ESPN has apologized for using a racial slur in the headline for a story about Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin.
(Update: ESPN Fires Employee Behind Offensive Lin Headline, Suspends Anchor for Saying the Same Thing)
The headline “Chink in the Armor” appeared on ESPN’s mobile website after New York lost to the New Orleans Hornets Friday night, the Associated Press reported.
Lin, a Harvard graduate, is the first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent and has become something of a sensation in recent weeks, inspiring the term “Linsanity,” and is Tim Tebow-like in the sense that he’s very outspoken about his faith.
Sports Grid captured a screenshot of the offensive headline:
Image source: Sports Grid
In a statement issued Saturday, ESPN called the offensive headline a “mistake” and said they were conducting a review to ensure a similar incident does not happen again:
Last night, ESPN.com’s mobile web site posted an offensive headline referencing Jeremy Lin at 2:30 am ET. The headline was removed at 3:05 am ET. We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.
According to Sports Grid, the headline was subsequently changed to read “All Good Things…”
New York sports network MSG generated controversy during a Knicks game Wednesday after it aired a fan’s sign showing Lin’s face above a fortune cookie with the message “The Knicks Good Fortune.”
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (132)
drewp
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:44pmSomewhere Hank Jr is ROFLHFAO
Report this comment
TheObamanation
Feb. 18, 2012 at 3:10pmEverybody involved in the story or even read it outloud should be fired immediately … hypochrites
Report this comment
@leftfighter
Feb. 18, 2012 at 4:13pmAgreed. Hank is laughing as hard as he can right about now.
Here’s the rub: being that the idiom refers to a hole that can be exploited in order to beat a man in a suit of armor, I’m fairly certain that the term long preexisted the epithet. You see, it’s been a little while since suits of armor have been used.
The Knicks lost. A weakness must have been exposed that was exploited to win. That’s the very meaning of the idiom and could have been the headline used to report any of the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls losses. They were 72-10 that season and had no Asians on the team.
My gut says this is simply the PC crowd reading racism into an otherwise perfectly acceptable idiom. If, though, it was deliberate and deliberately racist, the headline writer should be in hot water.
Report this comment
rangerp
Feb. 18, 2012 at 4:47pmWow, I was programmed to believe that it is only racist if you offend the black folks. What is going on here.
Report this comment
B_Will_Derd
Feb. 18, 2012 at 6:51pmThe Mavericks had a no defense 7 ft center from China many years ago and their announcer did the same think, though I think he was oblivious to the double meaning at the time. Something along the lines of ‘the ***** in the defensive armor right now is Wang’. There followed an uncomfortable silence of a few seconds, but I never heard anyone make a complaint. I thought I was the only one that heard it, but I later talked to another who had.
Report this comment
GdHUs
Feb. 18, 2012 at 8:52pmIf he’s a true Christian Lin will probably remark that no offense was taken, and that if it was intended he’d forgive him and say a prayer for him. It’s a great opportunity to show the world how anti Christ PC is.
Report this comment
Uranium Wedge
Feb. 18, 2012 at 9:16pmWhat’s the racial slur for a white player?
It takes at least two for it to be a slur.. One to say it, and one to be offended by it.
Report this comment
Billofrights
Feb. 18, 2012 at 11:41pmGiven the fact that the head line refers to Lin’s 9 turn overs and has his picture above the headline I would have to say it was intentional. Lin is a christian and they don’t like the “Tebow” side of his popularity. They want to see him fail and like Tebow wish him to be little more than a punch line. Don’t underestimate leftist mean spirited, racist and anti-Christian behavior.
Report this comment
ThemDemsLie2much
Feb. 19, 2012 at 12:19amRacist Bigots! Fire them all!
Report this comment
VicksVaporub
Feb. 19, 2012 at 12:51amThat’s funny as hell.
Report this comment
grannyrecipe
Feb. 19, 2012 at 7:39amWhat, all of society is in kindergarten now? You said chnk…I’m tell’n on you now.
