Goodbye to John Clayton

[husker71]

let go by ESPN.   

[go hogues]

Now, reveal that ponytail once and for all!

[ricepig]

Now, reveal that ponytail once and for all!

https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/869962349108576256


Look for him to land at Fox, NFL Network, CBS, or NBC.

[Seebs]

NFL Network is my guess. ESPN is dead to me. Dead.

[hogsanity]

NFL Network is my guess. ESPN is dead to me. Dead.

So, when the Hogs are on ESPN this year you are not going to watch?

[Seebs]

So, when the Hogs are on ESPN this year you are not going to watch?

Correct in a sense. ESPN has not been in my home for two years now. I may go to a bar or a freind's house but  Iwill not pay or support ESPN overtly.  I will also watch Body Shaping and any old Sportlook reruns with Roy Firestone.

[husker71]

gay as in happy and full of life or do you have something against happy people who enjoy their life??

[LZH]

darn, when I read the title I thought he'd died.

[sickboy]

darn, when I read the title I thought he'd died.

I admit. That was my initial thought when I saw the title too. Clayton's a good one. I love the little nerdy genius role he plays. Plus, you can't beat the ponytail.

[ThisTeetsTaken]

NFL Network is my guess. ESPN is dead to me. Dead.

ESPN is getting way too PC for me also.   They can still make advertising money off me because I'll watch games but as far as watching any commentary or talk shows I'm out. 

[sasnakrafan]

What I don't understand is how can they get rid of talent and yet still keep Stephen A. And Jemelle Hill
I'm a person of color and I can't stand them. How they keep those two but let go John Clayton, Mark May? (I like him), Ed Werder, Trent Dilfer, Len Elmore, and Dr. Jerry Punch.

People cutting the cord has been the biggest blow, but also political agendas, stupid decisions like a 20 year contract to a money pit/Longhorn Network, and to be frank, honoring Caitlyn Jenner over a little girl that was
Fighting a battle with Leukemia - to me the little girl is more courageous and deserved that award. But that's another story.

[kodiakisland]

ESPN is getting way too PC for me also.   They can still make advertising money off me because I'll watch games but as far as watching any commentary or talk shows I'm out. 

Is getting?  It went that way years ago.  I remember when ESPN showed sports.  Kinda like when MTV had videos.  ESPN is just reaping what it's been sowing for years.  They should have stuck to airing sports.

[ChitownHawg]

I admit. That was my initial thought when I saw the title too. Clayton's a good one. I love the little nerdy genius role he plays. Plus, you can't beat the ponytail.

Without the glasses he kind of looks like LZH.  Sorry Led, I could not resist. 

[buldozer]

ESPN is dead to me. Dead.

X2

[sickboy]

What I don't understand is how can they get rid of talent and yet still keep Stephen A. And Jemelle Hill
I'm a person of color and I can't stand them. How they keep those two but let go John Clayton, Mark May? (I like him), Ed Werder, Trent Dilfer, Len Elmore, and Dr. Jerry Punch.

People cutting the cord has been the biggest blow, but also political agendas, stupid decisions like a 20 year contract to a money pit/Longhorn Network, and to be frank, honoring Caitlyn Jenner over a little girl that was
Fighting a battle with Leukemia - to me the little girl is more courageous and deserved that award. But that's another story.

I'm guessing ESPN is going to start skewing younger. They're probably trying desperately to find a way to crack the 16-24 demographic. I think that's going to be a tall task though. That demographic is the first demo who grew up exclusively on Facebook and streaming internet. They'd rather consume their content in non-traditional ways. Though I guess you're going to start seeing ESPN try to find more ways to connect their content with streaming avenues. Just my guess.

And I'm guessing Steven A and Jamele Hill resonate more with younger audiences. That and they can both be incendiary and polarizing. They are good for ratings. It's like the crazy guy who gets picked the first few rounds of the Batchelor (not that I watch that show) that you know doesn't stand a chance, but is there simply because the show needs that crazy guy to grab initial ratings.

[Ex-Trumpet]

Apart from college football, I haven't watched ESPN in so long I don't even know who John Clayton is.  (And when I do watch games, many times the sound is muted or it's recorded and I FF through the commercials).

[phadedhawg]

I'm guessing ESPN is going to start skewing younger. They're probably trying desperately to find a way to crack the 16-24 demographic. I think that's going to be a tall task though. That demographic is the first demo who grew up exclusively on Facebook and streaming internet. They'd rather consume their content in non-traditional ways. Though I guess you're going to start seeing ESPN try to find more ways to connect their content with streaming avenues. Just my guess.

And I'm guessing Steven A and Jamele Hill resonate more with younger audiences. That and they can both be incendiary and polarizing. They are good for ratings. It's like the crazy guy who gets picked the first few rounds of the Batchelor (not that I watch that show) that you know doesn't stand a chance, but is there simply because the show needs that crazy guy to grab initial ratings.

Yep, that's what I imagine is happening.  The core consumers of cable are now middle aged and falling out of the demographic desired by advertisers.  ESPN could get lots of viewers by focusing on sports but not the ones advertisers pay big money to access.  With the huge amount of money ESPN has paid for TV rights, choices had to be made.

