Inspired by Suzy Kolber revealing this week how ESPN brutally fired her after 27 years, Samantha Ponder shared how the network also harshly let her go after 14 years.
During an appearance on Sports Media with Richard Deitsch this week, Suzy Kolber opened up for the first time about her 2023 firing from The Worldwide Leader in Sports. Kolber also revealed that she took a 39% pay cut in an effort to make it to the end of her contract, but it wasn’t enough for the network to let her finish out her contract with a year left on it.
Then, when ESPN did let her go, she was informed that the network was “not going to say anything” about her dismissal and they never told her why.
“I just thought after 27 years of, I was the first person hired for the launch of ESPN 2. I was the first person assigned to the X Games,” Suzy Kolber revealed. “I went and shot the marketing tape for it. Monday Night Football’s move to ESPN, I was part of some pretty big franchises. You’re not going to say a word? Not thanks for 27 years, just acknowledge it? I didn’t understand that.”
Samantha Ponder shared her experience working with Suzy Kolber and how ESPN fired her in a similar heartless manner
Samantha Ponder spent 14 years working for ESPN. She worked as a reporter and host for the network’s college football coverage and as a basketball sideline reporter. She replaced Erin Andrews on College GameDay and worked as a sideline reporter for ESPN’s Thursday Night College Football. She also did work for the Longhorn Network, owned by ESPN. At the time of her firing, she was the host of Sunday NFL Countdown after replacing legendary broadcaster Chris Berman.
“Suzy could have easily been a jerk to me when I started on Countdown but she was incredibly kind and encouraging,” Ponder wrote on X after Kolber shared her story.
“I remember feeling like it was a little weird that ESPN said nothing publicly, only leaking my firing so that I got a NY Times notification on my phone that I was out, when they fired me after 14 years there.
“Suzy called me soon after and I was quickly reminded what a fool I was to expect anything else. If anyone deserved a thank you, it was her.
“She is an absolute legend and I regret that I didn’t show more obvious deference to her while I was still there. She is so classy and gracious and I’m so glad she’s gotten to be ‘just’ a volleyball mom these last few years. Nothing better.”