Report this comment
lillymckim
Feb. 19, 2012 at 7:57amHow many times does ESPN get a pass for their extremely offensive choice of words?
Felons are a welcome part of ESPN but not a Harvard grad who actually passed his exams and believes in something other than the almighty dollar
The minute a sports figure mentions God they use every measure to crucify them.
What a shameful outfit ESPN has become they sicken me.
Report this comment
lillymckim
Feb. 19, 2012 at 8:00amThey should be FIRED!
No apology accepted.
Fire whoever wrote it and whoever APPROVED IT!
No excuse.
Report this comment
lillymckim
Feb. 19, 2012 at 8:07amYup! Hank is chuckling a little this morning at ESPN not the highly insensitive comment
Karma baby …..
reminds me of a country song
“Sometimes you’re the windshield sometimes you’re the bug”
ESPN is a pathetic outfit
Report this comment
Eugene1
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:33pmOops!
Report this comment
hightide
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:30pmThat’s not a racial slur. It’s a technical term.
Fig. a special weakness that provides a means for attacking or impressing someone otherwise invulnerable. (Alludes to an opening in a suit of armor that allows a weapon to penetrate.)
So get over it ESPN and all the race baiters.
Report this comment
RabidPatriot
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:56pmIt would be naive to believe that this was some accident. Whoever picked that headline is probably some smart-ass that thinks he is Don Rickles and patted himself on the back for sneaking that one in. That is until he was yanked into an office to explain his stupidity.
Report this comment
scaldisnoel
Feb. 18, 2012 at 3:04pmThe phrase is certainly a legitimate one, but you’re kidding yourself if you think that whoever used it didn’t do it on purpose because of Lin’s ethnic background. It’s a term that has historically been used in a derogatory way. No doubt people overreact to things like that, but it was a dumb thing to do to use it as a headline for the story.
Report this comment
BetterInformed
Feb. 18, 2012 at 6:11pmYou can’t be that ignorant?
Report this comment
JACKTHETOAD
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:24pmESPN knew exactly what they were doing. Another fresh Christian to bash. They even used his race to do it, which shows where their priorities lie.
Report this comment
Wigglesworth
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:49pmWhat Jason Whitlock tweeted was worse. He’s a black sports journalist and big Obama fan. Not surprisingly, he sees everything through a racial prism.
http://hypervocal.com/news/2012/how-long-til-jason-whitlock-gets-fired-over-this/
Report this comment
Lucy Larue
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:57pmJACKTHETOAD,
I believe you nailed it!
The subtle mocking…,it’s not the first time for ESPN.
Report this comment
scaldisnoel
Feb. 18, 2012 at 3:09pmJackthetoad, you’re overstating the situation. ESPN is full of a bunch of liberals, but that headline is almost certainly the result of a dumb late-night editorial intern thinking he is being funny, and failing miserably.
Report this comment
crystalinwi
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:13pmracial slur???? yeah, if you want to take it that way, ***** in the armor means a crack in their defenses, ***** has several meanings, and it means a crack in something, grow up people – omg
Report this comment
scaldisnoel
Feb. 18, 2012 at 3:13pmIt’s a legitimate phrase, but you’re naive if you think that the person who decided to use it in the headline didn’t do it knowing full well that the word “*****” has an additional derogatory meaning. It was precisely because of the double meaning that it was chosen.
Report this comment
KAdams
Feb. 18, 2012 at 3:59pmAnd ***** is apparently a ‘no no’ word on the blaze. Lol.
Report this comment
BetterInformed
Feb. 18, 2012 at 6:15pmSo ESPN didn’t intend for the meaning to suggest slang for a Chinese person? You need to go back to the kid’s table.
Report this comment
ZomBrad
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:13pmThis is getting dumber, and dumber! How come nobody is complaining about “separating of whites and colors” when it pertains to laundry?
