Sunday mornings won't be the same for Cowboys fans due to NFL Network development

Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin made headlines on Friday due to some unfortunate news: He's being let go by NFL Network.

The decision was reported by The New York Post and The Athletic, adding that "NFL Total Access" is also done after over 20 years on the air.

As it's always the case when hearing about layoffs, the news is tough to hear, albeit unsurprising given the recent reports on NFL Network's direction while the league continues negotiations with ESPN about the acquisition of the network and NFL media properties. 

The news will change the dynamic of every in-season Sunday morning of Cowboys fans, who tuned into NFL Network to watch Irvin's energy when discussing "America's Team." In a space in which ESPN's "NFL Live" brought better analysis to the table on gameday mornings, the league's network had the upper hand when it came to entertainment and Irvin's epic rants were a huge reason why.

Particularly, Irvin always seemed to be higher on the Cowboys than the rest of the analysts on the Sunday's gameday pregame show and mornings didn't quite feel complete until you heard No. 88 get fired up talking Dallas football.

Irvin will still be around on FS1's "Undisputed" but his genuine moments don't quite hit the same way in a show designed to debate hot takes, whereas in NFL Network his style stood out in a way that enriched the show around him. The good news is the Cowboys will still have Irvin on social media (he should start a podcast!) for the occasional epic rant.

Just like the NFL, sports media is a cold, cold business and Irvin happens to be the latest example of that.