Words by Shurida Lundi
One of ESPN’s most controversial anchors, Jemele Hill, has been suspended for two weeks for her tweets about Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones. Jones stated that any player who disrespects the American flag will not be able to play. By disrespecting the flag, he meant if players did not stand for the national anthem. Hill responded to Jones’ comments by saying, “Jerry Jones also has created a problem for his players, specifically the black ones. If they don’t kneel, some will see them as sellouts.” She continued her thoughts and stated, “If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers. Don’t place the burden squarely on the players.”
This isn’t the first time Hill’s tweets sparked controversy. Not too long ago, she was under scrutiny when she tweeted that President Trump was a “white supremacist” and he was “the most ignorant, offensive president”. At that time, she did apologize for her actions and deeply regretted the way ESPN was portrayed and that her opinions were personal. Her apology was accepted by ESPN.
Many people are very upset about Jemele Hill’s suspension and took their thoughts to Twitter to express their anger. Co-founder of The Soze Agency, Michael Skolnik, tweeted “Don’t suspend Jemele Hill. Impeach Donald Trump.” Reverend Al Sharpton tweeted “ESPN’s suspension of Jemele Hill is an outrage and should NOT go unanswered. ESPN and advertisers will hear from us.”
We do not know if Hill will be paid during her suspension. This will be the second time she has been suspended. Back in 2008, she compared Boston Celtic fans to Nazis and was suspended for those comments as well.
