Skip to main content

ESPN fires announcer for calling female colleague 'sweet baby'


ESPN announcer Ron Franklin was fired by the network on Tuesday after making made a derogatory remark to sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards in a meeting before the Fiesta Bowl. Franklin had been pulled from the game's coverage after the incident.
It's yet another incident at the sports network in which a female employee has been subjected to harassing behavior by a male co-worker. Popular television host Tony Kornheiser was suspended last year for comments made on-air about the wardrobe of "SportsCenter" anchor Hannah Storm, and former baseball analysts Harold Reynolds and Steve Phillips were fired for separate incidents involving demeaning behavior toward female employees. Current "Monday Night Football" announcer Mike Tirico was disciplined for harassment in 1992. And Deadspin has been zealous in its pursuit of other stories involving executives and other off-camera employees.
[Related: ESPN anchors' inappropriate on-air reaction to NFL coach's firing]
Franklin was reprimanded after a complaint was made about his behavior toward Edwards at a meeting. "Why don't you leave this to the boys, sweet baby?" Franklin allegedly said. When Edwards objected to the derogatory language, Franklin responded, "okay then, [expletive]."
The 68-year-old play-by-play announcer later apologized and said he deserved to be taken off the Fiesta Bowl broadcast. It didn't save him, as ESPN cut ties with him on Tuesday. In a statement, the network said briefly, "based on what occurred last Friday, we have ended our relationship with him."
Though the high-profile ESPN incidents make it seem as though the network is a hotbed for boorish behavior, Dan Lebowitz, the executive director of Sport in Society at Northeastern University told the Washington Post that it's no worse than in other male-dominated businesses.
[Rewind: NHL announcer apologizes for comments not meant for air]
"I hate to single out ESPN for having a dysfunctional culture," Lebowitz told the Post's Paul Farhi. "It just mimics an inherent ill in our society ... It just seems more sensational at ESPN because they're a very public entity." 
Once the story proved to have legs throughout the holiday weekend, ESPN had little choice but to fire Franklin. The network should be praised for taking a stand, but the fact that it waited four days suggests that if the Franklin story had gone away quickly, he'd still have a job today. 
Think you know sports? Play Yahoo! Sports Pop Quiz and you could win a year's worth of sports tickets!
Other popular stories on Yahoo!:
• Navy officer relieved over lewd videos
• NFL playoff opening weekend schedule released
• Video: Tennis legends Nadal and Federer duel on water

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Dishes for this Week

MONDAY Stroganoff-Style Beef with Broccoli TUESDAY Chicken Alfredo and Rice Casserole WEDNESDAY Slow-Cooker Flemish Beef Stew THURSDAY Vegetarian Chili FRIDAY Slow-Cooked Chicken with Sourdough-Mushroom Stuffing SATURDAY Easy Marinated Pork Tenderloin SUNDAY Lamb Chops with Red Onion, Grape Tomatoes, and Feta (...AND sign up for Yahoo! Shine's weekly recipe newsletter) MONDAY Stroganoff-Style Beef with Broccoli Provided by Better Homes and Gardens For more stroganoff recipes, try these delicious dishes. Here is a dinner idea that can be ready in 30 minutes. If you are a fan of beef and broccoli, this is a recipe you must try. Serve it on top of cooked wide noodles and enjoy. Share this recipe with friends who also have busy schedules and are looking for a quick and delicious main dish...
Post a Comment
Read more

China Gas Truck Explosion

BEIJING: At least 20 people were killed and 14 others injured on Friday in an explosion caused by a leak of an oil tank truck in south China s Guangdong province.'The explosion, which sparked a massive fire, took place on an expressway in the provincial capital of Guangzhou around 5.15am local time, a spokesman with the city s public security bureau said.He said 20 people were killed in the explosion.State-run Xinhua news agency reported that the 14 others who were injured in the incident have been hospitalised.The fire caused by the blast was brought under control around 8.30am local time, according to firefighters.
Post a Comment
Read more

It’s official: Verizon gets the iPhone

Well, that's that. After more than three years of rumors, speculation, and plain old wishful thinking, Verizon Wireless finally announced Tuesday that it will soon be offering its own version of the iPhone, bringing AT&T's long monopoly on the wildly popular handset to an end. The long-expected news came at a packed press conference at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City, just a couple of days after the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas wrapped up. Verizon's jubilant CEO, Lowell McAdam, was joined onstage by Apple COO Tim Cook (no sign of Steve Jobs, by the way) and Verizon Wireless CEO Dan Meade. McAdam confirmed that discussions to bring the iPhone to Verizon began as early as 2008. The iPhone 4 will become available for pre-order for existing Verizon subscribers on February 3, with general availability to begin on February 10. The 16GB version of the iPhone will sell for $199, with the 32GB to cost $299—both with a two-year contract. Details...
Post a Comment
Read more