ESPN Suspensions: What Will Get You Suspended? A Brief and Incomplete History [UPDATES]


Bill Simmons was told to cool out on twitter for three days – why three? That’s anyone’s guess – after his comments last week about the Richard Sherman-First Take debacle. Was the move calculated by Simmons to get him back some street cred? If so, it worked – Bill Walton even brought it up during the Pac-12 tournament. Even if that wasn’t Simmons’s intent, everyone knows ESPN’s social media policy is silly, and so is the way it inconsistently doles out “punishment.” Over the last seven years, here’s a brief collection of suspensions (and non-suspensions):
Tony Kornheiser on Hannah Storm’s outfit in 2010: “Hannah Storm in a horrifying, horrifying outfit today. She’s got on red go-go boots and a catholic school plaid skirt … way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now.” [She's 47.] “She’s got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body … I know she’s very good, and I’m not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won’t … but Hannah Storm … come on now! Stop! What are you doing? … She’s what I would call a Holden Caulfield fantasy at this point.” Result: TWO WEEK RADIO & TV SUSPENSION.
Jason Whitlock on Mike Lupica and the Sports Reporters, a show he regularly appeared on in 2006: “Lupica is an insecure, mean-spirited busybody. He’s upset because I put a clown suit on him on that show and in a follow-up column I wrote for ESPN. His little disingenuous overreaction to an opinion I’d stated previously on the show was staged to try to put me in a bad light. I guess no one had ever informed Mike that the E in ESPN stood for Entertainment. The Little Fella probably won’t let the producer (Joe Valerio) have me back on the show again. That’s cool. They’re mostly upset that I wouldn’t participate in their Barry Bonds witch hunt and help them single Bonds out as the creator of steroids. Lupica doesn’t like to be disagreed with, and he’s spoken so abusively to that producer for years that the producer probably doesn’t realize people are allowed to disagree with Lupica. I enjoyed my time on the show. But if the price of admission is stepping to Lupica’s drum, I’m more than happy to go without. Result: BANISHED FROM THE SHOW AND APPEARING ON ESPN.
Stephen A. Smith saying the N-Word twice on ESPN’s First Take, once in 2011, once in 2012. See video here and here. Result: NOTHING.
Rob Parker on Robert Griffin III in 2012: “I am an African-American in America. That will never change. But I don’t have to be defined by that…We always try to find similarities in life, no matter what it is so they’re going to try to put you in a box with other African-American quarterbacks – Vick, Newton, Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon…That’s the goal. Just to go out and not try to prove anybody wrong but just let your talents speak for themselves.” …. “We keep hearing this so it makes me wonder deeper about him. I’ve talked to some people in Washington D.C. My question, which is just a straight, honest question, is he a brother or is he a cornball brother … He’s not really. Okay, he’s black, but he’s not really down with the cause … He’s kind of black, but He’s not really the guy you want to hang out with. He’s off to something else … We all know he has a white fiancee. People always talk about how he’s Republican. There’s no information at all. I’m just trying to dig deeper into why he has an issue.” Result: SUSPENDED FOR 30 DAYS. BEFORE HIS SUSPENSION ENDED, ESPN LET HIS CONTRACT EXPIRE.
Max Bretos on Jeremy Lin on Sportscenter in 2012: Clearly there was no malicious intent, but he used the phrase “chink in the armor,” about a Lin weakness on the court. Result: ESPN SUSPENDED BRETOS FOR 30 DAYS.
Sean Salisbury: Showed fellow employees a camera phone shot of his penis. We unearthed the gem after two websites floated a blind item. Result: SUSPENDED FOR A WEEK.
Jesse Palmer: Made the ‘Horns down’ signal in the booth during a game last season. It was funny. Result: LATER IN THE TELECAST, HE APOLOGIZED.
Who did we miss? Drop me an email [jmcintyre@thebiglead.com] and I’ll update the list.
[UPDATES]
* Harold Reynolds, a baseball analyst, was fired in in 2006 for alleged sexual harassment. This was one of the first big stories we covered on the site. Reynolds hugged a fellow employee at a chain restaurant in Bristol.
