ESPN fires Harold Reynolds

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Just an FYI, and I didn't think he did a bad job on Baseball Tonight.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/espn_fires_reynolds_sports_andrew_marchand.htm

[Obstructed_View]

Well we know he didn't say "fuck" on the air because you don't get in trouble for that at ESPN.

[2centsworth]

I thought Harold was fantastic.

[Marklar MM]

ESPN is going down the shitter...but that is just my opinion.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

What the hell?

This sucks...I think he gives great analysis.

What's weird is I was reading ESPN's ombudsman's column from last month recently and he had nothing but high praise for Harold.

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

I don't understand ESPN sometimes. They fired Gary Miller for pissing out of a second-story window but they keep Irvin after hitting the pipe.

I wonder what Harold did...

[leemajors]

weird, i am interested to see what the details were when they leak.

[johngateswhiteley]

WTF!!! ...he was the face of baseball tonight...???

[degenerate_gambler]

Hope he didn't pull a Gary Miller, the former host of ESPN's Baseball Tonite.

[usckk]

WTF? ESPN is going down hill.

[TxJudsonRocketTx]

Fire Reynolds and keep Kruk? This really blows, he was the only one on that show I could ever stand listening to or watching.
Maybe he made a sex tape

[G0D]

if you guys want me to tell you why, just ask...

[daflash3]

y did he get fired

if you guys want me to tell you why, just ask...

[G0D]

y did he get fired

ESPN is racist and orestes estrada will be fired on september 4, 2006

[Phenomanul]

I thought he did a splendid job... who, knows what happened though.

I will be curious to know 'the reason' behind this unexpected decision was whenever the details leak out.

[atlfan25]

A rumor from this site says it's sexual harrassment.

http://www.deadspin.com/sports/top/was-this-why-harold-got-the-axe-189733.php

[T-Pain]

WTF???? Harold is the shit!!! how can you fire him?

[timvp]

Man first Gammons now Reynolds.

Can baseball die any quicker?

[Melmart1]

Did you guys read the latest update to the blog link that atlfan posted? Here it is:

(UPDATE: Another reader, with "contacts on the inside," refutes the sexual harassment whispers: "Anyone who is saying sexual harassment either has been given bad third-hand info or is lying. Harold has had a couple of rather heated arguments with the producers at "Baseball Tonight," and some of the suits at ESPN over the program's coverage of Alex Rodriguez. At the last production meeting, when it was made clear they were going to really play up the A-Rod angle during coverage of the Yankees-Texas series, Harold had a colossal meltdown, which led to his dismissal. The sexual harassment allegations are even more laughable when you consider that he is being replaced by Steve Phillips -- a man who has never met a skirt he wouldn't chase and who was caught in one of the more embarrassing front office sexual harassment scandals in MLB history."

True? Not true? This, like the rest of it, just reinforces our point: We don't know. And the longer ESPN pretends like nothing happened, like they're a corner shop with three employees, believing this stuff can possibly remain private, the more talk there will be. Still, this is the lone "it's not sexual harassment email" we've received.)

[tlongII]

This sucks. Harold is from Corvallis, Oregon so of course I like to hear him on-air.

[T-Pain]

well its been confirmed on sportscenter, hes officially out.

[FreshPrince22]

Fucking stupid. He was my favorite of all the baseball analysts.

[Beer is Good]

Damn Shame. You're gonna tell me that ESPN is gonna keep that shitty ass Joe Morgan who says the stupidist shit during the games and can Harold Reynolds? He was the only one worth watching on ESPN in regards to baseball. What's next, are they gonna can Boomer from NFL Primetime? You keep talent like HR, I don't care how many skirts he chases. Like they all don't try to get the ass?

[T-Pain]

from ESPN.com

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Harold Reynolds, a baseball analyst with ESPN since 1996, is no longer with the network, the company confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

ESPN offered no further comment.

Reynolds, a member of the "Baseball Tonight" team for 11 years, made his last appearance on the show Sunday night, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said Tuesday.

Reynolds, who played 12 major league seasons with the Mariners, Orioles and Angels, joined ESPN in 1996. In addition to his work on "Baseball Tonight," the former Gold Glove-winning second baseman also covered the College World Series and the Little League World Series for the network.


that fuckin sucks. I hope ESPN Baseball Tonight ratings plummet.

[timvp]

I'm just waiting for the crack rumors to surface :rolleyes

[violentkitten]

how many substances do you think rob dibble and john kruk have abused?

