ESPN announced Tuesday afternoon that veteran announcer Ron Franklin has been terminated by the company.
ESPN released the following short statement on Franklin’s firing: “Based on what occurred last Friday, we have ended our relationship with him.”
As reported here on Sunday, Franklin made insulting comments to ESPN sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards last Friday that included calling her an “a–hole” and, as later clarified by Edwards, “sweet baby.”
After Franklin’s comments to Edwards were reported by a third party to ESPN management, Franklin was subsequently taken off the ESPN Saturday Fiesta Bowl radio broadcast.
Franklin signed a two-year contract with ESPN last July. He had been scheduled to work Big 12 basketball games twice per week this season.
After the firing, an ESPN source told me that Franklin’s termination was not only related to the incident with Edwards, but also an inappropriate on-air comment the veteran announcer made to ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe in 2005.
Another ESPN source indicated to me after the termination that ESPN Programming Executive Norby Williamson was dissatisfied with Franklin’s level of contrition following the incident with Edwards. That lack of remorse included Franklin failing to apologize to Edwards personally.
Follow Brooks on Twitter for real-time updates.
4:35 pm on January 4th, 2011
ESPN execs may have a sack between their legs, but their ain’t nothing in it.
4:38 pm on January 4th, 2011
Women leave it to a broad to go cry to management about something a man said instead of speaking up and giving it back to him with something like hey if i pipe in I think the IQ level would go up but no a dumb broad has to go cry about it.Here is a clue ladies no one cares about your opinions on sports.
4:39 pm on January 4th, 2011
I like it.
Look, if this idiot wants to think that it’s still the 1950s, fine. Let him go back to his empty house [his wife was just elected mayor, you know] and mutter to himself in between Matlock and chicken salad sandwiches. But if you’re going to live in 2011, you have to apologize when you do not meet the standards of your employer.
And that’s what this was. An employer-employee dispute. If he had been contrite, I would have supported him [although with an unpaid suspension in between].
Good riddance. As for all the guys who might give this the “what’s-the-big-deal” treatment…take out the genders of both involved and you still have someone calling the other an “a-hole.”
4:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
See, Ron. You kinda remind me of this guy. Sexist, arrogant and generally someone unpleasant to be around.
Wait, “Ron.” What’s your last name…..
4:46 pm on January 4th, 2011
haha. I shouldn’t, but I just have to…
So because I agree with the firing I “ain’t got a full sack, either?”
Your hot girlfriend must be proud.
4:52 pm on January 4th, 2011
yesssssssssssssssss
,,and he really wasn’t that good of a broadcast personality anyway. sack !!!!
4:58 pm on January 4th, 2011
And Henry ain’t got a full sack, either.
5:03 pm on January 4th, 2011
At least Franklin has some gonads. If this news babe had called Franklin an a-hole, she would be praised by ESPN and all the feminists. Shame on ESPN!
5:09 pm on January 4th, 2011
O’HENRY sounds like a candy bar from hell .Say if it was John Kruk trying to break in the conversation and Franklin said something like BeefBaby or BeffDaddy let the football boys talk KRUK WOULD HAVE said something like I got your beef hanging ,therein lies the problem they want to be in the loop but they get the inside jokes .And Henry if you are honest with yourself you know what I said is the truth men dont care about womens opinions on sports .But I got the balls to say it and you have to be PC.
5:11 pm on January 4th, 2011
It is an unfortunate situation and while I do not condone Franklin’s behavior, the absence of the female commentators would be no great loss to any sport.
5:14 pm on January 4th, 2011
ESPN may have to ask Sean McDonough to do double duty calling some games………Wooooo, won’t that be exciting?
5:22 pm on January 4th, 2011
Total BS, Her only qualifications as a side line reporter was that she is supposedly hot and is an expert on horse racing. I’m tired of the networks shoving hot chicks that don’t have the “chops” in the sport they are told to cover as sideline eye candy.
5:26 pm on January 4th, 2011
It’s a shame. He was one of my favorite announcers.
5:29 pm on January 4th, 2011
Andrews having a sexy ass trumps anything she has to say…………..but the eye candy has always worked. ESPN is growing soft!!!!!!
5:30 pm on January 4th, 2011
ESPN wants to put women in a situation where they are exposed to what men have to deal with, but they want them insulated. Ridiculous. It’s like putting women in combat and telling the other soldiers not to shoot at them. Double standard all the way. If it had been a guy, the other guy would have responded by calling him a name and been done with it. No guts, man. Here’s hoping Ron Franklin gets another gig quickly.
5:32 pm on January 4th, 2011
ANOTHER ESPN JOKE.WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME ANY OF THIER SIDE LINE SKIRTS DID OUR SAID SOMETHING OF VALUE????HOW ABOUT NEVER!!!!!SEND HER BACK TO HER EASY BAKE OVEN.AND BE DONE WITH IT.
5:38 pm on January 4th, 2011
What ESPN should do is have an all-female announing crew do a college football game.
5:39 pm on January 4th, 2011
He sucks anyway. But I’m wondering what she said to him about his wife that would garner that kind of response.
5:40 pm on January 4th, 2011
Anyone that is stupid enough to call a woman those kind of names in the workplace is too stupid to have any responsible job, period. Whether he feels that way about women, is one thing, but complete stupidity will never be tolerated.
5:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
Overkill…What was so sexist about the comments? Is everyone running scared trying to be politically correct. it is this type of environment that has a Mosque going up on ground zero. Soon you can’t look at a woman or they will see the lust in your eyes and be harrassed….lol
5:45 pm on January 4th, 2011
If a guy calls another guy an a#@hole, it is nothing. This is not sexual harassment. It is a double standard.
5:45 pm on January 4th, 2011
The same guys saying she should suck it up, are the same guys that would turn red and their veins would be popping out of their neck if someone called them an ahole. No matter what, he got fired, that means he is either stupid or doesn’t care. He should go back out on the porch in Mississippi and drink those mint juleps and call his maid anything he wants.
5:45 pm on January 4th, 2011
I think Dana Richardson, the chick who guzzles vodka in public and curses out Catholics, is still employed by the Big Station in the Sky…
5:46 pm on January 4th, 2011
What “names” are you referring to? A-hole? Sweet Baby? What a world we live in. Its a disgrace. Man -up! I guess I mean woman up!
5:48 pm on January 4th, 2011
“After Franklin’s comments to Edwards were reported by a third party to ESPN management,…”
Hey you idiots claiming that Edwards went crying to management, try reading the quote above from the article. She did not report Franklin, someone else did.
5:49 pm on January 4th, 2011
I always liked listening to Ron Franklin but this is hardly the first time something like this has happened. If you have listened to him over the years, you have heard him be dismissive and condescending to every woman they have put on the sideline. ESPN knew it was a matter of time before he blew it. Now he finally stepped over the line. I like him as an announcer but the guy is a misogynist and he stuck his foot in his mouth.
5:51 pm on January 4th, 2011
I never liked Ron Franklin. Seems like my team always lost when he announced their games.
BUT, I have to side with him. How the hell is “Sweet Baby” sexist? Derrogatory? Maybe, but come on. It wasn’t even on the air. It happened off camera.
If women broadcasters want to be respected in the professional. They need to wear extra absorbant tampons and big girl panties. Whining to the bosses is no way to move up the ladder. They’re just words.
5:51 pm on January 4th, 2011
DUH, You hit the nail on the head. If women can’t deal with it get back in the house and start cleaning. She must be brilliant cuz she ain’t hot.
5:51 pm on January 4th, 2011
all good
5:55 pm on January 4th, 2011
What’s the big deal? She wants to work with a bunch of guys and that’s the way it is. If you can’t handle the heat get out of the kitchen.
5:56 pm on January 4th, 2011
Why do we put women into sports situations anyway?
They NEVER played the game and seldom havea clue. Affirmative action run amuck no less. Good luck Franklin.
5:57 pm on January 4th, 2011
You guys are missing the point. Whether you think it’s PC or not, whether you think she belongs there or not is moot. That’s the way the workplace is in today’s world. The question should be, “What type of stupid idiot would say this to a woman in the workplace? Is he so stupid that he didn’t realize the consequences?” You should be questioning to IQ of that moron Franklin. And if he thought that there would be no consequences, he’s even more stupid than that.
6:01 pm on January 4th, 2011
Pussification of America Oh woes me PC crap.
6:03 pm on January 4th, 2011
HR departments are out of control. The guy made 2 mistakes in 5 years and he’s canned. Are you kidding?????
With all this crap going on, sports reporting/announcing is going to go back to an all male club. That’s the real down side to all of this.
Anybody work at a company whose HR dept is run by a man?
6:14 pm on January 4th, 2011
This is why ESPN is no longer a power house it use to be. Keep the girls for girl sports that no one watches anyway. The side line has enough cheer leaders already. I hope Fox Sports picks him up and let ESPN keep all the women cheerleaders who are a big joke when it comes to mens sports!
6:15 pm on January 4th, 2011
Just another example of being PC. Ron Franklin is a great announcer - knowledgeable, articulate, well prepared, and a joy to listen to. Sadly he has been sacked by a bunch of PC idiots at ESPN. Let’s get rid of female reporters doing football games and men’s basketball games.
6:17 pm on January 4th, 2011
Another woman that can’t take the heat and should get of the the kitchen. Woman in men’s sports are creating nothing but problems because they sure as hell have not make it any better. Players are sick of having to be PC and walking on egg shells because of these sensitive little prissies. Whinners!
6:17 pm on January 4th, 2011
ESPN has been bad. The women reporters are pushy women. ESPN is so far left is stinks,They have all the bowl games but two. NBC ABC and CBS should try to get the bowls back. Alot of people do not have cable or a computer. ESPMism needs to less powerfull.
6:21 pm on January 4th, 2011
Lotta guys here liked it better when ESPN just raped the bitches.
6:22 pm on January 4th, 2011
why would a sideline sports reporter be commenting on politics and another co-workers spouse? granted his response wasn’t appropriate but his “sweet baby ” response was obviously hiding the real “a-hole” thought he had and she drug that out of him..and now people think the woman was right? that;s like throwing a flag at the guy.. who got caught retaliating..
6:24 pm on January 4th, 2011
Its like you know so dum an stuff that he get fired for saying what he think of. What happen to freedom of spech. This is sports and stuff and like you know comepetitf and stuff and like this alsways go on and stuff. Maybe he shouldnt say it but not get fired. Let them play fottball amn.
6:25 pm on January 4th, 2011
This is gettiing ridiculous. Being a player or a coach all my life I have had to absorb and or dispense some pretty direct communication while recognizing the context in which it was given. I wish sweetie or a**hole was the only disparaging reference I had to endure. Grow some thicker skin or move on. By the way , if I have to listen to one more female commentator inform me as to what is occuring in a football game realizing she has never played or seriously studied the event I am going to puke. I then will go on a victoria secret commercial and tell women what bra to buy and why.
6:26 pm on January 4th, 2011
Hey Ron, apparently you can write, but not read. A third party reported his comments to ESPN. So it sounds like she did take it like a man!
And Murphy, quit wondering what she said about his wife and read the article; he didn’t let her make a comment. Got it? He called her names when she tried to speak. The only comment she made was telling him “sweet baby” wasn’t appropriate.
Too bad all these women hating men couldn’t live on an island without women; it would make the rest of the world a better place, although it would probably be hard on them since a disproportionate number of them tend to be mama’s boy, that being the reason women intimidate them so much.
