15 Scandals That Rocked ESPN

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ESPN is the mecca for sport news. Sports fans tune in daily for their dose of some exciting and important news from their favorite players and teams. However, ESPN has had its fair share of scandals that caused some of our favorite reporters to have to call it quits. Here are some of the biggest scandals that rocked analyst lives. 

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Skip Bayless is the most criticized reporter for ESPN. Like for yelling too much on air. Or for being a Texas Longhorn hater. He is even credited with starting the rumor that Troy Aikman is gay. And a host of other complaints. 

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Jason Whitlock was fired from ESPN. The reason? Name calling on two of his co-workers. He called one of them an “insecure, mean-spirited busybody,” and the other one a “clown.” Hasn't anyone at ESPN heard the saying about sticks and stones? 
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Another makeup artist, this one from a company called “Cold Pizza,'” sued ESPN for sexual harassment. The accused were Jay Crawford and Woody Paige. Crawford and Paige denied the charges. This happened in 2007. 
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Jemele Hill made controversial comments that landed her in the doghouse. During the 2008 NBA playoffs, she was suspended from her post. The reason? She mentioned Adolf Hitler. She wrote, “Rooting for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim.” She also compared Wildcats coach John Calipari to Charles Manson. 
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Analyst Rob Parker was fired following racist remarks about Robert Griffin III. Several times, he mentioned Griffin's white wife. He also suggested that Griffin was not a “real brother.” He further stated that Griffin was not “down with the cause.” Parker was suspended later that day, and eventually fired.
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More than a hundred ESPN employees signed up for Ashley Madison during working hours. In case you haven't heard, Ashley Madison is a dating service for cheaters. The culprits including some very top brass executives. One producer said he was looking for a “cougar,” and spent more than $2,000 on the site.
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In 2010, Paul Shirley uploaded to his blog a litany about Haiti. It addressed the consequences of the earthquake that had recently happened there. His insensitive, unkind remarks got him canned from ESPN. They released a notice that said Shirley was no longer a contributor.
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Then there's the one about Ken Harrelson and Jay Mariotti. Ken called Jay “the biggest sports fraud.” This led to the two of them being involved in a physical fight in 2004. Ken punched Jay in the face. Mariotti was later arrested in Los Angeles on domestic violence charges. Why wasn't Ken arrested? Is he allowed to hit people?
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Curt Schilling is a baseball analyst and former all-star pitcher. He was fired for posting an inappropriate tweet about transgender bathrooms. Schilling wrote, “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves, I don't care what they are, who they sleep with. A men's room is designed for the penis.” We think Curt has a point, actually. 
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Mike Tirico is one of the veteran anchors at ESPN. However, he has a history of stalking and sexual harassment. He may have engaged in unusual behavior toward two female employees during his time there. ESPN chalked his behavior up to his youth and moved on to their next scandal.

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In July of 2004, Bill Creasy was slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit. The accuser was 30-year-old Melissa DiMarco. Bill was 74 when he demanded that Melissa attend “sleepovers” at his home. He had her fired when she rejected his advances. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court. 
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In 2003, Rush Limbaugh was a football commentator for ESPN. He was fired for a racist rant. It's about time! We wonder what took anyone so long to fire Rush Limbaugh.
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Scott Sassa was forced to resign in 2013. There was a plot to extort money with threats of revealing sexy text messages. Sassa refused to pay, so the messages were sent to ESPN's top brass. Sassa was forced to quit at that point. 
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ESPN has a sex, drugs, and frat house atmosphere. Apparently, the headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, are a hotbed of inequity. This is according to the book, Those Guys Have All the Fun, by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales. It's a sex and drug-fueled culture at ESPN. 
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Neil Goldberg lost his job after a peeping tom scandal. Neil was one of ESPN's producers. He was fired after being charged with public indecency. He admitted to police that he was watching through a window as a woman put her clothes on. 
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In 2006, Harold Reynolds was canned from ESPN for what is being called a “pattern of sexual harassment.” Reynolds refers to these incidents as “a total misunderstanding.” It as noted in 2006 that Reynolds planned to sue ESPN. In 2008, ESPN settled, and Reynolds was awarded 7-figures. 
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Steve Phillips, a baseball analyst, was fired from ESPN over yet another sex scandal. In 2010, he admitted to having sex with a production assistant. The relationship was published in the tabloids for days. ESPN feigned embarrassment and fired him. 
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In 2011, ESPN executive Keith Clinkscales was accused of fondling himself on a plane. Problem is, he was sitting next to a reporter. Her name is Erin Andrews and she's pretty. Clinkscales denies the allegations. 
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