Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo must not care too much for his job based on the way he is speaking about his employer.
As part of the media giant’s previously disclosed strategy to reduce its employment by 7,000 employees, Disney is laying off several thousand employees across the corporation this week in the second and largest wave of cuts.
The latest round of job cuts will impact ESPN. The cuts this week are expected to take place Monday through Thursday, affecting employees from coast to coast, Disney said.
While on SiriusXM Radio this week, Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo referred to Disney World as “brainless entertainment.”
“I can’t think of more brainless entertainment, and I mean brainless, than to take your kids about a bunch of rides eating garbage food and seeing Ms. Princess at Disney World,” Russo said. “I’ve never seen the fascination with it. For whatever reason, the people I work with today adores the place.”
Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo appears on First Take every week with Stephen A. Smith.
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Last year, he revealed that ESPN is paying him $10,000 per episode and that he’s contracted to do his Wednesday hit on First Take for 40 weeks. Judging by the way he is speaking, he doesn’t seem to care if that amount is taken from him during these layoffs.
Russo is still new to the ESPN world, which is why he’s willing to take shots at them.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro has told heads of departments to scrutinize every aspect of their divisions. There are said to be no “sacred cows,” though the likes of Stephen A. Smith, Scott Van Pelt, and Buck are not going anywhere.
This round will focus mostly on unknown employees, who are the backbone of what has made ESPN the most dominant sports network for decades.
The first name to be let go was Mike Soltys, vice president of communications, who had been with the network since its inception in 1979.
These moves may not happen in waves, but more in the flow of expiring contracts.