In fact….the word “color” is such a hateful word! Let’s call them “diversities in a spectrum of the same rainbow”…….try to fit “Crayola” somewhere in there though lol.
Report this comment
LB
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:01pmMichelle Obama and the kids sking Aspen this weekend. WTF…where is the sacrafice??
Report this comment
MEANS2RESIST
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:30pmWhen I was a kid, we played the chicoms in the little league world series, while on the field we would ask them if they knew what sound an aluminum bat makes when you hit the ball with it? *****!….they had no clue…
and yes Mooch is enjoying sticking it to America in these rough economic times created by her hubby & his buddies….Its her reparations!
Report this comment
Robert999
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:57pmYou can’t say anything about anyone these days. No more Polish, Jewish, or Irish jokes, and especially no Muslim jokes. Free speech is dead in America.
Report this comment
TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:06pmIrish 7 course meal…
A six pack and a ‘tater.
Yes… I’m Irish!
Report this comment
TexBork
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:56pmOk. I get it now. I didn’t at first. I’m not a race hound.
Report this comment
doomytram
Feb. 18, 2012 at 7:41pmThe commie leftist media(ABC) are the biggest race hounds these days. Everything is about bringing up the black man. How about the Hate crimes division of the justice dept. Black folks are mauling Asians and Gays everyday out of hate for their race and sexual preference, but you only hear about the rare isolated instance from Apalicha where a honker did this or that…..
These are the days of reparations and also the days of banana republicness.
Report this comment
burnteye86
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:53pmI’m shocked. SHOCKED!
Report this comment
NOT A CRAZY
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:52pmNow that is funny. I don’t care who you are. The funniest part is that it happened to ESPN the PC network of the century. Remember when they fired Rush Limbaugh. ESPN can kiss my politically incorrect half-breed injun arse.
Report this comment
Ilivewayupthere
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:14pmMaybe they’ll have to eat one of their own!
Report this comment
Schenckster
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:48pmNice how fast they got rid of Hank Jr. I think this comment about Lin is way worse than what Hank siad
Report this comment
NOT A CRAZY
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:53pmExactly Hank and Rush. They deserve everything they get.
Report this comment
cookcountypatriot
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:44pmprogressives just can handle christians of any color ….lol and they thought believers were just whites…petty soon it will be christianity and only christianity thanks to the progressive evil in this country..and i say its about time.
Report this comment
Git-R-Done
Feb. 18, 2012 at 4:17pmProgressives should look at the rates of blacks and Hispanics who are Christian. They would drop dead of a heart attack from the shocker.
Report this comment
MS Patriot
Feb. 18, 2012 at 11:51pmIt just goes to show you that the target is not just the white people, but all those who believe in Christianity. If you don’t understand what the motives of the progressive socialist are, it should be much clearer now.
It won’t be much longer and the progressive socialist wil be sending us off to camp on trains.
Report this comment
manster35
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:43pmmaybe ESPN will take themselves off Monday Night Football. Seems to be what they did to Hank Jr or what he said and it was not as bad as this. Sure going to miss seeing MNF on ESPN . But it has to be done, or bring Hank Jr back.
Report this comment
SPOT_OF_TEA
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:38pmI would like to see a law making it illegal to ask anyone for an apology….What a bunch of cry babies we have become.
Report this comment
Epic Fail
Feb. 18, 2012 at 8:21pmI don’t want an apology. I want those responsible fired! They would be the first in line to criticize other people at the drop of a hat if they thought someone made the slightest misjudgement in words used!
Report this comment
Rayblue
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:36pmAhh Sooo….
Report this comment
hersey10
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:33pmWell , since we’re on this topic , I just had ***** food leftovers for lunch .
Report this comment
DividedWeFail
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:31pmToo bad Mr Linn isn’t part black.
Mr Lin is accepted by Caucasians, Hispanics and Asians but he not accepted by blacks.
