ESPN fires employee for offensive Lin headline

Last Updated 12:27 p.m. ET

NEW YORK - ESPN says it fired an employee responsible for a headline with a racial slur referring to Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin.

In an online statement Sunday, ESPN said it is aware of three "offensive and inappropriate" comments on ESPN outlets.

It apologized Saturday for the headline "Chink in the Armor" on Friday night on its mobile website that could be seen on phones and tablet computers after Lin had nine turnovers in New York's loss to the New Orleans Hornets

Lin is the NBA's first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent and captivated sports fans with his dominance on the court.

ESPN said in its statement Saturday it removed the headline 35 minutes after it was posted. The cable network says it is "conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake."

The story was first reported by Outsports.com.

ESPN said it has since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York.

It suspended for 30 days an ESPNEWS anchor, but said the radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

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[chenz66]

A ***** in somebody's armour (British & Australian) also a ***** in somebody's armor (American & Australian)
if someone or something which seems to be strong has a ***** in their armour, they have a small fault which may cause them problems. (Ex He's a brilliant businessman, but his lack of political awareness may be the ***** in his armour.
This saying has been around for years, it had noting to do with with Lins's Asian decent. PC will be the death of us all. Pretty soon you will not be able to speak anymore without offending someone. O wait, we're already there.

[erpicferl]

i'd love to talk to the editor that said "let's go with it!" what a dweeb.

[1notrub11]

So who was the "responsible employee", the writer or the editor? Somebody must have had the responsibility to approve such a headline to go onto the web. My guess is that it wasn't/shouldn't have been the writer.

Sounds like a management fail to me.

[micmac666]

Jeremy should copyright that phrase for apparel also, and wear it proudly.

[netjunkie1]

I just love the fact begotry is an equal opportunity expression..

[RealiteBites]

I came on here to post the same thing ... who knew the rednecks were equal opportunity bigots ...

[credibility2]

...what's next, ejecting a fan from the stands for boo-ing or whistling at the game...it's coming to that...that's how moronic all of this has become...

[credibility2]

Let's cut this PC garbage. Too bad some may find something like this offensive. It was a stupid play on words. No more idiotic than Lin trying to capitalize and get copyrighted the phrase "linsanity". That's offensive too.

[smurfettemom]

In the Asian world,we can forgive,We have to forgive,Thats the way God wants us to be,not to hate no one no matter what,Its a shame that it happened and hopefully wont happen again to us or any one else who is different.Than you for disaplinary on that sports person.Was not nice.That could of been a lawsuit.God Bless

[newsworthy8]

ESPN, totally "sick"

[robe59]

We have not progressed very far on the human evolutionary scale. What a bunch of morons.