Ex-ESPN star criticizes company’s direction after fan complaint

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Trey Wingo, a former ESPN staple on “SportsCenter” and “NFL Live,” appeared to lament the direction of his former employer earlier this week in a post on social media.

Wingo responded to another user on X who wrote, “Kids today don’t realize it, but you used to be able to turn on ESPN and not see Stephen A. Smith or Pat McAfee. They were glorious times….”

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Trey Wingo speaks on SiriusXM at Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

“Let me preface this by saying I have so many wonderful memories and so many great friends still working there that I want to succeed… but he’s right,” Wingo wrote Tuesday on X.

“It used to be a glorious buffet where you could pick and choose what you wanted. Now it’s like a banquet dinner: chicken or fish?”

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Trey Wingo talks on the sideline before the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sam Boyd Stadium on Dec. 15, 2018. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Smith has been a figurehead at ESPN for years and his popularity has only grown since he started doing “First Take” with Skip Bayless, Max Kellerman, Shannon Sharpe and others. He’s appeared on NBA coverage and has his own podcast separate from ESPN.

McAfee came into ESPN as one of the most popular podcasters in sports. The former Indianapolis Colts punter has feuded with ESPN execs since joining the company. But with his Q score improving, McAfee has been seen on “College Gameday” and on WWE broadcasts.

“SportsCenter” is still a main part of ESPN programming in the mornings and evenings. However, the program lineup is such that it’s not on throughout the mornings anymore.