October 20, 2003

THE FOOTBALL GODS CHORTLED: So

THE FOOTBALL GODS CHORTLED: So much for that Gregg Easterbrook scandal being "over"- TMQ has been fired from ESPN.com.
If you ask me, this sucks. Unlike Rush Limbaugh, Easterbrook has both apologized and backed off of what he said. Also unlike Limbaugh, Easterbrook has been fired for comments that weren't made in his ESPN column or anywhere else under the auspices of ESPN- he made them in his blog on the website of The New Republic- a publication which has not fired him from his position as senior editor. Even blogger Roger L. Simon (linked above), perhaps Easterbrook's harshest critic, disapproves of the firing.
And even more classlessly, ESPN has removed TMQ's entire column archive from ESPN.com's Page 2- while including no explanation or statement whatsoever. I remember the same network keeping Keith Olbermann's column archive online for at least two years after his acrimonious departure.
Of course, the biggest reason for the firing is likely that Gregg specifically insulted Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney,which owns ABC, which owns ESPN; the order probably didn't come from Eisner directly, but rather from a bit of preemptive ass-kissing but corporate middle-managers. So hopefully Easterbrook will take the column back to its previous home, Slate; he'd just better not make fun of Bill Gates too viciously.
In the meantime, I'm gonna miss the megababes. That, and the Flaming Thumbtacks.

Posted by Stephen Silver at October 20, 2003 01:28 AM
Comments
Post a comment









Remember personal info?