pick

The Lions picked three Wide Receivers in the first round from 2003 to 2005 and managed to whiff on all three of them, but none of them worse than Charles Rogers. Many viewed Rogers as the best wide-out in the country, even better than a kid from Miami named Andre Johnson. Rogers only played in five games in 2003 before missing the rest of the season with a clavicle injury. Rogers re-injured his clavicle in 2004. Rogers returned from his injuries in 2005, but a failed drug test led to a four game suspension. The Lions cut Rogers in 2006. Rogers only played three seasons for the Lions corralling in just 36 receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns. The Texans took Andre Johnson with the next pick. Johnson went on to have a Hall of Fame caliber career.

                                                         

                                                                 GREEN BAY PACKERS

                                                       Justin Harrell, Defensive Tackle, 2007 16th Pick

The Packers were hopeful that this dominant run-stopper from Tennessee could fill a gap in their front four. That turned out to not be the case. Harrell showed up to rookie camp out of shape in 2007.  Harrell only played in 14 games during his four seasons in Green Bay. A torn ACL sidelined Harrell for the entire Packers 2010 Super Bowl Season. The Packers released Harrell after that season. He finished his career with just 18 tackles.

                                                                HOUSTON TEXANS

                                                 Travis Johnson, Defensive End, 2005, 16th Pick

I thought about giving this honor to David Carr, but to be fair he had lofty expectations being the first ever QB for a NFL franchise and his biggest problem was the lack of protection he had. The Texans took Johnson immediately after defensive players DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Derrick Johnson and Thomas Davis had been taken. Johnson played four seasons in Houston, amassing only 80 tackles and two sacks. Injuries plagued Johnson's tenure in Houston. He signed with San Diego in 2009, but was out of the league by 2011.

                                                           INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

                                              Steve Emtman, Defensive Tackle, 1992, 1st Pick

Steve Emtman terrorized offenses at the University of Washington. Emtman's dominant performance led to him finishing fourth in the Heisman voting in 1991. The Colts drafted Emtman with the top pick. Injuries made his tenure in Indianapolis, only playing in Indy for three seasons and 18 games, amassing just 24 tackles and five sacks. Emtman signed with the Dolphins in 1995 and finished his career with Washington in 1997.  Interestingly enough, the Colts also owned the second pick in the 1992 draft. They used that pick to take Texas A&M defensive lineman Quentin Coryatt. Coryatt also turned out to be a bust.

                                                          JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

                                                Justin Blackmon, Wide Receiver, 2012, 5th Pick

The Jaguars thought they were getting their best receiver in team history. Justin Blackmon terrorized defenses at Oklahoma State. Blackmon drew comparisons to NFL Wide Receivers Anquan Boldin and Terrell Owens. Their were questions about Blackmon's personal life, particularly his involvement with alcohol. Despite all this, Blackmon had a productive rookie season. Catching 64 passes for 865 yards and five touchdowns. Blackmon began the 2013 season facing a four game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy. Blackmon played four games in 2013 before being suspended indefinitely for failing a drug test. Blackmon has not played a down since then. He's been arrested twice since then for marijuana and alcohol related offenses. Blackmon still remains on the Jaguars roster despite having not played a down for them in over three years.

                                                          KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

                                         Jonathan Baldwin, Wide Receiver, 2011, 26th Pick

I remember actually being excited when the Chiefs took Pittsburgh's Jon Baldwin. Baldwin's 6'4 frame gave them a big receiver to get the ball downfield to. Baldwin never matured, a pre-season fight with Thomas Jones led to Baldwin suffering a wrist injury. Baldwin only played two seasons for the Chiefs before being dealt to San Francisco, Baldwin only caught 41 passes for 579 yards in touchdowns in Kansas City. Baldwin was out of the league by 2014.

                                                    LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

                                            Ryan Leaf, Quarterback, 1998, 2nd Pick

What if the Colts would have been dumb enough to take Ryan Leaf over Peyton Manning? Many people actually thought that Ryan Leaf had the better physical tools, but nobody mistook Ryan Leaf as being more mature than Peyton Manning. Urban legend has it that Ryan Leaf no-showed his pre-draft meeting with the Colts, but none of this stopped the Chargers from getting what they thought was the face of their franchise. Leaf only lasted three seasons in San Diego, missing his entire second season with a shoulder injury. The rest of Leaf's career was plagued by altercations with fans and reporters. Leaf failed to show the level of maturity deemed necessary to be franchise Quarterback and was out of the league by 2001. His life since then has been marred by a plethora of legal troubles.

