ESPN anchor suspended for remarks
January 28th, 2008
ESPN anchor Dana Jacobson returned to the air today after a weeklong suspension she earned for her profanity-laced tirade at a roast for ESPN’s Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic.
Read my story about the matter at Baptist Press Sports.
I’m guessing Jacobson’s not the kind of woman King Lemuel had in mind when he wrote Proverbs 31.
While I’m not the sort who thinks media personalities should be branded with a scarlet letter after making an isolated error of judgment (or in Jacobson’s case, an utterly boneheaded and wretched decision), I think that a precedent has been set with regard to this sort of thing. It seems Jacobson is being let off the hook.
What’s your personal take on this sort of thing, Tim? Is this equivalent to the infamy of Rush Limbaugh, Don Imus, Kelly Tilghman, et al?
Hi Adam,
I think the slap on the wrist that Jacobson got from ESPN was disgraceful. I don’t necessarily think she should get fired (though that wouldn’t have upset me), but I can’t help but think that if she had said something that was similarly offensive to other groups, she most definitely would have been.
I think an appropriate response would entail a somewhat lengthier suspension, then relegating her to being a field reporter instead of continuing to allow her to host one of their front-line programs.
Why not use this as a time to demonstrate the Christian values of forgiveness and grace? Or do we think that forgiveness has to be earned? I think this whole incident tell us as much about ourselves as it does about Jacobson. Again, it seems that we care more about God’s reputation than we do about Dana Jacobson’s soul.
Joel,
Why does a belief in appropriate discipline have to exclude forgiveness and grace?
Yeah, I really like Cloud’s proposal. I haven’t had access to ESPN the last few weeks. Has the network allowed this story to be discussed on any of their programming or talking heads? I’m curious to know if they are trying to treat this story like it doesn’t exist. The Tilghman and Imus stories seemed like they just wouldn’t die.
Amen, Joel.
And as far as the outcry being much greater if it was another group, while I do think that’s true, that doesn’t mean we have to match that insanity and overreact as well. Can any of us honestly say we were offended by hearing about a drunken tirade 2nd hand? Come on.
Tim,
I guess it gets back to what you believe the goal of discipline is. It seems to me that she has sincerely learned her lesson and apologized. What more would you like her to do? At some point, punishment becomes less about the perpetrator and more about the one offended.
I think the one group that was protesting is ridiculous. Why do we care what a drunk sportscaster has to say?
I wonder if they were all too filled with righteous indignation to notice all the homeless on the way to the protest to demand someone’s job.
Grace is favor without merit. How is demanding her job extending her grace? This group obviously did not accept her apology. Instead of displaying that grace they demand her job.
If ESPN had done nothing it would be appropriate to take them to task. In light of her apology and request for forgiveness (it read as very sincere and straightforward to me), however, I don’t see that we have any right to demand “more blood”.
I agree with Zoner. From the article:
“Although the faith community can forgive and extend mercy to Ms. Jacobson, she still must assume full responsibility and accept the consequences for her hate-filled rhetoric,” Mahoney said. Mahoney sounds like he works for Al and Jesse.
ESPN has dictated the consequences, and God has not put any of us in the place of being Jacobson’s boss. To say that we know better and demand that ESPN act like we would in disciplining her borders on covetousness and lust for power. Whether we like the decision or not, it not ours to make.
I agree that she probably would have received harsher punishment had she talked about other groups. If you want to dump on somebody, turn off ESPN and make their ratings go down, but don’t make the consequences a Christian issue. Accept the spit in the face as an honor.
I just read the article, and maybe I’m late on this, but when did we get a Christian Defense Coalition? Are you serious? Doesn’t the Bible speak of persecution and to take joy in the fact to know that Jesus was persecuted? What does a group like that hope to accomplish? That’s whats more appauling to me in this. That a non-Christian would bash Christianity? I can’t believe that would happen (that’s sarcasm)! Guys, its going to happen, and that someone is surprised it did and that it does is more surprising to me. And, its going to get worse as our society deteriorates, so if this really gets you going than my suggestion would be to start some kind of therapy. I understand we don’t just lay around like a wet blanket, but I agree with the Zoner, we’ve got a Christian group wasting their time protesting this nonsense when we’ve got people starving on the streets! Why don’t we get upset about that and spend our time practically showing the grace and love of Christ? However, that the CDC exists is more unbelievable to me!
Man, and here I thought I was going to get pounded for this.
No way dude.
I can agree with those points, but the fact remains that is a double standard on the part of the media and ABC in general exists. The Grey’s Anatomy guy was canned when he made comments about homosexuals. She gets one week. If she had made a racial slur, negative remarks about gays or Islam she would have been shown the door, I believe.
Jim,
I also agree there is a double standard as well, but I just don’t understand why we as Christians are surprised. If anything else, to me, it further proves the accuracy of Scripture because it speaks of it.
As Christians what is our recourse? Protest or complain how unfair it is? I guess there is a point somewhere that we should speak up, but I keep going back to Zoner’s point of what does that really accomplish? We can complain and make an issue out of it and defend our “honor” as a group, or we can use this energy to minister to those in need and humbly accept persecution since we know its going to happen. Maybe I’m not as versed in Scripture as some of you guys, but what Scripturally backs up that we should hold protests and be outraged when things like this happen? I do know Scripture that suggests we should have peace and joy at persecution because we know our Lord was persecuted as well when he was physically on earth.
If memory serves me correctly, Isaiah Washington (from Grey’s Anatomy) referred to a gay co-worker as that OTHER F-word, was reprimanded, said he was sorry and then went off on an anti-gay tangent following last year’s Golden Globes ceremony — and THEN was canned. (It appeared to me his original apology meant very little.)
In today’s world, there obviously are double- and possibly triple- and quadruple-standards (or more!) when it comes to these kinds of situations, depending on the current political climate (for want of a better, more accurate term). Is it any more wrong to bash gays or Muslims than it is to bash Christians? Of course not.
Hopefully, the grace that Dana Jacobson has been extended will not be lost on her … or others.
Here’s my opinion:
Dana Jacobson is just one more person that we now know of who needs Jesus Christ as her Savior. Hopefully she will learn from this that ’swilling vodka’ will never give her the peace and joy that she yearns for. Tim makes good points about appropriate discipline, but I’m in agreement with Joel Maners about this. We should be less concerned with our idea of God’s reputation, and more concerned about the souls of men, women, boys and girls. The time is short.
If a man had said these things, would this even be a story?