I quit watching ESPN last year and don't go to the website either.  However when football starts there will be no way to avoid it.  I will still watch games but the commentary has little interest to me. 

I do kinda like watching Mike & Mike in the mornings but only during football season.

[RazorWest]

I'm guessing ESPN is going to start skewing younger. They're probably trying desperately to find a way to crack the 16-24 demographic. I think that's going to be a tall task though. That demographic is the first demo who grew up exclusively on Facebook and streaming internet. They'd rather consume their content in non-traditional ways. Though I guess you're going to start seeing ESPN try to find more ways to connect their content with streaming avenues. Just my guess.

And I'm guessing Steven A and Jamele Hill resonate more with younger audiences. That and they can both be incendiary and polarizing. They are good for ratings. It's like the crazy guy who gets picked the first few rounds of the Batchelor (not that I watch that show) that you know doesn't stand a chance, but is there simply because the show needs that crazy guy to grab initial ratings.

Might be right, but does that demographic even care about sports compared to those a little older? 

[LZH]

Without the glasses he kind of looks like LZH.  Sorry Led, I could not resist. 

I have a goatee and a tan!   

Bastard.

[Jackrabbit Hog]

Sean Salisbury used to refer to Clayton as "the crypt-keeper."  And that was fifteen years ago!

[nchogg]

A different ESPN employee whom I don't remember his name had left or maybe fired. He said ESPN has gone off their wagon. He said they are too political and do not cover sports fairly and are very bias. They are very one sided. We all know how they call games. I only watch ESPN if Arkansas is playing and that's it. I just don't care how they represent sports anymore.

[widespreadsooie]

Might be right, but does that demographic even care about sports compared to those a little older? 

More importantly, what % of that demographic pays a cable bill?

[Inhogswetrust]

More importantly, what % of that demographic pays a cable bill?

About the same as the GPA for John Blutarsky 0.0.

[RazorPiggie]

What I don't understand is how can they get rid of talent and yet still keep Stephen A. And Jemelle Hill
I'm a person of color and I can't stand them. How they keep those two but let go John Clayton, Mark May? (I like him), Ed Werder, Trent Dilfer, Len Elmore, and Dr. Jerry Punch.

People cutting the cord has been the biggest blow, but also political agendas, stupid decisions like a 20 year contract to a money pit/Longhorn Network, and to be frank, honoring Caitlyn Jenner over a little girl that was
Fighting a battle with Leukemia - to me the little girl is more courageous and deserved that award. But that's another story.

Could have sworn I saw Punch during the Indy 500.

Edit: it says he will stay on until the final IndyCar race on ESPNs contract.

[ChitownHawg]

I have a goatee and a tan!   

Bastard.

Hey, no need to be hatin on JC. 

[TheGrove68]

Yep, that's what I imagine is happening.  The core consumers of cable are now middle aged and falling out of the demographic desired by advertisers.  ESPN could get lots of viewers by focusing on sports but not the ones advertisers pay big money to access.  With the huge amount of money ESPN has paid for TV rights, choices had to be made.

I quit watching ESPN last year and don't go to the website either.  However when football starts there will be no way to avoid it.  I will still watch games but the commentary has little interest to me. 

I do kinda like watching Mike & Mike in the mornings but only during football season.

I'm in your boat...I watch football and did like M&M...the other stuff is crap to me except CFBLive etc.

ESPN is done they lost the younger Generation of sports and really College sports is done in a way. The younger generation realizes the playing field is uneven and totally biased to the Blue Bloods..UNC/KU/UK in Basketball and Bama/Ohio st./OU/Texas/USC etc. in football. So they tune out and have tons of other entertainment venues.

You can try to be political and go hipper and younger but it won't stem the tide. 

[hobhog]

And they resign Lee Corso?!?!

[DeltaBoy]

Good ESPN is cleaning out the Deadwood.

[Hoggish1]

ESPN?  Never watch it...

[hog.goblin]

Good ESPN is cleaning out the Deadwood.

No, they kept Smith and dumped Clayton.  They kept the deadwood and dumped the talent.

[sasnakrafan]

The only screaming and shouting show I like is Pardon the Interruption,  but even then I don't consume as much as I used to.  They were in a way the first of their kind or at least in my short memory of a jawing back and forth banter and their personalities worked.  You have Kornheiser who comes off like your senile grandpa and Wilson who calms the storm, but with a good balance of correcting gramps at the same time.  I think ESPN saw the formula and thought it would work for more shows
But instead tried to market too many aggressive personalities of Bayless and Stephen A. Etc. etc. And couldn't catch lightning in a bottle again. When you You add Jerry Springer and dilute sports you've lost your identity.  Look at MTV.. do teens in this generation even watch it as much as we did growing up in the 80s/90s? Highly doubt it.  MTV Spring Break was one of the best TV times for me growing up.

I think ESPN is going to be a shell of its former self and hopefully the world of sports coverage spans over the fox/abc/nbc/cbs stations like it used to be.

[Hoggish1]

let go by ESPN.   

OK.  And..?