Another dark day for ESPN, as it makes headlines again for it’s overly sexual employees. There’s just something about sports and sex that goes hand-in-hand.
Here is a timeline of ESPN in its naughtiness (to clarify, this is just an aggregate of stories floating around the internet):
1992 — Mike Tirico was suspended by ESPN for three months for unwelcome advances. In his book ESPN: The Uncensored History, published in 2000, New York Times reporter, Michael Freeman reported several instances of sexual harassment by Mike Tirico including attempted groping and sexual solicitation
2000 — Video of Chris Berman flirting with a co-employee during a MNF break leaks to the public. Nothing really wrong with this, but Berman is clearly flirting.
May, 2002 — NBA reporter, Jason Jackson, was fired for what he admitted were inappropriate comments, sexual in nature, that he made in e-mails.
July 25, 2006 — Harold Reynolds takes a PA out to Boston Market and hugs her. She didn’t like his form, files complaint, and he is fired. Cue Hugging Harold Reynolds.
January 30, 2007 — Deadspin wonders why Stuart Scott sends a late night text message to a former cheerleader at the Super Bowl that read, “Lemme know.” Deadspin wonders if this was somehow a booty call. It might be bullshit, but you can’t help but wonder.
June 28, 2007 — Rita Ragone says anchor Jay Crawford and commentator Woody Paige groped the show’s staff, demanded lap dances as perks of the job, and repeatedly propositioned her for sex, according to a sexual-harassment suit filed in Manhattan federal court.
February 26, 2008 — Sean Salisbury’s contract is not renewed by ESPN after 12 years with the company. He allegedly showed cell phone pictures of his penis to colleagues. Salisbury was fired from a radio station gig for reportedly the same reasons two months ago.
June 10, 2008 — ESPN on-air talents, Mike Wilbon, Jon Barry, and JA Adande, are seen partying with pornstars at some LA club.
September 4, 2008 — A nude video of ESPN sideline reporter, Erin Andrews, is taken through the peephole at a hotel. It was long speculated that it was done by a perverted co-worker. A man has since been arrested and he has no affiliation with ESPN whatsoever.
January 21, 2009 — Picture of Scott Van Pelt surfaces from the beach where he is scandalously positioned behind a female.
May 1, 2009 — A teacher was suspended in Florida when two students under his care engaged in sexual acts behind a book shelf. What was he doing? Perusing ESPN.com. (Obviously not ESPN employees here, but pretty funny we see sex and ESPN linked even in this situation).
July 23, 2009 — As much as ESPN loves sex, they refuse to report the sexual assault accusations made against Steelers QB, Ben Roethlisberger. They then changed its position and made its initlal report nearly 24 hours later.
July, 2009 — Steve Phillips begins affair with production assistant, Brooke Hundley. He has three encounters with her before trying to end it, but she gets all “Fatal Attraction” on him, ultimately sending a letter to his wife unveiling the affair. Phillips takes a leave of absence from ESPN on October 21st, 2009. He is ‘deeply sorry.’
October 21, 2009 — Deadspin unleashes intense Wendy’s baconator ads (sexy) and rumors swirling about a few no-name ESPN employees, all to the dismay of at least one person. They first dropped Eric Kuselias’ alleged sexual harassment incident, which he was supposedly suspended for. Next was Katey Lacey, who allegedly sexed her way to the top at ESPN, amongst other networks. One of the suckers who apparently fell for it is David Berson, a programming VP at ESPN. In the final post of the day, Deadspin exposed Jed Drake as a potential company horndog via a letter from a former employee. According to the person who wrote the letter, he “is world class scumbag – fucking his secretary, production assistants, trying to fuck interns.”
They also defined a couple of the terms ESPN employees might use on road trips:
Importing: “This is when you have a girl on the road but then fly her in to another destination. Women of this caliber may or may not be let out of hotel, either for fear of being outed or because they are not that attractive.”
Covering Your Bases: “Many of the guys on the road would often import one girl, but then go out at night without her for the chance of an upgrade.”
So, there you have at least 14 instances over the past 17 years or so. There could be others that I’m missing, but this is all I could find throughout the internet. As one review on Amazon for the 2000 ESPN book suggested, what else would you expect from a company full of pent up “sports experts” and women colleagues with no social outlets in a sleepy little town in central Connecticut?
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