* A reader notes Jemele Hill was suspended in 2008 (for an undetermined period of time) for a Hitler comment she made on her blog. Lou Holtz made similar comments on ESPN … no suspension.
* A reader notes Dana Jacobson was suspended for a week after a boozy, Vodka-laden speech at a roast. She allegedly used obscenities and referenced Touchdown Jesus.
* Teddy Atlas, a boxing analyst, was suspended for a week in 2008 for going after an ESPN boxing programming. director.
* Steve Phillips, a former MLB analyst, was suspended for a week in 2009 after it was revealed that he banged a production assistant and she went Fatal Attraction on him. A week after this story broke, Phillips was fired.
* Going all the way back to 1992, Mike Tirico was suspended for three months for allegedly “attempted groping and sexual solicitation of female co-workers,” according to Mike Freeman’s book on ESPN.
* Scott Van Pelt said some things about Bud Selig’s $18 million salary in 2009, and tossed the word “pimp” into the discussion and was suspended for a “period of time.”
* Lee Corso dropped a loud, “ahh, fuck it” on Gameday in 2011, and ESPN made him apologize on air about 15 minutes later.

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44 Responses to “ESPN Suspensions: What Will Get You Suspended? A Brief and Incomplete History [UPDATES]”
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March 15th, 2013 at 1:37 PM
I think they’ve been pretty consistent on punishing employees for publicly ridiculing ESPN shows/employees, haven’t they?
March 15th, 2013 at 1:43 PM
The ESPN list is long… but not very distinguished.
Rush Limbaugh and his comments on McNabb were more than 7 years ago, but the fallout was consistent.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:43 PM
The punishments are amusing because Bill Simmons was able to tweet about his book tour during said punishment and retweet Grantland posts while suspended. They serve as nothing more than brilliant publicity.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:44 PM
Ok, I think it is safe to say that volleyball shorts will be the yoga pants of this summer. Have already seen 4 girls today sporting them. Certainly puts a smile on my face.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:44 PM
They serve as nothing more than brilliant publicity.
It’s sort of like rapper “beefs”
March 15th, 2013 at 1:46 PM
Matthew Barnaby is reading this and crying.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:46 PM
All a ploy to get the word out on this Simmons guy that nobody has ever heard of.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:47 PM
i was led to believe that simmons tells espn what to do not vice versa
March 15th, 2013 at 1:47 PM
who is this? I’m sure he has a nice little niche, but I don’t know if he’s worth leading a post off with.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:48 PM
All a ploy to get the word out on this Simmons guy
It’s a “token” suspension, if you will.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:51 PM
That’s a lazy comment.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:53 PM
I am an African-American in America. That will never change.
He could go to another nation. Boom.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:54 PM
This is what I’d like to see. In spreadsheet form, of course.
March 15th, 2013 at 1:58 PM
Stephen A. Smith saying
the N-Word twicewhat?/Lazier comment
March 15th, 2013 at 1:59 PM
Some token white guy with a popularity that comprised of just people with internets
March 15th, 2013 at 2:05 PM
Who did we miss?
Bob Knight refused to say Kentucky. He got cold-called. No suspension.
March 15th, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Mike and Mike called Bubba Watson 40 times (causing him to change his #) after he won the Masters. Best I can tell, nothing happened to them.
http://www.thebiglead.com/index.php/2012/04/11/mike-mikes-radio-show-called-bubba-watson-40-times-so-he-changed-his-cell-phone-number/
March 15th, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Great column. Everyone in the universe should be rooting for Fox Sports 1
March 15th, 2013 at 2:19 PM
I would love to see this.
March 15th, 2013 at 2:20 PM
TBL sees nothing wrong with this.
/Cold Call Monday’s!!
