Frank Isola Announces He's Been Laid Of By The New York Daily News

Monday morning, Tronc, one of the largest publishing corporations in the world, announced that it would be doing layoffs at the New York Daily News - slashing up to 50% of its newsroom. The publication's sports department appears to be getting hit the hardest.

According to a number of reports, the New York Daily News will go from 34 sportswriters to just nine. Perhaps the publication's most famous sportswriter, Frank Isola, is among the cuts.

CNN posted a quote from the email that was sent to employees:

"We are reducing today the size of the editorial team by approximately 50 percent and re-focusing much of our talent on breaking news -- especially in areas of crime, civil justice and public responsibility," read the email, which was obtained by CNN. "We know our readers look to us for a unique point of view, and we believe these topics offer our best opportunity to differentiate our reporting. We will, of course, continue to cover local news, sports and other events, but our approach will evolve as we adapt to our current environment."

Isola, who regularly appears on ESPN on both Around the Horn and Pardon The Interruption, has been employed by the publication since 1996. He usually writes about the New York Knicks and other NBA topics.

Many in the industry are criticizing Tronc's decision.

It's unclear whether Isola will stay on ESPN's shows without a main gig. Hopefully he lands on his feet either way.