It appears blacks only rejoice blacks who get ahead. And, they don’t rejoice if another race excels in a catagory blacks consider their territory in this case the sport of basketball.
Funny how blacks rejoiced when Tiger Woods excelled in a predominately white sport of golf.
Maybe if If Mr Lin were CABLA (Caucasian/Black/Asian) which is what Tiger Woods calls himself, then blacks could refuse to acknowledge Mr Lin’s other racial components except the black component like they ignore the Caucasian/Asian racial components of Tiger Woods and Barack Obama and rejoice Mr LInn also. . .
Report this comment
kegbuna
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:39pmYou have your head so far up your ass it is amazing. For you to say such things just shows why the conservative movement has the stigma it has. His team LOVES him and EVERYONE is celebrating him, yet you still feel like you are justified in spewing this garbage. This is pathetic.
Report this comment
Smokey_Bojangles
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:41pmI think the Headline was slanted. I bet Hank Williams,JR is having a good Laugh today. I have to admit,Lin is a good player and adds a positive slant to the Knicks’ Offense. But This Yellow Journalism has to stop.
Report this comment
Mandors
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:05pmKebunga
The only person with his head up his ass is you. Every black athlete interviewed or quoted only begrudging and often backhandedly complemented Lin if at all. African-americans treat basketball and the NBA like it’s their God given right. The only racists are the NBA scouts and players who rarely give non-black players a fair shake. If the guy is black, he gets a pass. If he’s not, he better be amazing AND work his ass off, and still he might be benched.
Interms of conservatives, it is clear from the placement of your skull were you get your brainwashed information.
Report this comment
DividedWeFail
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:06pmkegbuna
______
I didn’t mean his black team members. I meant the radical race baiting left leaning racist blacks like those who voted for Obama only because of the color of his skin and hate Lin because he is doing well in a predominately black game of basketball and is not black. But apparently I have to spell this out just like everyone has to say “Radical” Muslim and not just Muslim whenever a terrorist incident occurs. If there was edit on The Blaze I would type “radical race baiting left leaning racist blacks like those who voted for Obama only because of the color of his skin and who hate Lin because he is successful in a predominately black sport and is not black” in front of the word black in my comment. .
Report this comment
JACKTHETOAD
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:20pmHonalable Smokey make big jokes. Velly funny indeed.
Report this comment
kegbuna
Feb. 18, 2012 at 3:29pm@Mandors
Seriously you’re going to try to make that statement, blanketing every player that has been interviewed? Do I really need to provide you with evidence of players treating him well or should we just ignore that you made such a statement? I mean where do you get off saying that black players and people treat the NBA as a right, as if they have the power to ostracize people who want to play? I don’t even understand where you are coming from. I don’t follow sports in general, but this story caught my attention because I like to see those who don’t fit the mold succeed. This is the same reason Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, and the like are interesting to me. For you to blanket a whole race of people is awful.
I will attempt to respond to your last statement although it is a bit incoherent. Conservatism does receive a bad rap in the media for catering to racists. This is not something I “pulled out of my ass”. Part of the reason that is from what is said by conservatives. Whether or not it is misinterpreted is besides the fact, because the cause and effect are still the same.
@divided
Your modification of your previous statement about “blacks” seems to take your blanket statement about blacks and instead focus it on a narrow group. I would even say that the statement becomes pretty redundant given your reclassification. The group you reference would be expected to act as such, no? A race baiter will act like a race baiter no matter the si
Report this comment
KAdams
Feb. 18, 2012 at 4:03pmI thought it funny that black boxer (I don’t know his name, but the one that’s lost to Manny Paquaio, a Philipino boxer) said that if Lin were black, he wouldn’t be getting the press he’s getting. Black people should really just suck it up and take it on the chin like everyone else has to. They are upset, I think, because there aren’t very many ‘First Black’ moments left to capture.
