Rob Parker, the commentator who created controversy when he questioned whether Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is a “cornball brother” because he has a white fiancee, has been fired by ESPN.
“Rob Parker’s contract expired at year end. Evaluating our needs and his work, including his recent RGIII comments, we decided not to renew,” an ESPN spokesman said in a written statement.
ESPN can spin this as simply a decision not to renew his contract, rather than a firing, but the reality is that ESPN specifically stated on December 20 that Parker had been suspended for 30 days, and as of December 20, ESPN was expecting Parker back at the end of his 30-day suspension. (He made the comments on December 13, so a 30-day suspension from that date would have ended on January 12.)
So why did Parker’s discipline change from a 30-day suspension to termination? ESPN isn’t saying, but it may be that the network was unhappy with a recent interview Parker gave in which he said that ESPN knew what he was going to say on the air before he said it. In that interview, Parker also seemed to backtrack on his previous apology, complaining that people took his “cornball brother” statement out of context.
Parker has long been known for drawing attention to himself by stirring up controversy, and it’s unsurprising that he eventually took it too far and got himself fired. But ESPN is hardly blameless in all this: Parker made his comments on ESPN First Take, a show that celebrates provocation, and at first ESPN’s producers were so pleased with Parker’s comments about Griffin that the network re-aired the comments on Best of First Take. It was only later, after ESPN was criticized for airing the comments, that the network apologized.
And now, much later, ESPN has finally done what many viewers said it should have done from the beginning, and fired Parker.
Channel Finder
Thank you ESPN …
bout damned time, jiminy crickets!!
about time
He was fired because he kept trying to justify it. Just a couple days ago, he was saying that what he said was fine, just taken out of context.
Had he kept his mouth shut, he’d still be part of the network.
See ya. ” Cornball Brotha “. Idiot. !!!!
Shocked! I am shocked!
Good riddance, jerk. And don’t let the door hit you on the way out. You won’t be missed!
Bout time !
Good riddance
Good!
When keepin’ it real goes wrong….
ESPN is garbage. I heard it through a source.
They should fire Skip Bayless, Stephen A Smith and then burn down the First Take set too.
cannot believe it took them that long to do it .. that just means that they didn’t want to. only cause he mouthed off some more after his ‘apology’ was espn forced not to bring him back.
Finally, ESPN does something right in this case. You sir, will NOT be missed.
What the heck took so long
Shouldve been the first move instead of a joke suspension
Somewhere, Jimmy the Greek is smiling…
Because middle-aged white conservatives that listen to and agree with Rush Limbaugh & Ann Coulter daily were sooo offended.
6 weeks too late
Good firing. Now just get rid of Skip Bayless, Stephen A Smith, the entire embrace debate crap, replace it with some quality programming like Around the Horn and PTI and ESPN will have purged themselves of all the evil that has engulfed their programming. Wow i must be dreaming to think any of thats going to happen…
Fired like a Brotha who is down with the cause!
Now they just need to fire Skip Bayless and ESPN will become almost watchable.
I’d rather be a cornball the unemployed.
RG3
Long overdue.
Better late than never.
etc.
ESPN still blows. I can’t stand that network. They still have Skip Bayless so they get no props from me.
Next should be Ed Werder!
Man, I bet “logicalvoices” aka Skip Bayless is bummed!
Please, Eric Mangini has to be the next……..
Good start … how about Berman and Bayless next.
Lomas is next, Stuart Scott , skip Bayless , and Stephen A to follow. Haven’t watched any espn since Parker stepped on his junk on air. Can some more of the idiots and then maybe I ll ….no I won’t.
The arc that is Rob Parker’s life has peaked.
Rob Parker insists that the firing was taken out of context.
There is a God.
Racism goes both ways, Mr. Parker.
We’re all humans.
Does this mean that they are done milking this story for publicity or do you think that Parker makes one last ditch effort to block his termination via litigation?
Somewhere Rush is laughing.