[cecil collins]

Damn Shame. You're gonna tell me that ESPN is gonna keep that shitty ass Joe Morgan who says the stupidist shit during the games and can Harold Reynolds? He was the only one worth watching on ESPN in regards to baseball. What's next, are they gonna can Boomer from NFL Primetime? You keep talent like HR, I don't care how many skirts he chases. Like they all don't try to get the ass?
Joe Morgan is pretty damn good. I like Harold too, but Joe Morgan knows his stuff. Chris Berman is a hack

[slayermin]

That is a damn shame. HR used to be horrible when he first started. But now, he's as polished an analyst as there is. I am sure he won't have any problems finding another job.

Man, I loved those commercials ESPN spoofing the Bad News Bears and A League of Their Own. Didn't HR do the "there's no crying in baseball" rant? That was hilarious.

[Beer is Good]

Joe Morgan is pretty damn good. I like Harold too, but Joe Morgan knows his stuff. Chris Berman is a hack
You've gotta be kidding. Joe Morgan was a great player, but his commentating skills are horrible and he makes the wrong calls 1/2 the time. He always goes off on a rant about how this player should do this in a certain situation and it's mostly wrong. I've heard him say - "well, I thought that was what they were gonna do" I dont know how many times. You know why? Because he makes shit calls that don't make any sense. Joe - you know 2nd base. That's all. Leave the rest to someone else.

About Berman... yeah, he's a hack as far as football goes but he's THE FACE of Primetime and his delivery along with TJ is what keeps people watching. He annoys me after a while, but you can't dispute his ratings.

[Pistons < Spurs]

ACCUSED OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT

REYNOLDS WANTS ESPN JOB BACK


July 26, 2006 -- After being accused of sexual harassment and fired by ESPN, former "Baseball Tonight" analyst Harold Reynolds said yesterday he doesn't think he did anything wrong and is still hoping to regain his job.

"This was a total misunderstanding," Reynolds told The Post. "My goal is to sit down and get back. To be honest with you, I gave a woman a hug and I felt like it was misinterpreted."

Reynolds declined to give any more details. The woman who accused Reynolds of the sexual harassment is an ESPN co-worker, according to sources.

Yesterday, ESPN confirmed The Post's report that Reynolds had been fired, but they would not comment any further.

"He no longer works here," ESPN VP Josh Krulewitz said.

Still, Reynolds is hopeful ESPN executives will change their minds. Besides being with the network for 11 years, Reynolds had just signed a new six-year contract to remain in Bristol and he recently got married.

Reynolds limited his comments, because he didn't want to go into too many details for fear of saying something that could hurt his chances of reversing ESPN's decision.

Reynolds, 45, started with ESPN after a 12-year major league career.

ESPN has been vigilant about sexual harassment because it reportedly has been a problem in Bristol for years. In 2000, the book "ESPN: The Uncensored History" reported rampant cases of harassment of women. Most prominently mentioned was Mike Tirico, who was even suspended at one point.

Tirico, though, never was fired and now is one of the main faces of the network. This fall, he will be ESPN's new voice for "Monday Night Football." Since the book's release, ESPN has denied its validity.

ESPN is known for giving its top on-air employees warnings. There are many cases where ESPN executives have chosen to provide on-air personnel with second chances.

Last NFL season, Michael Irvin was charged with a misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Despite Irvin's past problems, he was only suspended for a weekend and that was mostly because he did not immediately report the incident to ESPN executives.

Earlier this baseball season, Rick Sutcliffe conducted a rambling on-air interview while intoxicated. Sutcliffe was only suspended for one game.

Without Reynolds, "Baseball Tonight" will continue to have an unfamiliar look. The show was already dealing with the loss of its other fixture, Peter Gammons, who suffered a brain aneurysm last month. Gammons is recovering nicely, but is not scheduled to return soon.

Karl Ravech is still the show's main host. He will be joined by the other mainstay, John Kruk, on most nights. Ex-Mets GM Steve Phillips, who already was seeing more time in place of Gammons, figures to become an even more integral part of the program.

ESPN also can call on Orel Hershiser, Jeff Brantley, Tino Martinez, Orestes Destrades, Tim Kurkjian and Buster Olney as replacements for Reynolds.

"We'll get contributions from everybody from our deep commentator pool," Krulewitz said.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/accused_of_sexual_harassment_sports_andrew_marchan d.htm

[Pistons < Spurs]

Harold Reynolds Update: Outback Steakhouse, an Inappropriate Hug, and a Termination

So after a few hours of digging, and kicking over a few rocks, here’s what we’re hearing about the termination of ESPN baseball analyst Harold Reynolds, who worked at the Worldwide Leader for 11 years until Monday: All the stories you’re reading over at Deadspin are accurate: Reynolds was a skirt-chasing cad, and last weekend, says a source, he reached an unfortunate tipping point.

