Rob Parker Suspended by ESPN for 30 Days for “Cornball Brother” Comments about RG3
Rob Parker will not be fired. ESPN just announced he’ll be suspended 30 days for making these comments about Redskins’ QB Robert Griffin III last week. First Take, a pox on the network, will have “enhanced editorial oversight,” whatever that means.
“ESPN has decided to suspend Rob Parker for 30 days for his comments made on last Thursday’s episode of First Take. Our review of the preparation for the show and the re-air has established that mistakes both in judgment and communication were made. As a direct result, clearly inappropriate content was aired and then re-aired without editing. Both were errors on our part.
“To address this, we have enhanced the editorial oversight of the show and have taken appropriate disciplinary measures with the personnel responsible for these failures. We will continue to discuss important issues in sports on First Take, including race. Debate is an integral part of sports and we will continue to engage in it on First Take. However, we believe what we have learned here and the steps we have taken will help us do all that better.”
To recap: Max Bretos was suspended 30 days for saying, “chink in the armor” … Rob Parker suspended 30 days for overtly racist comments.
Interesting 3-day arc this week on L’affair Parker: We wrote this Tuesday, Parker apologized Wednesday, and ESPN suspended him for 30 days.

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56 Responses to “Rob Parker Suspended by ESPN for 30 Days for “Cornball Brother” Comments about RG3”
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December 20th, 2012 at 1:53 PM
Laughable.
December 20th, 2012 at 1:58 PM
popcorn balls > cornballs
December 20th, 2012 at 1:59 PM
Debate is an integral part of sports and we will continue to engage in it on First Take. However, we believe what we have learned here and the steps we have taken will help us do all that better.”
We have learned that a discussion of race cannot include if a black person is black enough for another black person, because then people get mad at us.
December 20th, 2012 at 1:59 PM
I know this has been said before, but if you want shows like First Take to go away, stop talking about them, stop writing about them and for the love of god get Richard Deitsch to stop waging jihad against them. Just ignore them. When Skip Bayless inevitably says something stupid, the only way I even hear about it is because twitter explodes and Deitsch gets a boner about it for the next week or so.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:00 PM
wasnt this post up yesterday? or am i getting these confused now?
December 20th, 2012 at 2:01 PM
“enhanced editorial oversight,” whatever that means.
Waterboarding
December 20th, 2012 at 2:01 PM
we only cover them in cases like this … that are actually newsworthy. Idiots saying the n-word, idiots lying, idiots getting clowned by Mark Cuban … yes, we’ll continue to cover that as they continue to screw up.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:01 PM
awesome.
/sees typos
//dick cheney and rumsfeld still think the techniques work
///no valuable intelligence was gleaned from this
December 20th, 2012 at 2:01 PM
When Skip Bayless inevitably says something stupid, the only way I even hear about it is because twitter explodes and Deitsch gets a boner about it for the next week or so.
I just imagined Deitsch walking up to random people, pointing at his crotch and saying “this is for Skip Bayless,” then wandering away whistling.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:01 PM
This is a bit disingenuous, Jason. You know it means some higher up at ESPN will have to approve all topics of discussion after the producers set the agenda.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Wigga, please.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:02 PM
wasnt this post up yesterday? or am i getting these confused now?
I think yesterday was the apology and speculation on the suspension. I can’t wait for the “Where Will Rob Parker Go After His Contract Expires?” posts
December 20th, 2012 at 2:02 PM
ahhhh…ok. my bad.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:03 PM
I knew he wouldn’t get fired. He was doing what ESPN wanted him to do. I bet they are high fiving and pinching female anchor’s asses right now.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Iran or Syria please.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:03 PM
“enhanced editorial oversight,” whatever that means.
Forcible doggie style with a 3-iron by a dude that looks like Spence.
/all previous posts’ comments rolled into one.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:04 PM
That’s fine, but dropping lines like, “a pox on ESPN…” and so on comes off like you want the show to change or go away. If that’s true, ignore it and that’s exactly what will happen. Ratings determine almost everything in TV. If they struggle, they’ll change or cancel.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:06 PM
I know I’m repeating myself, but the rule in my house is … ESPN will not be on the TV unless it’s a live sporting event. Absolutely no talking head shows. Evar.
/the one exception was the Bo 30-for-30.
//which reaffirmed previous stance
December 20th, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Exactly. This one time they flew a little too close to the sun, but they’ll take their lumps and laugh all the way to the ratings bank.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:09 PM
This one time they flew a little too close to the sun, but they’ll take their lumps and laugh all the way to the ratings bank.
