Embarrassment at ESPN, The Sarah Phillips Saga

It should come as no surprise that ESPN hired a piece of eye candy as a columnist who is allegedly scamming people on the Internet. Whatever integrity ESPN has had, journalistic or otherwise has been eroding for a long time.

From their excessive, year round coverage of the NFL because they pay the NFL the most money in broadcast rights while practically ignoring the NHL which turned it’s back on the World Wide Leader. Their ‘coverage’ of Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin needs no elaboration here. This is a network that has Skip Bayliss on every day while letting Scott Van Pelt’s contract expire.

ESPN has became a marketing company for its properties with conflicts of interest everywhere. Substance hasn’t been a consideration in Bristol for a long time. There are hundreds of people more qualified to write a column than Sarah Phillips ever was. With ESPN appearing to do hardly any vetting of it’s “freelance columnist” it just shows what little standards ESPN has.

Phillips was promptly fired when the Deadspin article broke. It wouldn’t be surprising if the people who hired her in the first place are as well. ESPN has fired editors for less embarrassing episodes in the past.