The commentator was criticized for remarks about Robert Griffin III.
ESPN has suspended Rob Parker for 30 days for his remarks regarding Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III.
During an episode of First Take last week, Parker started a panel discussion about whether RGIII was "a brother or a cornball brother." His commentary was widely criticized both by the public and some of the co-hosts during the show.
Parker issued an apology on Twitter and Marcia Keegan, VP of production at ESPN who oversees First Take, announced the suspension in a statement:
"Our review of the preparation for the show and the re-air has established that mistakes both in judgment and communication were made," Keegan said. "As a direct result, clearly inappropriate content was aired and then re-aired without editing. Both were errors on our part. To address this, we have enhanced the editorial oversight of the show and have taken appropriate disciplinary measures with the personnel responsible for these failures.
"We will continue to discuss important issues in sports on First Take, including race. Debate is an integral part of sports and we will continue to engage in it on First Take. However, we believe what we have learned here and the steps we have taken will help us do all that better."
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(Photo: Courtesy of ESPN/Press Handout)
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