Doug Adler, broadcaster suing ESPN after he was fired for Venus Williams ‘guerrilla’ comment, says network ‘killed me’
BYJAKE BECKER
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, August 25, 2017, 9:54 AM
Doug Adler says ESPN destroyed his career.
(EARL GIBSON III/GETTY IMAGES)
file a wrongful termination suitagainst ESPN earlier this year after the network fired him for describing Venus Williams’ strategy for charging the net as “the guerrilla effect.”
In an interview that aired Friday on the Today Show, the tennis announcer said ESPN ruined his career when it caved to social media pressure following his comments during Williams’ Australian Open match in January.
“They didn't have good cause and I didn't do anything wrong,” Adler said. “They killed me, they made me unemployable. They ended my career, they killed my reputation, my good name. What else was I supposed to do?”
While calling the contest between Williams, who is African-American, and Stefanie Voegele, Adler said, “You see Venus move in and put the guerrilla effect on ... charging.”
Adler said “guerrilla” was misinterpreted as “gorilla,” but many on social media quickly accused him of racism, which he said he didn’t hear about until the next day. Adler quickly apologized, but ESPN responded by firing him. He filed the suit in February after a nine-year tenure with the network.
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“They killed me. They made me unemployable.” –Doug Adler on ESPN lawsuit
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In a statement to the Today Show, ESPN said Adler’s poor choice of words was the reason for the firing.
“Adler made an inappropriate reference to Venus Williams for which he felt no apology was necessary,” the network said. “We disagree and stand 100 percent behind our decision to remove him from the 2017 Australian Open.”
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Adler, however, said bigger names would have not received the same treatment.
“It would not have happened to John McEnroe, it would not have happened to Martina Navratilova,” he said. “They would've put the time, the energy and the resources into defending those people because they did nothing wrong.”
Venus Williams.
(AARON FAVILA/AP)
The pressure, Adler said, got to him as well. He said he spent 20 hours a day with “no food, no sleep, obsessed and passionate to get my name back and my reputation.” Hesuffered a heart attacktwo weeks after filing the suit.
FOX Sports Radio’s Clay Travis reported at the time that Adler’s doctors said ESPN was partly to blame for his health problems.
Travis was incidentally the first to reportanother controversysurrounding ESPN and one of its broadcasters that emerged earlier this week. The network pulled announcer Robert Lee from covering a Virginia football game this season because he shares the same name as former Confederate general Robert E. Lee. After facing criticism for the decision, ESPN president John Skippersimilary defendedthe move in an internal memo to network employees.
BYJAKE BECKER
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, August 25, 2017, 9:54 AM
- Tweet
Doug Adler says ESPN destroyed his career.
(EARL GIBSON III/GETTY IMAGES)
file a wrongful termination suitagainst ESPN earlier this year after the network fired him for describing Venus Williams’ strategy for charging the net as “the guerrilla effect.”
In an interview that aired Friday on the Today Show, the tennis announcer said ESPN ruined his career when it caved to social media pressure following his comments during Williams’ Australian Open match in January.
“They didn't have good cause and I didn't do anything wrong,” Adler said. “They killed me, they made me unemployable. They ended my career, they killed my reputation, my good name. What else was I supposed to do?”
While calling the contest between Williams, who is African-American, and Stefanie Voegele, Adler said, “You see Venus move in and put the guerrilla effect on ... charging.”
Adler said “guerrilla” was misinterpreted as “gorilla,” but many on social media quickly accused him of racism, which he said he didn’t hear about until the next day. Adler quickly apologized, but ESPN responded by firing him. He filed the suit in February after a nine-year tenure with the network.
Follow
TODAY✔@TODAYshow“Why did you file the lawsuit?” -@MLauer
“They killed me. They made me unemployable.” –Doug Adler on ESPN lawsuit
7:52 AM - Aug 25, 2017
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In a statement to the Today Show, ESPN said Adler’s poor choice of words was the reason for the firing.
“Adler made an inappropriate reference to Venus Williams for which he felt no apology was necessary,” the network said. “We disagree and stand 100 percent behind our decision to remove him from the 2017 Australian Open.”
PAID CONTENT BYDEL MONTE
Sweet Pea Pesto Pasta
Adler, however, said bigger names would have not received the same treatment.
“It would not have happened to John McEnroe, it would not have happened to Martina Navratilova,” he said. “They would've put the time, the energy and the resources into defending those people because they did nothing wrong.”
Venus Williams.
(AARON FAVILA/AP)
The pressure, Adler said, got to him as well. He said he spent 20 hours a day with “no food, no sleep, obsessed and passionate to get my name back and my reputation.” Hesuffered a heart attacktwo weeks after filing the suit.
FOX Sports Radio’s Clay Travis reported at the time that Adler’s doctors said ESPN was partly to blame for his health problems.
Travis was incidentally the first to reportanother controversysurrounding ESPN and one of its broadcasters that emerged earlier this week. The network pulled announcer Robert Lee from covering a Virginia football game this season because he shares the same name as former Confederate general Robert E. Lee. After facing criticism for the decision, ESPN president John Skippersimilary defendedthe move in an internal memo to network employees.
but realtalk these CACS have no respect 4 us even when we best them @ everthing, but backwards blessing
