ESPN commentator suspended
Rob Parker has been suspended from ESPN indefinitely.
ESPN made the decision after Parker went on a rant of “inappropriate” comments about quarterback Robert Griffin III. During ESPN’s First Take on Dec.13, Parker went on a rant about RG3’s skin color.
“My question is, and it’s just a straight, honest question: Is he a brother, or is he a cornball brother,” Parker said on the show. “He’s not really. He’s black, he does his thing, but he’s not really down with the cause. He’s not one of us. He’s kind of black, but he’s not really like the kind of guy you really want to hang out with.”
He then went on to talk about his personal life, making comparisons to Tiger Woods.
“I want to find out about him,” Parker said. “I don’t know because I keep hearing these things. We all know he has a white fiancee. Then there was all this talk about he’s a Republican, which there’s no information at all. I’m just trying to dig deeper into why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like, ‘ I’ve got black skin, but don’t call me black.’ So people wondered about Tiger Woods.”
Stephen A. Smith, who was sitting next to Parker on the show, attempted to get the show back on track after Parker’s rant.
“First of all, let me say this: I’m uncomfortable with where we just went,” Smith said. “RG3, the ethnicity or the color of his fiancee is none of our business, it’s irrelevant, he can live his life in whatever way he chooses. The braids that he has in his hair, that’s his business, that’s his life, he can live his life. I don’t judge someone’s blackness based on those kinds of things. I just don’t do that. I’m not that kind of guy.”
Since the incident, Parker has been suspended until further notice from ESPN, but he is still credentialed and expected to cover the Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions game on Sunday.
