Since then NBC NFL analyst Tony Dungy tweeted a popular right-wing, anti-transgender talking point, completely debunked, much of the sports media has focused on Dung’s biography associate yourself with anti-LGBT+ individuals and organizations. And that’s right. I myself was so outraged at Dungy’s outrageous remarks that I immediately took out my phone to call him on Twitter. (Dungy has since tweeted an apology.) But Dungy is not the only troublesome member of NBC’s top soccer team. Both broadcaster Mike Tirico and analyst Matthew Berry have been accused of sexual harassment by their female colleagues.
Biography of Mike Tirico
According to Mike Freeman’s book, ESPN: Uncensored HistoryTirico was accused by several women of sexual misconduct during his tenure at ESPN, including this really disturbing allegation:
The woman was a production assistant and was “regarded as a rising talent,” and Tirico went up to her at the party and said, “you are the prettiest woman here.” She leaves, but he still follows her around the party until finally she snaps, “Why don’t you get out? Stay away from me.” As she and her friends got into the car and left the party, Tirico stepped in front of the car and asked the woman to stop.“You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen and I think I love you, ‘ said Tirico. She tried to pull up the window and run away, but Tirico reached in and tried to shove it between her thighs. She left, and the next morning, when they met in the ESPN parking lot , he walked up to her and she expected him to apologize. Instead, he said, “all I do all day is think about you.”
And that’s not the only accusation of Tirico’s terrible behavior:
In another story, a female producer — who had dinner with Tirico and his fiancée — was startled to receive an email from him saying he wanted to sleep with her. Later, when the staff member went to a bar late one night to cover the NCAA tournament, Tirico approached her and said, “I wish I was single. If it were me, I’d throw you on the table right here and let your brain out. After she tried to excuse him for being drunk, he continued: “I know you want to trick me. So let’s go.” He then followed her on the highway and tried to get her to pull over but failed.
G/O Media can receive commission
Up to $100 credit
Samsung Reserve
Reserve the next gen Samsung device
All you need to do is sign up with your email and boom: credit for your preorder on a new Samsung device.
Tirico was suspended by ESPN for three months and called the incidents detailed above “misunderstandings.” For its part, NBC has addressed his hiring by the network during the height of the #MeToo movement, despite cutting ties with other men accused of similar behavior, like Matt Lauer and NBC political analyst Mark Halperin. NBC Talk to hollywood reporter:
“(W)when we hired Mike in 2016, we knew about incidents from over 25 years ago, which were resolved in 1991-92 by ESPN, his employer at the time, and he He apologized about that. Mike has repeatedly assured us that this behavior is long in his past and we have no evidence of anything to the contrary during his tenure at NBC Sports.”
ESPN added that “these allegations were actively addressed 25 years ago with a long pause.”
That would certainly make all women watch the NFL (47 percent of the audience, according to NFL’s own research) feels so much better when Tirico keeps pushing us as the face of NBC Sports. Especially the integrity of the press was demonstrated when Mr selected as interviewer Olympic skier Shaun White about White’s own sexual harassment lawsuit, although Tirico’s past was never mentioned by him or the network. Sports journalism is still newspapersguys, and the same rules still apply.
Allegations against Matthew Berry
As for Matthew Berry, he was one of Spotlight’s subjects (yes, that thing bright spot) sexual harassment investigation at ESPN. The Spotlight team reported:
“During her months-long audition, [Jenn] Sterger said an executive showed her a copy of Playboy magazine for which she had modeled and she was then taken to a strip club by Matthew Berry, who was interviewing with as a contributor to The Fantasy Show.
The strip club outing is not an official ESPN event, but it does happen after dinner with company employees and is attended by a number of male candidates. Sterger said she didn’t realize where they were going at first, and she was teased for being uncomfortable going there.
Sterger and Berry say they were both reprimanded for hanging out with the strip club, but Sterger didn’t get a job at ESPN while Berry did. ESPN said it chose another woman with more experience, although an e-mail from the network at the time also said Sterger may have improved her chances by exhibiting “professional behavior.” than”. Berry is currently a senior fantasy analyst for ESPN and one of the most influential figures in fantasy sports.
every focusBerry admits visiting the strip club is not smart and he regrets going. “He described a photo from that business trip in which he was pointing at Sterger’s chest as ‘personally embarrassing and I mean no offense.’” Dude, YIKES.
If the NFL cares about women, they did a terrible job making people believe it. While they roll out pink cakes every October that are supposed to make people “aware” of breast cancer, they continue to make excuses to keep men from harming women. in their team and in their owners’ suites, and they certainly don’t seem to oppose them in the broadcast booths either. And while women expect nothing less from Roger Goodell and company, it’s great to see that gender discrimination and workplace sexual harassment are just as important to our male colleagues.
Instead, we’ll have to put up with another NFL broadcast, reminded that allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct, in any way imaginable, will not “ruin our lives.” men’s lives” on the field or in real life. And that when it comes to racism in sport, sexism is something that women in sports journalism have to speak out about.
