​ESPN’s clunky rollout of the latest round of layoffs, which included a long list of recognizable names, came at a time when ESPN is reportedly closing in on paying Pat McAfee $60 million per year. That juxtaposition (triple word score) has created an obvious slew of what’s-wrong-with-this-picture? complaints.McAfee addressed the pink-slip elephant in the room during his show on Tuesday.“We hate any time this happens,” McAfee said, via Brendon Kleen of Awful Announcing. “Obviously this is terrible. We don’t like that. But we are very honored that we are still partnered with ESPN and Disney for the good of sport and the future.”McAfee nevertheless acknowledged the connection that is being made between ESPN not having the money to keep some employees while having more than enough cash to further break the bank for his weekday show and other assignments.“The first time we licensed the show through ESPN, one of these happened, we got blamed,” McAfee said. “OK, OK. Thank you. I feel like you don’t fully understand budgets and where things are coming from, but I do appreciate that. This time, we’re getting blamed as well. Which I guess I can understand, but I mean, there’s billions and billions of dollars in these companies, and hard decisions have to get made. And we don’t like any of them, and we hope we’re an asset to the company going forward.”Here’s the basic reality at any company in any industry. The money is there for the people they want. For those they don’t, certain opportunities arise (such as, in this case, the acquisition of NFL Network) to purge the ones they used to like but no longer do.It happens throughout American business. And it’s driven by management. Currently, McAfee is one of the favorite sons in the eyes of those who have their hands on the wheel. And that’s management’s prerogative.The other reality is that management’s prerogative can, and will, change. The only true job security is indispensability. For now, guys like McAfee and Stephen A. Smith have it.But the basic truth is that we’re all replaceable. In time, we’ll all be replaced. The only question is whether we walk away by choice, we’re gently nudged, or we get a two-handed shove.The only protection against that comes from, to use the technical term, owning your own shit. McAfee owns his daily platform. If/when the ESPN run ends, he’ll go elsewhere or he’ll take the operation independent, again.