ESPN’s sex scandal silence
Why hasn't ESPN's ombudsman said anything about the Steve Phillips fiasco?
ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips
(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
ESPN ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer has been strangely silent on the Steve Phillips sex scandal and the baseball analyst’s subsequent firing. Ohlmeyer, a sports broadcasting legend who was hired earlier this year, writes a monthly column for ESPN—he filed his latest dispatch on the day the Phillips scandal broke. Shouldn’t Ohlmeyer be doing more to restore ESPN’s credibility?
Ohlmeyer needs to speak up immediately: “Hey Don Ohlmeyer, how much longer are we going to have to wait?” ask the sports bloggers at The Big Lead. Ohlmeyer’s had a week to gather his thoughts on the incident, and “surely, he’s seen this kind of thing in his many years of television.”
“Where’s the ESPN Ombud on the Steve Phillips Saga?”
Blame ESPN, not Ohlmeyer: “None of this is Ohlmeyer’s fault, really,” says Katie Baker in Mediaite. ESPN is muffling his impact by limiting his column to once a month—that it fell on the day the Phillips scandal became public is an unfortunate coincidence—and “no doubt he operates within some preordained set of parameters.” The "Worldwide Leader" would be well advised to unbind “the truly impressive man” it hired as ombudsman.
“Why Is ESPN’s Ombudsman So Slow? Steve Phillips Gets Lucky”
Let’s have an independent investigation, please: ESPN’s response (or lack thereof) has been a “sad display,” says St. Petersburg Times media critic Eric Deggans. After all, scandals like this are why it hired an ombudsman. “Here’s hoping Ohlmeyer or someone with his leeway is given the chance to produce an independent report for ESPN.” That’s the best way to restore sanity and integrity to ESPN’s journalism.
“Time for ESPN ombudsman Don Ohlmeyer ... to better address Steve Phillips questions?”
Show: Oldest | Newest
5 Comments
Posted by Aaron, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 12:11 pm Sanity, Integrity? Journalism? Get real. Phillips was a baseball analyst who banged a staffer. Big deal. It's probably happening in other departments right now. Btw, the network did the right thing to get rid of the guy. And that's the end of it. Seems to me they have the right attitude. Get over it.
Posted by katiebakes, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 1:01 pm It's probably happening in other departments right now. Aaron, that's exactly it! This isn't the first time that this has happened at ESPN, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm all for some good old illicit sweetlovin, but not when it becomes part of the corporate culture. Why does it seem that so many sexual harrassment suits come out of sportsrelated businessesteams, networks, etc?Don't forget that, as GM of the Mets, Phillips had previously been sued for harrassment before being hired at ESPN. I guess they knew he'd fit right in.
Posted by mjg, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 3:58 pm testosterone, testonterone, testosterone. Oh, and did I forget to mention testosterone?
Posted by Classicist, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 4:58 pm They fired him. Are they supposed to wax philosophic about the sanctity of marriage? Let's all move on.
Posted by Gilted lady, Thursday, October 29, 2009, 5:02 pm It happens. Why does ANYONE need to address it, again and again. From my personal viewpoint, move on. Absolutely no reason to keep rehashing it. This is such a NON news story, The Week. You have fallen off the curb, into the street. Why bring this back up and ask why another someone at ESPN isn't talking about it. Let it go, and give these people some peace. Move on and find some real news for discussion.
Post a Comment