Steve Phillips allegedly texted “inappropriate things” to the 22-year-old ESPN production assistant he had an affair with, causing Brooke Hundley to file a restraining order against him in August, according to TMZ. The timing of the restraining order is important – Hundley filed it on August 20. On August 19, she dropped the disturbing letter off at Phillips’ house, prompting Marni Phillips to call 911.

In an effort to create a timeline:

* Three amorous encounters between Phillips and Hundley in July/August.
* A flurry of texts and calls from Hundley to Phillips’ wife in August.
* Hundley delivers the letter on August 19
* Hundley files a restraining order on August 20.
* Sometime between August 21 and September 9, word must have gotten around the ESPN set – Deadspin claims it received a tip about Phillips September 9.
* For some unknown reason, Hundley withdraws her restraining order on September 15.

The answer to this likely won’t be known until Hundley talks, but the question lingers … did ESPN get Hundley to withdraw her restraining order?

The restraining order development will be crucial to Phillips’ future employment at ESPN. If Hundley hadn’t withdrawn it, then Phillips’ transgression is considerably worse than what got Harold Reynolds fired (complaints against him were only through human resources, not the police). But the fact that she withdrew it could save Phillips.

ESPN also has to grapple with the question: Do we believe her allegations in the restraining order? How seriously can we take the word of a women who created a fake Facebook account to befriend Phillips’ teenage son online? How much stock can you put in the word of a young woman who harassed Phillips’ wife with text messages and left that haunting letter at his front door?

ESPN Analyst’s Hookup – Keep Him Away from Me (TMZ)
Sex at espn taboo unless it’s on air (Mushnick)
Messy Phillips tale tangled more by Web (Boston Globe)