If you haven’t heard by now, ESPN is laying off 100 members of their journalist and on-air talent staff today. One of the biggest names to be let go so far include Ed Werder, who found out that his dog is dying about 45 minutes before he found out he was fired from ESPN after 17 years of reporting. Other big names include Trent Dilfer, Dana O’Neil, Jeremy Crabtree, and Danny Kanell (amongst others).
A quick perusal of Twitter will and you’ll see that one big name is noticeably missing from the list of fired ESPN on-air talent: Jemele Hill. People are becoming mean as hell out there, on an unacceptable level. Personally, I don’t know enough about Jemele’s body of work to understand why so many people hate her because I stopped watching ESPN several years ago when it became insufferable. I’ve read through this list of ‘Jemele Hill Controversies‘ including suspensions and reprimands for overstepping the boundaries, and times she didn’t get suspended when others might’ve. So I have some semblance of why people want to see her fired, but I’m by no means an expert on the situation.
Anyways, we’re here to talk about Twitter reaction to Jemele Hill not being fired, so here are some of the coldblooded, dickhead-ish reactions:
https://twitter.com/mdargh/status/857306550922117120
https://twitter.com/cowboymullet/status/857295878264147979
https://twitter.com/msu_trash/status/857243212645269505
https://twitter.com/SportsArePhilly/status/857284137509638144
the fact that ESPN will lay off 100 people and @jemelehill and @michaelsmith aren't two of them is an absolute disgrace
— Austin Bauerle (@austinbauerle) April 26, 2017
https://twitter.com/wikemickett/status/857237743231008771
https://twitter.com/PopcornSutton__/status/857241092017844225
ESPN is cutting John Buccigross after 21 years but they give Michael Smith and Jemele Hill prime time television… No sense. pic.twitter.com/y6cAAUnUrP
— Davis (@DaFuq615) April 26, 2017
I hope to raise my kids in a world where they can turn on ESPN and never have to see Michael Smith or Jemele Hill
— Kevin Bielecki (@KBTrey15) April 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/DavidMack2001/status/857311730648612866
ESPN is firing reporters who do actual reporting, and yet Michael Smith, Jemele Hill, and Dan LeBatard will still be on the air.. Sad
— Jacob Bigelow (@JacobABigelow) April 26, 2017
@jemelehill everyone wishing you to get fired isn't because they're terrible people, it's because you have a terrible show and deserve it
— Bull Shet (@Earl_Sweatpants) April 26, 2017
at least ESPN finally got their wish and gutted all the hockey coverage. Now 8 people can cover LeBron. Who runs this place, Michael Scott?
— Nick (@NickMordo) April 26, 2017
Hope you and Stephen Smith get firef. You 2 alone are the reason I quit watching. You are prejudice bums..hope your happy
— Kristofer (@Acelegend26) April 26, 2017
@jemelehill No idea how you made the cut to not get cut. SC6 has to focus more on sports. It's insanely stupid right now
— JDC (@Coolwhp21) April 26, 2017
In defense of Jemele, there are a few people out there like this:
https://twitter.com/micah_soon/status/857312003525939201
As for how Jemele is handling her Twitter mentions getting blown up by the tweets above, she’s sent out a few tweets of her own today:
It is difficult day at ESPN. So I'm seriously not here for the nonsense.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) April 26, 2017
I kind of think I just became a huge Jemele Hill fan. People out there saying the rudest fucking things to her, acting like she’s not a real person. It’s despicable. Everyone needs to remember there’s an actual human being on the other end of that shitty ass tweet you sent or the comment you left from the account used for trolling. It’s just not right.