CNN
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ESPN govt Norby Williamson, who got here below assault in current months from host Pat McAfee in an on-air rant accusing the community veteran of “sabotage,” will depart the sports activities community.
The transfer was introduced Friday in a memo to workers from ESPN president of content material Burke Magnus.
“I’m reaching out with some vital information. Norby Williamson might be leaving the corporate immediately after almost 40 years of devoted service,” Magnus wrote within the memo.
“Throughout Norby’s profession, he made important contributions throughout many vital roles inside Content material,” Magnus continued. “By way of his steadfast dedication and a spotlight to element, Norby has had an enduring affect on the sports activities followers’ expertise. His wide-ranging affect contains SportsCenter, breaking information protection, immense creativity inside occasion and studio productions and various storytelling throughout varied ESPN platforms.”
Magnus mentioned the community would conduct a seek for a brand new senior content material govt. He didn’t state a motive for Williamson’s departure.
Earlier this yr, McAfee, who hosts his present on ESPN and YouTube, described Williamson as a “rat” and accused him of leaking false details about the present to media.
“There are some folks actively attempting to sabotage us from inside ESPN,” McAfee said on his program. “Extra particularly I imagine Norby Williamson is the man who’s making an attempt to sabotage our program.”
The general public assault on a senior community govt surprised observers. McAfee, who didn’t face self-discipline for the feedback, later addressed the remarks on the air, doubling down on his beef with Williamson.
“Now there’s actually people who we don’t like they usually don’t like us,” McAfee mentioned, with out naming anybody specifically. “That’s the way it’s going to be and I don’t take again something I mentioned about ‘mentioned particular person,’ however the general storyline about us and ESPN … is that we’re robust, child.”
The feedback got here after McAfee ignited fierce backlash for permitting New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a paid contributor on this system, to counsel on the air that ABC late night time star Jimmy Kimmel may very well be linked to Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in jail whereas awaiting federal sex-trafficking prices in 2019.
Kimmel vigorously denied the allegation and steered he would possibly sue Rodgers for the false declare.
In a observe to workers Friday, Williamson celebrated his work on the community, the place he first began as an worker within the firm’s mailroom.
“Virtually 40 years in the past in 1985, I used to be so very lucky to be supplied a chance at ESPN,” he wrote. “As a result of distinctive onerous work, creativity and dedication of the folks of ESPN, and to a a lot lesser extent my contributions, I’d wish to suppose we’ve left our nice firm in a much better place than we discovered it.”