ESPN Suspends Columnist Hill For Comparing Celtics, Hitler

ESPN Suspends Hill Over Hitler, Nuclear War Comments

ESPN Monday morning suspended columnist Jemele Hill for comments she made in a column originally posted Saturday that compared the Celtics to Adolf Hitler and nuclear war. The net said in a statement, "She’s been relieved of her responsibilities for a period of time to reflect on the impact of her words. Within hours of its posting on Saturday evening, the inappropriate references were removed from the site, but our system of checks and balances failed Jemele and our readers and we are addressing that as well." Hill said in a statement, "I showed very poor judgment in the words that I used. I pride myself on an understanding of, and appreciation for, diversity -- and there is no excuse for the appalling lack of sensitivity in my comments." Hill was pulled from a scheduled appearance on Monday's edition of "ESPN First Take" (THE DAILY). Hill originally wrote in the column, "Rooting for the Celtics is like saying Hitler was a victim." In Boston, Jessica Heslam notes Hill in an April '07 column "called for radio host Don Imus to get cashiered" after his controversial comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team (BOSTON HERALD, 6/18). In Boston, Joe Fitzgerald writes, "To its credit, ESPN did not invoke Hill's 'right' to be offensive, but instead chose to reaffirm what we hear too seldom, that sometimes we have a responsibility not to do the things we have a right to do" (BOSTON HERALD, 6/18).

PEOPLE & PERSONALITIES: The Chicago Sun-Times has extended the contract of columnist Jay Mariotti through May 2011 (Sun-Times)....Retired NFLer Michael Strahan's agent Maury Gostfrand yesterday said that Strahan could sign a deal as a TV analyst "within a week" (USA TODAY, 6/18)....SI's Dan Patrick has launched "Above the Noise," a daily 60-second commentary about sports, which will be syndicated by Content Factory (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 6/18).