Until they fire Skip Bayless, ESPN is just a collection of hypocrites.
What can you learn from this Robert?
ESPN is just a responsible for his comments as he is. They re aired it.
Swaying to the breeze of the masses.
Yeah, a little too late there ESPN. You obviously thought long and hard about whether to do it or not, should have been an instant decision.
That’s why you still suck (among other reasons).
He couldn’t keep his trap shut. This should have already happened. See ya cornball brother, you will NOT be missed!
Good, now fire the idiots that produced and re-aired that garbage. ESPN should return to being a sports channel instead of catering to the reality tv and gossip crowd.
Fire Skip Bayless next please
Very NICE!!!! were to now? ESPN is the bottom of the barrel !!!! couldnt have happened to a better guy….
They corn-rolled him.
Cowherd next please
Maybe like Kieth Olberman he’ll move from sports to news reporting, where he can espouse his viewpoint without criticism
Fact, rather. PS, Warren Moon definately thinks rob parker being fired is because espn is racist. Drew brees wants an explaination.
What is more disturbing than what he said is that he actually believes what he said…
Hes a jabroni
I’d like to hear more details on the possibility that ESPN shows are scripted and possibly collaborations and not original and sincere opinions of the people providing them. Interesting.
and yet Skip Bayless continues to work….
About 30 days too late, but hopefully this is the last we have to hear about this guy.
As many others say, it is about time…it shouldn’t of taken this long… Good luck to Rob Parker finding another job in a similar field ! It has to be tough after showing such an incredible lack of judgement !
“Parker has long been known for drawing attention to himself by stirring up controversy”
I guess he won’t need Mike Florio as a mentor anymore.
Good move by ESPN. Your too good for this guy.
Well done! My ESPN boycott was getting tough, but I was budging till this fool was shown the door.
ESPN= Excessively Stupid People Network
I only watch espn when I absolutely have no choice. Please fox, get your sports station up and running.
Like Clint Eastwood says “a man has got to know his limitations” as well as when to shut up. . and stop trying to defend the indefensible. What a moron!
He was truly the Mark Twain of his generation.
Racism out of context = still racism.
Maybe him and Sean Salisbury could start a show?
Good. Now do a total house cleaning and get rid of: Stephen A, Skip Bayless, Berhman, and Stuart Scott. That would be a good start.
Used to be a big fan of First Take but since it went to the current format of hollering and screaming I haven’t watched a minute. Put Skip and Steven A in a locked room and let’s all pray neither comes out.
He didn’t get fired. He just didn’t get re-signed. Duhhhh
They suspended him for 30 days because that’s how much time he had left on his contract. After that they could simply say they chose not to renew. If they had fired him outright he would have had a court case for wrongful termination because they evidently approved the gist of what he said beforehand.
At least he’s gone though… thank God.
I wonder what he’ll do next…
Took ya long enough ESPN
He should have been fired for being a terrible commentator.
Maybe he can get a job at MSNBC covering sports. I’m sure his views will fit right in.
You know, First Take used to be kind of a fun show, back when it was Jay and Dana doing interviews and silly stunts, with small doses of Skip Bayless arguing with whoever interspersed. But then they reformatted the show, forced out Jay and Dana (and forced Dana out, period), and made it all about Skip yelling inanities at people. Rob Parker is just a symptom of this stupid mentality. He’ll get a job with Fox, or one of the new channels popping up, and keep saying the same stupid stuff. It still won’t matter.
This is so awesome. You completely deserve this Parker. Cheers!
ESPN is equally responsible. They put it on twice that day and even the “best of” first take.
Clowns
Amazing ESPN/TMZ took this long to make this decision.
ESPN just got ever so slightly less full of themselves…
as a black man with a white gf……. thank you espn.
But Stephen A. Smith can drop the most racial of remarks and no discipline?
No wonder i dont watch ESPN anymore.
Downside…more air time for Stephen A. Smith.
Perhaps a three-in-all special-fire Parker, Bayless, and Smith together.
