The recent wave of layoffs at ESPN has sent shockwaves throughout the sports media landscape. The network abruptly parted ways with prominent on-air personalities including NFL analyst Ryan Clark, baseball analyst Karl Ravech, NFL Insider Tom Pelissero, and even former NFL MVP Cam Newton. Many, including Dan Patrick, have come forward to criticize the network for letting these veterans go.

“The only thing that I would say is show dignity to those people in how you let them go,” the veteran sportscaster argued on the Dan Patrick Show. “That’s all. It can’t happen that Karl Ravech is contacted by somebody wanting a comment. 33 years and that’s how it ends? Show dignity. Give them that dignity.

“Ryan Clark is on NFL Live; ‘Let’s break the news to you, right now, in real time,’” the former ESPN anchor said. “If you get to the point where you know that you’re not gonna keep them, then contact them right away. Not wait till somebody gets on set. Not somebody from a website is gonna contact Karl Ravech. Give them the dignity they deserve. Not somebody calling you and saying, ‘Hey, can you comment on you being let go after 33 years?’ That really bothered me.”

Patrick understands the internal workings of the network. He spent about 18 years with ESPN and parted ways with the network in 2007. He noted that although he still has some friends inside the company, he prefers to “kind of leave ESPN, up in Bristol, Connecticut.”

It was Ravech’s dismissal that attracted Patrick’s verdict. After dedicating 33 years to building ESPN’s baseball coverage and anchoring SportsCenter, Ravech was reportedly let go without being informed. When The Athletic reached out to Ravech for a comment on his firing, the veteran announcer claimed he hadn’t heard from ESPN about it. He was the lead play-by-play caller for MLB, holding the position since 2022.

Clark’s dismissal was even worse. He was in the middle of taping an NFL Live episode when he was informed he was laid off. Clark left the set then, without finishing the episode. He had been with the network since 2015.

According to The Athletic’s report of these firings, ESPN chose to inform Clark during NFL Live because of “media inquiries into his departure and a fear that the news would leak out before they could inform him.”

With all that in mind, Patrick shared a suggestion for ESPN. 

“You can be better than that. It’s a tough conversation to have,” Patrick suggested. “Bring them in. Call them. Go see them. Zoom with them. Like, 33 years and you find out from somebody else other than your boss. That’s a shame. I felt really bad for Karl Ravech.” 

Of course, Patrick is not arguing against a corporation’s right to make difficult financial decisions or shuffle its talent roster. All he asked for is for the higher-ups to center their decisions around the entities who were loyal to the network for so long.