For this writer, Wednesday, April 26, 2017, dawned with the promise of another glorious spring day in Charlotte. But by day’s end, my life and career had taken a turn I never saw coming. In what is now known as one of the most brutal days in ESPN history, around 100 employees were shown the door in phase one of that year’s layoffs. I was one of those people.
As a researcher for ESPN/SEC Network, I was used to a somewhat irregular schedule, yet I found it particularly strange that I had not been scheduled to work for about a week prior to that fateful day. With the benefit of hindsight, I now understand why.
About mid-afternoon, I received a call from my boss asking me to come into the office. I hopped into my silver Honda Accord and made the 35-minute trip to the building…