Finally! ESPN did something right!
Good, but ESPN’s whole business strategy revolves around people like this. People who purposly make inflamatory comments for shock value. For years I have compared it to E! Sports Edition rather than the sports news show it used to be. All of the created rivalries and all. If not for Monday Night Football I wouldn’t watch the network at all. Good riddance, Rob Parker.
He’ll end up partnered with Costas on NBC.
Don’t get too excited…I’m sure Parker will explain to us that we are taking ESPN’s comments out of context.
Hey Rob, looks like your suspension was taken out of context too.
Hopefully he won’t qualify for unemployment and no one will consider hiring him now that’s he is a freelancer.
He needs to change his twitter account now. What a moron.
Another black man thrown under the bus so the real culprit(Skip Bayless) can get away with his race baiting while his flunky(Steven A. Smith) can shine for the audience.. That show is a microcosm of America today.. I will not watch again..
ESPN is just worthless. You would think some of the other stations would get a clue and learn how to compete with them. NFL network is good but it’s NFL only and if you want to see a little of everything else you have to go elsewhere. How about NBC Sports stops airing bass fishing and finally competes with ESPN?
now they should fire that douchey blowhard Chris Berman because he sucks
Honestly never heard of him. Also only tune into BSPN to watch MNF and thats it.
Good riddance to bad rubbish. He is a disgrace. His opinions about the Patriots were so offensive to me. He always kept bringing up that because the Pats haven’t won a Superbowl since Spygate that that invalidates Belichick’s greatness. Yeah, I think 2 Superbowls and 4 playoff appearances tends to invalidate that opinion. Go suck on it Parker!!
Hope he ends up shining shoes in an airport somewhere!
I wonder if ESPN will now bring Jay Mariotti back to replace him
My only question is…What took so long…?
At least he will get unemployment and won’t even have to look for a new job! I guess being “down for the cause” works or him especially well now
Yesssss I benn waitin for this man to be fired rg3 got a beautiful woman a college degree dozens of records a heisman and was a first round pick…being a black young man (21) dats the cause im “down” for…rob parker prolly loves our men who think jail is better than college…who thinks sellin drugs is better working hard to provide for a family. And a barbershop??? Any black man knows dat as fast as they talk about rg3 to rob parker they started talkin about rob parker as soon as he left the shop….thanks for being “real” rob im glad u will never be on my favorite network again
I’m certain The Justice Bros. (Jesse & Al) will be chiming in with their racist BS any second ….
Oh they will NEVER fire Skip “Brainless”. I wish they would as well, but they won’t. His stupid arse is what drives that show’s ratings up…
They couldn’t take the heat they were receiving from these comments and he just wasn’t valuable enough for them to stick their neck out any longer for him.
Meanwhile you’ll hear silence and crickets from the likes of Cowherd, VanPelt, Mike & Mike etc.
It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.
ESPN is spineless. I can’t STAND Parker but he’s always been a race baiting punk. ESPN is just pissed he outed them as knowing what he was going to say. Period.
I want to live in a world where even idiots can give an opinion without fear of being fired.
Can we fire ESPN?
ESPN should fire itself for hiring and keeping some of the clowns bit has “reporting” and talking sports. The network is a joke!
He just eclipsed the “Classless” mark. Send him packing.
Not extending his contract was the correct move. Now; let some of the others’ found to be culpable in the handling of this serve a suspension and not have their contracts renewed as well.
This is a cop-out. Parker wasn’t fired outright, but rather his contract wasn’t renewed. There is a difference.
If ESPN had any guts they would have fired Parker the same week he made his comments, and been done with him. Instead, ESPN suspends him and then chooses to run out the clock on his contract; the coward’s way out.
What about Lomas Brown?
i love how this thread quickly turned into a “skip bayless sucks” forum. which i happen to agree with.
You could form a sports department off of all of ESPN’s fired workers: Parker, Jay Mariotti, Sean Salisbury, Ron Franklin, Harold Reynolds, Steve Phillips, etc.
