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ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Getting Sued
Harold Reynolds spent a little more than a decade as a second baseman in the majors, most of that time with the Seattle Mariners. After retiring, he moved over to ESPN as a baseball analyst and commentator. Apparently, he didn’t leave second base behind, because he was fired last July for alleged sexual harassment (see what I did there with the “second base” pun? It’s a good thing I’m the editor, or I could be fired for this kinda’ crap). Specifically, Reynolds allegedly gave an “inappropriate hug” to another ESPN employee during an outing at Outback Steakhouse (“come for the onion bloom, stay for the fondling!”). Reynolds, for his part, of course claims that it was a simple misunderstanding and apparently tried to get his ESPN job back.
Since that didn’t work out so well, he is now, of course, planning to sue the Worldwide Leader. In a public statement he says that he “tried everything possible to handle this situation quietly behind closed doors” but that “ESPN had no intention of solving this problem amicably.” ESPN of course stands by its decision to shitcan Reynolds and says that “[t]he suit is without merit.”
Reynolds was actually one of the few mouths on ESPN that I actually didn’t mind listening too, but I’m nevertheless rooting for ESPN here, strictly for entertainment value. If it turns out that Reynolds did, in fact, get a little grabby and inappropriate, it’s quite possible that this wasn’t the first time. Which means other incidents may come out during the lead-up to a trial (inevitably leaked “anonymously” by ESPN as a tactic to force settlement) and in these kind of cases, those past incidents can often be wildly entertaining (I’m remembering one sexual harassment case I worked on where there was a lot of hub-bub over little naked chocolate ladies - good times!). And I’m all about being entertained by lawsuits.
I can’t wait until “Behind the Lines: The Reynolds Incidents” airs. Or an over/under PTI segment on the number of incidents in Reynold’s past, wherein Wilbon will invariably take zero and be lambasted by Kornheiser, who will take some ridiculous number like forty-seven. Although what I’d really love to see is Gary Cole and Jason Bateman giving us a play-by-play of the depositions and trial on ESPN 8 “The Ocho.”
