Ryan Clark isn’t the only ex-ESPNer who experienced a particularly brutal exit.
Bart Scott, the ex-Jets linebacker, revealed that the Worldwide Leader called him moments before going on air for his ESPN New York show last month to tell him he would be included in the upcoming layoffs.
“I was going into my radio show and they called me, like, ‘Hey, uh, just to let you know, wish we could do it in person,’” Scott said on “The Joint Venture Show” earlier this week. “Like, no, you don’t, motherf–ker. ‘Oh, I wish I could do it in person.’ Nah. So, it’s like, ‘We’re not gonna renew you.’ My contract is expiring in September. So, I found out that way It’s part of the business.”
ESPN has received massive criticism for how it handled this latest round of layoffs that included notable names like Clark, Scott, lead MLB play-by-play man Karl Ravech and former NFL MVP Cam Newton.
Clark’s exit has particularly elicited pushback since the company told him mid-show during “NFL Live” that he would no longer be employed by the network.
ESPN reportedly did not want Clark to find out via social media or other channels and told him during the show, which led to an awkward exchange.
“’I ask, should I be done now?’ The answer was ‘yes,’ ” Clark wrote on X.
That Scott received the phone call ahead of time at least prevented a similar outcome of having a soon-to-be-fired employee on air without knowing their fate.
He ultimately did not co-host “Bart & Carlin,” that day, with Chris Carlin handling solo duties.
Despite the unceremonious exit, Scott isn’t harboring any grudges against his ex-employer.
Scott, who played in the NFL from 2002-12, began working for ESPN in 2017 and beyond his radio duties, he also made appearances on “Get Up” and other ESPN programming.
“You understand the balance, and I don’t know what they had to do when they had to trim the fat. I had never been there, where my contract was expiring, because usually when it’s a year, I get renewed,” Scott said. “But it’s what it is, man. Sometimes, losing your job can be some of the biggest blessings because it forces you to try and do something else and sometimes step out of your comfort zone.
“One thing that is constant is change, right? I’ve been fired before and I understand the process, and I hold no ill will. I don’t even know who made the call. But I did enjoy my time there. I enjoyed using the platform, keeping myself relevant. I wasn’t a first-round draft pick. I’m not a Hall of Famer. I think I was a pretty good player, but I just appreciate them giving me the platform, and I’m not gonna hold any ill will toward them. It’s my job to make them regret it.”
While Scott doesn’t harbor any resentment toward ESPN, he does regret that he has yet to pair with fellow ex-NFL star Shannon Sharpe despite both working for CBS and ESPN.
He touched on Sharpe while discussing how his previous time at CBS with “The NFL Today” provided him with experience in how the sports media business operates.
“I thought I was going to be able to work with Shannon (Sharpe),” Scott said. “But, sometimes, in this business — at least back then — they want shows to look a certain way.”
Show co-host Craig Carton responded, “White?” which Scott said was the case.
“Yeah, you can’t have too many of us,” Scott said.
“Me and Shannon are similar. We represent a certain type of demographic. We’re both funny, loud, loquacious, all that type of stuff, and I never got the opportunity.”