6:35 pm on January 4th, 2011
Its getting to the point that anything you say is considered sexual harassment . I am sorry but “some” women don’t belong in the sports world and this is one of the reasons why. ESPN you guys suck. Sweet Baby really?
6:36 pm on January 4th, 2011
Is anyone paying attention to what’s happening with sports broadcasting lately? I speak as a :former TV reporter & anchor, here’s the question; where are all the MALE sideline reporters?? You know, the former players with knowledge of the game who can bring immediate on field insights to the broadcast.
What we’re being served is eye candy, nice to look at but very little substance. Long hair drooping over the shoulder and big toothy smiles keeping our eyes on the screen. Seems to me at some point a MALE would stand up and file a discrimination complaint,.. but oh, that wouldn’t be politically correct and it wouldn’t get you a job anyway.
I’m not against women in the media, I started in 1972 (working 25 years in the biz) and remember how it used to be. But as with anything related to EEO we’ve swung the pendulum too far the other way. It must have something to do with ESPN being owned by Disney,.. a Mickey Mouse operation.
6:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
Fire her for sticking her nose in other people’s conversations. Let’s see how many skeletons come out of her closet. when this is further investigated.
She is going to pay, big time.
6:55 pm on January 4th, 2011
NO BALLS !!! What a Joke !!! ESPN takes it in the rear., Franklin is a great play by play man, knows the game, talks the game. ESPN has been giving us too much BS with all these women and the Men women types that don’t know Jack !!! ie. craig james , kirk herbsick !!!, Sports is like the workplace where shop talk should be allowed !!! If the PUSS can’t take it move her ASS out of there !!!! and get someone that can !!! BIG ole CRY BABY !!!! PUSSY !!!!
6:56 pm on January 4th, 2011
Perfect example of why women reporters need to stick to covering womens sports….or stay at home and be homemakers.
7:05 pm on January 4th, 2011
It is sad to see how men in this stage and age think that they are the only ones that know about sports, male or female. Also there are stupid men and stupid women, those are the ones that should be sent to their kitchens or work benches.
Wake up America!!! The problem is the lack of respect,
Men and women alike, women want to be equal but I don’t think so, we women are the ones that nurtured those guys in sports, because of us they are what they are, but a lot of common sence is needed to recognize it…….and those that can’t stand women in the work place as equals don’t have common sence. That said, I’ll say bye and good ridance.
7:06 pm on January 4th, 2011
Just another example of this “progressive” world we, unfortunally, live in today. The cancer of political correctness becomes law in the minds of the legion of twisted idiots. The most sad part is this twisted thinking has been normalized!
7:07 pm on January 4th, 2011
ESPN did the right thing. The work place is no place for those types of comments. Yes, there will be those “dumb asses” who say ESPN is getting soft, or she should have given it right back to him. The truth of the matter is, Jeannine Edwards was very professional and asked him to address her properly, and he went on to insult her further. So yes, he can now take his frat boy act to the nearest bar and insult those will listen to him, but not on ESPN. Thumbs up for ESPN a great move!!
7:13 pm on January 4th, 2011
Women want it both ways,,, As a woman, I would have told him to shut his Viagra-starved mouth and been done with it,,, but most women, typical women,,, try to burn both sides of the candlle and play the “I’m just a girl” card when it’s convenient ,,,,,,
7:22 pm on January 4th, 2011
Leave it to a beatch to get an honest man fired.
7:33 pm on January 4th, 2011
The illiteracy exhibited by the sexist, “dumb broad” crowd in this comments section serves as a measure of self indictment. Name calling is the smallest, yet most advanced form of discourse these troglodytes can muster up. Though it may be true that most men ignorantly dismiss the opinions of a woman when reporting on men’s sports, I would argue that there are infinitely more people who are even less interested in Ron’s incoherent blathering.
The sooner guys like himself die of colorectal cancer because of the rotting beef lodged in their bowels, the better.
7:35 pm on January 4th, 2011
It’s cheaper to terminate him than pay a high-profile sexual harassment lawsuit settlement for an ungodly sum of money.
7:40 pm on January 4th, 2011
I worked on construction sites and what was said at ESPN is nothing compared to what I heard! Either you grow tough skin or find another job. These ladies who complaining about being sexually harassed every 5 minutes is making us ladies look like little weaklings. Put some clothes on and dish it back and if you cant then get OUT!
7:41 pm on January 4th, 2011
Spineless wusses at ESPN. Definitely not a man’s sport station anymore. They will stand by a druggie
Michael Irvin yet punish a quality Ron Franklin. They
should dump that annoying Suzie Culver who never
knows when to shut up. No wonder her husband got
away from her. After meeting her I sent him a sympathy card.
7:42 pm on January 4th, 2011
Franklin fired?!! How about this? ESPN - YOU”RE FIRED. That does it for me. I have no intention of watching this station any longer, managed as it is by a bunch of wusses. Hiring women that have NO BUSINESS being involved in men’s sports is pathetic. Get rid of these brainless bimbos. Say, does anyone know if ESPN’s president wears a skirt? I’ll bet he has a husband!
7:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
Well, Derek, you would be wrong — unless you hang on Edwards’ every word, Einstein that she is. Let me tell you something , pal — women like Edwards want to work at ESPN for only two reasons: 1, They want to meet and marry some rich athlete and/or 2. They look for anything that smacks of sexual harrassment in order that they can sue and cash in. No one — and I mean, no one — cares what these self-absorbed morons have to say about men’s sports. Except you, I guess. Women don’t belong everywhere men go. Get that through your self-righteous head.
7:53 pm on January 4th, 2011
I am a woman and I think the firing was excessive. If you play with the boys it will get rough. After he called her an a$$hole, she should have dismissed him as a old dumb a$$ fart and kept it moving.
7:53 pm on January 4th, 2011
Ron had to go. He should know that the sideline babes are the most important part of any broadcast. In fact, these ladies are indispensable. Their deep insight and behind the sceens investigative reporting is critical to every fan. I especially am impressed by the pregame, halftime and postgame interviews. Their questions are always articulate and relevant. These ladies are brilliant and certainly should never be called names such as Darling, Sweetcakes, Honey, Baby, Babycakes, Dear, Sweetie, Hun, Suger, Shug, or Babe. Shame on Ron. After 23 years of dedicated service to ESPN and over 40 years of broadcasting, he should have known that the sidelines ladies now run the show. Edwards was right to have tattled on Ron after he hurt her feelings. You go girl!
7:53 pm on January 4th, 2011
Get over it you big candy ass, crybabies, pink with envoy, PMS wanna be NFL, NBA players! What you have nothing better to do then sit at you computers and scratch you balls and put a women down for standing up for herself? For wanting to be treated like a person? It does not matter if the person being treated like crap has balls or boobs, it’s about RESPECT. And for those of you who did not read it carefully enough it said a 3rd party reported it- it did not say if it was a male or a female that reported the comments. Don’t be envious because your life sucks and she has your dream job. Grow your own SACK and grow up! He got what was coming to him.
7:55 pm on January 4th, 2011
Let the women run ESPN. Let them do it all. Then we can have some peace at least. Just call the games and dump the drama.
7:59 pm on January 4th, 2011
Of course these stories always invite tons of moronic comments like the ones listed above. Maybe you want to cut Franklin some slack because he’s a fossil and “doesn’t know any better,” but that would be BS. Sports announcers have the cushiest gigs in the universe, so if they’re too dumb to watch their asses on stuff like this, screw ‘em.
Beside, this kind of stuff was never cool anyway, but now you can get in trouble. I used to have gay boss who called me things like “tiger” and “stud” until I told him to cut it out. It kind of made me understand what this crap sounds like to women.
But anyone who talks like “Tom” has never had intimate relations with anyone other than his right hand, anyway.
8:00 pm on January 4th, 2011
wake up guy’s and have some respect for women. Did every male anouncer play sports? I didn’t think so. All the comments Ijust read are childish and ignorant. Do you all hate women. don’t call women babes , skirts , please grow up.
8:02 pm on January 4th, 2011
Edwards is no erin andrews. So who cares. Look for her to be gone in a couple of months being replaced by someone younger and prettier. Can’t have her think she can take down a top exec by just crying. Heck, the guys wife is probably kicking his ass for not saying something worse like dumb c@#t!
8:04 pm on January 4th, 2011
Since when is “sweet baby or a**hole” in complete reference to a male or female? It was made in an insulting manner maybe but, it is NOT gender specific. The comment was not made live on television. Firing was TOO HARSH
8:06 pm on January 4th, 2011
Ron Franklin is a good announcer on a network that is fast losing good announcers. Fortunately, they still have Holly Rowe and Jeanine Edwards to spout off obvious inanities as sideline reporters.
“Coach ____, the team had four fumbles in the first half. What did you tell them in the locker room?”
“Gee, Muffy, I suggested that they do a better job securing the ball.”
“Thanks, Coach, good luck in the second half”
“Yeah, thanks. Your ass looks great by the way.”
8:07 pm on January 4th, 2011
Any of you “real men” on here with the “Easy bake oven” style comments bother to read this article? Several men tried to spell it out/break it down for you, yet you still didn’t understand. I’ll say this- “READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS.” So, while your wives retreat back into their kitchens, and you prepare to marry off your daughters in arranged by force marriages, why don’t you do yourselves and everyone else a favor by taking a few refresher night classes @ your local community colleges. Sports are fun, but education is more important, and a few of you knot-heads seem to be lacking one. That, or your colleges failed you. ESPN, you did the right thing.
8:08 pm on January 4th, 2011
he called her sweetthang, she didn’t like that,he then called her asshole, she didn’t like that, you just can’t make some people happy, and the pussies at espn are the ones with no balls.
8:11 pm on January 4th, 2011
Are you kidding me? This country SUCKS!
Another crybaby fragile woman that cant handle the job. A**hole???? Are you kidding?
Not like he called her the “C” word?
ESPN grow some nuts and stop putting candy on the shelf.
Didnt a coach of the Raiders slam a guys head into the wall? Wondered if he called him a butThole? LOL
CRYBABY WOMAN!
8:12 pm on January 4th, 2011
Franklins just not high enough on the food chain. Didn’t Obama call someone a name? I don’t recall an apology. It just got press
8:16 pm on January 4th, 2011
if she wanted to be a man get the surgery and grow some balls
8:16 pm on January 4th, 2011
You’re all wrong and miss the point - bigtime. They both screwed up! He should have been suspended but NOT fired. And ESPN’s comment about 2005 are totally irrelevant! ESPN screwed the pooch last year with Texax Tech and Craig James and they screwed the pooch AGAIN. What a poorly managed crew!
8:20 pm on January 4th, 2011
This is total BS. It’s all about political correctness which is ruining this great country.
8:25 pm on January 4th, 2011
I find it hilarious that you losers have found an outlet for how you really feel. I would like to see you say this face to face to a room full of women. Or better yet, your wife or girlfriend…if you have one.
8:29 pm on January 4th, 2011
WOW! And young people pride themselves on being tolerant and civil. The most outrageous sexism, as always, comes from peopl who seem to have trouble with their native language.
Franklin comes off as a typical “good ole white boy from the South.” I recognize those boys because I grew up among them.
8:32 pm on January 4th, 2011
Just goes to show we don’t need women and their sensitivities in sports. Ron was a good broadcaster and will be missed. A BIG loss for ESPN. Before long it will be all broads doing sports and the audience base will decline. I could care less about some broad pumping her chest while I’m trying to watch a ball game. If I want to see some broad show her stuff, I go to a bar.
