Grantland has lost another big name. Movie critic and pop culture writer Wesley Morris is following founder Bill Simmons out the door, and taking his talents to The New York Times. ESPN has released a statement about the big news.
"Wesley spoke to us about this opportunity at The New York Times and his desire to pursue it," it read. "This is a unique opportunity, and is a testament to the level of success that Grantland has achieved and the extraordinarily talented team we have. Wesley is an outstanding writer and colleague and we wish him all the best."
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Morris is the first big name to leave Grantland since Simmons' unceremonious dismissal from ESPN, and leaves a hole the size of a Pulitzer prize in their pop culture coverage. His decision to bolt could also signal a larger stream of writers that are reportedly not all meshing with interim editor-in-chief Chris Connelly.
Morris' departure also continues a troubling trend of ESPN's most thoughtful personalities looking for new work. Radio host Colin Cowherd was planning a move to Fox Sports before unfortunate comments about Dominican baseball players got him canned in similar fashion to Simmons. ESPN also decided they no longer needed the services of Keith Olbermann, an oft-controversial personality who nonetheless took conversations in a different direction than the daytime "debate" formats.
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As daytime hosts like Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless rise to prominence, personalities like Simmons and Olbermann, who are willing to criticize ESPN at times, are being phased out.
Morris is expected to review films for The New York Times, while also contributing to Times magazine, according to culture editor Danielle Mattoon.
"As a contributing writer at the Magazine, Wesley will cover a range of subjects and bring his critical sensibility and ambitious thinking to bear in a variety of narrative forms, from essays to profiles. He will also be a part of the Magazine's ongoing editorial brainstorm and an integral member of its growing roster of writers with sharp, distinctive voices," Mattoon said.
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