If Zach Lowe Can Get Canned, the Industry is in TROUBLE

Why would ESPN, the "Worldwide Leader in Sports," part ways with such a valuable commodity? The answer is that they don't value quality.

If Zach Lowe Can Get Canned, the Industry is in TROUBLE 

We learned yesterday that ESPN laid off NBA senior writer Zach Lowe. 

Sadly, it's not shocking when a writer gets canned. When you sign up for this work, you know job security is not one of the perks. Yet, this isn't just "some writer." Over the past decade-plus, Lowe has established himself as the preeminent NBA scribe on the planet. He also happens to be one of the best sports podcasters around. 

His knowledge of all 30 teams and ability to relay that knowledge to readers/listeners/fans was unparalleled. As I joked yesterday, NBA Twitter never, ever universally agrees on anything. Yet everyone on NBA Twitter agrees that Zach is the best in the business. That tells you everything you need to know.

So, why would ESPN, the "Worldwide Leader in Sports," part ways with such a valuable commodity? The answer is that they don't value quality. 

It's been clear for years now that ESPN is committed to doubling down on mind-numbing hot takes. Nearly 24 hours a day, they are looking to cherry-pick topics that appeal to the lowest common denominator of fans, hoping to deliver a viral clip of someone screaming about something insignificant but provocative.

They've concluded that clickbait is more valuable than credibility. 

Lowe was one of the few voices on the network (Tim Legler, Monica McNutt and Brian Windhorst may be the last few remaining) who could break down Xs and Os and provide insight culled from meticulous preparation. Lowe was less concerned with endless, inane "LeBron vs. MJ" debates and more invested in figuring out how the Celtics could exploit pick-and-roll coverage or how the Knicks could be more efficient by incorporating more pistol action.

"Zach is easily one of the most talented people I've ever worked with or around in this industry," Adrian Wojnarowski wrote on X last night. "He absolutely changed how the NBA was covered and how people consumed both stories and pods."

Not only is Lowe incredibly knowledgeable, the dude can write. 

Check out the column he penned on June 18th, 2016—the eve of Game 7 of the legendary Warriors-Cavs Finals. Brilliant prose is interspersed with educational video clips. It's a masterclass. 

Here are the closing paragraphs from that post: 

Win or lose, he is the MVP of these Finals. He has emphatically reasserted himself as the world's greatest all-around player -- an unprecedented combination of speed, strength and brains capable of dictating outcomes on both sides of the floor. He just completed the best back-to-back performance of his career.

James has a Cleveland franchise, his hometown team, one win away from a championship -- one win away from the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, one win away from upending an opponent that hungers to be known as the greatest ever. Win one game, you win everything. The Cavaliers have never been this close. It is not hyperbole to suggest every step in James' basketball journey has led to this moment.

Win Sunday in Oakland, and the dumb, overheated debate about James' "legacy" disappears from the airwaves forever. There will be no more convenient cherry-picking of his few subpar Big Moment games, no more selective memory to buttress preconceived damnation, no more talk about his emotional fortitude from people who have never had a conversation with him.

Every NBA Finals carries legacy weight. Every Game 7 lingers somewhere in our memory forever. But this? This is enormous. This is a flashbulb game. This is as big as sports gets.

I mean, c'mon. That's what it's all about. 

Yet, ESPN, in its infinite wisdom, decided they needed to clear cap space for Screamin' A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins. They have decided there is no room for even a few minutes of stuff that makes you smarter.

Fortunately, Zach will be fine. Every major outlet with a smidge of common sense will beat down a path to his door. )What's wild is that Lowe is also a quality, on-air talent. While not as charismatic as some other pundits, his self-deprecating sense of humor and comfort on camera made him an enjoyable watch.) It's already been rumored he will reunite with Bill Simmons over "The Ringer." 

Still, Lowe's firing feels an abhorrent harbinger for the industry's future. 

This absurdity makes it less likely we see more Zach Lowe's in the future. Those bright folks that have plenty of options (remember, Lowe started his career as a crime reporter) will be less incentivized to gamble on this career path, knowing that even the best in the business can be fired on a whim if they are not willing to be a talking head blabbering bullshit.

Young writers know securing gainful employment in this industry is a longshot to begin with. But now, they have to come to grips with the fact that there are no guarantees even if they rise to the very tip-top of the profession. Why dedicate endless hours to mastering a difficult craft? Instead, just shout into a microphone about things that will anger/incite people.

Clowns like Skip Bayless, Jason Whitlock and Clay Travis have jobs this morning. Zach Lowe does not. What a sad, sad commentary on the state of this industry.

As for ESPN (and other networks), feeding its audience empty calories with hot takes may be cost-effective and "successful" in the short term, but does that help the brand/sport develop a healthy, fruitful, long-term relationship with consumers?

Eating only junk food is not a sustainable diet. But, hey, let's maximize profits this instant and let someone else worry about the future, right? 

Ugh. 

So, yeah, I'm worried about the future of my industry.

*okay, I'll step down off my soapbox now*