Next up, Fox Sports.
Good riddance, Mr. Parker. You were privileged to work for an organization many sports fans and writers would dream of and you blew it by backtracking from your apology. If you can’t take this as a humbling experience and continue with the stance that people took your words out of context, perhaps it is time for you to blacklisted (no pun intended) from the world of sports journalism.
He won’t qualify for unemployment, the dismissal was with just cause and it’s on tape
HAHAHAHA. He deserves it. ESPN finally does
something right.
Rob was a doofus on the airwaves in Detroit and the story continues…
Past performance is indicative of future behavior.
Good. No room for trash like that on TV
@bishopdon:
I hope you don’t really believe that. Stephen A. was incredibly the voice of reason in this whole debacle. And if you think Parker was thrown under the bus, you fail to realize/acknowledge/accept that racism works both ways.
espn has all sorts of problems with there commentatiers
About time. I know who he is. Have not watched him for so long. Will not lower myself to watch the idiots at ESPN. I got NBC sports. Three hours every day watching Dan Patrick. Who needs ESPN not me.
Now fire skippy da hippie! Only good program out of the 4 letter network is pardon the interruption!! Do rules
Don’t stop there! Please!!!!
Sorry, even though I didnt agree with Parker making those comments let’s face it ESPN is making him a scapegoat.
Its producers are also cowards by having him fired while they get to be in hiding from those questioning the show’s motives.
slob parker is a worm anyway. he is a cornball host
They’re hiring at Burger King.
I tried watching first take yesterday.
Skip Bayless was blaming Dr. Andrews for RGIII’s knee injury because he put the idea in RGIII’s head that the knee wasn’t in perfect condition and he played differently…..
Click
Thank you!!! Stephen A Smith needs to be next.
Bug bye, loser
“This is a cop-out. Parker wasn’t fired outright, but rather his contract wasn’t renewed. There is a difference.”
Welcome to the corporate world. It’s easier for the employer, and makes them less likely to be sued for:
a. discrimination
b. wrongful termination
c. some other bs
He may not have been fired, but he was shown the door. Same difference.
Drew Brees wants an explanation…. wait a second, where am I?
sweet! Bring back jay Mariotti…
I’ll miss the guy
Its funny people complain about ESPN but they still watch and comment about how bad they are. In terms of daily sports programming they are it. No Fox Sports, CNNSI tried and failed, no yahoo network, NBCSN? They show Dan Patrick and Pro Football Talk and their nightly sports show but that’s it. Face it folks ESPN isn’t going anywhere and no one will seriously challenge them. Parker got fired because he ran his mouth again when he didn’t have to. All he had to was keep his mouth shut until he returned and he would still have a job but he couldn’t help himself and now has to suffer the consequences. SMH!!!
Was it a Cornball Cracker that did the firing?
ESPN reminds me of the movie “Network” where they continually spin off the craziest person into their own show. Let’s face it, they had just promoted this guy to co-anchor of the weekend version of First Take….
Who?
On what channel?
I guess it finally reached a point where even BSPN couldn’t cover for that racist.
rickastleydancemoves says:
“Because middle-aged white conservatives that listen to and agree with Rush Limbaugh & Ann Coulter daily were sooo offended.”
No suspension for you. You’re fired immediately
Wow, except for actual live sporting events, does anybody even still watch the other shows on ESPN?
Racist dingbat deserved to go from the get-go.
Nice that people are starting to get……there is no such thing as “reverse-racism.” Racism is racism
It’s great when liberals lose to their own game.
Enough of the (somewhere) (somebody) is…………
lines.
Good first step. Now fire Bayless, Cowherd, Hoge, McShay, Kiper, Berman, and Jackson. Then MAYBE, just maybe, ESPN will have some integrity.
They had to make room on the roster for another arrogant, self righteous, on air personality. -Ray Lewis
Good move.