March 15th, 2013 at 2:35 PM
In all seriousness I think the following could be added (can’t remember specifics):
1.) Simmons suspended during book tour
2.) Russillo suspended for fight with Boston radio guys
3.) Van Pelt suspended for something related to Bud Selig
4.) The Bruce Feldman debacle
5.) Steve Phillips debacle
6.) Matthew Barnaby debacle
7.) The editor that wrote “chink in the armor” on the mobile site
March 15th, 2013 at 2:38 PM
Peter Pascarelli was removed from the Baseball Today podcast several years ago for saying the Bud Selig statue in Milwaukee functions as a nice target for birds to poop on.
March 15th, 2013 at 2:39 PM
Jesse Palmer’s infraction was the most egregious and offensive of the lot. He got off easy.
March 15th, 2013 at 2:42 PM
Someone seriously needs to do this pronto. I don’t remember who’s been perma-banned here. Paolo obviously, Tarbaby, Colonel Bromes, that Big Nasty guy, who else?
March 15th, 2013 at 2:43 PM
Gary Miller pissed out that window at All Star Break 1997.
March 15th, 2013 at 2:44 PM
Ron Franklin and the easy baby comments
March 15th, 2013 at 2:44 PM
Did anything happen to Cowherd for telling his listeners to crash this site? Besides his heartfelt apology I mean
March 15th, 2013 at 2:45 PM
Jason: You forgot to close the Whitlock quotes.
Otherwise, splendid list.
March 15th, 2013 at 2:45 PM
Did anything happen to Cowherd for telling his listeners to crash this site?
yep, he got to spend one on one time with jmac
March 15th, 2013 at 2:49 PM
Harold Reynolds?
March 15th, 2013 at 2:51 PM
ALCS
March 15th, 2013 at 3:02 PM
Did he bring a pizza?
March 15th, 2013 at 3:45 PM
Why? Everyone is pretty well aware that Simmons is just a niche audience guy. I happen to know who he is, but the most sports fans have no idea. He’s just not on Sportcenter enough to register as a blip on the radar.
March 15th, 2013 at 4:55 PM
Jason Jackson?
March 15th, 2013 at 5:16 PM
Reading through this post, I see that the fan club of the White dude who co-hosts ESPN’s NBA show have shown up in full. You guys are small in number, but very persistent. I respect that. I don’t understand how ESPN can treat a guy who brings 50 million unique visitors to their website a month, and has the ear of John Skipper, the way they’re treating him. So unappreciative.
March 15th, 2013 at 5:30 PM
I also don’t understand how ESPN settled for Jalen Rose as host of the show, when in their midst they have a guy who’s podcasts have been viewed by more people than who watched the final episode of MASH and the last 8 Super Bowls combined. Of course a fine measurment of this guy’s recognizability is a a media oriented blog that seemingly posts about the guy about once or twice a day. I think next thing people should do is visit some teen site just to prove how great of a singer Justin Bieber is.
March 15th, 2013 at 7:35 PM
I’d much prefer the opinion of some old dude that thinks the internet is a “niche” and can’t wrap his head around math.
March 15th, 2013 at 7:47 PM
you really have no idea of how young you make yourself look when you constantly say “old dude”, and by young I don’t mean vibrant I mean more like a little brother or young son desperately seeking relevancy. I wrap my mind around math well enough. Me belittiling your stat “revolution” and understanding math are not the same. This “revolution” is bogus. I’ll tell it you, as I told it to Keith Law himself on this very site. And it takes up too much time and space in legit sports dialogue.
March 15th, 2013 at 7:55 PM
Everything okay at home, darrell?
/jmac’d
March 15th, 2013 at 8:14 PM
I don’t get it
March 15th, 2013 at 11:40 PM
Steve Phillips debacle
What sucks is you click on those links expecting to take a blast in the past, only NO COMMENTS TO BE FOUND.
/shakes fist
March 16th, 2013 at 12:23 AM
steve Phillips mentioned in a TBL post and there’s no /vader fist pump’ing?
what the hell is going on here?!?!
March 16th, 2013 at 3:40 PM
Uh….no.
March 16th, 2013 at 3:57 PM
Why? ESPN is just THAT good, huh?