Over the weekend, Reynolds allegedly took a PA for a meal at Outback Steakhouse. Afterward, he hugged her in a way that may have been deemed inappropriate. Apparently, the PA felt weirded out, and decided to file a complaint.

When the complaint was lodged, it became evident to ESPN brass that Reynolds had a massive file full of complaints of this nature. Supposedly, he was terminated sometime Monday morning.

While we’re hearing plenty of swell stories about the former Mariners second baseman, the sexual harassment claims are quite serious, and extremely unfortunate, because as we said earlier, we enjoyed his work on Baseball Tonight.

http://thebiglead.com/?p=714

[2centsworth]

Good work Pistons<Spurs.

[Pistons < Spurs]

Reynolds gets axed by ESPN
BY NEIL BEST
Newsday Staff Writer

July 26, 2006

Harold Reynolds, one of ESPN's most visible analysts and a longtime panelist on "Baseball Tonight," has left the network in the wake of one or more incidents of sexual harassment.

An ESPN spokeswoman yesterday confirmed Reynolds' departure but repeatedly declined to provide a reason for it.

Three people who work at ESPN and were familiar with the case said the cause was a pattern of sexual harassment, apparently culminating in a recent incident involving one of the network's young production assistants.

Reynolds, a major-leaguer for 12 seasons before joining ESPN in 1996, did not appear on "Baseball Tonight" on Monday after having worked the Sunday show, during which he and fellow analyst Steve Phillips suggested the Yankees trade Alex Rodriguez.

Harassment charges are nothing new at ESPN, which operates out of a sprawling "campus" in relatively isolated Bristol, Conn., and employs many production assistants in their early 20s. The network has an extensive program of education and sensitivity regarding gender issues and an elaborate system for pursuing claims of sexual harassment.

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, a former ESPN host, told The New York Observer in 2004 he had testified in "three or four major cases at ESPN."

Among the prominent ESPN personalities accused of improper behavior in the past is Mike Tirico, who will debut as the play-by-play man for "Monday Night Football" in the coming season. He was suspended by ESPN in 1992 for what were reported at the time to be allegations of sexual harassment. Another host, Jason Jackson, was fired in 2002, reportedly for harassment.

In addition to "Baseball Tonight" Reynolds, 45, who is married and has an infant daughter, worked as a game analyst for the Little League World Series and College World Series.

Reynolds was very popular personally among ESPN staffers, many of whom were shocked by his dismissal.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/ny-spharold264829669jul26,0,1609782.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

[Kori Ellis]

Well that sucks if he was actually harrassing anyone.

But with the things people consider harrassment these days, who knows.

What's an inappropriate hug? He grabbed her ass or something, or she just felt like it was too close?

[DisgruntledLionFan#54,927]

Maybe he was still holding his bat when he gave the hug...

[tlongII]

Maybe he had a roll of quarters in his pocket?

[Beer is Good]

So this girl is gonna go to dinner with him and then turn him in for giving her a "hug" after dinner? BS. Either she's full of shit or HR really grabbed hold of the goods.

[Obstructed_View]

Well that sucks if he was actually harrassing anyone.

But with the things people consider harrassment these days, who knows.

What's an inappropriate hug? He grabbed her ass or something, or she just felt like it was too close?
The key point in this is the word "pattern". Typically companies allow for a mistake or a misunderstanding, but once the evidence that someone hasn't learned their lessson begins to pile up, the liability becomes way too big for the company to keep the employee. No company wants a pattern sexual harasser working for their company, because the company can be considered complicit for not terminating the employee should something happen down the road.

[T-Pain]

Maybe he had a roll of quarters in his pocket?
:lmao



I say we email to ESPN to get his job back. That guy was the shit.

[2centsworth]

:lmao



I say we email to ESPN to get his job back. That guy was the shit.
the guy is an excellent analyst but you can't go around groping women.

[slayermin]

Well that sucks if he was actually harrassing anyone.

But with the things people consider harrassment these days, who knows.

What's an inappropriate hug? He grabbed her ass or something, or she just felt like it was too close?

I remember I gave a female co-worker a hug on Halloween one time and accidentally touched her ass because she was wearing a fairy costume with wings. I was trying to wrap my arms around her but I didn't want to mess up her wings so my hands ended up on her behind. I guess since I didn't grab, she didn't freak out about it.