8:39 pm on January 4th, 2011
Screw this old goat and his BS pompous attitude. He probably talks to guys with this condescending attitude as well. I’d beat his old ass in a heart beat if he came talking trash like that to me. Wake up sexist A-hole males. It’s a new world and you need to grow up and act like a gentleman if you want to be respected. This type of behaviour from someone in his position can not be tolerated. That goes for that D-Bag Farve as well. Fine if you aren’t married, but good grief C-Brown, lets get a grip and do right by your wife. Or, call off the sham and be as much of a J off as you wanna be.
8:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
What ever happened to sticks and stones?
People fight and argue all the time.
She should become a preschool teacher where she will be insulated from the real working world…
Governer Rendell said it… NATION OF WUSSIES!
8:44 pm on January 4th, 2011
The thing that really slays me is to look at the young foxes on some of the major networks who are trying to report on national security, geopolitics, the war, etc. when they do not have a clue relative to topics such as “Unconventional Wars in Central Asia, the Caucauses and Afghanistan”. They’ve never been there as I have and they certainly haven’t been in the military.
This very similar to the eye candy you see on the sidelines during net work foot ball games. It is equally ridiculous to listen to them when they do not have a clue either. To hell with political correctness, diversity, affirmative action and all of the other failed sociologic phenomena perpetrated by the sick, perverted, liberal left who are on the verge of being run out of town.
He was a great sports announcer and he should have punched out the spineless piece of garbage who fired him.
8:51 pm on January 4th, 2011
Thanks for your input, Tom, but I suspect there are a good number of female sports reporters and authors who do in fact love sports. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a noted historian and baseball scholar whose father introduced her to game. Her knowledge of baseball, especially the storied history of the Boston Red Sox, is an invaluable addition to the intellectual analyses of the game. Baseball would be absent something important yet undefinable if it weren’t for her.
I will also respectfully take issue with your assertion that the only two possible reasons women are interested in sports reporting, (with ESPN or otherwise) are to find a husband or to be afforded the fixin’s a harassment lawsuit. If this is in fact the case, please provide some documentation to support this assertion as simply making stuff up damages your credibility in this spirited debate. Futhermore, one would imagine that a female flagger on a road crew or perhaps a volunteer with a conservative election campaign would be a much easier place to attain the sort of harassment that may yield a large settlement since the intellectual batting average of gravel shovelers and s**t shovelers is a collective .071.
I would certainly not suggest that women “belong everywhere men go,” whatever that means. But everyone — and I mean everyone — deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Mistreatment of women in any capacity is neither dignified nor gentlemanly and is thoroughly unbecoming of men born of and raised by American women. This sort of nonsense may swing heavy and wide with terrorists and their sympathizers, but not with this patriot.
8:51 pm on January 4th, 2011
Wow! All the comments are great, either way! But really, when the article said “a third party” they were just covering the fact this heffa bitched and complained after giving her weekly BJ to her bosses…how else did they get the sideline jobs? I am a woman, and I love football! I don’t know everything about the sport, but I think I know more than the sideline heffas do…this doesn’t make me want to play or announce any games!
Just like the DADT…if I didn’t ask you, don’t tell me (your opinion)!! Obviously, sports stations are getting as soft as the military!
8:52 pm on January 4th, 2011
I remember Ron as a local sports reporter in Houston. He came to our highschool to interview one of our running backs, nicknamed “oogie”. Ron was great!! Had a great personality, and obviously tons of knowledge. It was cool to see him go national on ESPN. Now some dumb, opposite of eye candy, idiot bimbo gets him fired because she was “insulted”. Gees, gimme a break. There was a few football games on ESPN this year that had a split-tail announcer/commentator (who sounded somewhat like a guy)…I just couldn’t stand it. She was horrible and every time I just turned the channel because I didn’t want to hear her talking about football. All the football slang that’s said during a football game just doesn’t sound right coming from a dumb chick trying to sound like she knows something. You were robbed Ronnie…but don’t worry, you’ll be back. ESPN does suck. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s getting a little tired of Chris Berman’s weird voice as well. They really did need something like “C’MON MAN” to create a spark…and did anyone see the one where Suzie Culver sat in for Chris Berman??? And how she pronounced “c’mon man”?? Please Boomer, don’t let it happen again. All I can say is….”C’MON, MAN!” There shouldn’t be ANY females talking on camera at ANY football game EVER. Take care Ron, good luck and we’ll see you soon, my friend.
9:00 pm on January 4th, 2011
Women on the sideline offer nothing to the game/broadcast. Asking the coaches those stupid, empty questions is just embarrassing.
They’re only there because the company is forced to hire them, AND we suffer for it as viewers.
9:04 pm on January 4th, 2011
She sis not turn him in, it was another employee who overheard the conversation. Lets face it, at work you are supposed to be treated equal. Calling her sweet baby was meant to be condescending and rude. He’s an asshole. I do however agree that most women sports commentators are crap.
9:08 pm on January 4th, 2011
If its called Chick-fil-a-bowl wouldn’t you expect sexist remarks!
9:09 pm on January 4th, 2011
Growing tired of the PC metality of ESPN. It would have been one thing if it was sexual misconduct, or harrassment. No place for stuff like that. This clearly wasn’t any of the above. Why it may have been demeaning to her, it doesn’t add up to a fireable offense. So he called her an a-hole…so what?
Women don’t belong in a locker room or on a football field…period.
9:09 pm on January 4th, 2011
Under our established religion of Political Correctness, ESPN fires a prominent, loyal, successfull, long time employee (who happened to be one of the few TRUE PROFESSIONALS left in sports commentating) in a matter of days because he called a woman “sweet baby” and then an “a hole” because he was in a dispute with said woman. They couldn’t have just suspended the guy? Of course not, cuz he’s a White southener who offended the High Priests of Political Correctness. Meanwhile, unprofessionalism runs rampant at ESPN whereby half the time these forty something frat boys completely disrespect their audience as tho they aint even there when said frat boys are telling each other inside jokes on the air. Like Bob Costas as one example, Jon Franklin never left you saying ‘what the hell is he talking about’? And it’s very telling how Fox Sports doesn’t allow public comments on this story - as tho they’re admitting Political Correctness is a bunch of BS and they don’t want to deal with the righteous back lash.
9:20 pm on January 4th, 2011
It’s time to get the women off the sidelines their only being fed information. They can’t think for themselves. Are we sure they know the difference between a football and a baseball? Keep who know the game!
9:30 pm on January 4th, 2011
This is why there will be fewer jobs offered to women sportscasters. She should of sounded off back at him, it’s a man’s sport and this is what you get when sensitive females get involves.
9:34 pm on January 4th, 2011
And a Pro game was cancelled for snow…Sheesh what happened to MEN. Espn has lost me . Im tired of Hannah and the girls running the sports stations. They want to be there..they want to dance and cheer..they want to be involved…then they use this political correctness crap when they overstep. Its a Mens football game! There is no lady playing coner or OT. Go back to the wnba or whatever its called.
9:36 pm on January 4th, 2011
@The Seer: Ron is calling football games, not running a nuclear reactor. There’s no responsibility above calling the play by play and setting up the ex-jock sitting beside him.
@Hauser, WTF does Fox News and whether they have Comments pages on all internet stories have to do with it?
9:37 pm on January 4th, 2011
A few things…
1) to the person saying networks should have more bowls, abc doesnt care because they own espn (and both are owned by disney)
2) dont see how this is sexist because if it was a man he would have gone right to ahole
3)if anything is sexist its that i have seen one male sideline reporter all year and he said he was filling in for Erin Andrews. I have no problem with women in sports as long as they know what they are talking about. men who act like they know about sports but dont piss me off just as much
9:37 pm on January 4th, 2011
I wish they would put female reports on the sideline. To me this seems to be a sexual ploy. I don’t remember the last time a female played college or NFL football, they have no creditability or deep knowledge like a male. There are plenty of other sports they can cover. ESPN is hard up for females and place them in awkward places, surrounded by males. Come on, we know what ESPN is up too, Dr. Freud.
9:37 pm on January 4th, 2011
I just don’t think you should get fired for cussing or calling someone sweetheart. I get called sweetheart at restaurants by women and I don’t complain. I get cussed at and I don’t run to cover. Whoever this 3rd person is, it doesn’t matter. This could have been settled with a penalty less than firing. Can you imagine getting fired after so many years of service for this? I mean if he came on to a co-worker or touched them, then yes he should get fired. This was excessive and pisses off men as we can’t even tell a person they are a jerk without consequences. I do try to understand that times are diferent but sometimes feel like I am walking on egg shells.
9:37 pm on January 4th, 2011
i thought ron franklin was a good at what he done ,when i hear these women trying to call the game i turn the channel its funning watching their male partner body langauge when they go on and on, watch les miles body langauge when they stop him at the half i say bring back ron or men like keith jackson
9:38 pm on January 4th, 2011
this is for ESPN , you can,t handle the truth. you need to be sued for having a woman in the mens locker room . You,r network has become a joke..
9:39 pm on January 4th, 2011
@Lauren, what about the flip side? Do the ‘Alan Alda’ commenters show women their posts hoping they might finally get 1st hand knowledge of what men and women do together - instead of just reading about it in the Playboy Advisor column? Go trim your crewcut.
9:41 pm on January 4th, 2011
she shouldnt be anouncing in a mans game if she cant accept man talk. are they going to fire or suspend a football player or basketball player for hitting a team mate on the but for agood play,Or the oppisite game for agood game or good play. Is America going too take Sweet Baby Ray’s cooking sauce off the market because some woman is offended?
9:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
Neither term he used is sexist. This whole story is
distorted. She is a nothing sideline reporter trying to make a name for herself off Ron Franklins back. How
desperate and pathetic can she get. ESPN knee jerked. She is a dime a dozen and he well respected one in million. Who are they going to replace him with
another inferior grammer and diction challanged loser.
How about another woman who just talks out her ass and has never even played the sport. I don’t think ESPN even knows how insulting it is to us viewers when they stick us with these bush want-to-be’s. PC is costing them viewers in every sport.
9:44 pm on January 4th, 2011
Announcing sporting events may not approach nuclear fission but you had better have a wealth of knowledge and experience before you attempt it or you will look foolish and your employment will be shortlived. These women who call themselves sideline reporters are fooling no one. Jen Finch, the softball great, is wonderful as an analyst during NCAA’s and the Olympics, but even she would admit that she would be over her head in attempting to report a Div.1 or N.F.L. football game.Lose the eye candy and put the experts back where they belong
9:44 pm on January 4th, 2011
Ron’s not great. He made a unwise move based on hubris built over years of listening to himself blather. He’s old and has enough money to retire. Let someone young get in there. Haven’t you seen the unemployment rate? Let some people take some steps up.
9:45 pm on January 4th, 2011
I wish they would put female reports on the sideline. To me this seems to be a sexual ploy. I don’t remember the last time a female played college or NFL football, they have no creditability or deep knowledge like a male. There are plenty of other sports they can cover. ESPN is hard up for females and place them in awkward places, surrounded by males. Come on, we know what ESPN is up too, Dr. Freud.
