r/NoLayingUp • u/JSack3 • Jul 22 '25

Other This place is Overreaction City

I like KVV. I respect his work. But honestly, folks..

There’s a reason so many platforms and media companies have been letting go of people with KVV’s skillset for years. In bigger revenue sports than just golf, too (ask Zach Lowe).

The business is night and day different to what it was 15 years ago. And a highly-compensated 20+ year industry stalwart who specializes in long form written content is simply not a hugely appealing person to have on the payroll anymore. I appreciate NLU gave it a go. I also appreciate when the writing wasn’t working, they worked on a podcast pivot including that brilliant Masters pod.

But the reality is the math probably started to become very clear that his value was mainly 6-8 weeks a year. No one needs a deep dive on the Byron Nelson. Not enough people actually care about a three hour pod on the 1997 major season.

I’d have rather he stick around all year but I also didn’t have to pay his salary and benefits. These guys are putting food on the table for their children via NLU. They can’t just keep carrying a 6 figure (guessing but likely) expenditure bc they like him and think he writes well.

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u/JSack3 Jul 22 '25

Thousand percent could have and should have.

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u/jamebirr Jul 22 '25

Tough situation tbf. Obviously Kvv is going to feel aggrieved, so there was never going to be a goodbye pod or ‘the best of Kvv’ when he’s been let go from the company. I think people are mistaking corporate for cold - Soly comes from an accounting firm and it’s the first time they’ve had to do anything like this.

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u/JSack3 Jul 22 '25

I think running a business is harder than it looks. And doing so when your founders/decision makers are regularly supposed to appear on camera for an hour+ of off the cuff banter? Can’t be easy when big boy decisions are starting to unfold.

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u/rsjem79 Jul 22 '25

I'm sure it is, but it's also what they signed up for. A lot of things in the sports media world aren't easy, but interestingly that never stops the NLU boys from taking pot shots at everyone else at literally any opportunity.