ESPN Suspends Jemele Hill for Another Social Media Policy Violation

Jemele Hill has been suspended by ESPN for a second violation of the Disney-owned cable channel’s social media guidelines.

The “SportsCenter” anchor used Twitter to call for a boycott of Dallas Cowboys-advertisers after team owner Jerry Jones demanded his players stand for the national anthem or be benched. That didn’t go over well with her employer.

“Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for a second violation of our social media guidelines,” ESPN said in a statement. “She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues and company do with an impulsive tweet.”

That line referred to her calling President Trump a “white supremacist” a few weeks back. She had some unkind things to say about his supporters, as well, though Hill got off with just a warning.

“In the aftermath, all employees were reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences,” the Monday statement continued. “Hence this decision.”

Also Read: ESPN Accused of Double Standard for Not Benching Jemele Hill Over Calling Trump a 'White Supremacist'

Here are some of the tweets Hill sent out on Sunday that landed her in hot water, in chronological order:

Don't ask Dak, Dez & other Cowboys players to protest. A more powerful statement is if you stop watching and buying their merchandise.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

Or, how about not patronizing the advertisers who support the Cowboys? You can watch and do that, right? https://t.co/duPNqxFta7

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

This play always work. Change happens when advertisers are impacted. If you feel strongly about JJ's statement, boycott his advertisers. https://t.co/LFXJ9YQe74

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

The “JJ” in question above is Jones, if you couldn’t do that math.

If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers. Don't place the burden squarely on the players. https://t.co/Gc48kchkuv

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

Also Read: ESPN Chief John Skipper Says Network 'Is Not a Political Organization'

Today, Hill walked her day-ago tweets back a bit:

Just so we're clear: I'm not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

Also Read: ESPN Scolds Jemele Hill for Calling Trump a 'White Supremacist,' But Stays Mum on Discipline

It seems worth pointing out that ESPN is a key business partner of the National Football League, and the Cowboys are the league’s most valuable franchise. Dallas was recently on the network’s “Monday Night Football,” which drew huge TV ratings.

As a matter of fact, that was the very week the “Star-Spangled Banner” boycott was at its buzziest. Before their national anthem opportunity, Jones and his team kneeled together, locking arms. They stood for the actual song.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick started to #TakeAKnee last August, when he began quietly sitting out the national anthem in protest of racism and police brutality in this country. The whole thing exploded this season when Donald Trump called for protesting NFL players to be released from their teams.

ESPN Stars That Jumped to Fox Sports, From Erin Andrews to Tom Rinaldi (Photos)

ESPN may be synonymous with sports, but plenty of stars have added Fox Sports to their resume. Have a look at some the big names.
Skip Bayless
The outspoken sports columnist and "First Take" analyst still ranks as ESPN's highest-profile defection when he bailed in 2016. He co-hosts "Skip and Shannon" with Shannon Sharpe on Fox Sports 1.
Fox Sports
Chris Broussard
The longtime NBA analyst joined Fox Sports in 2016. He's a regular panelist on "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" and co-hosts "The Odd Couple" with Rob Parker for Fox Sports radio.
ESPN
Colin Cowherd
The sports anchor fled ESPN in 2015 and now hosts "The Herd" on FS1. He also co-hosted "Speak for Yourself" alongside Jason Whitlock for a short period.
ESPN
Chris Spielman
A former NFL All-Pro, Spielman worked at ESPN for years but now has a gig as a game analyst for Fox NFL.
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Shannon Spake
An experienced sidelines reporter, Spake hustled for ESPN for 10 years but switched to Fox in 2016 where she covers NASCAR, college football and basketball.
Rob Parker
The former member of ESPN's "First Take" followed Bayless to his new show, "Undisputed," where he appears as a regular panelist, along with co-hosting "The Odd Couple" with Broussard.
Emmanuel Acho
After serving as a college football analyst for ESPN's Longhorn Network and ESPN2 for a couple of years, Acho joined FS1 in 2020 to co-host "Speak for Yourself."
Adam Amin
Amin, who moonlights as the Chicago Bulls' play-by-play announcer, left ESPN for Fox Sports in May 2020. Amin will call NFL games with fellow former ESPN-er Mark Schlereth this season.
Erin Andrews
Andrews has been with Fox Sports since 2012, following eight years with ESPN. She often gets the most high-profile sideline reporting gigs, including the Super Bowl and World Series.
Lindsay Czarniak
Czarniak left ESPN in 2017 and resurfaced at Fox two years later, where she hosts studio coverage for NASCAR and does sideline reporting duty for NFL games as part of the Amin-Schlereth broadcast team.
JP Dellacamera
Dellacamera followed soccer when World Cup rights moved from ESPN to Fox starting in 2018.
Mike Hill
Hill left ESPN for Fox in 2013 during the early days of FS1, where he guest-hosted "Fox Sports Live" and "Fox Football Daily." He currently hosts "The Mike and Donny Show" for Fox Soul.
Alexi Lalas
As with Dellacamera, Lalas followed the World Cup from ESPN to Fox.
Rob Stone
Another soccer defector, Stone also hosts college football and Professional Bowlers' Association coverage.
Charissa Thompson
Thompson was among FS1's debut hosts in 2013 with the short-lived "Fox Sports Live." She currently hosts' Fox pre pre-game NFL show "Fox NFL Kickoff."
Sara Walsh
Walsh left ESPN in 2017 and joined Fox a year later, where she serves as an NFL reporter and a studio host for NASCAR coverage.
Kevin Wildes
A longtime producer for ESPN, Wildes stepped in front of the camera when he moved to Fox in early 2020. He appears on FS1's morning show, "First Things First."
Marcellus Wiley
Wiley joined “Speak for Yourself” in September 2018 following years as part of ESPN's NFL coverage.
Joe Davis
Known as "the guy who had to replace Vin Scully" calling Los Angeles Dodgers games, Davis had a brief two-year run with ESPN and now does play-by-play work for MLB and NFL games on Fox.
Mark Schlereth
Schlereth was a mainstay on ESPN's "NFL Live" but will now get to show his broadcasting chops on Fox this season.
Brock Huard
Huard had a variety of TV and radio gigs with ESPN, and joined Fox's College Football team in 2019.
Jonathan Vilma
The former New Orleans Saints linebacker joined Fox in June 2020 to work on its NFL games after a few years as part of ESPN's college football crew.
Cris Carter
Carter first joined Fox Sports in 2016 and had hosted "First Things First," alongside Nick Wright since 2017, but it was a short tenure. He left Fox Sports in late 2019, reportedly after he had an outburst with higher-ups over not being part of the network's "Thursday Night Football" coverage.
CBS Sports
Jamie Horowitz
Initially a splashy hire that might have been responsible for many of these talent defections, his Fox tenure came to an unglamorous end when he was fired in 2017 over claims of sexual harassment. He has since landed at DAZN, which is led by former ESPN boss John Skipper.
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Jason Whitlock
Speaking of Whitlock, the ex-ESPN sportswriter's tenure with FS1 came to end in 2020 when the two couldn't agree on a new contract. He has since resurfaced at Clay Travis' Outkick The Coverage.
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Tom Rinaldi
Tom Rinaldi, who has won 16 Sports Emmy Awards and seven Edward R. Murrow Awards, has covered every major sporting event in his impressive career. Rinaldi is perhaps best known as the storyteller and interviewer at golf major The Masters.
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