Would like to see more Hispanic reporters…we are under represented at ESPN…
9:45 pm on January 4th, 2011
Ron Franklin was pretty good, not great. Edwards is hot. She knows so much about horse racing mainly because her husband is a horse owner and trainer. In this day and age, you cant do what he did. However, if he would have apologized right away to her, would he still be working for the WWL? They got rid of Sean Salisbury and Harold Reynolds asap.., so Franklin really didn’t stand a chance. I dont think ANY sideline reporter (man or woman) report anything that is going to WOW me. Erin Andrews is pretty but her voice is just plain awful.
9:51 pm on January 4th, 2011
If another fellow emplyee ( a Man )called another man a**hole this would not have happened
Equal roles equal sexes BS , as long as they get to make the rules and cry that there feelings are hurt
No one should be harassed anywhere , this was far , far from it . and the third party that reported it , mind your own damm business and go look in the mirror about your life and the mistakes you made
9:51 pm on January 4th, 2011
Should have fired both. Not very professional on both sides.
9:52 pm on January 4th, 2011
How about this solution: A male sportscaster must never respond to any female comment, question or input. Just let it fall to the floor, give them a blank stare and go on with what you were saying. Shun any contact, give no advice, don’t assist them when they are struggling and ignore their pleas. Let them fail , publicly. Don’t even “thank them” after their 15 second sideline displays. See how that plays.
9:52 pm on January 4th, 2011
Get over it, woman! I hate ESPN just for this reason! Everyone gets called an a-hole every now and then, because every one is one every now and then! Calling her Sweet Baby is no more than if she’d said Big Man! It’s just a term… words… Get it? Nothing to cost a person their job! God, I hate this “PC” world we live in!
9:54 pm on January 4th, 2011
I AM SO SICK OF THIS HEY SHE HAS HUMAN RIGHTS THEY WANTED THEM WOW THIS IS SOME MORE SHIT, THE GUY CALLED HER OFFAIR AN ASSHOLE SOUNDS LIKE THAT WAS A FITTING PLAY CALL. HEY SOME TIMES THEY ASK FOR IT, YOU LET JANET JACKSON SHOW HER BREAST TO MY 4 YEAR OLD AT SUPERBOUL WOW . WOMEN WANT IN THIS BUSINESS GET GROW SOME,
9:54 pm on January 4th, 2011
I can’t believe all you candy-a$$ pu$$ies who think this firing is a good thing! Maybe she is an ***hole. I thought grown-ups could deal with the free exchange of ideas. Sticks-n-stones and all that jazz… I guess not. That’s what’s wrong with this sad country!!!
9:56 pm on January 4th, 2011
I’m pretty tired of hearing about women’s crap. Sadly, it’s always about them. They want men to treat them like they want to be treated, listen to the self indulgent, self centered, insecure rants and have no consideration what so ever for guys being guys. Sounds like she was getting into his business, you know the famous unsolicited advice or involvement we have all had to live with, but did not like being shut down, probably deservedly so.
Problem is you can’t call an A** Hole an A**Hole any more.
9:57 pm on January 4th, 2011
Men need to take back control. Men are losing it rapidly.
Men are the ones destroying men and allowing women to disrespect them. You can’t even look on a woman now, it’s harassment. BS!!
ESPN you have lost a lot of viewership.
Good luck Ron. A sensible network will be happy to have your service. Bye ESPN.
10:00 pm on January 4th, 2011
Wow! I don’t believe ESPN is getting soft.. They left Craig James (wussy) stay on the air.. His son is a big baby!
Ron did an alright job…yea ,he got excited and left mouth run away w/ him..She’s a woman and should be respected. However ESPN is putting too many unqualified girls in positions that they should not be in. How about that lady that grabbed Luck after the game ,pulled him away from other broadcasters interviewing him on the air…how rude! But how rude was Harbaugh to her. ESPN is just too big for their pants at times ..but still like them. Is their anyone else?
Maybe FOX should catapult themselves big time into sports $$$ speak a lot huh.
10:07 pm on January 4th, 2011
Dignity and Respect??? Where was hers when she inturrupted the conversation? It was reported by a 3rd party, so she obviously agreed with the accusation because she did not object to someone “tattling” on her behalf (that must have been the dignity part). I have been employed in a male dominated profession for 15 years. Im gorgeous and a departmental director. Just today one of my bosses called me “sweetie” there were several other male and female co-workers that heard him no one was offended and do you know what I said when he called me that? NOTHING!!!! I love and respect myself and I am confident in who I am. If I was offended then I would have told him in private to refrain from addressing me that way. Once it is addressed men the point. Don’t be so sensitive and if he keeps bugging you…kick his ass, help him up, dust him off and get back to work.
10:09 pm on January 4th, 2011
More political correct crap. She twists his tail by maligning his wife and when he responds (off the air in a production meeting) he gets the axe. Production meeting are all about the substance and the verbal intercourse (oops politically incorrect) during the game. It’s the time for everyone to have their say, even a sideline airhead who wouldn’t know what football is all about unless she sat on one. This BS with the skirts has been going on since they were thrown out of the lockerooms for smartassing the guys in the nude. Who needs any of them??? What do they contribute to the game analysis?? Be honest!! NOTHING except political correctness! Are they addressing all of those women that watch football?? 2% and 98% men?? NOT!!!
10:11 pm on January 4th, 2011
Why was she offended by being called “sweet baby”? Who cares? He is an older guy. Women’s lib. can go too far sometimes. It is to the point where guys aren’t even sure if they sure open doors for women anymore. There are worse things to be called, and I guess she found out one of them. It didn’t sound like he was trying to get her in bed, so who cares. I think we should remember, though, that a third party turned him in not her. Maybe, someone who wants his job. =]
10:18 pm on January 4th, 2011
I have seen the gammet in statements on this site. Alot of BS running around on both sides! Bottom line, the guy was robbed of his job. Whatever he said years back must not have been that bad or they would have canned him then. (If I read the article correctly the remarks from 5 years ago were on the air?) These statements were only in a production meeting. If the woman was so offended then why didn’t SHE make the complaint! Why did she let someone else fight her battle for her? That was pretty cowardly on her part. I say this because obviously she made no attempt to stop the firing.
As for the “eye candy” on the sidelines…learn the sport if you want to be taken seriously and not get subjected to the crass good ol boys ridicule! I have no problem with women as sports announcers but as it stands now they add nothing to broadcast. They are just running from sideline to sideline reporting on the injuries that the trainers are feeding them. The interviews that they attempt with coaches and players at the half or after the game are pointless!
One last thing…Women in the men’s locker room after the game. It is a MEN’S locker room. There WILL be naked men in there taking a shower. If you do not want to see swinging di$%s do not go in. Do not whine about it and make the team make special arrangements by telling the players they have to be dressed at all times ( towel wrapped around your waist is not considered appropriate either) or making them put up a curtain to shield your view. Ladies, if you want to be treated as equals then you can’t change the rules just for your benefit.
10:23 pm on January 4th, 2011
If she was a sideline reporter, she heard harsher terms than a$$hole.
10:23 pm on January 4th, 2011
Tell you what…fire ALL the men and let the women do the sports broadcasting. Then watch their ratings fall to zero. Say, ESPN — what part of WE DON’T WANT TO SEE OR LISTEN TO THESE BRAINLESS BIMBOS TALK ABOUT SPORTS THEY’VE NEVER PLAYED do you not understand? Whose idea was it to hire these morons, anyway? I suppose that, given your inscrutable logic, major league baseball should women to manage baseball teams given their long years of experience playing hardball. Who at ESPN thought its viewers wanted to see these golddiggers clutter the airwaves with their stupidity and whiny voices? Why don’t you just open a HOOTERS bar alongside the broadcast booth and let Edwards wait tables with a wet T-shirt? That’s all she’s good for.
10:24 pm on January 4th, 2011
he did a he!! of a lot better then i would have –how bout the c….. word ? Geeeeeeeeeeeeez ! espn when are you guys going to get a grip on reality ? your going to be out of sportscasters soon !! no-one in their right mind is going to work for ya——it’s like being head coach of the “raiders” or the “redskins” !! just stick your neck out a hair,and you cut it off like a chicken…no wonder i dumped “espn” about 4 yrs. ago !!
steven
10:27 pm on January 4th, 2011
Armando - “Would like to see more Hispanic reporters…we are under represented at ESPN…”
ESPN is a private company, they should be able to hire who ever they damn well please. How would you like it if you started a company and wanted to hire nothing but “hispanics”, then your company becomes succesful and you now have over 100 employees; now the government comes in tells you you can’t hire any more hispanics because your work force is not “diverse” enough, now you must people you don’t want to because of “federal law”. You call that freedom?
10:30 pm on January 4th, 2011
HEY FOLKS;
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.
Everything a male with some status or authority says or does will be under massive double standard scrutiny for the foreseeable future.
Executives are so afraid of lawsuits, they will cut any male off at the legs to insure they avoid exposure. I saw a great manager get asked to resign because he told a female direct report she needed start coming to work on time. She started crying and reported the manager for making her cry.
Believe it or not, I think Sarah Palin is the only one who really gets it. Can’t wait for the negative comments from all the PC and left for bringing her name into the mix.
ESPN - Come on! You really need to think things through. I’ll be watching FOX or CBS as much as possible. Keep letting go of your best talent for them to scoop up!
10:31 pm on January 4th, 2011
People your have lost it, your or turning off your male audience, please understand that your sponsors are paying attention. They understand that your actions will completely make there target audience of men who buy there products feel you have become a network for women.
You have become the View of sports entertainment, make sure you start getting advertisers who sell womens products, you have really forgot who made you.
I just switched from the channel as Holly Rowe was just shown as a sideline reporter, man you guys have really lost your focus.
10:37 pm on January 4th, 2011
While we’re on the subject why does ESPN delight in running commercials in which white males are made to look like blithering idiots while minorities and women ridicule them, shake their heads in disgust, roll their eyes and say all kinds of obnoxious things about them.
I think ESPN executives should be ashamed of themselves condoning this kind of thing. Think about the impact of thousands of these negative messages being soaked up by young kids who will grow up thinking they are inferior. I can think of all kinds of words to describe what they are doing that are much worse the a–hole.
10:41 pm on January 4th, 2011
While I don’t condone what Franklin did, clearly he was fired under pressure from female special interest groups — you can bet your “sack” on it. Personally, I really liked his coverage, and yes, he was one of the longest-tenured sportscasters at ESPN. There’s about a handful — no more — of good, solid female sportscasters at ESPN. The rest, as we all know, are hired to fill certain quotas or are used as eye candy. One of the recent bowl games had 2 women covering it, and I’ve never heard a more poorly-covered sporting event — ever. There were tons of “dead air time” because both women were clueless and clearly had not done their homework on either team. Hope Frannklin lands on his feet.
10:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
@Mailman, it’s not just ESPN running those commercials. Like those home alarm commercials whereby it’s always a White guy breaking into the home. The arrogance of the adherents of the Slaves to the Lie that is Political Correctness still astonishes me. When these slaves and their high priests are defeated wholesale, the fence sitters will jump in front of the line and proclaim themselves the “leaders” who defeated this insidious religon called Political Correctness.
10:47 pm on January 4th, 2011
Looks like women can not be told to shut up and it is not your business about my family. To bad women still can not stand on their own. They have to run to big daddy for help.
10:48 pm on January 4th, 2011
This is precisely why I do not watch ESPN anymore ” All your shows have gone too far to the left “.
