ESPN Fires Headline Writer, Suspends Anchor For Offensive Jeremy Lin Puns

Anthony Federico, the fired ESPN editor who used the headline "Chink In The Armor" to describe a turnover-filled game for New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin on Friday, explained himself in a story in the New York Daily News that ran Monday morning.

Federico said he wasn't trying to make a joke when he wrote the final headline of his shift that night.

"This had nothing to do with me being cute or punny. I'm so sorry that I offended people. I'm so sorry if I offended Jeremy."

Lin says that he's also over the gaffe, deciding to forgive and forget rather than make a big deal about the incident.

"They've apologized, and so from my end, I don't care anymore. You have to learn to forgive, and I don't even think that was intentional."

ESPN also supsended anchor Max Bretos for making a similar comment on the air.

ESPN has fired one employee and suspended another 30 days for the use of the phrase "chink in the armor" when referencing Jeremy Lin's struggles during the New York Knicks' loss on Friday, Feb. 17. The company also apologized for a radio commentator who made another undisclosed offensive comment on ESPN Radio New York, but noted that the commentator was not an ESPN employee.

ESPN announced the punishments in a statement Sunday morning:

At ESPN we are aware of three offensive and inappropriate comments made on ESPN outlets during our coverage of Jeremy Lin.

Saturday we apologized for two references here. We have since learned of a similar reference Friday on ESPN Radio New York. The incidents were separate and different. We have engaged in a thorough review of all three and have taken the following action:

• The ESPN employee responsible for our Mobile headline has been dismissed.
• The ESPNEWS anchor has been suspended for 30 days.
• The radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

We again apologize, especially to Mr. Lin. His accomplishments are a source of great pride to the Asian-American community, including the Asian-American employees at ESPN. Through self-examination, improved editorial practices and controls, and response to constructive criticism, we will be better in the future.

The phrase "chink in the armor" was used as a headline below a picture of Lin, an Asian-American, for approximately 30 minutes on ESPN's mobile site following the Knicks' loss on Feb. 17.

Earlier in the week on Feb. 15, ESPNEWS anchor Max Bretos used the same phrase while asking Walt Frazier a question about Lin on live television. Bretos issued an apology on Twitter, saying his choice of words was never meant to be offensive:

Wanted 2 apologize 2 all those I have upset. Not done with any racial reference. Despite intention,phrase was inappropriate in this context.

— Max Bretos (@mbretosESPN) February 19, 2012

My wife is Asian, would never intentionally say anything to disrespect her and that community.

— Max Bretos (@mbretosESPN) February 19, 2012

I have learned from this will make every effort to avoid something similar happening again.

— Max Bretos (@mbretosESPN) February 19, 2012

The "Chink In The Armor" headline that ran on the ESPN Mobile platforms late Friday night into early Saturday morning, appearing for roughly half an hour, probably needs a bit more explanation. The headline drew widespread reaction Saturday morning, ranging from shock to shrugged shoulders. Some couldn't believe a headline containing such a loaded word ran on a prominent sports news site, while others felt the term was just a figure of speech.

If you missed it, this was the mobile headline.

via

Right away, the problem is apparent. Plastered across the landing page is a photo of Jeremy Lin. The first word a reader sees underneath the photo is "chink." This is absolutely a problem and there's no excuse for it.

Late Friday night, I wrote about the offensive headline and said, "This was unintentional -- it had to be unintentional." This was less a declaration and more a hope that whoever wrote the headline did so without realizing the meaning and offensive nature of it. At best, it was an innocent mistake. At worst, it was a blatant attempt to squeeze a racial epithet into a headline. And somewhere it between, it may have been an effort to create a headline with a double meaning that the writer thought was funny.

We're flying blind here, and the hope is ESPN will open a window into the editorial process to explain what happened. Because the headline writer is anonymous, assuming intent is akin to taking a shot in the dark. We also have no idea what the staffing was like or how many checks and balances there were at the time, though we can safely assume far less than on a normal, mid-day shift.

There is context to this all, as well. A "Chink In The Armor?" headline ran on a 2008 story about Team USA's Beijing Olympics journey. On Wednesday, an ESPN commentator used the phrase while asking Walt Frazier a question about Lin. At one point, the video was on ESPN's website, but it was pulled before Friday night, as far as I can tell. I know where it was, but could not find it again. That it seems to have been scrubbed shows there was some kind of awareness about the phrase and its meaning.

But intent probably doesn't matter here. The fact of the matter is the headline should've never ran in the first place. Whether it was an attempt to shock, be humorous, or blatantly jab at Lin's heritage simply doesn't matter. It was wrong.

ESPN has apologized for both the headline and the on-air statement, and that's a start. Editor-in-Chief Rob King even tweeted about the headline, saying it was "indefensible." The swift response should be commended, even if the headline should've never ran in the first place.

Finally, Jon Bois has the best take on the Jeremy Lin phenomenon and what we can all learn about the casual, and perhaps not-so-casual, racism bubbling underneath it all.

The primary objective of this conversation isn't to go around calling people racist and trying to make them feel like shit. It's to encourage people to critically assess their words and demonstrations. Racism can manifest itself in a thousand different ways. "I hate _____ people" is only one of them.

There is an opportunity to learn and grow here. It's unfortunate the opportunity presented itself under such unfortunate circumstances, but there are serious conversations that can be borne out of the incident.