What I can comment on is the amount of attention he is
getting and the latest controversial headlines from ESPN.
Over the weekend a very distasteful headline was posted on
EPSN’s mobile website. I won’t repeat the headline but I’m sure you’ve all seen
it or heard
about it. The employee has since been dismissed from the network even after
saying he unknowingly used the racial slur in a headline.
Linsanity is not only causing a stir on the basketball
court, it’s even affecting the lives of hard working Americans. I’m not going
to try and take up for the guy, but he was a 28 year old editor who may or may
not have known what he was doing.
ESPN should punish themselves for allowing such a young kid
to have that much so say. As an editor myself, headlines and stories alike are
to be read by at least two people before being published. And if something goes
wrong the blame should be put on all parties involved.
But that’s beside the point I wanted to make, which is; are
athletes and teams too sensitive? I believe we as fans have the right to yell,
scream and hold up signs at games. I don’t encourage inappropriate behavior,
and in fact I hate sitting beside it, but we pay a good bit of money to watch
these athletes play a sport so I think we should be able to let our emotions be
heard during and after the game. Whether it’s on Twitter or a blog, we have the
right to let our comments be heard.
Just because Lin is a certain race should we have to watch
how we criticize him anymore than Tim Tebow or LeBron James? He’s an athlete,
getting paid to play a pretty easy sport. When and if the criticism does start
to flow his way I hope it’s because of his play on the court and not because of
the color of his skin.
Now back to the ESPN situation. People make mistakes. I hear
them made all time, but when Jon Gruden or another famous athlete that takes
the jobs of hard work communication majors makes a mistake on TV there is
nothing more than a quiet apology. But because this was some no-name editor
working the night shift you just up and make him unemployed.!?
I’ve made mistakes as an editor, it’s going to happen. But I
almost never make the same mistake twice. This kid’s life was ruined because of
the insensitivity from ESPN and a FEW people that might have been reading this
website at 2 a.m. Yes, it’s the editor’s job to make sure things like this don’t
happen and some sort of punishment needed to be put in place. I just think in
this instance it was a little too harsh.
I hope the media continues to cover this Lin story with an
open mind, but it’s the duty of an editor and company to draw people’s
attention to an article. There is a more creative and effective way to do that
than by using offensive language.
You
can follow Jake on Twitter at: @j8a1k0e or on his MLB Braves blog at: http://bravesandmore.mlblogs.com
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