I am a person who absolutely loves sports. I have my favorite teams. I have my favorite players. I have my favorite analysis shows. I have my favorite analysts.
I USED to have my favorite sports channel.
Numerous times ESPN has missed the mark when it comes to disciplining their employees for outlandish and inappropriate outbursts that most of the time never even have any relation to sports.
Example 1: Chris Broussard, ESPN NBA writer that is best known for his 'sources' that seem eerily similar to old news, stolen information and plain old 'duh!'. In April, 2013 Jason Collins became the first male athlete in a major American sport to come out as a gay man in a 'hetero' world. A brave act that had no precedent that could guide Collins going forward.
Well let's just say Chris Broussard didn't find it to bravery. No, instead he deemed it 'an open rebellion to god'.
Punishment? None. Mr.Broussards response to the firestorm leveled at ESPN? Of course, a double down of his previous remarks.
Suspension: None.
Example 2(A): Stephen A. Smith on Ray Rice hitting and knocking out his fiancee in a blatant of domestic violence.
Remember ladies, it's your fault! So women, just remember that all you have to do in a situation is just not provoke a violent response.
But wait! There's more! If that wasn't enough, he unleashes an apology that seemed to just further entrench his position that 'ladies! just stop provoking us men because once the act has been committed, aren't we just crying over spilled milk??'
Suspension: One whole week.
Example 2(B): Bill Simmons in response to the NFL and in particular Roger Goodell's handling of the Ray Rice incident.
Of course at ESPN standards are something that seems to be up for debate each week. The previous example had a tv personality and professional loud mouth, Mr.Smith blame the victim in domestic violence.
On Bill Simmons weekly podcast, the BS Report, he espouses his views on sports, pop culture and well pretty much anything in the mainstream minus politics. On this particular podcast during a segment he committed a cardinal sin. He went after the ESPN cash cow directly, NFL and it's leader, Roger Goodell.
Bill Simmons in response to the NFL bungling of the Ray Rice incident claiming the NFL had never received the video evidence of the assualt that took place in an elevator. Of course, this turned out to be false of course. This is where Mr. Simmons decides to call a spade a spade:
"Goodell, if he didn't know what was on that tape, he's a liar," Simmons said Monday. "I'm just saying it. He is lying. I think that dude is lying. If you put him up on a lie detector test that guy would fail. For all these people to pretend they didn't know is such fucking bullshit. It really is — it's such fucking bullshit. And for him to go in that press conference and pretend otherwise, I was so insulted. I really was."
With all the evidence to the contrary, the NFL decided to double down and deny ever seeing the tape, therefore excusing them of the lenient punishment that Rice had first received. Of course, this has never stopped the NFL from levying suspensions without much evidence or guilt in the court of law. However, Mr. Simmons broke the rules in going after the NFL and it's thug in charge Mr. Goodell.
Punishment: 3 weeks.
So for those keeping score at home, that's three weeks for calling out the awful response to the NFL's handling of one of its biggest domestic violence cases and calling bullshit on it's denials on seeing evidence. Annnnnddddd, one week for accusing women of being the cause of domestic violence for not doing something to prevent it.
However, example 3 might be the one that makes me scratch my head and yet reaffirm the hypocrisy of ESPN all at the same time.
Example 3: Keith Law suspended for supporting science and debunking junk.
For any Red Sox fan Curt Schilling is a hero who toughed it out with a bad ankle. For over 160 employees who worked for his failed videogame company, you may have your reasons for it's failure. Rarely does technology and science mix with...denying science?
However, Curt Schilling in his infinite wisdom decided to take to Twitter last week and expound his lack of knowledge or understand of life and science. Charles Darwin rolls over.
In response to Curt Schilling and his infinite wisdom, Keith Law, a Major League Baseball insider who has lots of respect around baseball from executives to fans decided to counter back in a friendly and smart way, with proof. Of course, the article was from wikipedia, maybe not the best source but not the worst. Schilling responds by telling Mr. Law to cite a real scientific piece, falling back on the old conservative process of pulling ideas out of thin air and throwing it on other people to make sense of what they are trying to say. No doubt had Mr. Law provided a link to a science page Mr. Schilling's response would have been to find an unbiased source.
As you saw in the link Mr. Law kept it respectful and provided an article and an understanding the issue. Schilling's followers response to these? Of course, faith!! You can't mess with faith when it's thrown in there. Nuh uh! Off limits!
Keith Law for the win: 'I haven't criticized or questioned anyone's faith. I oppose anti-science, that's all.'
Of course Schilling went on to display his ignorance and perhaps racism even more by commenting on Ferguson about protecting the innocent, armed to the teeth cops. Poor poor guys, not being able to kill the unarmed and innocent in peace...But that's for another day.
No harm no foul right? A courteous and respectful dialogue on twitter showing Keith Law's other side.
WRONG! ESPN as it so often has, gets it wrong again.
Punishment: 4 day ban from use of Twitter for Keith Law. Schilling? Nada.
ESPN's response when questioned about Keith Law's suspension? Ignorance and lies.
'Keith's Twitter suspension had absolutely nothing to do with his opinions on the subject.'
I'm not sure what the suspension was for exactly, but I'm guessing it had to do with questioning a white, christian conservative on his false beliefs.
So ESPN, unfortunately you'll have me with my Oregon Ducks football games and TrailBlazers basketball and Chicago Cubs baseball games but I promise you that for the other 99% of the time, you don't get my business. I know I know, they still win if I watch at all right? Maybe. But this comes from a person who had ESPN on at all times of the day.
Care to win me back? Start with cleaning out your offices of bigots and anti intellectuals. We tune in to these shows for the little insight, not their beliefs. Novel concept I know. What your characters, and yes they are characters, do when the camera is off is none of my business. In fact, I don't care if Curt Schilling has dumb beliefs, we're Americans, he is allowed to for better or worse. BUT, BUT please extend the courtesy to Keith Law to say what he has to say as well in free time, especially when it debunks a moronic thought.