Dont give him any “pub” by printing his name. Just headline that an ignorant racist nobody became unemployed by makeing remarks offensive to all races colors or creeds.
howiehandles says:
Jan 8, 2013 4:17 PM
“This is a cop-out. Parker wasn’t fired outright, but rather his contract wasn’t renewed. There is a difference.”
Welcome to the corporate world. It’s easier for the employer, and makes them less likely to be sued for:
a. discrimination
b. wrongful termination
c. some other bs
He may not have been fired, but he was shown the door. Same difference.
————————————————
Actually, no, letting one’s contract expire is NOT the same as firing a person under contract. If you’ve ever worked under contract, you know these are drawn up for a specific period of time, and in many cases (in the real world at least) the contract is set to coincide with the end of the work for which the contracter was hired.
It may not be that way in broadcasting, but if not, that is because of a faulty perception on the part of the contractee.
That said, ESPN was gutless for not firing Parker outright. They choose the coward’s way out.
When keeping it real goes wrong! Bye bye Parker, my day just gets better.
30 days too late
look out the double standards are slowly going away.
ESPN isn’t spinning anything in any direction.
When someone’s contract comes up, you “fire” them by not renewing it.
They suspended him with the intention of renewing his contract after 30 days, and then reversed their decision and let him go, most likely due to his going back on his apology.
What did you want them to do, renew his contract just so they could “actually” fire him?
Its about time. Rob should never have been hired. How does ESPN hire someone who had zero credibility in his home market? As a columnist for the Detroit Free Press he got caught making up a story about Kirk Cousins getting in a fight with teammates (I believe supposedly over race). Too bad for Rob when all this supposedly happened Cousins was IN CHURCH with a couple hundred witnesses. Rob Parker – Zero Class, Zero Credibility, and now Zero Income.
Nice finally to see ESPN sees the racist aren’t always on the white side. To bad they don’t look into the entire show FIRST TAKE.
Good riddance to bad rubbish…
“…complaining that people took his “cornball brother” statement out of context.”
_____________________
Here’s a fun party game: Come up with a context where calling somebody that WON’T get you fired.
If Parker happened to be a caucasian, he’d have been escorted straight from the studio to the street after saying that.
Not much to add…….over 150 comments and not a single one that supports Parker. The only real question is what was ESPN thinking when they hired this idiot.
I would move Jemele Hill to the front of the line for ‘contract not renewed’.
She has got to go…
Great. Finally. Now if we could just get him off of Detroit TV doing sports on the weekends. What a train wreck.
I will only watch ESPN again if they put Troy Aikman on First Take so we can have a Jim Everett on Jim Rome style beatdown.
Thanks ESPN..Finally you fired a guy that has a brain that is outdated..He talks like he really misses the 18th Century
Some other network looking for a cheap ratings bump will probably hire this tool. These “commentators” don’t go away, they just get recycled to other networks.
yippee!
Now for Jamele Hill
Now if they would be consistent and fire Ed Werder for his Andy Reid fat joke he made on live TV.
This guy still doesn’t get it. Remember, his comments were taken out of context, after all.
At least he can be down and fight for the cause as a volunteer now.
Put Cowherd out to pasture, please.
I am not a Skip Bayless apologist, however it seems to me that Skip provokes and inflames passions, however he clearly does his homework and research and I surely would not call him a racist, whereas Parker stepped over THAT line with his remark. If people are saying Bayless can be obnoxious and aggravating, as well as exasperating, then I would say that is a fair observation, but racist, I don’t think so.
Fox Sports ain’t all at either guys.
Good riddance!
I find if funny who was actually offended by his comments because we were not. And just so you know, we have conversations like this alot. What Parker should have done was “keep it in the barbershop”. Then a certain segment of society would not have been “insulted”. As Kanye would say……I’m insulted that your insulted. BTW Before I get called a reverse racist, which sound dumb as heck, I like white people. I married one.
