ESPN Displays Racial Slur in Lin Headline

Unless you have an iPad like I do (well, it’s now my 2-year-old son’s new toy) and were up until 3 a.m. last night, you probably missed this indefensible headline by ESPN following the New York Knicks loss to the Hornets:

While the phrase “Chink in the Armor” might fly in some instances, under a photo of Asian-American New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin (not to mention a subhead pointing out his nine costly turnovers) is completely unacceptable.

In fact, this is at least the second time I’ve seen ESPN display a racial slur or politically incorrect message in its coverage of Jeremy Lin.

In the Knicks’ game against the Lakers, the Mothership highlighted this sign before breaking to a commercial:

On Saturday, ESPN finally issued a statement apologizing for the “Chink in the Armor” headline:

“There’s no defense for the indefensible. All we can offer are our apologies, sincere though incalculably inadequate,” editor-in-chief Rob King tweeted.

“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,” he added in a statement. “We regret and apologize for this mistake.”

It just makes you wonder how these idiots get jobs on the editorial staffs of the nation’s most powerful and popular media sites.

And it’s not just ESPN that’s guilty of hiring idiots.

Look at Fox Sports, which has stood by columnist Jason Whitlock despite repeated idiotic comments like Friday’s tweet after Lin’s 38-point outburst against the Lakers:

“Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple of inches of pain tonight.”

The Asian American Journalists Association railed on the columnist for failing to “adhere to standards of fairness, civility and good taste,” and Whitlock later apologized.

What I don’t understand is how this continues to happen.

ESPN, for example, caught fire for using the same exact “Chink in the Armor” headline during the Beijing Olympics.

And as far as Whitlock is concerned, I’m not sure where to start.

Whitlock apologized for the Tweet, but still has the nerve to leave it published to his profile. And this is coming from the guy who says criticizing U.S. basketball players is “borderline racist.” Huh? But suggesting Asian-American basketball players have small packages is OK?

The guy is so brutal, there’s a petition demanding he be fired from Fox Sports.

Maybe someone should put a petition together for ESPN’s editors as well.