Suzy Kolber shares heartbreaking details from ESPN firing and the moment she lost it on exec

Suzy Kolber is back on the mic and sharing her ESPN story.The former anchor and reporter at the Worldwide Leader joined “Sports Media with Richard Deitsch” in the latest episode on Thursday to break down her newest career endeavor as the executive producer of new series “The Originals” and the last three years since she was laid off by the network in 2023.Kolber, 62, was at ESPN for 27 years and was the headline of layoffs that year along with Steve Young, Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Rose among roughly 20 commentators and reporters.

A week before the official call, she was made known of the literal writing on the wall.“He [ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro] said, ‘Suzy there’s a whiteboard and your name’s on it.I don’t really know for sure right now but your name is on it,'” she recalled on the podcast.

Kolber said she later spoke to one of her bosses at the network, who did not say “No, you’re safe.”“I remember that day sitting next to my daughter in the kitchen.For years I’ve said ‘You never know.’ And I sat down next to her and I cried.

And I said, ‘I think this is really happening,'” she said.Kolber remembered Young later calling her, asking what she thinks of the word spreading around the office.“I said ‘Steve, you know our place.

Where there is smoke, there’s fire.This is coming from inside.

So, I’m not shocked.'”Having been aware of what was to come, Kolber was calm when ESPN executive Norby Williamson asked to call her.However, Kolber “lost it” when Williamson told her she couldn’t say “anything disparaging about the company or we can take the last year of your contract.”To that, she described herself as the “ultimate good soldier” as she saw various things throughout the years at the network.

“I have never said one negative thing about this company.Do you think I’m going to start now?” she said.With that one year left on her contract, Kolber wasn’t allowed to be on the air unless she wanted...