Yeah it is pretty hilarious that it seems white people are the most offended that one “brother” called another “brother” not black enough because of a white girlfriend. Before whites would have been offended that the “brother” dare date one. Crazy changing times.
Bayless and Steven A are “bomb throwers”. They were hired to get a reaction. They more contradictory to public opinion the better. Parker went beyond even ESPN’s limits. Pretty ironic this is posted by a network who’s sister network hires only “bomb throwers” for it’s political shows.
Does BET need a sportscaster?
Good. He was a corn ball bratha anyway. Don’t know if I’d hang out with him. Heard he hates white people and he a republican too! You know!? Pfft. Corn ball sucka!
Please……Please…… let Merril Hodge be next!!!!!
Excellent. It’s about time the black racist PIGS in this country quit getting a free pass to spew their hatred and venom on the public airwaves. It’s about time they are held accountable for their bigoted actions. Let this be a precedent. Hope he never finds another job except for sweeping floors. That’s about all this race baiter is qualified for.
Wowsa my Brotha, that $30 grand a month is going to be missed but guess what? You’re now in the “Cornball Brotha” unemployment line as well you should ya friggin racist.
Time to lose the suit and grow out the cornrows my misguided brother!
A brotha fired for comments about another brotha.. In this day and age thats something. Can;t say much concerning his companion.
Hey Rob: Congratulations for embodying the actual essence of racism by insisting someone believe and act in a stereotypical way simply based on the color of their skin. You are an Ass no matter what your skin color. Good luck in your job search, maybe the Black Panthers are hiring voting booth intimidators.
“Race” should never be an issue in sports news or commentary unless it refers to horse racing, vehicle racing, or track!
He should be fired. ESPN fired Rush Limbaugh for similar stupidity.
ESPN has been a subtle but significant contributor to the demise of our culture. Particilarily how they push their edgy “street” crap on impressionable young kids who tune in to watch sport highlights but are exposed to all sorts of overt racial insinuations on the telecasts. Good riddance Robert Parker. Too bad many of your ex co-workers and aren’t following you out the exit door.
I stopped watching ESPN some time ago – when I finally realized it was run by pissed off minorities, and liberal loonies with an agenda. Screw them.
I rarely watch espn. College games sometimes. If they fired that snob of an nfl “expert” who called Tebow a fraud…completely unfounded…I might watch.
I didn’t understand it when ESPN had only suspended Parker. I’m glad they corrected their error.
Happy happy joy joy! And I would be considered a “corn ball” brother by this now unemployed brother.
bojosatchmo says:
Jan 9, 2013 12:59 PM
Hey Rob: Congratulations for embodying the actual essence of racism by insisting someone believe and act in a stereotypical way simply based on the color of their skin. You are an Ass no matter what your skin color. Good luck in your job search, maybe the Black Panthers are hiring voting booth intimidators.
===========
The Black Panthers started school breakfast programs, and developed self defense and real political self-determination amid racism, and police brutality – the current version are frauds, and nowhere near the cultural importance and historic icon of the black experience in America.
He raised a valid point, but one that shouldnt be aired in an mixed company. Personally, I think he was scapegoated and the producers that re-aired that nonsense needed to get fired, too.
Dont worry, Stephen A. Smith is still there to light up people with provocative commentary, no matter how sensitive and in denial people are about race matters in this country.
Good Rob Parker was an idiot he should have been fired the day after he made those comments he wasn’t even entertaining to watch. As for Skip Bayless and Steven A Smith I don’t have a problem with them they are entertaining to watch.
IMO Parker doesn’t qualify for unemployment. He had a contract, it expired. End of employment.
It’s no different from a ballplayer’s contract expiring. Does Michael Bourn qualify for unemployment benefits right now, just because he hasn’t signed anywhere yet? No.
He was being provocative. Parker was also the least racist black commentator on ESPN period.
You sheep. You’ll never get it. For you, image IS everything.
Now, back to some obscure, third rate sports station in Detroit for the racist. Maybe he’ll have some luck finding some brothers who are down with the cause.