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Post by NebraskaVBfan93 on Jan 4, 2011 14:36:35 GMT -5
ESPN pulls announcer for calling female colleague 'sweet baby'
By Chris Chase
ESPN announcer Ron Franklin was pulled off the network's coverage of the Fiesta Bowl after he made a derogatory remark to sideline reporter Jeanne Edwards in a pregame meeting.
It's yet another incident at the sports network in which a female employee has been subjected to harassing behavior by a male co-worker. Popular television host Tony Kornheiser was suspended last year for comments made on-air about the wardrobe of "SportsCenter" anchor Hannah Storm and former baseball analysts Harold Reynolds and Steve Phillips were fired for separate incidents involving demeaning behavior toward female employees. Current Monday Night Football announcer Mike Tirico was disciplined for harassment in 1992. And Deadspin has been zealous in its pursuit of other stories involving executives and other off-camera employees.
Franklin was reprimanded after a complaint was made about his behavior toward Edwards at a meeting. "Why don't you leave this to the boys, sweet baby?," Franklin allegedly said. When Edwards objected to the derogatory language, Franklin responded, "okay then, [expletive]."
The 68-year old play-by-play announcer later apologized and said he deserved to be taken off the Fiesta Bowl broadcast.
Though the high-profile ESPN incidents make it seems as though the network is a hotbed for boorish behavior, Dan Lebowitz, the executive director of Sport in Society at Northeastern University told the Washington Post that it's no worse than in other male-dominated businesses.
"I hate to single out ESPN for having a dysfunctional culture," Lebowitz told the Post's Paul Farhi. "It just mimics an inherent ill in our society ... It just seems more sensational at ESPN because they're a very public entity."
IMO, the most reprehensible part of this whole situation is Dan Lebowitz's minimization of it by basically "grading on a curve". That's part of what's wrong with our society, the idea that the concepts of right and wrong are relative. My big brother once told me "if a million people believe in a dumb idea, it's still a dumb idea."
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Post by NebraskaVBfan93 on Jan 4, 2011 16:13:14 GMT -5
Props to ESPN as I just read they "ended their association" with Mr. Franklin. It makes one wonder if this was not an isolated incident.
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Post by Phaedrus on Jan 4, 2011 16:33:46 GMT -5
Can you change the highlight to another color, the red on grey really hurts the eyes.
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Post by mikegarrison on Jan 4, 2011 16:43:18 GMT -5
Harold Reynolds strongly denied he committed any inappropriate behavior, and as far as I know the allegations against him were never proven. ESPN eventually gave Reynolds a seven-figure amount as compensation in order to settle a wrongful termination lawsuit.
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Post by Phaedrus on Jan 4, 2011 17:26:59 GMT -5
Has Tirico ever admitted or apologized for what he did? I thought he was doing some pretty unforgiveable things.
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Post by goGopherBill on Jan 5, 2011 13:27:22 GMT -5
I cant wait till we have men covering womens locker rooms during showering and dressing..and those evil women mentioning something about viewing their bods instead of asking those probing questions we all love to hear.
I really want to know is WHY ALL THOSE SPORTS WOMEN covering mens sports are all young attractive and have rather large chest areas ..
and why the so called liberated women are not ashamed and up front about it.
Sex sells ..and if you cant sell it...sue for the money.
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Post by NebraskaVBfan93 on Jan 5, 2011 13:50:13 GMT -5
I cant wait till we have men covering womens locker rooms during showering and dressing..and those evil women mentioning something about viewing their bods instead of asking those probing questions we all love to hear. I really want to know is WHY ALL THOSE SPORTS WOMEN covering mens sports are all young attractive and have rather large chest areas .. and why the so called liberated women are not ashamed and up front about it. Sex sells ..and if you cant sell it...sue for the money. What do your ignorant comments have to do with the Ron Franklin story? |
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Post by Thrill of the 'ville on Jan 5, 2011 14:10:36 GMT -5
It makes one wonder if this was not an isolated incident. It wasn't...he's made similar comments and gotten in trouble...the one that comes to mind currently is calling Holly Rowe "sweetheart" |
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Post by Mocha on Jan 5, 2011 15:56:31 GMT -5
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Post by goGopherBill on Jan 6, 2011 9:45:55 GMT -5
Quote..
" Franklin was reprimanded after a complaint was made about his behavior toward Edwards at a meeting. "Why don't you leave this to the boys, sweet baby?," Franklin allegedly said. When Edwards objected to the derogatory language, Franklin responded, "okay then, [expletive]."
Now I have been called sweetheart and dear numerous times in my life by people I didn't know..mainly women serving me food .. should I lobby to have them fired?
Many Men including ME feel having women reading sports BRING NOTHING to the discussion.
Having them there for RATINGS is a JOKE.
Just what does a HOSTESS do in FOOTBALL anyway?
EYE candy should be reminded once in awhile what they are really doing..IT is NOT for their knowledge of any sport or after years of working through the broadcast minor leagues to get to the top..
