Jemele and Mike

Hill explains to SI:

Jemele Hill's ESPN colleagues react to controversy

“I have to talk myself out of sending certain tweets several times a day. When you're under the leadership of a President that refuses to condemn Nazis and racism, how am I supposed to function the rest of the day and pretend as if I give a shit about Blake Bortles losing his job? That's the conversation I'm having with myself on daily basis. I know there are sports fans looking for me to provide them with an ‘escape,’ but as a woman and person of color, I have no escape from the fact that there are people in charge who seem to be either sickened by my existence or are intent on erasing my dignity in every possible way.


Also: Bob Ley with carefully-chosen but critical words:

“The usual standard of saying only what you would with a microphone in your hand apparently no longer applies. These are emotional political times. This is one of the consequences.

“It’s totally predictable the way the wired nation has split down the middle on Jemele's remarks. Totally predictable. But it falls into a time and space where our network's perceived place in the political landscape has never been more scrutinized.”

 

It's you fucking job to pretend as if you give a shit, you ungrateful twit.

If you don't want to do it, someone will gladly take it for the estimated $800K you're stealing.

Great drinking buddy, though.

 

Clay Travis working his corner. (Linda Cohn was suspended for her comments in the spring.)

ESPN Suspended Linda Cohn, Let Jemele Hill Slide

Said another, different ESPN personality, “If Jemele can say that and Linda can’t say what she said, what kind of standard actually exists here? There isn’t one. There’s clearly a double standard. If you say things the company agrees with, you don’t get punished. If you say things the company disagrees with, you do get punished. Maybe even fired.”

Another prominent employee who also requested anonymity stated, “If I’d said Obama got elected because he was black is there any way I’d still be employed here? No chance. But Jemele can say Trump got elected because of white racists and no one does anything? They protect the people they agree with politically. They give them better jobs, more money, everyone can see it.”

Another employee recently contacted Outkick and said, “I pretend I’m a Democrat so I can keep my job here. And there are others just like me. We’re like a secret society inside ESPN.”

 

I'll gift him the dropped "r" for the sake of the message. which I fully endorse.

 

White House taking a solid stance for a private company to fire an employee. Great.

 

Not surprised. Hating on Hill makes for terrific red meat for the base, and even if he isn't a racist, Trump sure likes to get them stirred up.

As for Hill, she's a big girl and knows what she's doing and understands the potential consequences of her stance. If speaking out like that was right for her, it was right for her.

I don't think she's going to end up wanting for a paycheck, with or without ESPN.

 

Wonder why the White House wants to violate her free speech rights.

 

Jemele Hill’s Politics: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

 

And now people who don't watch ESPN know who Hill is. So mission accomplished, I imagine.

 

"How am I supposed to function?"

 

That's not what they're doing.