Michael Smith is ESPN’s $10 million forgotten man

NY Post ^ | April 10, 2019 | Andrew Marchand

[C19fan]

It was a mere two years ago that Michael Smith was one of the franchise faces of ESPN.

He and his tag-team partner, Jemele Hill, had matching four-year, $10 million contracts and were out front on what was supposed to be a fresher, hipper 6 p.m. “SportsCenter.”

Today, Smith is in a gold-plated purgatory, nearly ostracized by ESPN.

He is rarely on-air and, according to sources, there is no current plan for his final two years at the network.

[montag813]

No talent affirmative hire who is gong to collect $40 MM for being a failure.

Are you in "Corporate America"? Because that pretty much describes EVERY large company in the U.S. At least 5% bloat of pure A.A. hires making big bucks for show, while others do the work they don't even know how to do. It's pure insanity, all to keep pressure groups off their backs.

[Kazan]

I never understood these hosting salaries.

Presumably for getting ratings. But, in the case of Smith and Hill, ESPN could have paid news anchors and 1/10th their salaries and got better ratings.

[Roccus]

It's pure insanity, all to keep pressure groups off their backs.

All started in the private sector in the 70s with AT&T trying to keep a HUGE pressure group, the Nixon DoJ, off its back.

[Hojczyk]

ESPN is why Disney World prices are so high..