Variety: ESPN remains a titan in the media business. Yet casting off expensive announcers in the name of keeping costs down gives rivals the chance to grow. ESPN must contend not only with Fox Sports 1 and NBCSN, but also with digital competitors like Bleacher Report, Awful Announcing and SB Nation. What sort of value does keeping Bill Simmons, Keith Olbermann and Colin Cowherd out of these rivals’ clutches have? Their audiences will be smaller, to be sure, but they could also siphon away ESPN die-hards.