Sports

ESPN Apologizes for Racial Slur Used in Lin Basketball Headline

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:

ESPN Apologizes for Racial Slur Used in Lin Basketball 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.”

Comments (132)

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  • drewp
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:44pm

    Somewhere Hank Jr is ROFLHFAO

    Report Post »  
    • TheObamanation
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 3:10pm

      Everybody involved in the story or even read it outloud should be fired immediately … hypochrites

      Report Post » TheObamanation  
    • @leftfighter
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 4:13pm

      Agreed. 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 Post » @leftfighter  
    • rangerp
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 4:47pm

      Wow, I was programmed to believe that it is only racist if you offend the black folks. What is going on here.

      Report Post » rangerp  
    • B_Will_Derd
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 6:51pm

      The 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 Post »  
    • GdHUs
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 8:52pm

      If 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 Post » GdHUs  
    • Uranium Wedge
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 9:16pm

      What’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 Post » Uranium Wedge  
    • Billofrights
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 11:41pm

      Given 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 Post »  
    • ThemDemsLie2much
      Posted on February 19, 2012 at 12:19am

      Racist Bigots! Fire them all!

      Report Post » ThemDemsLie2much  
    • VicksVaporub
      Posted on February 19, 2012 at 12:51am

      That’s funny as hell.

      Report Post » VicksVaporub  
    • grannyrecipe
      Posted on February 19, 2012 at 7:39am

      What, all of society is in kindergarten now? You said chnk…I‘m tell’n on you now.

      Report Post » grannyrecipe  
    • lillymckim
      Posted on February 19, 2012 at 7:57am

      How 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 Post » lillymckim  
    • lillymckim
      Posted on February 19, 2012 at 8:00am

      They should be FIRED!

      No apology accepted.

      Fire whoever wrote it and whoever APPROVED IT!

      No excuse.

      Report Post » lillymckim  
    • lillymckim
      Posted on February 19, 2012 at 8:07am

      Yup! 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 Post » lillymckim  
  • Eugene1
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:33pm

    Oops!

    Report Post » Eugene1  
  • hightide
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:30pm

    That’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 Post »  
    • RabidPatriot
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:56pm

      It 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 Post » RabidPatriot  
    • scaldisnoel
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 3:04pm

      The 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 Post »  
    • BetterInformed
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 6:11pm

      You can’t be that ignorant?

      Report Post »  
  • JACKTHETOAD
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:24pm

    ESPN 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 Post » JACKTHETOAD  
  • crystalinwi
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:13pm

    racial 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 Post »  
    • scaldisnoel
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 3:13pm

      It’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 Post »  
    • KAdams
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 3:59pm

      And ***** is apparently a ‘no no’ word on the blaze. Lol.

      Report Post »  
    • BetterInformed
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 6:15pm

      So 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 Post »  
  • ZomBrad
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:13pm

    This 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 Post »  
  • LB
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:01pm

    Michelle Obama and the kids sking Aspen this weekend. WTF…where is the sacrafice??

    Report Post » LB  
    • MEANS2RESIST
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:30pm

      When 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 Post » MEANS2RESIST  
  • Robert999
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:57pm

    You 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 Post »  
  • TexBork
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:56pm

    Ok. I get it now. I didn’t at first. I’m not a race hound.

    Report Post » TexBork  
    • doomytram
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 7:41pm

      The 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 Post » doomytram  
  • burnteye86
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:53pm

    I’m shocked. SHOCKED!

    Report Post » burnteye86  
  • NOT A CRAZY
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:52pm

    Now 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 Post » NOT A CRAZY  
  • Schenckster
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:48pm

    Nice how fast they got rid of Hank Jr. I think this comment about Lin is way worse than what Hank siad

    Report Post »  
    • NOT A CRAZY
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:53pm

      Exactly Hank and Rush. They deserve everything they get.

      Report Post » NOT A CRAZY  
  • cookcountypatriot
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:44pm

    progressives 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 Post » cookcountypatriot  
    • Git-R-Done
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 4:17pm

      Progressives should look at the rates of blacks and Hispanics who are Christian. They would drop dead of a heart attack from the shocker.

      Report Post »  
    • MS Patriot
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 11:51pm

      It 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 Post »  
  • manster35
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:43pm

    maybe 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 Post »  
  • SPOT_OF_TEA
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:38pm

    I 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 Post » SPOT_OF_TEA  
    • Epic Fail
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 8:21pm

      I 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 Post » Epic Fail  
  • Rayblue
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:36pm

    Ahh Sooo….

    Report Post » Rayblue  
  • hersey10
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:33pm

    Well , since we’re on this topic , I just had ***** food leftovers for lunch .

    Report Post » hersey10  
  • DividedWeFail
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:31pm

    Too 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 Post »  
    • kegbuna
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:39pm

      You 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 Post » kegbuna  
    • Smokey_Bojangles
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:41pm

      I 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 Post » Smokey_Bojangles  
    • Mandors
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:05pm

      Kebunga

      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 Post » Mandors  
    • DividedWeFail
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:06pm

      kegbuna
      ______
      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 Post »  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:20pm

      Honalable Smokey make big jokes. Velly funny indeed.

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • kegbuna
      Posted on February 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 Post » kegbuna  
    • KAdams
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 4:03pm

      I 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 Post »  
    • kegbuna
      Posted on February 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 Post » kegbuna  
    • baldilocks
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 7:59pm

      Has 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 Post » baldilocks  
  • MBA
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:24pm

    Funny 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 Post »  
  • IMPEACHBHO
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:22pm

    Off 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 Post » IMPEACHBHO  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:19pm

    Okay… 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 Post » Stoic one  
  • GoodStuff
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:16pm

    ESPN is run by leftist buffoons.

    Report Post »  
  • proliance
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:16pm

    Olberman, are your back at ESPN?

    Report Post » proliance  
  • TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:15pm

    I see they still have the Keith Olbermann wing of ESPN “hanging themselves” in the rafters…

    Report Post » TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12  
  • Lesterp
    Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:12pm

    Wow! What are these people thinking?

    Report Post » Lesterp  
    • BONETRAUMA
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:20pm

      same ass clowns that fired Limbaugh for thelling the truth!!!!!

      Report Post »  
    • WEBWITHDEB
      Posted on February 18, 2012 at 2:17pm

      They 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 Post »  
    • KAdams
      Posted on February 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 Post »  
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