For regular readers of FOT, you’ll notice that we have an affinity for the ESPN show Pardon The Interruption (PTI) where hosts Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon face-off during a half-hour show devoted to commenting on sports – basically it’s two knowledgeable (and funny) sports guys having an opinion of what’s going on each day in sports. For the most part, they say what’s on their mind, and try to make it interesting – we’ve modeled our own FOTv show after PTI.
Interestingly enough, PTI host Kornheiser was suspended by ESPN this past week for remarks he made about the wardrobe of fellow ESPN employee and SportsCenter host Hannah Storm. From the article:
ESPN has suspended host Tony Kornheiser from his television talk show “Pardon the Interruption” for two weeks for comments he made on the radio last week about SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm’s clothing…
…Kornheiser described an outfit Storm was wearing at ESPN last week as “horrifying,” saying her shirt was too tight and looked “like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body.”
Kornheiser said he had called Storm to personally apologize for the remarks.
“If you put a live microphone in front of somebody, eventually that person will say something wrong,” Kornheiser said on his show Tuesday. “This was one of the times I said something wrong.”
Storm declined to comment, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said.
ESPN has been troubled by a series of workplace issues involving alleged misconduct by its television personalities, though they have involved behavior off the air.
It’s an interesting dilemma we face in asking our people to have opinions. The dilemma is that once people get comfortable in giving their opinion, they move closer and closer to a gray area that can get them into trouble. Did what Tony do on PTI constitute a suspension? When it comes to workplace culture and how the organization wants to be viewed professionally, heck Yes! When it comes to workplace harassment, again, I would say the suspension is due. The problem I have is putting someone (Tony) into a position, where to get ratings he must have interesting, funny, strong opinions – and then disciplining him when such opinions come out. It reminds me of my favorite movie – A Few Good Men – when Jack Nicholson goes off on Tom Cruise about questioning the way he provides freedom -
It’s a classic Employee Relations issue that any HR Pro will face in their career, and probably multiple times. An employee trying to be entertaining, funny, interesting, etc., goes too far, steps over the line and says something that is hurtful and/or disparaging. As an HR Pro, the call is pretty simple. You must react, and weigh how damaging the remarks were to the individual, to the employee and to the culture – along knowing that the decision you make will be watched closely by the entire staff. Go too harsh or too light, and you risk mutiny by the troops in support of one or the other sides involved.
Context is everything in these issues – if Tony would have had Hannah co-hosting with him on the show when the comments were made, and she had a chance to retort about his awful appearance, do you think their would be a suspension involved? My guess is Tony and Hannah probably get along very well as professionals and have high respect for each other. I believe ESPN was appropriate in their response, they didn’t right ditch – left ditch this one as we sometimes do as HR Pros. They measured the response from internally and externally, made sure both parties were satisfied with the outcome, then executed the response. From an externals view point, looks like the HR Pros at ESPN did a pretty good job.
What do you think? Should ESPN have done more or less? And what was Hannah Storm thinking with that outfit?!
As everyone knows I’m a big Kornheiser fan. As a fan, that line was funny and truthful, but as an HR person, you’re right, he should never diss a co-worker in public. He did apologize to her personally and on-air and the initial suspension was 3 days and that would fine.
Then, ESPN extend the suspension to two weeks for “inappropriate comments” on Hannah Storm. Ok, so Tony said sorry immediately after, was off tv, which is fair, but now he gets two weeks? Something reeks there. Deadspin investigated and likely it was implied comments that Tony made towards Chris Berman, who ESPN really loves and eventually if anyone talks to him in vain, they get suspended which I think likely happened.
As for ESPN HR, if they gave Tony two weeks, what about suspending Mike Greenberg for his slip of the tongue on Martin Luther King Day or suspend Bill Simmons since he bashes ESPN on occasion? By the way, nothing happened in both situations.
IMO, ESPN worsen their problems with the two-week suspension.
ESPN is owned by Disney. Enough said.
Suspension is ridiculous and hypocritical, Storm’s attire rivals that of a redneck prostitute. Suspend me for that ESPN.
The dilemma is that once people get comfortable in giving their opinion, they move closer and closer to a Gray area that can get them into trouble. I know the phase that he did apologise to her personally and on-air and the initial suspension was 3 days and that would fine.My answer is that ESPN had done a great job over the years in the field of sports and entertainments.
The funny thing is that ESPN is an organization owned by Disney. I did an internship for them several years ago (worst experience of my life!) When you are a Disney employee if you are terminated it is on a red (not rehirable ever) or black (rehirable after 6 months) basis. There was an example of someone being red flagged by Disney that was not hirable by ESPN later in their career.
The question that I have is that if Disney is going to put a system like this in place, then how can they have “Lil Wayne” (currently encarcerated), Micheal Irvin, etc, etc as employees. It seems that even Disney will rewrite their HR policies for priveledged employees. Not to mention my personal belief is that Disney is the most corrupt company out there from what I witnessed as an employee I mean “cast member” thats how they avoid workplace law.