Just as MEN have had to do for decades..women get a free pass ..
and then they have the nerve to whine about it.
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Post by goGopherBill on Jan 6, 2011 10:00:44 GMT -5
This is from Soda head..and I like the comments.. So much for “I am woman, hear me roar.” A female sports reporter runs and complains to ESPN management after a veteran male broadcaster called her “sweetcakes.” While off the air, reported The Daily Mail, Ron Franklin was talking with the guys during a pre-game meeting and Jeannine Edwards was trying to take part in the conversation when things took a turn for the funny. Franklin has since been canned for the below commentary. Franklin: “Why don’t you leave this to the boys, sweetcakes.” Edwards: “Don’t call me sweetcakes, I don’t like being talked to like that.” Franklin: “OK then, a**hole.” Now correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t women want to be treated equally like men? So instead of crying to ESPN management, she should have shot back after the sweetcakes comment with, “That’s what your wife said last night.” She might have won the respect of this 68-year-old dinosaur instead of getting the old guy kicked off a fast-food sporting event. Yeah, Franklin is wrong, there is no two-ways about it and this isn’t the first time he forgot it’s not the 1940s. Six years ago he was made to apologize to another female reporter for calling her “sweetheart” while they were on the air. And in the world of sexual harassment, it seems as if Franklin is an extreme lightweight who should be laughed at and female reporters should consider themselves lucky that Franklin — as far as we know — never went beyond words that started with sweet. Real sexual harassment can be humiliating and in some cases, terrifying and dangerous. And I once worked for a publication that ran court cases on sexual harassment and let me say that Edwards got off light. Trust me being called sweetcakes isn’t the most terrible thing in the world to be called. But women have to decide if they want to be treated like men — which means us guys for some reason that even we can’t fully understand like to throw insults at one another — or if they want to be treated like ladies but want the same pay as men. Either way is fine, but make a choice sweetheart. And by the way, nice gams. www.sodahead.com/united-states/should-male-reporter-have-been-fired-for-sweetcakes-comment/question-1426291/ |
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Post by azvb on Jan 6, 2011 11:04:35 GMT -5
As a female, I do find it curious all the women covering men's sports are gorgeous, yet the men are, well, not gorgeous. Tiki Barber is the exception. Lou Holtz is the 1st that comes to mind. John Gruden's hair looked like Alfalfa from Little Rascals on the Sugar Bowl the other night.
Not trying to start anything, just an observation.
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Post by mikegarrison on Jan 6, 2011 12:14:49 GMT -5
As a female, I do find it curious all the women covering men's sports are gorgeous, yet the men are, well, not gorgeous. Tiki Barber is the exception. Lou Holtz is the 1st that comes to mind. John Gruden's hair looked like Alfalfa from Little Rascals on the Sugar Bowl the other night. Not trying to start anything, just an observation. Short answer: the target audience is heterosexual males. Males as a rule place a higher value for their sexual interest on youth and prettiness (both of which are fairly reliable indicators of potential reproductive success). Women as a rule place a higher value for their sexual interest in wealth and status (both of which are fairly reliable indicators of potential reproductive success). The asymmetry is because the roles of men and women in reproduction are also asymmetric. |
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Post by goGopherBill on Jan 6, 2011 12:40:13 GMT -5
AZVB..
Exactly my thoughts..
Look at any broadcast..sports.. weather..cable news ( FOX NEWS )..the guys are mostly over weight..retired from the sport..bald..all wearing sliming suites.
They have a long resume in the field..while then we compare the women..by age ..are much Younger ..probably less experienced in any sport if ever playing at all.
The women are younger ..mostly with long hair..wearing plunging necklines and tight skirts.
How many times have the weather gals been in a blizzard..poor Mike.
The line that got the guy fired reminded me of an Airplane gag line..still waiting for Leslie to quip something funnier than running to the boss.
Sexual harassment ?..NOT even close..maybe she should stick to working with a all womans group covering anything...and when women get mad at intruders and A holes ,,"what do they call each other "??
Welcome to the real world.
Image trumps reality.
Now back to the lingerie bowl.
ESPN.
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Post by azvb on Jan 6, 2011 12:53:03 GMT -5
As a female, I do find it curious all the women covering men's sports are gorgeous, yet the men are, well, not gorgeous. Tiki Barber is the exception. Lou Holtz is the 1st that comes to mind. John Gruden's hair looked like Alfalfa from Little Rascals on the Sugar Bowl the other night. Not trying to start anything, just an observation. Short answer: the target audience is heterosexual males. Males as a rule place a higher value for their sexual interest on youth and prettiness (both of which are fairly reliable indicators of potential reproductive success). Women as a rule place a higher value for their sexual interest in wealth and status (both of which are fairly reliable indicators of potential reproductive success). The asymmetry is because the roles of men and women in reproduction are also asymmetric. Thank you for your insighful response. I see your point. So, where does Beth Mowins fit?  |
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