                                                     LOS ANGELES RAMS

                                               Lawrence Phillips, Running Back, 1996, 6th Pick

The Rams had such high hopes for Nebraska's Lawrence Phillips, that they dealt Jerome Bettis to Pittsburgh after drafting Phillips. Phillips had sustained numerous legal problems dating back to his days at Nebraska. Moving to the NFL did not change that. Inconsistent play also plagued Phillips during his time with the Rams, The Rams released Phillips in 1997 when coach Dick Vermeil found out that Phillips had played while intoxicated. Phillips attempted to resurrect his career with the Dolphins and 49ers, but failed. Life after football for Phillips also consisted of lots of legal troubles that ended with Phillips being sentenced to 31 years in prison for aggravated assault. In 2015, Phillips was charged with the murder of his cell-mate. Possibly facing the death penalty, Phillips committed suicide in his prison cell in January 2016.

                                                     MIAMI DOLPHINS

                                                 Dion Jordan, Defensive End, 2013, 3rd Pick.

A lot of people were surprised when the Dolphins traded with the Raiders to move from the 12th pick to the third pick to take the edge-rusher from Oregon. After playing his whole rookie season, Jordan was suspended for six games in 2013 for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He violated it again in 2015 and was suspended for the entire season. Jordan returned to Miami in 2016. Jordan recorded just 46 tackles and three sacks in Miami before being released this past off-season. The Seahawks recently signed Jordan.

                                                               MINNESOTA VIKINGS

                                                 Troy Williamson, Wide Receiver, 2005, 7th Pick

First off, let me acknowledge that the Wide Receivers taken in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft were absolute garbage. The Vikings took Williamson hoping that he could be the replacement to Randy Moss. He wasn't. Williamson only lasted three seasons in Minnesota, hauling in just over 1,000 total yards and three touchdowns. Williamson finished his career with two forgetful seasons in Jacksonville and was out of the league by 2009.

                                                             NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

                                              Dominique Easley, Defensive Tackle, 2014, 29th Pick

Bill Belichick isn't a complete genius. He thought Dominique Easley could be the next Vince Wilfork. He wasn't. The run-stuffer from Florida failed to do just that. Easley only accumulated 16 tackles and three sacks in his two seasons. The Patriots cut Easley prior to last season. The Rams picked Easley up, where he had the most productive season of his young career with 36 tackles and three and a half sacks.

                                                             NEW YORK GIANTS

                                               David Wilson, Running Back, 2012, 32nd Pick

This might be the most unfair one on here. David Wilson had showed promise at Virginia Tech. The Giants took him fresh off winning a Super Bowl, hoping to add him to their stable of backs. Wilson showed flashes of brilliance as a kick returner, leading the league in return yards in 2012, Wilson holds the accolade of being the only player in NFL history to have more than 200 return yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game. However, a serious neck injury  in 2013 ended his career prematurely. Wilson finished his brief career having only played in 21 games, running for 506 yards and five touchdowns.

                                                              NEW YORK JETS

                                                   Vernon Gholston, Linebacker, 2008, 6th Pick

The Jets drafted the Ohio State Linebacker after his impressive combine workout. Many expected Rex Ryan to work wonders with Vernon Gholston when he was hired to take over the Jets in 2009, but Gholston proved to be a lost cause for Ryan. Gholston only played three seasons for the Jets, amassing just 42 tackles and failing to produce a sack. Gholston was out of the league after brief off-season stints with the Bears and Rams.

                                                             NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

                                         Johnathan Sullivan, Defensive Tackle. 2003, 6th Pick

The Saints took the Defensive Tackle out of Georgia with the sixth pick in the NFL Draft. The Saints took Sullivan ahead of future Pro-Bowl defensive lineman named Kevin Williams. Sullivan played in 36 games, only starting in 16. He recorded just 56 tackles and one and a half sacks in his three years.

