Tom VH out at ESPN
January 19th, 2024 at 3:03 PM ^
It seems to almost be a cliche to hate ESPN on this board. But also, I hate ESPN.
January 19th, 2024 at 2:31 PM ^
May he find a better landing spot than the ESPNquirer.
January 19th, 2024 at 2:39 PM ^
I love TomVH and he did great work for this site. I never found his ESPN content as engaging or interesting. But I don’t find any ESPN content engaging or interesting.
They are transparent shills for their TV partners (SEC). Of course this is going to drive B1G readership away.
Now (or June, whatever) is a good time to get out. That is a sinking ship.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:06 PM ^
I have read a couple of articles mentioning that the NFL and possibly the NBA may be negotiating to purchase a stake in ESPN. That should really improve their impartiality!
January 19th, 2024 at 2:57 PM ^
Come home Tom?
January 19th, 2024 at 3:00 PM ^
No room for content when they need to get Steven A Smith's ready-aim-fire take on everything.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:02 PM ^
That's really unfortunate. It's a great example of how being good at what you do and being retained by ESPN are two different things.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:03 PM ^
Between this and screwing with Parkinggod's content. . .
I've really grown to hate these fuckers.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:19 PM ^
I think the goals of 1. Pro athlete 2. Being on SNL and 3. Being on ESPN are pretty common among a certain age of guy. The Olberman/Patrick, and then Rich Eisen/Stuart Scott years were peak cable television and everyone who thinks they're funny pictures themselves on SNL.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:19 PM ^
Maybe with all the issues with E$PN this may be a blessing in disguise. Let's hope he lands with another that values his talent.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:29 PM ^
I'm so happy I have no idea who he is.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:14 PM ^
You've been here for 10 years and you don't know who he is? He worked at Mgoblog for 3 years starting in 2008 and they talk about him all the time with recruiting. He's on the podcast every so often. This is a weird miss.
January 23rd, 2024 at 1:48 PM ^
HA! I love it, I get down voted because I said I was glad I didnt know who he was. For some reason I find that humorous.
My jab was more directed toward ESPN than this fella and I guess its my bad that I did not equate TVH to be Tom VanHaaren. Now that you mention it, I recall his name but I'm not real big on remembering the names of the media. Now if you want to ask me about my favorite Harold Butch Woolfolk run or the best Mel Owens hit, I can definitely recall that.
January 19th, 2024 at 3:34 PM ^
why does it feel like I keep paying more an more for sports coverage and they cut deeper and deeper. journalism is out, clownish personality is in.
Maybe one of these days we'll punish a ceo for being a near sighted ebitda machine, maybe
Good luck to him, I've always enjoyed his writing
January 19th, 2024 at 3:34 PM ^
why does it feel like I keep paying more an more for sports coverage and they cut deeper and deeper. journalism is out, clownish personality is in.
Maybe one of these days we'll punish a ceo for being a near sighted ebitda machine, maybe
Good luck to him, I've always enjoyed his writing
January 19th, 2024 at 4:04 PM ^
It's interesting how we're all lamenting the final demise—or end-stage enshittification—of two entities that have been emblematic of two completely different technological eras in sports journalism. The more recent one surely contributed to the eventual demise of the earlier one.
January 19th, 2024 at 4:15 PM ^
When ESPN fired Suzy Kolber, it was the last straw for me. She was knowledgeable and entertaining. Maybe she was not as young as some of the bimbos who work there now, but she knew her shit.
ESPN is currently nothing but projectile-vomited bombast.
January 19th, 2024 at 4:26 PM ^
Sorry to hear the bad news, TVH. Come home!
January 19th, 2024 at 4:39 PM ^
I've always enjoyed Tom's writing, whether here or on twitter or the occasional piece that ESPN let us plebes who refuse to pay for ESPN+ read. If he wants to stay in the game I would have to think one of the recruiting sites will snap him up.
January 19th, 2024 at 5:09 PM ^
Let us hold you, Yom VH!
Edit OK, a little slow on this one... I can't believe it's been 11 years!
Their loss Tom.
January 19th, 2024 at 5:10 PM ^
Looks like the entire staff were laid off at Sports Illistrated too. The article says they did not renew licensing. That seems like a big screw up, or they may have let it expire.
January 19th, 2024 at 5:29 PM ^
I actually got him his job there years ago. I won’t say how, since no one would believe it.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:00 PM ^
Another example of why ESPN is a complete shit show.
January 19th, 2024 at 7:13 PM ^
journalism is not what it used to be. hope he does well. memories
January 20th, 2024 at 12:39 PM ^
In the interests of accuracy, that was never a real SI cover. I know because I created it and posted it on MGoBlog in August of 2009.
The masthead at the top is from the June 2, 2008 issue of SI:
https://sicovers.com/featured/texas-rangers-josh-hamilton-june-02-2008-sports-illustrated-cover.html
I photoshopped the masthead around the heads of Tate and Denard. I then added the title copy and blurb, and also the bit about Lane Kiffin at the bottom.
I don't recall exactly where I found the photo of Tate & Denard, but I'm sure it was from somewhere on the internet.
January 20th, 2024 at 1:56 PM ^
Interesting. I was wondering due to the interesting hit about kiffin.