Athletes walk the red carpet at the 2026 ESPY Awards
Athletes from all sports gather at New York’s Lincoln Center to walk the ESPY Awards carpet.
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ESPN continues its latest round of layoffs this week, with the network reporting that broadcaster Karl Labecque will be fired. The Athletic.
Mr. Labecque has been with ESPN since 1993, and was in charge of the commentary audio for baseball broadcasts. Coach Labeque called the game on Monday, July 20th between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Labec, 61, was also called up to the college basketball world during his time at ESPN, where he anchored SportsCenter. According to The Athletic, Labec was not informed of his impending job situation when contacted by the website.
Ravetch is just one of those fired, as NFL analyst Ryan Clark was also sent packing. Former NFL safety Clark was also on duty during an appearance on “NFL Live” on Monday, but was told midway through the broadcast that his services were no longer needed.
The Athletic reported that the organization planned to fire Clark on July 21st. The schedule was moved up because the station wanted Clark to hear the news in person, rather than read it online, he said.
“Over the past several months, we have made significant progress in integrating acquired NFL assets into ESPN,” chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a memo to the company. “Throughout this process, we have taken the time to carefully evaluate our entire team, resources and organizational structure to best position ourselves for the future. As a result, we have had to make some difficult decisions about the impact on our work, which we plan to share today.”
Pitaro’s memo continued: “Although most of the employment impacts are related to the acquisition, we will also notify colleagues in other parts of the company today that their positions have been affected. We are committed to treating our employees with compassion and respect and providing support as they navigate this transition.”
Other ESPN players expected to be let go include SportsCenter anchor David Lloyd, who joined the team in 1997, and injury expert and fantasy analyst Stefania Bell, according to Front Office Sports. Bell, a licensed physical therapist, was a featured player on ESPN’s fantasy football broadcasts. Bart Scott, a former NFL player who joined the network as an NFL analyst and radio co-host, also won’t be returning.
NFL Network, which was acquired by ESPN earlier this year, is also expected to lose key contributors. NFL insider Tom Pelissero is also expected to be fired, according to The Athletic.
ESPN still has NFL news breakers Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport on its roster. The deal with ESPN also gave the NFL a 10% stake in the Bristol, Conn.-based network.
Charles Davis, who was participating in NFL Network’s NFL Draft coverage, was also released. Davis is still with CBS Sports and will be the top college football analyst this season.
