Working in corporate America these days is often about a race to the door — “You can’t fire me, I quit!” The president of ESPN, John Skipper, skipped out of his position after admitting to having a substance addiction problem. Stating that he has had the problem for more than 20 years, he believes it was time to face up to the problem and begin treatment. He is 61 years old.
Skipper may be one of the smarter execs in corporate America. Amid the growing number of accusations against men in power positions, Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers being the latest to fall, heading for the door now before anything emerges makes sense. ESPN has a long and documented history of a corporate party culture, so it is almost certain Skipper will be connected, now or later, to some of the shenanigans that went on in the past. By entering treatment before the floodgates potentially open, he creates his own safe space.
There is another reason to leave. ESPN continues to shed workers like a dog sheds fur in the spring. Its ratings continue to fall, and advertisers are cutting back. The sexual harassment and misconduct allegations against its employees are piling up, and it is very likely there are more to come. All of this will cost the sports network beaucoup dollars, bringing the Disney-owned business to a crisis point.
ESPN has been publicly accused of having a “locker room mentality” that is heavily misogynistic. However, there is another side, as told by ESPN show host Dan Le Betard after hearing of Skipper’s resignation. “But just so that you understand, this person has created everything that exists here at ESPN for us. He did it because of how he cares about minorities and their causes. So every success that we’ve had – I didn’t want to work for ESPN, I wanted to work for this man.”
Le Betard’s defense should not be ignored. Whatever may be true about the general working environment of the network may not necessarily be true in every department or area. As president, Skipper would have been held accountable for everything that goes on under him whether this position is fair or not. It can be seen as an ironic cultural clash: ESPN creates more opportunities for minorities while losing viewers because its shows have become increasingly political.
The question is what the future direction of ESPN will be, if there actually is one. Many younger sports fans are turning to mobile devices to watch their favorite sports programming, and people of all ages are cutting the cable cord for any number of reasons. The talk shows have become increasingly political commentaries instead of simply focusing on sports, causing even more viewers to stop watching (the recent NFL protests is one example). ESPN was the original cable TV powerhouse in sports, but their format has been duplicated and its key players are aging (Chris Berman) or have split (Mike and Mike).
Other than cleaning up its perceived corporate image, ESPN may have to get back to the basics of what made it watchable in the first place. Watching sports on ESPN used to be fun. The current infusion of topics on women’s issues, political protests, and sexually in appropriate behavior makes watching ESPN, and sports in general, a tedious 26 mile marathon most people are not inclined to run. Skipper worked his way up to become president, and his departure says more about the future of the network than it does its past.
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