You like metaphors.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:09 PM
I mean, I don’t have a rule or anything (though I don’t even have cable/satellite) but I only watch live sports on ESPN as well. Though the TV shows aren’t geared towards people like me who are on the Internet all day at work. They’re for people far busier who come home and want to hear the news of the day in sports. People who are on twitter/blogs all day know what they’re saying is mostly crap, but those who aren’t probably love the shows.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:11 PM
RT @WhitlockJason If you fire Rob Parker, you have to fire producers who approved it and created the culture. That’s why Parker wasn’t fired
December 20th, 2012 at 2:12 PM
yeah, right. and take away the “barbershop” angle that they covet?
December 20th, 2012 at 2:12 PM
It’s always someone else’s fault.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:12 PM
I guess there isn’t a Mark Emmert at ESPN to capitulate to internet outrage.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:13 PM
Well if anyone knows what it takes to get kicked out of Bristol…
December 20th, 2012 at 2:13 PM
I mean, I don’t have a rule or anything (though I don’t even have cable/satellite) but I only watch live sports on ESPN as well.
Oh – it’s a rule. Told the story here before …
My kid and a friend were watching ESPN one day when I came home from work. Immediately, my kid looks at his buddy and says, “Let’s go. My dad hates ESPN unless it’s a game on.”
Gooood boooooy!
December 20th, 2012 at 2:14 PM
Funny
December 20th, 2012 at 2:15 PM
RT @WhitlockJason If you fire Rob Parker, you have to fire producers who approved it and created the culture. That’s why Parker wasn’t fired
I think that says it all really. Plus, ratings when Parker returns.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:15 PM
No.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:17 PM
Funny
I used to have a fur coat like that lady is wearing in the 3rd one. I bought it at a thrift shop for like $2 when I was 16. It served me well for 2 years or so
December 20th, 2012 at 2:18 PM
I can only justify him not being fired by espn as espn being worried that parker would cry that espn was racist.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:18 PM
They can still have that feel, just do so while avoiding shit fits of this caliber. The small shit fits they have no problem with.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:21 PM
Hipster.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:21 PM
Because they never fire Black people
Sincerely,
Harold Reynolds and Jason Whitlock
December 20th, 2012 at 2:22 PM
I couldn’t care less if this dude gets fired, suspended both or neither, but I agree there are many who seem to want blood in this type of scenario. It’s not like ESPN is going to replace this clown with a thought-provoking commentator who will spur intelligent discourse within the 45 seconds he or she has to tell me what one win in June means as far as the playoffs are concerned in baseball.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:23 PM
Hipster.
The 90s were a strange time. That Macklemore song reminds me of high school and my freshman year of college every time I hear it.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:24 PM
isnt that what got Jason Jackson fired
December 20th, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Whitlock can go fuck himself
December 20th, 2012 at 2:27 PM
They should replace him with someone who speaks of such thought provoking topics as: which actress has the biggest cankles.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:29 PM
I could swear we’ve heard this story before …
December 20th, 2012 at 2:29 PM
They should replace him with someone who speaks of such thought provoking topics as: which actress has the biggest cankles.
It sure as shit isn’t Minka Kelly.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Embrace debate.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Barbershop was 10 times better than anything ESPN has produced in the past decade.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:33 PM
and I’m sure we’ll hear it again.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:34 PM
Because they never fire Black people
Sincerely,
Harold Reynolds and Jason Whitlock
they werent fired for saying something racist, sportsfan. get a clue.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:35 PM
I actually fucking hate that the 30 for 30 films are ESPN produced. Many of them are truly great and they shouldn’t be associated with the same shit network that gives us Bayless, Parker, Chris Berman, and Rick Reilly among others.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:36 PM
Atlantic named Mitch Albom the One Columnist You Meet In Hell. great stuff there
December 20th, 2012 at 2:36 PM
so, your assertion is that they didn’t fire him for saying something racist because they would be accused of being racist?
December 20th, 2012 at 2:39 PM
so, your assertion is that they didn’t fire him for saying something racist because they would be accused of being racist?
sure, why not.
/half assed wanking motion
December 20th, 2012 at 2:44 PM
you’re better of wanking. you’re dismissed.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:49 PM
you’re better of wanking. you’re dismissed.
i will go when i am good and tired. now go back to race baiting….
December 20th, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Probably would’ve helped Bretos’ cause if the National Association of Hispanic Journalists had bullyed ESPN.
December 20th, 2012 at 2:58 PM
yeah this is true. because the nation was so up in arms regarding the Rob Parker situation, there is no way ESPN would have survived the national backlash from firing Rob Parker.
December 20th, 2012 at 3:07 PM
he should have called RGIII a nappy-headed ho.
/raycees!!!
//Imus’d
December 20th, 2012 at 6:49 PM
Next on first take: Skip Bayless and Screamin A’ Smith Debate if Kirk Cousins’ chances to start on other teams if he was ‘blacker’