[T-Pain]

the guy is an excellent analyst but you can't go around groping women.
but was he really harassing them? He says he was misinterpreted, but of course, theres always two sides of a story. He was the reason why I watched baseball tonight

[Spurologist]

So does that mean he won't manage in the annual celebrity and legends all star game?

[Quadzilla99]

Well that sucks. He was probably my favorite baseball analyst, he was charismatic, well spoken, knew the game, and always seemed good natured and easy going. I don't know what happened but if I was an ex-athlete who made millions of dollars during his career and doing analysis now at ESPN I wouldn't go within 5 feet of any interns, literally I would ignore them completely.

[T Park]

Total absolute shame.

Harold Reynolds, other than being a total Cardinals homer :lol was a fantastic analyst, and I thought he was BEYOND great.


A dark day in ESPN history.

[Obstructed_View]

but was he really harassing them? He says he was misinterpreted, but of course, theres always two sides of a story.
If he's got multiple complaints in his file but he still took a PA to dinner, and gave her a hug, he needs to be gone. Once someone files a complaint you'd be smart to chase tail only from outside the office.

[ducks]

I think she wants money.....

[ducks]

the guy is an excellent analyst but you can't go around groping women.


guy is not guilty tell proven that
also espn now has the right to fire people until they are given a chance to be proven innocent?

[Obstructed_View]

guy is not guilty tell proven that
also espn now has the right to fire people until they are given a chance to be proven innocent?
Just stick to pasting shit other people write, junior.

[T Park]

Ducks,

ESPN can fire whoever they want.

As the business, they have that right.

[Beer is Good]

Ducks,

ESPN can fire whoever they want.

As the business, they have that right.
There is a such thing as "Wrongful Termination". ESPN cannot just fire someone for no reason... but in this case they have a legitimate reason if the harrassment has been documented.

[Obstructed_View]

There is a such thing as "Wrongful Termination". ESPN cannot just fire someone for no reason... but in this case they have a legitimate reason if the harrassment has been documented.
Wrongful termination doesn't really apply to an at-will job. That is to say, if Reynolds didn't have a contract he could quit for any or no reason, and ESPN could fire him for any or no reason. If Reynolds believes that he was a victim of wrongful termination it would have to be determined by a court or arbitrator. Since ESPN wouldn't agree to arbitration, Reynolds would have to sue, meaning his entire employment history would become a matter of record. Not exactly a winning situation for him unless he legitimately has no complaints against him. If he did have a contract with ESPN it probably had a standard behavior clause in it and he has no recourse.

[Holmes_Fans]

Not sure if this has been said, but I read at numerous places he was fired because he wouldn't rag on Alex Rodriguez. We all know how ESPN jumps over everything and overreacts, they were at it again upplay the a-rod slump and Reynolds wouldn't do it.

[Obstructed_View]

Not sure if this has been said, but I read at numerous places he was fired because he wouldn't rag on Alex Rodriguez. We all know how ESPN jumps over everything and overreacts, they were at it again upplay the a-rod slump and Reynolds wouldn't do it.
We'll know by how quickly his camp jumps up to refute the harrassment stories that are bouncing around.

[ducks]

if espn has in his contract how he has to handle himself then they can fire him
if not they have will face a lawsuit and he will win

[Beer is Good]

Wrongful termination doesn't really apply to an at-will job. That is to say, if Reynolds didn't have a contract he could quit for any or no reason, and ESPN could fire him for any or no reason. If Reynolds believes that he was a victim of wrongful termination it would have to be determined by a court or arbitrator. Since ESPN wouldn't agree to arbitration, Reynolds would have to sue, meaning his entire employment history would become a matter of record. Not exactly a winning situation for him unless he legitimately has no complaints against him. If he did have a contract with ESPN it probably had a standard behavior clause in it and he has no recourse.
I agree with you. I wasn't speaking of the HR situation here... I was responding to the statement that ESPN can fire whoever they want because it's a business. That isn't true... they cannot discriminate because of race, sex, or any other such factors. In HR's case - if he does have this reported history then ESPN was within their right to fire him. But if he had never harrassed anyone and was a model citizen and they suddenly fired him - he could have taken action against them, especially if he had evidence that it was due to race, sex, etc.

[Obstructed_View]

But if he had never harrassed anyone and was a model citizen and they suddenly fired him - he could have taken action against them, especially if he had evidence that it was due to race, sex, etc.
Actually, he could take action against them ONLY if he had evidence that it was due to race, gender, etc.