The New York Post is reporting that MLB analyst and former Mets GM Steve Phillips has been suspended for one week by ESPN because of fallout from a Fatal Attraction kind of extramarital affair.
The Post's website has the statement Phillips, 46, made to police, and also one from his 40-year-old wife Marni, about alleged harassment from Brooke Hundley, a 22-year-old production assistant at ESPN.
It'd be shocking if it was his first offense, but seeing that he's been in this kind of trouble before makes you shake your head. I don't doubt he'll eventually be back, though.
Harold Reynolds got the boot for sexual harassment. I see nothing in the story linked to here to suggest any misbehavior on Phillips' part - it says he claims he had sex with a woman three times and then she became obsessed and started harassing him.
Also, while the New York Post is calling it a suspension, that's not what ESPN is saying (which is in the story linked to, but not included in the quoted portion).
Here is a link to the Post story, which really should have been the first link provided anyway. It only reiterates the impression that the younger woman is the person at fault here. Steve Phillips' extramarital affair is nobody's business.
Originally posted by TheBucsFanHere is a link to the Post story, which really should have been the first link provided anyway. It only reiterates the impression that the younger woman is the person at fault here. Steve Phillips' extramarital affair is nobody's business.
Amen. Why is this a "sports" or any other kind of story except for the young woman's actions?
Originally posted by TheBucsFanHere is a link to the Post story, which really should have been the first link provided anyway. It only reiterates the impression that the younger woman is the person at fault here. Steve Phillips' extramarital affair is nobody's business.
Amen. Why is this a "sports" or any other kind of story except for the young woman's actions?
Well, there is the long-standing tradition of sexual misconduct at the Four Letter. But then, probably no different on a certain level than most giant corportations, except the employees are on your tv all the time.
Originally posted by odessastepsWell, there is the long-standing tradition of sexual misconduct at the Four Letter. But then, probably no different on a certain level than most giant corportations, except the employees are on your tv all the time.
Although the 'worldwide leader' is stocked with a better-than-average percentage of ex-jocks, and when you find out that Larry freaking Bird turns out to be a baby daddy, I'm thinking this demographic may be a bit less... circumspect than the average group of corporate executives.
Originally posted by TheBucsFanHere is a link to the Post story, which really should have been the first link provided anyway. It only reiterates the impression that the younger woman is the person at fault here. Steve Phillips' extramarital affair is nobody's business.
On the one hand, it doesn't appear as though Phillips really broke any rules, and his personal business is his personal business. On the other hand, Steve Phillips is a horrible announcer, so axe away, ESPN! Now, just send one of those 22-year-old interns over to Joe Morgan's place and we'll be all set.
Kirk, crackers are a family food. Happy families. Maybe single people eat crackers, we don't know. Frankly, we don't want to know. It's a market we can do without.
I certainly wonder why anyone thought this was news as well, but ESPN is well within their right to discipline Phillips as they see fit. As an on-air personality, he represents ESPN in the public eye and if ESPN thinks his conduct (whether or not it was newsworthy) damages the company's image, the WWL could axe him in an instant without worry of legal repercussions.
Reason why this is news is the New York papers had a field day on Philips when he was sued for sexual harassment when he was GM of the Metropolitans, so his having issues again allowed them to go for blood again. Will settle for someone sending livestock to Joe Morgan's room in order to get rid of him. Wouldn't want to subject a person to that situation.
Originally posted by The Daily NewsESPN fires Steve Phillips after ex-Mets GM admits affair with production assistant Brooke Hundley
BY Oren Yaniv DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, October 25th 2009, 8:17 PM
An affair with his young assistant cost ESPN analyst Steve Phillips his job.
The sports cable network fired the baseball analyst Sunday after he admitted to bedding 22-year-old producer Brooke Hundley.
Phillips' ability to work as an effective analyst was "significantly and irreparably damaged," said ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz.
A one-time Mets general manger, Phillips, 46, joined ESPN in 2004 as a "Baseball Tonight" talking head and this year was promoted to provide color commentary in the networks premier broadcast "Sunday Night Baseball."
Phillips took a leave of absence Wednesday after revelations of the affair surfaced earlier this week.
In a statement, he said, "I am deeply sorry that I have put my family and colleagues through this."
A police report filed in Wilton, Conn., said Hundley repeatedly called his wife after the affair ended and sent her a letter describing intimate locations of Phillips' birthmarks.
I just enjoy that last paragraph for some reason. Also, there's a photo!
I gotta say, I'm really not understanding how this would damage his effectiveness as an analyst - or whatever bullshit they said up there. I guess "we're doing it to try to avoid the PR backlash we're already getting, and it won't work" is too on the nose to say? ;-)
Originally posted by Brooke Hundley and to top it off Steve has a big birthmark on his crotch right above his penis and one on his left inner thigh, so you know I'm not being fake.
That's an... interesting choice of a mistress. I thought when old(er) rich guys cheated on their wives with younger women it was always all about what they got in the looks department.
That's an... interesting choice of a mistress. I thought when old(er) rich guys cheated on their wives with younger women it was always all about what the got in the looks department.
- StingArmy
(edited by StingArmy on 27.10.09 0402)
Well, it's a workplace relationship. Thinking about infidelity in the workplace, I've got her, Monica Lewinski, Rielle Hunter (John Edwards' mistress), and Shania Twain's husband's mistress. None of them are particularly attractive.
I'm no psychologist, but I think in those cases the guys is looking for some kind of a "workplace friends with benefits" situation, while the woman thinks that the two of them have something special together. Which they don't.