The “Mad Dog” has no shortage of theories about the recent wave of ESPN layoffs that have rocked the sports world.
Chris Russo, who signed a one-year contract with ESPN earlier this year to continue appearing on “First Take,” believes the NBA league office — and commissioner Adam Silver, specifically — ordered the layoff of longtime lead analyst Jeff Van Gundy because of his blunt and sometimes controversial NBA opinions.
“I can’t fathom the idea that ESPN in these layoffs… would fire Jeff Van Gundy,” Russo said on his Sirius XM podcast “Mad Dog’s Daily Bite” on Tuesday.
“You’re not going to convince me that ESPN (and Disney boss Bob Iger) woke up in the last two weeks, looked at the budget sheet, and said, ‘We gotta fire Van Gundy because we gotta save some money — if that’s the case, fire Mark Jackson.’
“ESPN will never admit it. They’re gonna say it’s our call. Nonsense. Why would they get rid of a great team? That team is a great team with [Mike Breen]…You’re not going to convince me that that team, that everybody likes. Nobody doesn’t like that team.”
Van Gundy, 61, has been with ESPN for 16 years, calling the NBA Finals in a popular trio with Mike Breen and Mark Jackson.
“That leads me to the conclusion that someone in the league office must’ve told ESPN, ‘I want Van Gundy out,’” Russo said. “We all know he’s biting. We all know he gets on the officials. We all know he doesn’t hold back with his NBA opinions.
“So, if you’re asking me, little talk show host, who may not know a thing, this is just my opinion, Silver is the one who fired Van Gundy. Silver told ESPN, ‘I want him out.’”
Everything to know about ESPN Layoffs
On Friday, ESPN began the latest round of its layoffs, with several big names among the expect 20 on-air personalities being let go.
Network stalwarts Jeff Van Gundy, Max Kellerman, Keyshawn Johnson, Suzy Kolber, Matt Hasselbeck, Steve Young and Todd McShay were some of the biggest names let go of by ESPN.
It marked the third round of layoffs by the “Worldwide Leader,” with the previous two focusing on behind-the-scenes workers.
The massive layoffs come as part of mandates from parent company Disney, which announced earlier this year that around 7,000 jobs would be eliminated.
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Van Gundy ends his career as a broadcaster on ABC and ESPN just shy of 100 NBA Finals games, which places him among the more accomplished broadcasters in NBA history.
The longtime NBA coach was unafraid to voice concerns about the officiating and league rules on the broadcast, often using humor and deep knowledge of basketball to add context to the games he announced.
Van Gundy was one of 20 or so on-air personalities that were laid off by ESPN on Friday.
The decision to let go of the former Knicks coach, though, was perhaps the most shocking.
“Head scratcher,” Fox Sports 1 sports show host Colin Cowherd tweeted after the news. “Love JVG.”
“The best NBA game analyst by a mile,” The Ringer’s Ryen Russillo wrote.
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