Report this comment
kegbuna
Feb. 18, 2012 at 4:36pm@kadams
The boxer makes a point, but the thing he doesn’t realize is that another black basketball player SHOULDN’T be in the news anyway. Thing is, I am contradicting myself a little here, but lebron received huge press when he started and still gets a lot of attention, so black basketball players aren’t necessarily “ignored”.
The problem I have with a lot of the statements on here is that they are assuming the “black” response. This article isn’t even about black people, yet somehow we’ve gotten onto the topic about how black people are reacting to Lin’s attention. I think there is something underlying here.
Report this comment
baldilocks
Feb. 18, 2012 at 7:59pmHas it ever occurred to some of you folks that the MSM only put microphones under the black athletes who are going to say something controversial about Lin? Or that they will air only the controversial comments, like those of Floyd Meriweather’s? I follow black NFL player Chad Ochocinco’s Facebook fan page; he has had nothing but praise for Lin and has featured videos of the latter’s outstanding play. But the MSM certainly won’t report that!
The Left-infiltrated media lives to keep Americans divided along racial lines. And here some of you are falling for it and even doing their bidding! As K said, remove your heads from your fourth points of contact. The Leftist propaganda-meisters want your head there so that feces is always in your eyes. Your choice.
Report this comment
MBA
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:24pmFunny how the liberals think they can get by with anything but crucify conservatives for one little slip of the tongue during an unguarded moment when the liberals are the evil, haters.
Report this comment
IMPEACHBHO
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:22pmOff topic, but this is huge. Reid is out of control.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/harry-reid-obama-recess-appointments-gop-delays_n_1285309.html
Report this comment
Stoic one
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:19pmOkay… thanks.
something more newsworthy?
the border? whet’s up with congress? Hey how about ALL that snow in Alaska? How cold it is in Europe, as compared to North America?
Report this comment
IMPEACHBHO
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:23pmhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/harry-reid-obama-recess-appointments-gop-delays_n_1285309.html
Report this comment
TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:31pmOkay… the border.
Tom Tancredo on Ron Paul’s immigration stanceTea Party West | Empowerment through EducationTea Party West: http://teapartywest.com/?p=2143#.Tz_syNA7luQ.
Report this comment
Stoic one
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:37pmIMPEACHBHO
Thanks.
A Vince Flynn book come to mind… the on without Mitch Rapp and the assassinations.
Report this comment
Stoic one
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:45pmTIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
And to you as well Thank you.
Since The Blaze is overwhelmed with publishing news we want maybe we can accelerate posting links and help The Blaze out…
Report this comment
TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:02pmIt was indeed… my pleasure STOIC ONE. I do like the variety of stories here I must say though. We do have to remember that The Blaze did state that when it came about, it was going to be a mixture of many topics and stories. I think they’ve lived up to that statement. I would however like more Ron Paul topics… just like his supporters… ha!
Report this comment
GoodStuff
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:16pmESPN is run by leftist buffoons.
Report this comment
proliance
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:16pmOlberman, are your back at ESPN?
Report this comment
TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:15pmI see they still have the Keith Olbermann wing of ESPN “hanging themselves” in the rafters…
Report this comment
Lesterp
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:12pmWow! What are these people thinking?
Report this comment
BONETRAUMA
Feb. 18, 2012 at 1:20pmsame ass clowns that fired Limbaugh for thelling the truth!!!!!
Report this comment
WEBWITHDEB
Feb. 18, 2012 at 2:17pmThey thought they offended someone? Did Lin say anything about it or not? If I were Asian I would be up in arms for ESPN thinking for me; the Asians I know have great senses of humor and may find the double entendre amusing.
Report this comment
KAdams
Feb. 18, 2012 at 4:09pm@Deb: I agree with you. I dated a Chinese guy for a few years, his dad came from China, and his mom was second generation Chinese-American. We’d go eat at a Chinese restaurant, and he’d joke about his size (he was built more than most Chinese people), and how the restaurant workers were probably joking about him, saying ‘Damn, that’s one big Chinaman!’
Report this comment