ESPN fires employee for Lin headline seen online
BRISTOL, Conn. — ESPN says it fired an employee responsible for an offensive headline about Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin.
The headline Friday on ESPN’s mobile website was used for a story about a New York loss in which Lin had nine turnovers. The headline was an idiom that contains a word that also can be used as a slur against Chinese.
Lin is the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. He has captivated fans by leading the Knicks to seven straight wins before Friday’s loss.
In a statement Sunday, ESPN apologizes for that headline and says it is aware of two other “offensive and inappropriate” comments. An ESPNEWS anchor who used the same phrase has been suspended for 30 days. And ESPN says a similar reference was made on ESPN Radio New York, but the commentator is not an ESPN employee.