Richard Deitsch of SI.com does an excellent job in breaking down why the Rob Parker situation isn’t as much about Parker than it is culture at ESPN.
There is a disconnect between the people at ESPN who are excellent at their job and the buffoonery of 1st Take.
Deitsch spoke to a couple of ESPN employees who feel the same way about the show as many of you do.
“The issue is that it becomes ESPN and not First Take when people weigh in,” said one longtime ESPN staffer. “They don’t say, First Take said this or that.’ It’s ‘ESPN said this or that.’ I don’t wish to be lumped in with that nonsense.”
“They have created a culture of this,” said another ESPN employee. “The fact that they didn’t remove it [Parker’s comments about Griffin] from the re-air [the show repeats at 12 p.m. ET] proves their intent wasn’t to do anything.”
I know a lot of people at ESPN. A lot of hard working talented people who have been nothing be gracious and nice to me over the years. I can tell you 1st Take isn’t a good representation of the majority of talent, PR and employees who work there. This is a bad seed that is corrupting the crop.
Rob Parker who is currently suspended should be fired, but I also think is he was to be fired he should sue. Why the contradiction you may ask?
While his comments were some of the worst I have ever seen on Television, it is what 1st Take promotes. As Deitsch points out they re-aired his comments three-times including during a “Best of 1st Take” show. That means someone within the company believes ignorant comments like dating a white woman makes you less black, is the best that 1st Take has to offer.
Just let that sink in for a bit.
Rob Parker was doing what he was told to do, he just doesn’t do it as well as Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith to get a daily pass. ESPN has thrown him under the bus, even though they knew exactly the type of mean-spirited ignorant, arrogant journalist he was.
Too bad ESPN can’t suspend themselves.