Jeremy Lin headline writer: "I'm so sorry"

Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks looks on during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Madison Square Garden Feb. 19, 2012, in New York City.

/ Getty Images

A 28-year-old ex-ESPN editor apologized for the controversial headline he had written over the weekend about New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin, the New York Daily News reported Monday.

Anthony Federico told the tabloid that the headline, which contains a word that could be used as a slur against people of Chinese descent, wasn't intended to offend the rising point guard born in California to Taiwanese parents.

"This had nothing to do with me being cute or punny," Federico, who was fired Sunday, told the News.

"I'm so sorry that I offended people. I'm so sorry if I offended Jeremy."

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Federico told the tabloid that he's used the phrase "at least 100 times" in other headlines, but he understood that "ESPN did what they had to do."

ESPN also placed an ESPNEWS anchor who used the same phrase on suspension for 30 days.

After Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks, Lin said he's moved on.

"I don't think it was on purpose or whatever, but (at) the same time they have apologized. And so from my end I don't care anymore," Lin told reporters, according to The Associated Press. "Have to learn to forgive, and I don't even think that was intentional. Or, hopefully not."

Read the full Daily News story here

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Jeremy Lin: NBA sensation

[pak31]

First of all, I think that people today are WAY too sensitive about words and are too scare about being politically correct etc. But, I find it hard to believe that this writer didn't associate the word ***** with an Asian person. Aren't most headlines, or at least many of them, ESPECIALLY sports headlines, written as puns? A lot of sports headlines have those double meaning type sayings in them. I grew up in this country before words became so offensive, but I was surprised that someone would use it. Also, when a writer turns in a story it has to go past someone else to approve it right? That person didn't find it wrong either.

[billpl-2009]

the headline was more stupid than offensive

[curious2knownow]

CBS News incomplete reporting couldn't even tell us the whole story because of their cowardly reporting.

[fastdraw2]

No Federico, you've got it wrong. It's I'm so STUPID.

OK? Ya got that? Now...repeeat after me: I'm SO STOOPID.

Talk about the perfect example of the Peter principle at work.

[pr_boxer]

This Federico guy is a profesional writer, he knew better and thought because it was on the sports page he could get away with it. How would he feel is he was called a "spick" or a "wap" in the headlines?

[tiredofeverything]

Right, he thought he could get away with it by putting in a sports headline that is read by millions of people.
Nice logic you have there.

[avalon288]

Writer got fired. Good.

We need a better, nicer world. Some words should be eliminated from the language even if they have alternate meanings.

I work with attorneys. There is a favorite term used by a Jewish female attorney - Chinese Wall. Wikipedia defines- In business, a Chinese wall or firewall is an information barrier implemented within a firm to separate and isolate persons who make investment decisions from persons who are privy to undisclosed material information which may influence those decisions. This is a way of avoiding conflict of interest problems.

I wonder how she would feel if the term was Jewish Wall?

[carolhill814]

I don't get it at all this man used a word that is very old and the meaning of ***** is as follows: a narrow slit or crack (as in a wall.

This word has NOTHING to do with Chinese People or who they are and if everyone would just stop and not create a stir over NOTHING and I am sorry that the Chinese People don't know the meaning of that word and take that word personally is so totally out of bounds.

To think that three (3) people lost their jobs over a word that has been around forever that means a breakdown of something is so totally crazy. These people were just expressing he had a breakdown of his scoring for this game.

To me it just isn't worth being a reporter of any kind because to me it is way to scarey to always worry about losing your job over a job people don't seem to know the meaning is just not worth it not worth it at all.

[RealiteBites]

That sounds really selfish, immature and insensitive of you to say that you don't care about peoples' feelings - you just want to be able to say and do anything you like without repercussions.

I mean like if you live out in the rural areas where you're out in the fields not dealing with people and are your own employer, then of course you can say or do anything you want.

But this guy works for a business, who's work is intended to be for general consumption. You can't go around acting like an ignorant redneck and expect to still have a job ...

[RealiteBites]

Another one who wants to dish it out but can't take it ... it was INTENDED to be on her level so she'd know what I was saying, you idiot!

Stupid ...

[jbenavides1]

Looks like we've lost our sense of humor. Give him his job back. He apologized.

[Well_You_Aint_Me]

The comment wasn't made to be funny or derogatory.

Now it has been blown into a whole lot of cr@p over nothing.

[RealiteBites]

It just sets up a bad tone ... if you want to run around calling asians '******' and blacks '*********', then you have no right to get defensive when somebody calls you two bigots and dismissively laughs that you can dish it out but you can't take it because everybody's just joking ...

[tiredofeverything]

It's a fairly common phrase that is used in sports on a regular basis.
Had it been used against Lebron James, no one would have thought anything of it.
Did the writer not make the connection?
Only he knows for sure.

I once came across a recipe that called for 'ground black people'
Bigotry?
No, more likely just a brain fart.
Get off your high horses

[RealiteBites]

Speaking of brain fart - the analogy for Lebron would be for a bigot to use the word '*********' to describe a black person.

Try saying that to Lebron's face there hotshot ...

[RealiteBites]

the word below that got censored was '*********'

[mkrafft1]

I'm playing devils advocate here, I googled ***** in their armor and found hundreds of recent news stories using the same quote referring to race horses, businesses, infection strains, baseball teams, actors etc. Should those writers also be fired if there are asians working in or with any of the subjects referred to in those stories?