Sports network fires writer for racist slur regarding Knick sensation

Jeremy Lin brushes off ESPN's tasteless headline: 'You have to learn to forgive, and I don't even think that was intentional'
Sports network fires writer for racist slur regarding Knick sensation

By Ole Skaar AND Helen Kennedy / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Sunday, February 19, 2012, 12:06 PM
Updated: Monday, February 20, 2012, 4:05 AM





Fresh off a new hardwood triumph, Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin brushed off ESPN’s tasteless “chink in the armor” headline Sunday, saying he didn’t think anyone meant to be racist.

The sports network fired the overnight headline writer who wrote the offending headline, suspended an anchor who said the phrase on air and offered profuse mea culpas, promising to be “better in the future.”

“They've apologized and so from my end, I don't care anymore,” Lin said, after dazzling the Garden by leading the Knicks to their eighth win in nine games.

“You have to learn to forgive, and I don't even think that was intentional."

Taking a hard line to contain the furor, ESPN suspended anchor Max Bretos for 30 days because he used the expression Wednesday when he asked Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier on air about Lin.

“If there is a chink in the armor, where can he improve his game?” Bretos asked.

The question’s wording went almost entirely unnoticed at the time. In video of the moment, Bretos did not appear to be attempting to make a pun.

He tweeted his apologies Saturday, saying he meant no racial reference but would try hard to avoid making the mistake again.

“My wife is Asian, would never intentionally say anything to disrespect her and that community,” Bretos said.

“Despite intention, phrase was inappropriate in this context.”

Bretos used the phrase on the air last year when talking about the Philadelphia Phillies according to a YouTube video posted by an outraged viewer who appeared not to recognize the not-uncommon expression.

His on-air colleague, Sportscenter anchor Michael Kim, took to Twitter to defend Bretos.

“I truly believe it was an unfortunate use of words but I KNOW there was no malice there. That came on live TV,” Kim said.

Kim was less charitable toward the headline writer, tweeting that “there's a different thought process involved with scripts/copy and headlines.”

Linsanity - the thrilling saga of the only Asian American in the NBA becoming an overnight superstar - has given rise to a thousand bad puns, but ESPN’s headline was the worst.

“Chink in the Armor: Jeremy Lin’s 9 Turnovers Cost Knicks in Streak-stopping Loss to Hornets” appeared on ESPN’s mobile web site at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. It was removed by 3:05 a.m., ESPN said.

The network apologized and promised both to conduct “a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures” and to mete out punishment.

A commentator also used the phrase on ESPN Radio New York Friday, the network said. That commentator was not an ESPN employee and could not be disciplined.

“We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin,” ESPN said Sunday. “His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN.”

Heading into Sunday’s game at Madison Square Garden, Knicks fans were divided.

No one defended the headline, but some felt sympathy for the writer.

"If we all got fired for our mistakes, we'd all lose our jobs,” Ronald Alexander Kemp said. "I don't wanna be calling for his head.”

Denis Amparo, from White Plains, thought ESPN overreacted.

“They should have thought more about it,” he said.

Others said they agreed with ESPN’s zero tolerance.

"It was pretty ridiculous. At least they're taking the right steps," said Brian Vescio from West Nyack, N.Y.

“I guess the public gets what it wants," said Kelli Maass from Highland Mils, N.Y.

“Someone has to take the fall,” said one fan, who gave only his first name, Myron. “That's life.”

Once inside, they watched Lin storm back from Friday’s defeat, scoring 28 points and dishing a career-high 14 assists in a 104-97 victory against the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.

Shale wrote:You couldn't put a chink in political correctness if you hit it with a spade!