10:49 pm on January 4th, 2011
Unbeliveable! What is this world coming too… Good Announcers getting fired over a verbal spat! How many times has husband & wives had an argument, and said something they later regret. Make up and move on! Don’t throw away a career of 20+ years of something so foolish & stupid, as calling some an A**hole… If he did it on the air that would be something, but in a private production meeting. COME ON MAN!!!! Sorry Ron, U will be missed…
10:50 pm on January 4th, 2011
This is BS again. He didn’t say the “N” word so give him a pass! You can’t say another person is an _hole? He’s old school so if you want to run with the bulls you might get the horns! Deal with it!
10:52 pm on January 4th, 2011
QUIT BEING SO SENSITIVE AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10:53 pm on January 4th, 2011
If women want to be in the “arena” of male sports then they should be strong enough to handle some comments like this. Let them cover women’s basketball or some other female sport. It is really sad that a man can’t even talk like a man is a sports broadcast. Like a former president said ” if u can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen”.
10:55 pm on January 4th, 2011
I suspect that it was Franklin calling her “sweet baby” rather than “a–hole” that got him fired. When you shut a woman out of a conversation by calling her something like sweet baby, you are making it pretty clear that you don’t think she deserved to be heard because she is a woman. It’d be like shuting someone out of a conversation with a racial slur.
As for the knowledgeable information you are missing out on account of female sideline reporters, really? Have sideline reporters ever really given much insight into the game? I think Dr. Jerry Punch is the only sideline reporter who added much to the game and that was because he was a doctor and could give you insights into the injuries.
I like the way Franklin called games (in fact, he and Mike Gottfried are my all time favorite broadcast team) so I’m sorry to see this happen. That said, I certainly understand what ESPN did.
It is sad that there are so many knuckledraggers out there who think the idea of treating colleagues with civility is an outrageous enough concept to warrant booting women from the workplace.
10:55 pm on January 4th, 2011
A lot of these women are just like little spoiled brat girls; they irritate and bait the man on and on, and then when he defends himself they scream bloody murder to get the guy in trouble. And that, is the definition of a bltch.
10:56 pm on January 4th, 2011
It’s a sad day when one of the best and articulate play-by-play men is sacked over such an inane comment. It’s not like she hasn’t been the center of attention for something said to her (Billy Gillispie) previously. Bottom-line…he’s one of the reasons college football is enjoyable on ESPN.
10:56 pm on January 4th, 2011
OMG! what are we grade school kids? Mommy , mommy he called me a name. WHA WHA WHA I am so tired of the censorship we are going through in this country. Where is DON RICKLES? When we need him?
10:58 pm on January 4th, 2011
To many of you people are blaming Edwards, she is not the problem; she too was “educated” by Mommy Professor and Big Momma Liberal. The problem is multi-cultists, anti-whites, political correctness. Call them multi-CULTISTS, ANTI-WHITES Tolerance-Mongers, and Slaves to the Lie. I’m commited, I hear the word “racist”, “bigot”, “diversity is our greatest strength”, etc., I’m getting in people’s faces and correcting them.
11:00 pm on January 4th, 2011
I will not watch any event Edwards has anything to do with,If there was another option I not watch ESPN(but I love Sports),
Franklin was stupid to say that,but be a HSN host if you can’t take it.Remember Suzy?Namath was drunk and tried to kiss her,she handled it,and did not go sideways,
I am all for women being able to do whatever they want,but come on,Does Ditka,cry to some one if Steve Young calls him an A-hole,or vise-versa,ESPN ur soft,keep the A-Hole on horses
11:01 pm on January 4th, 2011
Yet another example of women using “sensitivity” for literally stroke her own ego. Lacking the inability or “backbone”; another working male meets the umemployment line. Good job! Fellas, I say we flip this around, From now forth any comments about female issues, names (jest or not), and anything non work related should be offesnsive and reported. Next time a cooworker says “honey” GAME OVER!!!
11:02 pm on January 4th, 2011
QUIT BEING SO SENSITIVE AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11:02 pm on January 4th, 2011
Ron Franklin started in Houston as a sportscaster.He worked hard and rose to be one of the most knwledgeable guys and was always on target with his comments.Yes, he made a mistake.We all do.But, ESPN putting women on the sidelines really is the issue here.Programming guy fired Franklin.He will get another job.But please get rid of women sideline reporters who have no clue what its like to play the sport.Its like a man commenting on a ballet.ESPN is on the verge of losing a lot of fans.Its a guys station….they have the cash to buy all these games, they aint going away, but we men also have the option to say we aint watching ESPN…..esp[ecially if the sidelines are full of misplaced women reporting on a sport they have NEVER played…pitiful..at least the female golf reporters are ex pros..and know the game..pitiful ESPN..
11:04 pm on January 4th, 2011
Armando: “Would like to see more Hispanic reporters…we are under represented at ESPN…”
————————————————————
ESPN is a private company, they should be able to hire who ever they damn well please. How would you like it if you started a company and wanted to hire nothing but “hispanics”, then your company becomes succesful and you now have over 100 employees; now the government comes in tells you you can’t hire any more hispanics because your work force is not “diverse” enough, now you must hire people you don’t want to because of “federal law”. You call that freedom?
11:09 pm on January 4th, 2011
I hope her fellow announcers become quite when she enters a room,and make sure they watch what they say around her.She has proven she is not one of the team.
She should have given as good as she got,Be careful all ESPN announcers,I am sure Ditka,Jackson,Kruk,and several others will not sacrifice their balls for ESPN.
11:09 pm on January 4th, 2011
You have to be kidding me! If you want to play with the boys and do the reporting, perhaps you need to grow a backbone. I don’t really understand the need for woman reporters and their insightful 1st hand knowledge of football.
11:10 pm on January 4th, 2011
B****,When are women going to understand there place is to take care of the children instead of trying to being in a mens proffesion!!!!!!
11:11 pm on January 4th, 2011
Just more PC bullshi%. Would he have been fired for saying that to a newly-hired, white guy if that guy was effeminate…hell no.
It’s just like Erin Andrews getting prime time on College Game Day - she sucks, plain and simple, and only got it through her father’s political connections in Florida and whining to a judge that her career had been destroyed by that peeping tom (that guy had to be hard up, I’ll tell you). I can think of several more deserving, knowledgeable women in sports broadcasting for that job.
ESPN has become the Oprah Show for guys. I rarely watch it anymore, it’s just like a damn soap opera.
11:12 pm on January 4th, 2011
Jeannine, make a sammich before you iron my shirt!
11:16 pm on January 4th, 2011
@Shane, be careful you might get charged with “hate speech”. Why is it that only white women vote differently than the men of their own race? they vote against the interests of their own husbands, fathers, sons, etc. just cuz Opera tells them so. It shows you how pervasive the agenda of the Anti-White Multi-Cultists really is. And truly, (at the risk of stating something Politically Incorrect) generally speaking - women are so easily corrupted.
11:18 pm on January 4th, 2011
Jorge 3 wrote: “How would you like it if you started a company and wanted to hire nothing but “hispanics”, then your company becomes succesful and you now have over 100 employees; now the government comes in tells you you can’t hire any more hispanics because your work force is not “diverse” enough, now you must hire people you don’t want to because of “federal law”. You call that freedom?”
Reasonable opponents of civil rights laws argue that it is irrational for businesses to make hiring decisions on race and that they won’t be as successful as those who hire on merit. You, you’re all about the right to be racist I guess.
By the way, the diversity of your workforce wouldn’t be your problem under federal law. It would be your making hiring decisions on the basis of race that would be.
11:20 pm on January 4th, 2011
ESPN should do us all a favor & send the female reporters to give Brett Favre a massage. He has finally gotten his panties out of his butt & called it a career after so much ESPN butt-kissing. I’m tired of him being unable to make up his mind & Linda Cohen telling us that it took 15 minutes to get from the airport to Vikings camp back in Aug, 4 times in an hour. I like the eye candy…..but not the ditzyness or PC!
11:23 pm on January 4th, 2011
So in other words, if a waitress calls me sweetie or
honey should mean something
11:27 pm on January 4th, 2011
Franklin is ready for Fox sports now. that network loves to insult the women as well as
franklin does.
11:28 pm on January 4th, 2011
dear women unfortunate enough to be reading these comments,
i apologize for my sex. this thread is full of some of the most backward Neanderthals i’ve encountered outside of the nypost website.
while i’m apologizing let me make fun of the men some. first, stop using the term political correctness. you clearly do not know what it means and it is just something you learned to regurgitate from fox news whenever you get insecure. this has nothing to do with political correctness.
private companies want their workers to be productive. if you actually read about this story (i know reading is not something men are good at) you’d see it wasn’t about this dickhead using a politically incorrect term, it was how this term was used. he didn’t use it in passing or as a joke. he used it in the process of silencing a fellow worker because of her sex. in a capitalist economy firms do not like when workers impede the productivity of other workers, and in a media organization silencing workers makes them less useful.
if you pussies are worried that you can’t compete in a free market economy where firms want to get the most out of all of their employees (male and female) you can move to an autocratic country that restricts the rights of women where your pathetic skill set faces less competition.
the poorly-endowed sexists here can’t complain about the “inane” questions female reporters ask. your hyper-sensitivity to competition from the supposedly weaker sex is precisely why women get stuck asking the stupid questions. everybody would rather be in the booth doing play by play or commentary rather than asking stupid questions before the half. the reason women get stuck with that shitty job is because ESPN knows the vast majority of their knuckle-dragging audience would react like they got their dicks chopped off if they gave women real booth time.
same with the attractiveness issue. you cavemen justify your sexism by saying the female reporters are just eye-candy. umm, maybe the reason espn has to place so much value on the attractiveness of their female employees is because of you?
complain about political correctness. complain about overly-sensitive women or whatever half-assed stereotypes you use to feel better about yourself. end of the day, for all your internet roaring you’re still just a bunch of pussies having a hissy fit.
11:28 pm on January 4th, 2011
Edwards is poisen. Ron turned out to be right about her after all. She is the A”"”Hole for blowing everything out of proportion and costing a good man his job. How
childish and shallow.
11:29 pm on January 4th, 2011
To cover several points mentioned here…. 1. ) Franklin was wrong and deserved to be punished 2. ) Edwards is pretty and smart and knowledgeable about horse racing. Why she would even WANT to be sideline reporter aside from the $$$ escapes me. 3. ) Football Sideline reporters, male or female; are horrendous and are something we could well do without. 4. ) Holly Rowe has been a sideline reporter since her start in the 70’s on the BYU Blue-and-White Network, if she wants to move up from that position, her desire to do so has escaped me.
11:31 pm on January 4th, 2011
Most of you posting on this thread are far too add to get much of anything!!…
THERE WAS A MEETIING OF THE GAME CREW OFF CAMERA.. FRANKLIN MADE HIS REMARKS DURING THIS MEETING. EDWARDS DID NOT LIKE THE REMARKS.. HOWEVER, SHE DID NOT REPORT THE REMARKS TO ESPN, READY ADD MORONS? SOMEONE ELSE AT THE MEETING DID!! Yet almost every post here that mentions they are behind Franklin, ACCUSES EDWARDS OF RUNNING and “TELLING ON FRANKLIN” and as well accuses her of not having “WOMAN BALLS” I accuse most of your of being plain morons who refuse to actually PAY ATTENTION TO THE FACTS!!
11:34 pm on January 4th, 2011
Charles Atlanta: “Reasonable opponents of civil rights laws argue that it is irrational for businesses to make hiring decisions on race and that they won’t be as successful as those who hire on merit. You, you’re all about the right to be racist I guess.
