Chicago-based sports blog Deadspin lays off entire staff after scandal

Deadspin, a Chicago-based sports blog has laid off all its existing staff after the parent company sold the sports news site to European startup Lineup Publishing.

In 2019, Deadspin, originally under Gawker Media, became a part of G/O Media, backed by private equity. Recently, G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller informed staff via memo that Deadspin has been sold to Lineup Publishing, a European firm.

According to Fox News Digital, Spanfeller told staff in the memo, “I have some news to share regarding one of our sites in the G/O Media portfolio. Recently we were approached by the European firm Lineup Publishing expressing interest in purchasing Deadspin to add to their growing media holdings”.

“After careful consideration, the G/O Media board of directors has decided to accept their offer. I do want to make it clear that we were not actively shopping Deadspin,” he added.

The memo continued, “Deadspin’s new owners have made the decision to not carry over any of the site’s existing staff and instead build a new team more in line with their editorial vision for the brand. While the new owners plan to be reverential to Deadspin’s unique voice, they plan to take a different content approach regarding the site’s overall sports coverage. This unfortunately means that we will be parting ways with those impacted staff members, who were notified earlier today. I would like to thank them for their hard work and efforts that helped make Deadspin stand out in the crowded sports media space.”

In recent years, Deadspin has been under criticism and controversy due to its liberal activism and identity politics.
In 2021, Deadspin drew criticism for comparing former ESPN host Sage Steele to “the Black Candace Owens,” suggesting Owens, a Black conservative commentator, was White. The following year, the site issued a correction after inaccurately describing San Francisco 49ers coach Mike McDaniel as “another young, white guy” in a hit piece. McDaniel is biracial.

In November, Deadspin faced further controversy for a headline stating, “The NFL needs to speak out against the Kansas City Chiefs fan in Black face, Native headdress.”

In an article, the sports blog accused a 9-year-old boy who wore red and black facepaint with a Native American headdress. Later, the boy is found to belong to Native American heritage and his parents filed a defamation lawsuit against Deadspin.

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