Former ESPN personality Kenny Mayne is currently in the midst of seeking new career opportunities after he left the worldwide leader in sports earlier this year.
In an interview with The Ringer, Mayne spoke about how his ESPN exit ultimately came down to a substantial pay cut request. He also spoke on his interactions with ESPN studio production EVP Norby Williamson, who’s in charge of “SportsCenter” and all of the network’s TV and radio talk programming, about both his contract and social media.
ESPN previously demanded that anchors avoid politics on social media.
“They were clearly threatening some of us, me particularly,” said Mayne. He also mentioned he made it on some sort of “watch list” for employees who made their politic presence felt on social media.
Mayne also told The Ringer he was “definitely on the watch list. They told me so: ‘There’s a group of people that watch your Twitter.’”
He recalled an instance when President Trump was given a cleaner bill of health than one would have thought by his doctor, and Mayne sent the following tweet poking fun at it:
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Mayne also recalled Williamson asking him one time, “Why do you have to do the politics?” And he replied, “Because I have four daughters and a wife and I want to look at myself in the mirror.”
Now that he is free from ESPN, Mayne and former employees like Cari Champion and Jemele Hill are free to tweet whatever they would like.
Mayne is now joining Caesars Sportsbook as a content contributor and brand ambassador.