By the way, the diversity of your workforce wouldn’t be your problem under federal law. It would be your making hiring decisions on the basis of race that would be.”
————————————————————–
Hey Charles, it’s my company, my investment, my risk; the Federal Government has no business telling what to do. Besides, if I did hire based on “merit” - the Govt would then FORCE me to hire “minorities”. We are preparing for Victory Charles; Big Momma Liberal has no real Power.
11:36 pm on January 4th, 2011
Dats fine wit us!! C’mon back to H-town Ronnie….we miss ya!!
11:37 pm on January 4th, 2011
It’s not even about what sex the people are. Like everybody says — pretend that Ron was a woman and Holly was a man. Would Ron have gotten away with saying this kind of stuff to Holly? No, he still would have had to apologize. He didn’t apologize so he got sacked. And that’s the right thing, regardless of how good he is at his job, and regardless of who’s a man and a woman.
SEPARATE ISSUE: sideline reporters. Can’t stand ‘em. Not because they’re women, though. There just isn’t that much that’s interesting to say on the sideine. Make it a man with a mike in the face of a coach on the sideline after a loss. Does there even exist a question you could ask that I care about? I don’t think so.
I’d like to see them try having a knowledgeable female reporter and GENUINE FOOTBALL FAN be up in the booth. See if one can call a game well before you bag on all female reporters. And don’t tell me women can’t call a game because they never played football; Ron Franklin never played football but he was good in the booth.
11:38 pm on January 4th, 2011
This just goes to show that being a guy is awesome. And if you don’t agree with that, I don’t give a shit.
11:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
Professionalism people, thats it, professionalism.
Athletes are held to codes of conduct on and off the field, employees of companys and corporations are no exception, read the handbook you received your very first day of employment. If you fail to follow the policy with which you agreed to, repeatedly, said company or corporation will follow THIER policy regarding your employment.
11:43 pm on January 4th, 2011
Learntoread’s post made me laugh, but so what if the reporter reported the incident? She has a right to be treated with common professional courtesy during a collegial discussion.
The posters here who grab onto this story as an excuse to air their misogyny are annoying. To paraphrase Ron, above (Ron, is that short for…? No, won’t say it, even as he spews hatred for my sex) No one cares about your misogynist opinions, they only ultimately hurt your own self as you try to navigate a country where the reality is that women’s intelligence is allowed free reign. To resent that freedom puts you right up there with certain extremists making the rest of the civilized world miserable.
11:48 pm on January 4th, 2011
Our country has gone to hell in a hand basket ever since women got the right to vote .who do you think elects all these libby-coms? Abortion on demand ,a law system set up to screw men when it comes to their kids Otis Cambell on Andy Griffith had it right all they know is a leg -a-lamb upside the head.
11:57 pm on January 4th, 2011
You guys make me proud to be an American — not. But that’s OK, because you’re not really Americans. We Americans aren’t stupid. Plus we can read, unlike you. The conversation Edwards tried to join in — and why shouldn’t she? Any well-mannered person would have let another person do so — was about Gilmore’s wife, not Franklin’s. Go back to your He-Man Women-Haters Club and spank your Spankys and run your hands up and down your Alfalfas.
11:58 pm on January 4th, 2011
Forgot one thing from my earlier comments… Why didnt Stuart Scott get fired for his sportscenter remarks about “biotch slapping” or “wife-girlfriend beating” or, anyway, words to that effect? I know he was reprimanded for it… but thats not quite the same thing as fired is it? Couldnt be because he’s black, could it? Scott trying to act “ghetto” and “street” was laughable anyway, I believe he attended Harvard. Why even go to Harvard if you want to act like street trash? But… the Southern White man gets it in the neck. Way to go ESPN for holding up your disgusting and unfairly applied PC standards.
11:58 pm on January 4th, 2011
The Founding Fathers were “Extremists”. Although most of them jumped on the bandwagon after the real/original “Extremists” got thru to their thick f c k n heads.
12:05 am on January 5th, 2011
Ron, can you not read or does your brain just lack the ability to assemble information?
“After Franklin’s comments to Edwards were reported by a third party to ESPN management, Franklin was subsequently taken off the ESPN Saturday Fiesta Bowl radio broadcast. “…..that means Edwards did not report Franklins comments to management, someone else did and the article does not say whether the “third party” was a man or a woman (which should not make any difference anyway) the point being she did not report it so your comment makes no sense.
12:08 am on January 5th, 2011
No body is condoning Franklin’s behavior. Just saying he in no way shape or form should have been fired, especially considering he’d been with the company for such a long time. Plus it’s obvious more and more people are waking up to tyranny that is our established religion of Political Correctness. If you pay close attention, you can see Multi-cultism, Political Correctness, Anti-White agenda all dying a slow painful death. I’d just like to accelerate said demise and drive the dagger deep into its blood thirsty, evil heart.
12:09 am on January 5th, 2011
Everyone is missing the point…..you cannot (as a male in the workplace) say anything to anyone (and that includes other males) about anything. Any well meaning compliment can be considered harassment in a court of law. Of course this kind of BS was brought on because by lawyers for lawyers. It’s all about money. One lawyer that was giving a required yearly harassment meeting (where I was working) and he was telling about a case that he was involved in (Coca-Cola class action suit) and was ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. They won $600 Million and the lawyers received $22 Million! His comment — “Money well spent”. In other words- MONEY ! So you cannot say anything to anyone in the workplace without getting your a** in a sling. When will this stupidity end !!?
12:13 am on January 5th, 2011
This woman needs to be fired sweet baby shoot he should have bent over and spanked her dumb bitch
12:16 am on January 5th, 2011
an addon to the above—women should not be allowed in locker rooms or on the sidelines (in football games) All interviews should be outside locker rooms for all reporters-ALL–no one should allowed to interview in locker rooms!
12:17 am on January 5th, 2011
Seriously??? I’m a woman & Franklin SHOULD NOT have been fired over comments like that. Grow up Jeannine Edwards or grow a thicker skin! Go whine some more to the networks when you hear what’s really being said about you around the country. You’re not even that good at your job. What are you thinking ESPN? Ridiculous!!!
12:17 am on January 5th, 2011
Jorge 3 wrote: “How would you like it if you started a company and wanted to hire nothing but “hispanics”, then your company becomes succesful and you now have over 100 employees; now the government comes in tells you you can’t hire any more hispanics because your work force is not “diverse” enough, now you must hire people you don’t want to because of “federal law”. You call that freedom?”
————————————————————–
Charles Atlanta wrote: “Reasonable opponents of civil rights laws argue that it is irrational for businesses to make hiring decisions on race and that they won’t be as successful as those who hire on merit. You, you’re all about the right to be racist I guess.
By the way, the diversity of your workforce wouldn’t be your problem under federal law. It would be your making hiring decisions on the basis of race that would be.”
—————————————————————–
Jorge3 wrote: Hey Charles, it’s my company, my investment, my risk; the Federal Government has no business telling who I can hire. Besides, if I did hire based on “merit” - the Govt would then FORCE me to hire “minorities”. We are preparing for Victory Charles; Big Momma Liberal has no real Power.
12:18 am on January 5th, 2011
David, you hit the nail on the head! The lawyers and courts(Lawyers) are killing us. We need to change the tort laws. Wwe cannot keep going the way we ARE going!
12:26 am on January 5th, 2011
What’s with you people, Edwards did not bring the complaint and as far as I know has not commented on the incident; no one knows if she might have tried to save Franklin’s job either. Besides, even if she brought the complaint, she is not the problem. The problem is the pervasiveness of our established religion of Political Correctness: even those backing Franklin say things like “no one is better than anyone else”…..What?
12:26 am on January 5th, 2011
I think it is a crying shame that women have to wear their feelings on their sleeves. If a mere name calling thing like that is more than she can take, then she has no business working in the public. Neither am I condoning what was said, but my Gosh, a minor thing like that is total BS.
I am male, work in healthcare, in what has for many years been considered a totally female profession, and I can tell you no one in this environment acts or feels like this. We usually walk in to work, give each other a hug, which to these idiots would be considered sexual harrassment. OMG, people, this is 2011 ! We are all people, no one is better than anyone else, nor should be treated like others have to walk on eggshells around them.
If you can’t function in a everyday work environment, or at least defend yourself from a few “words”, then stay the hell at home.
12:36 am on January 5th, 2011
I am glad the guy got fired - got what he deserved. However, I may be a traitor to my own sex but I do not like women sports reporter at all - especially those who “interview” the coaches at football games. I love to watch football games.
12:44 am on January 5th, 2011
Maybe women should stay in the women’s games Basketball,Tennis, Golf ,Swimming and ect. or grow a set of Ba__s and learn to wear a Jock Strap and leave a man’s game to MEN Sportcasters!
12:52 am on January 5th, 2011
It is simple…as a coaches kid and a coaches wife for the past 39 years a lot of woman in the world today DO KNOW more than your typical “man” about the true in and outs of the game. I mean who doesn’t know more than Reece Davis…a leading ESPN anchor and a man…don’t get me started on the others!!! Most of the time I enjoy a good laugh at how stupid men are when it comes to really KNOWING football…..grow some…the old men have no place in sports anymore….
12:53 am on January 5th, 2011
Turn it around women have more rights? ya think!
1:03 am on January 5th, 2011
This is such a crock. The female starts crap with this announcer by saying something controversial about his wife and he is supposed to apologize for what he said back. Hmmm something fishy here. Woman is allowed to say what she wants and guy is fired for responding. I smell a big lawsuit. The stupid bitch should be really proud of herself. If ESPN was smart they would fire the bitch as well. Zero tolerance. Equality across the board. Isn’t that what America was about before obama.
1:05 am on January 5th, 2011
Ron Franklin has been in a pain in the rear broadcasting Bix XII games for quite a while. I won’t miss him at all.
This comes down to respect for another colleague and it seems actually to be two colleagues who happen to be female.
This was not the time or place to make comments using the words “sweetheart” or ass hole.
1:05 am on January 5th, 2011
From now on if I won’t watch ESPN . He was a good announcer. Women reporting on the gridiron is soooo annoying but I tolerate it because ESPN has to show they are politically correct. they should at least throw a cheerleading outfit on her to make her a little interesting!
1:11 am on January 5th, 2011
It just amazes me how many people left comments that had nothing to do with the issue. Did you even read the article? Oh, I forgot, you are jocks…..can’t read or comprehend.
1:20 am on January 5th, 2011
It’s astounding how ignorant most of you are.
1:32 am on January 5th, 2011
I dont know why she just could’nt confront him and work it out! If she didnt get any satisfaction after that then you go to management - people have forgotten how to talk to one another face to face these days - too much texting and emails
1:36 am on January 5th, 2011
Its ____ing sports for crying out loud! People are going to get bad talked! Ban women from convering football…send them to go cover something more fitting like golf or croquet!
1:36 am on January 5th, 2011
As a female who has worked with men all my life I can only say this:
Ms. Edwards, get over it! If you are so thin skinned as to take offense by being called “sweet baby” when WORKING in a male world you had better think of another line of work! Running to “daddy” and crying FOUL is for weak women.
1:38 am on January 5th, 2011
I don’t think this has anything to do with him being a man and her being a woman. It has to do with him making inappropriate remarks in a meeting. Period. Being disrespectful to any co-worker is no way to run a business meeting.
Firing him may have been a bit harsh. On the other hand, we don’t work at that company and have no idea how many other times he was rude and inapprpriate in other meetings. He may have been warned before and this was the last straw.