                                                                OAKLAND RAIDERS

                                                   JaMarcus Russell, Quarterback, 2007, 1st Pick

Anyone in America- "Nobody can be a bigger bust than Ryan Leaf"

JaMarcus Russell-"Hold my beer and watch this". 

JaMarcus Russell came out of LSU being known for his big arm, Al Davis fell in love with the prospect taking him over future Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson. The Raiders soon found out that Russell was lazy, out of shape and failed to comprehend in a NFL offense. Russell, who admitted to testing positive for Codeine after the Raiders drafted him, played just three seasons in Oakland starting 25 games throwing for just 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.

                                                                 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

                                                        Danny Watkins, Guard, 2011, 23rd Pick

The Danny Watkins story was cute and all, but it didn't pan out for the Eagles. Watkins, was a former firefighter from Canada who played college ball at Baylor who the Eagles drafted at the age of 27 hoping he could protect Michael Vick. Watkins only started 18 games for the Eagles in two seasons. He signed with the Dolphins in 2013, but they cut him after only playing in one game.

                                                              PITTSBURGH STEELERS

                                                     Huey Richardson, Linebacker,1991, 15th Pick.

Chuck Noll made lots of great first round picks during his 23 year tenure with the Steelers. He made sure to save his worst for last. The Steelers took the Linebacker out of Florida with the 15th pick in the draft. Richardson did not fit the Steelers defensive scheme. Richardson never started a game for the Steelers. New coach Bill Cowher traded him to the Redskins for a seventh round pick after just one season in Pittsburgh. Richardson played the 1992 season with the Redskins and Jets, and was out of the NFL after 1992.

                                                         SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

                                                 A.J. Jenkins, Wide Receiver, 30th Pick, 2012.

When the 49ers took Jenkins out of Illinois, they felt that they were giving Alex Smith another weapon. They quickly found out that Jenkins was merely fools gold. Jenkins only took 37 snaps during his rookie season failing to catch a pass. 2012 ended up being Jenkins' only year in San Francisco. The 49ers dealt Jenkins to the Chiefs in exchange for another bust receiver on this list, A.J. Jenkins. Jenkins finished his career with just 17 career catches and zero touchdowns.

                                                         SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

                                                  Aaron Curry, Linebacker, 4th Pick, 2009

The Seahawks took Aaron Curry over Clay Matthews, Brian Orakpo and Brian Cushing. Many considered Curry to be the safest and best linebacker in the class. Curry only lasted two and a half seasons in Seattle. The Seahawks traded Curry to Oakland during the 2011 season. Curry started 30 games for the Seahawks amassing just five and a half sacks. The Raiders cut Curry after the 2012 season, ending his career.

                                                       TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 

                                                 Keith McCants, Linebacker, 1990, 4th Pick

McCants probably would have been the Number One pick in the 1990 NFL Draft had it not been for questions about previous knee injuries. That didn't stop the dysfunctional Bucs from taking him with the fourth pick, one pick ahead of Junior Seau. McCants started 35 games for the Bucs amassing 12 sacks from 1990 to 1992. The Bucs cut McCants after the 1992 season. He signed with the Oilers and finished his career in 1995 with the Cardinals.

                                                        TENNESSEE TITANS

                                                  Andre Woolfolk, Cornerback, 2003, 28th.

Andre Woolfolk would have been the greatest player to ever play the game if he just could have played against Texans QB David Carr every week. All three of the corner from Oklahoma's career interceptions came against Carr. The biggest problem for Woolfolk was that their were 31 quarterbacks in the league who were not named David Carr. Woolfolk played four season with the Titans before being cut in 2006. 

                                                         WASHINGTON REDSKINS

                                                  Heath Shuler, Quarterback, 1994, 3rd Pick

The Redskins thought they had their version of Troy Aikman when they drafted Shuler out of Tennessee with the third overall pick. Shuler struggled during his first year in Washington, winning only one of his eight starts and throwing more picks than touchdowns. The Redskins benched Shuler in 1995 in favor of Gus Frerotte, who the Redskins drafted in the seventh round of the 1994 draft. The Redskins traded Shuler to the Saints in 1996. Shuler had a cup of coffee with the Raiders before retiring. He later became a Congressman.