It’s no secret that many on the Right dislike ESPN.
Indeed, the sports network’s broad expansion into political commentary has been the subject of heated criticism from conservatives and Republicans for several years now.
However, the ranks of ESPN critics may have shifted leftward when the network announced Monday it had suspended high-profile sports-commentator-slash-political-activist Jemele Hill for two weeks after she appeared to call for a boycott of NFL advertisers.
After Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced he’d bench any player who refused to stand for the national anthem, Hill tweeted on Oct. 8 that the owner had “created a problem for his players, specifically the black ones. If they don’t kneel, some will see them as sellouts,”
“If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers. Don’t place the burden squarely on the players,” she added.
Hill clarified later that she wasn’t calling for an outright boycott of NFL advertisers.
“Just so we’re clear: I’m not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives,” she tweeted.
Not good enough, ESPN reasoned Monday. She had broken company policy a second time, and it required a response.
“Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for a second violation of our social media guidelines. She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues and company down with an impulsive tweet. In the aftermath, all employees were reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences. Hence this decision,” the company said Monday in a statement.
Jemele Hill was already on thin ice with the network after she tweeted last month that President Trump is a racist.
“Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists,” she said on Sept. 11. “Trump is the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime. His rise is a direct result of white supremacy. Period.”
Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) September 11, 2017
“He has surrounded himself with white supremacists – no they are not ‘alt right’ – and you want me to believe he isn’t a white supremacist?” she added. “He loves black people so much that he pandered to racists by using a flag that unquestionably stands for dehumanizing black people.”
Her comments, which, of course, enraged some on the right, earned her a stern rebuke from ESPN. The network also responded by announcing it would review its social media policies with its employees.
This weekend she once again came under scrutiny by her company, and this time they took action. This likely won’t end well for the sports network.
Many on the Right already detest the network’s position on key political issues. The decision to bench Hill after her boycott tweets, but not after she called the president a “white supremacist,” will further anger the White House’s supporters.
Add to that mix the number of viewers who support the national anthem protests. Add those who support Hill’s view that the White House is unrepentantly racist. Basically, add everyone. They likely won’t take kindly to the network punishing Hill because she appeared to let her beliefs get in the way of the network’s revenue streams.
Company policy or not, the uneven application of discipline will likely create more critics than it placates. Sure, maybe it sends a message to advertisers, but a fat lot of good that will do when viewers on both sides are angry.
Good job, ESPN. Now everyone hates you.