As for getting rid of all women side-line reporters, how about getting rid of ex-jock commentators who mangle the english language so badly that you can’t understand a word they are saying? Why do they keep these guys around?
1:48 am on January 5th, 2011
CBS needs to pick him up to replace verne lundquist.
1:52 am on January 5th, 2011
Current HR heads are way tilted in PC direction. Sad
Commentators that don’t “suit up” for an event should not comment on it.
Women have yet to “suit up” for football.
However, what did she say to him about the mayor?
Any language showing disrespect should not be allowed by anyone to anyone in anyplace.
1:54 am on January 5th, 2011
Send the women to cover tennis and figure skating. I don’t need the female perspective on the sideline, I can barely stand listening many of the neutered males. Get rid of the cheerleaders as well, I can see them on a brasspole anytime, I watch football for the game not the gossip, couldn’t care less about what happens off the field or behind the scenes. Give me John Madden drawing on the screen anyday over some skirt on the field on gameday.
1:59 am on January 5th, 2011
THEY NEED TO BONE AND GET IT ALL OUT OF THE WAY. I MEAN CUM ON.
2:06 am on January 5th, 2011
i think she is hot for his bod.
2:08 am on January 5th, 2011
Retarded, say asshole to another guy.. nothing happens, say asshole to a chick you get fired, thats sexist in itsself, i understand the other things, but the asshole one is retarded.
2:12 am on January 5th, 2011
For crying out loud!! I get called worst things than that in my line of work of a traffic cop! I should start suing all these strangers for emotional abuse…{how dare day call me names….don’t you see the uniform!} oh and by the way…the women have the worst outburst when they are pulled over!
2:17 am on January 5th, 2011
Dont call her a biatch yull get fired.she will have to fit him for a gagball hanging and an ass tickle. be4 they let him go.
2:18 am on January 5th, 2011
I agree….women on the sidelines are just fluff.
“Can you give us an update on Player #14, Holly?”
“Well, when he came to the sidelines, he looked like he needed a hug…..and his hair could definitely use some conditioning….I mean….split ends?? Helloooo!!”
“Thanks Holly for the great update!”
One woman sportscaster I admire is in college basketball (can’t remember her name), but you could tell that she played college basketball, and knows what she is talking about! I can handle listening to her, but not these “Powerpuff Girls”.
2:22 am on January 5th, 2011
Hey, everyone
The firing is probably overkill. Ron Franklin did a beautiful job in Houston and ESPN. But we do not know the political climate of late on ESPN and I do not mean political correctness. Management might want to go a new direction and he would have been let go if he spit gum on the floor. I am for anyone who is sports insightful, purple people eaters or whoever.
Off camera or in the break room, whatever, we all tend to get careless. But we were not there and DID NOT hear the whole conversation then or over long periods when everyone has gotten sloppy. We do not know the byplays over time, who has been rude or disrespectful to who. But any employee anywhere has to do his/her best to be respectful and quick with the apologies, And the best to Ron for doing very well. And if he needed a lesson he had one.
9:33 am on January 5th, 2011
glad he was fired he is a total jerk and a worthless announcer…his play by p lay of the nd and Purdue game was a waste glad he is go ne he is a piece of work and [u flush that kind of work down the toilet
good job so glad
ron f is gone hope fr good
10:00 am on January 5th, 2011
The story circulating in Austin is just the opposite of what is reported here. It has Ron Franklin talking to a colleague with Jeannine interrupting repeatedly. He did use the term “Sweet Baby” in asking her to let him please finish his ongoing conversation with a colleague. to the Yankees (I’ve lived in NYC) who have not spent any part of their lives in the South, terms like “Sweet Baby” and “Honey” are used by everyone, not the obnoxious brusqueness seen in NYC. It appears that ESPN is staffed by YANKEES who don’t understand customs in other parts of the country and grossly over-reacted. I support Ron Franklin and his apologies on this. Wake up you ESPN Execs. Get your heads out of your “a-holes”!
10:03 am on January 5th, 2011
So if it was a “male ” fellow reporter that Franklin made these comments to, would there be the same results? I know you wouldn’t call another male “sweet baby” (maybe they would) but would a male go crying to her boss because some that she works with called her an asshole?
10:22 am on January 5th, 2011
What’s a horse racing “expert” doing sideline reporting in football anyway? I do dig her eyes though.
10:36 am on January 5th, 2011
ESPN has over reacted to this entire situation. After watching several games on ESPN, I think they need to hire some commentaters who know what they are doing. I am really tired of ESPN missing game plays because of sideline stories. I am tired of ESPN commentaters talking right through game officials announcements. I am tired of ESPN commentaters calling players by the wrong name. Ron Franklin was one of the few ESPN employees who knew what he was doing.
Hollie Rowe needs to go on a DIET!
11:20 am on January 5th, 2011
Sure wish Mess Hamburger would mess his pants like this
11:27 am on January 5th, 2011
joseph
11:28 pm on January 4th, 2011
dear women unfortunate enough to be reading these comments,
i apologize for my sex. this thread is full of some of the most backward Neanderthals i’ve encountered outside of the nypost website.
while i’m apologizing let me make fun of the men some. first, stop using the term political correctness. you clearly do not know what it means and it is just something you learned to regurgitate from fox news whenever you get insecure. this has nothing to do with political correctness.
private companies want their workers to be productive. if you actually read about this story (i know reading is not something men are good at) you’d see it wasn’t about this dickhead using a politically incorrect term, it was how this term was used. he didn’t use it in passing or as a joke. he used it in the process of silencing a fellow worker because of her sex. in a capitalist economy firms do not like when workers impede the productivity of other workers, and in a media organization silencing workers makes them less useful.
if you pussies are worried that you can’t compete in a free market economy where firms want to get the most out of all of their employees (male and female) you can move to an autocratic country that restricts the rights of women where your pathetic skill set faces less competition.
the poorly-endowed sexists here can’t complain about the “inane” questions female reporters ask. your hyper-sensitivity to competition from the supposedly weaker sex is precisely why women get stuck asking the stupid questions. everybody would rather be in the booth doing play by play or commentary rather than asking stupid questions before the half. the reason women get stuck with that shitty job is because ESPN knows the vast majority of their knuckle-dragging audience would react like they got their dicks chopped off if they gave women real booth time.
same with the attractiveness issue. you cavemen justify your sexism by saying the female reporters are just eye-candy. umm, maybe the reason espn has to place so much value on the attractiveness of their female employees is because of you?
complain about political correctness. complain about overly-sensitive women or whatever half-assed stereotypes you use to feel better about yourself. end of the day, for all your internet roaring you’re still just a bunch of pussies having a hissy fit.
Thank-you Joseph.
12:42 pm on January 5th, 2011
ROONE WOULD SAY ABOUT WOMEN SIDELINE REPORTERS: “GET THEM OUT-OF-THERE” - THEIR CONTRIBUTION EDITORIALLY IS MARGINAL AS IS THE “COLOR” ADDED BY THEIR PRESENCE.
1:11 pm on January 5th, 2011
Keep Franklin and get rid of all the “sideline color”…..it is a waste of everyone’s time.
1:26 pm on January 5th, 2011
How is calling a female sweet baby derogatory? He only called her ahole after she said she didn’t want to be called sweet baby. She should have minded her own business instead of butting in someone’s conversation.
2:02 pm on January 5th, 2011
That’s what is wrong with the whole damn nation just too Damn politically correct, hey stand up for yourself instead of crying too the teacher, you want to be equal and I don’t see anything wrong with that so take it too the playground and settle it, grow your own nads.
2:14 pm on January 5th, 2011
So, was the “conversation” just between Edwards and Franklin? Was it broadcast? Was she the one upset or was it the “third party” tattle tale offended? How long of a grudge does programming executive Norby Williamson hold a grudge? If I had been fired for the remarks I have made in conversations over the years, I’d be in a mess, dahlin’! It’s time everyone grew up and toughen up their “I’m so offended” butts!!
2:18 pm on January 5th, 2011
espn has tried to do with sports what fox news has done with news….bring in hot women with brains…their only mistake was they are not hot and they have very little if any sports intellect.
Ron, best wishes…you were good and I for one will miss you.
2:56 pm on January 5th, 2011
There are beautiful, articulate women who know sports out there. On NFL Network, Kara Henderson and Michelle Beisner are gorgeous women who know their stuff and I guess that’s why I watch NFL Network. The analysis is often excellent, Playbook is better than any show those ESPN a-holes (oops) air and the only thing ESPN is good for is Monday Night Football and other game broadcasts. SportsCenter, Around the Horn and all that crap sucks. I do love Jim Rome’s radio show but I don’t have to watch JRIB because I’ve heard all the info already.
3:09 pm on January 5th, 2011
Judging by some of the braindead popping off here, you’d think it cost Franklin money to act like a pro. It’s not 1965, the rules are different and if you don’t like it, BFD. That’s the way it is–eat it.
3:25 pm on January 5th, 2011
golfpro…what rules are you talking about?
3:45 pm on January 5th, 2011
Most of you spitting out garbage need to shut it and read - Gilmore’s wife was elected mayor and the subject of the conversation - not Franklins’s - and politics - PC comments- has nothing to do with it - besides being rude he’s stupid - been written up already for same sort of stuff and then made sure he had an audience for his ignorance - bet he’s not thumping his chest now.
3:49 pm on January 5th, 2011
Lucy obvioulsy has issues….. Franklin was a good commentator. For anyone to call him stupid, rude, etc is doing the exact same thing you are condeming him for. Pretty hypocritical in MHO
5:55 pm on January 5th, 2011
Get rid of the sideline sweetcakes and let us see the bands again at halftime! The sweetcakes are clueless and it is apparent that their brainless questions are annoying to the coaches and fans! Sounds like Sweety Janine was rudely butting in to a conversation she had no prior interest to or connection to. It was a nice T&A novelty in the beginning especially with the likes of Jill Arington but now is just a waste of air time.
12:06 am on January 6th, 2011
We remember Ron Franklin as a local sports announcer; we liked him then and like him still. He is articulate, knowledgeable and by far my favorite college football announcer - along with Bob Davies.
Franklin being from Mississippi could be why he refered to that woman as “sweet cakes”; its heard often here in the South………..”sweetie’, “honie”, Sweetheart, darling.
I agree with many posters, we can do without those “sideline darlings” I personally would trade all of them for one Ron Franklin.
12:31 am on January 6th, 2011
Why can’t people do their job without shoving their sexuality, religion, feminism, homophobia, heterophobia, racism, mysogynism at others. If I was making a cushy salary like this dude was, I would do my job straight forward and professionally and live to collect retirment from the company.
But Nooooooo. We have the ASSCLOWNS to come up with the hey baby, niggers, fags, blah, blah, blah to fvck up themselves and their livelihood, not to mention the wife and kids, and their own futures.
You can crap about her all you want, but if she is capable of doing the job, her gender should have no bearing on anything and she should not be subject to abuse on the job. I wouldn’t want it for any female relative of mine.
And BTW, you don’t have to be an ex-jock and male to give a good run down on x’s and o’s and how the game is played. Grow up, come along to the 21st century year 2011. There are many men in careers which are traditionally dominated by women and they do just fine and are not subject to abuse by women. Such as nurses. Some of the best nurses I know are men (AND NO THEY ARE NOT GAY).
I do agree however that some of these female reporters may negatively project in a way because they think they should OR think their bosses want them to act a certain way to pull in male audience. Such as wearing provocative clothing, etc. I say, dress normally ladies and represent your gender with professionalism. You don’t have to be a ho on the sidelines.
If you blindfold yourself and listen to Erin Andrews and other sidelide or studio female reporter not knowing what they look like, would they merit keeping the job?
I am interested in SPORTS. I am not interested in Favre, Tiger, and Rothlisberger dumbass side issues. They need to keep your stupid personal lives private because their shit just adds to female hate.
5:46 am on January 6th, 2011
Why dont we quit letting lawyers run our country and take our country back .Everyone knows they pass laws so they can then step in and get rich off of divorces ,deaths etc ,etc I bet if you went back to no fault divorces or if there wasent a fault but someone just decided they werent in love anymore or loved someone else if they were leaving without a fault they auto- lost the kids and had to pay child support i bet you would have a lot less divorces you think?
8:39 am on January 6th, 2011
When was the last time a female was fired at a network?
9:09 am on January 6th, 2011
The suits at ESPN who show how time and time again they wear panties instead of mens briefs are more hypocritical then the NCAA.
Fact, if your truly on the side of women, make them play by play annoucers, ESPN has 1.
Sideline is crap duty and nobody gets anything out of it , EVER.
Erin Andrews totally overrated, anyone remember anything she did on college gameday this year?
TomBoy, FM sidekick Michelle Beadle is a joke.
Hanna Storm? PLEASE…Tony Kornhieser was right!
9:44 am on January 6th, 2011
What a crock of BS…..this politically correct crap is getting out of hand….I have heard and seen two guys on espn’s sportscenter get in a fist fight and nobody got fired,,,there is something wrong with this !!!!!!
10:38 am on January 6th, 2011
Firing one of the best announcer in the business over that kind of comment is totally wrong. Discipline, yes, possibly a suspension, but firing is way overboard. Also agree with previous comment about Craig James. Personally think they were out of line letting him use his position at ESPN to lobby for the firing of his son’s coach. I wish someone else would carry these games. I would definitely boycott ESPN.
3:57 pm on January 6th, 2011
Perhaps Edwards thinks Franklin losing his job is extreme, also. Most women don’t speak up because of this type of villification.
9:29 pm on January 6th, 2011
so a man can call another man an ass!!!ole and not get fired but if he calls a woman one..he does…and excuse me I’m a woman!
11:31 am on January 7th, 2011
2 thoughts:
1) like DarkHeart ponders, maybe she is an a-hole off the air to her co-workers and Franklin simply snapped and called her out and said what everyone that works with her already knows(always 2 sides to every story)…maybe the guy needs some credit for toning it down and only using the lame a-hole reference…he probably wanted to call her a b*itch or c*unt that she truly is!!! and ESPN is simply a bunch of skirt-wearing dudes with no balls in not wanting to appear insensitive to the “woman” issue. If Edwards were a dude and Franklin called him an a-hole, this would be a non-issue.
2) ESPN is a bunch of hypocrites…they let Franklin go for using a very weak derogative remark (seriously…using the word a-hole is like getting slapped with a wet noodle…and even if he did publically apologize, does anyone really care???) HOWEVER, they continue to allow the biggest dueschebag Craig James to work despite slandering and using his “king-like” position as a national tv broadcaster to interfere and influence his son’s college coaching staff and school. Can’t wait for the day when ESPN and James have to pay Leach for thier wrongdoings/ignorance…even if it means they end up settleing out of court, which is probably what will happen in the end
Personally, I liked Franklin and enjoyed his broadcasts…better than alot of the other “a-holes” in the business
11:49 am on January 8th, 2011
He deserved it
a fellow should’nt be like that, disparaging a person on air
10:20 pm on January 12th, 2011
I hate women “reporters” in football games. Let em womens events but, not mens.
2:33 pm on January 19th, 2011
I’ve got to admit, the sheer lack of intelligence and perceptiveness in most of these comments is hilarious. Any perceived ideas of the downfall of America have nothing to do w/ the idiotic, self-delusional definitions of PC, but far more to do w/ the obvious lack of education and common sense of most of the people responding here. I can only say it’s obvious why most of the respondents neither own their own companies nor work in a professional capacity.
It is irrelevant if Ron was perceived as a good, loyal or knowledgeable employee. He undoubtedly violated corporate policy - and on more than one occasion. The company, as such, had every right to terminate him.
The bottom line is that it was no one’s fault but his own. I love all the comments blaming anyone other than his own stupid actions. He obviously thought he was above reproach - he was wrong.
But again, I love the comments here. Especially from many of the men. I would simply love to see the average IQ of those responding. Even money it falls under 100; decent odds it’s closer to the 75-80 mark. I appreciated the laugh though.
2:58 pm on January 19th, 2011
Enough is enough! I hope he wins a big settlement. It was a private conversation and she was not a part of it so she should minded her own business. If not, then handle it privately just like the conversation. PRIVATE! I have daughters and I taught them long ago to be polite and not be rude and interject their opinions when not ask.
3:00 pm on January 19th, 2011
Hold on…. I’ve just got to give this a try.
I cannot believe the damn PC police got Ronny fired. Had she not been born w/ breasts, this never would have happened. I mean… c’mon. We let them vote, we let them work… when will it end. ESPN obviously needs to grow a pair - and if she had one, she wouldn’t have taken offense to any condescending comments. Why, I just finished telling my daughter that it’s acceptable behavior to be called “sweet-cheeks” when her male co-workers are feeling happy and “raving bitch from hell” when they’re having a bad day. I believe it was even outlined in the Employee Handbook. I mean, it’s not like the called her a c***, right.
This is all so unfair. It’s just this kind of r’especting others’ that is driving America into the ground. We were so much better off when it was a clearer caste system.
I just can’t wait until the next revolution when we can get back to the days where women were in the kitchen where they belong. I tell ya.
Wow… that was so refreshing….
3:51 pm on January 19th, 2011
Comments like these are usually deep-seeded and true to their nature. Funny, often these guys are very narcissistic and full of self importance. Denigrating or at least condescending remarks are typical and unacceptable. They can hide for years, but at some time, they cannot hide their nature, their belief system, and the way they were raised, so the racist and sexist will reveal themselves publically at some time.
4:55 pm on January 19th, 2011
Can none of you dipwads read? It wasn’t Franklin’s wife that was elected Mayor of Alameda, it was Rod Gilmore’s.
Forget about growing some onions, grow some brains.
4:59 pm on January 19th, 2011
I have watched Ron broadcast since his days in Houston TV. I cannot believe why a woman cannot take comment especially in a mostly man’s sport or any sport and go crying to her boss because her little feeling were hurt by a peers comment. If you going to play with the big boys then stand your ground instead of running to mommy. As far as the upper management at ESPN get a grip of your employees and quit firing the ones who know the business.
5:00 pm on January 19th, 2011
you cant say anything anymore in front of women…..nothing……….they will all sue……..dont u know that…they want the cash
5:08 pm on January 19th, 2011
Sugar britches tried to butt into a conversation and was
put in her place. Just another pushy gal on her way to
the top and doesn’t care who she steps on or if she
ruins somebody’s life doing it. Typical of women now
days. She won’t last long in sports broadcasting and
will end up as the sports reporter for some backwater
TV station in the middle of nowhere. She will be forgotten in a year but Franklin will be well remembered for his many years of outstanding sports
reporting and play by play calling. He had his own
fishing show on ESPN for many years on Sat morning.
Great guy.
5:27 pm on January 19th, 2011
Sonnig sounds indimating like a 300 pound woman with a ding dong in one hand and a twinkie in the other–Now my bet is rcooper is smokin’
6:17 pm on January 19th, 2011
What if Bob Stoops, Les Miles, Pete Carroll, or Jim Tressel (or even Joe Pa) are going off the field at halftime and are accosted by Erin, Holly or Jeannine? I would laugh my arse off if one of these coaches would tell them live on camera, “you have no idea what you are talking about” and then continue to the locker room. Now, THAT would be priceless! We already have cheerleaders on the sideline for the purpose of “eyecandy”. Enough already. It’s is OK for women to be commentators at women’s sporting events though. ESPN has become the Entertainment and Sports PMS Network!
6:31 pm on January 19th, 2011
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER SORRY EXAMPLE OF FEMINISM TRUMPING THE FIRST AMENDMENT THIS EXPOSES THE HYPOCRISY OF THE MEDIA WHEN IT COMES TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH. IF A MALE REPORTER MADE A SIMILAR COMPLAINT, HE WOULD B E LAUGHED AT AND/OR OSTRACIZED BY HIS COLLEAGUES.THIS SHOULD HAPPEN TO JEANNINE AND HOLLY, BPOTH OF WHM MAY HAVE OTHER “ISSUES.”
12:06 am on January 20th, 2011
Several points here:
1) this, by definition is not sexual harassment
2) It could fall under misconduct, depending what kind of EEO policy ESPN has in place
3) Women must understand that when they succeeded in getting equal rights, the “niceties”that they used to enjoy were not neccesarily going to be there for them anymore.
4) In a business such as mens professional and even Division 1 college sports, if you put a woman in a testosterone laden environment, things like this will happen. And while it is still courteous to hold open a door or not swear in front of women, the “politically correct ” climate has gone overboard.
5) Ron used poor judgement
6)
Rod Gilmore apparently exercised his right to object to what was said as part of his responsibility to report EEO violations in the workplace, a standard which is quite common in large corporations across America
7) ESPN has put themselves in a very difficult position by assigning women to cover sports, and is reallly covering themselves of any damages that could be held against them. However, if women are not allowed to do this job, one that they can do, there are other penalties from the government that could be levied against them (discrimination, gender)
Since apparently the state law that governs this case is not a right to work state, he has a case since the victim did not report the incident. However, ESPN’s penalty for EEO violations probably is worded “up to and including termination”. But on Ron’s discharge profile, if he was released for “sexual harrassment” he has a very strong case and will probably reach an out of court settlement to all parties satisfaction.
Good luck Ron, I always enjoyrd your broadcasts.
1:24 pm on January 21st, 2011
“Franklin made insulting comments to ESPN sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards”, huh, What about ESPN insulting me by putting Edwards’ reporting sports in the first place. My employer expects me to be knowledgeable about my job and to have “directly related experience” to perform. Good luck using your “inexperienced” , ignorant beauty queens to do the job. Heck most of the knowledgeable and experienced women in sports aren’t attractive enough for you idiots at ESPN to have behind the mic. Sex sells right guys! I’m sure more of this will happen in the future. Best of Luck to you Ron, and you did the right thing by holding back some!
9:04 am on February 24th, 2011
Most of you guys on here can’t read! The article said that a third party reported this not Edwards herself. And “sweet baby” is a sexist thing to say. He would never call a man that now would he? Also, in the workplace, you typically do report things that are unprofessional.. and he was behaving in an unprofessional manner. And how is comparing women in sports to putting women in the battlefield related? Male sport reporters are expected some degree of respect when they interview athletes and at least not be sexually harrassed. You guys are saying that sexually harrassment should be expected because the men are athletes and the women have a different anatomy. Do you even understand how big of a contradiction is that?? It makes no sense!
Women are moving up in this world you most of you guys are just afraid!
10:19 pm on May 12th, 2011
Nobody wants to hear a woman comment on a man’s sport that she has never played. I cannot respect her opinions because she has no experience playing the game (in a man’s arena). If women want to report on women sports (that they have played) fine, but keep them out of a man’s sport unless of course they are cheerleaders.