For a certain corner of the sports media, there are no consequences for their actions. As ESPN has proven, you can get away with just about anything if you have the right skin color and political opinions – such as race-shaming people for marrying white women, making "dick jokes" on television, and comparing genocide in China to asking for voter ID in America.
Yes, we are still talking about a sports network.
Monica McNutt fits neatly into this category. Case in point: ESPN renewed her contract last October, despite her racially charged campaign against Caitlin Clark last season. That said, we think there could be consequences for her latest headline.
On Friday, McNutt co-hosted "First Take" with Stephen A. Smith. Comedian Druski joined the set wearing Barry Sanders’s iconic Detroit Lions No. 20 jersey. McNutt, apparently unaware of who Sanders is, assumed it was a Shedeur Sanders jersey. For reference: Shedeur plays for the Cleveland Browns, not the Lions.
For context, Shedeur Sanders plays for the Cleveland Browns, not the Detroit Lions.
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While ESPN had previously used McNutt as a basketball analyst, the network has tried to expand her role of late. In fact, talent agents say they suspect ESPN will consider her a candidate for the 2 p.m. time slot, where it plans to eventually introduce a new personality-driven show.
But, truthfully, we don't think ESPN can put McNutt on television to talk football after what happened on Friday. Seriously.
Now, maybe ESPN will read this article and put her on an NFL segment tomorrow just to spite us. Maybe, but we wouldn't recommend that. Put bluntly: ESPN would lose its locker room if it did.
Since Saturday, OutKick has heard from countless ESPN staffers about the segment. Many prefaced their reactions with, "I like Monica, but …" Still, they were embarrassed—for her, for the producers, for management, and for the ESPN brand.
Barry Sanders is one of the greatest players in NFL history. McNutt didn't know who he is. That's not a blunder. That's a lack of knowledge, history, and preparation. It's inexcusable.
Plenty of ESPN hosts would jump at the chance to sit alongside Stephen A. Smith. Other than maybe David Dennis Jr., they would all know who Barry Sanders is. So, to see her have the position, and not them, is infuriating to her colleagues.
ESPN has already suggested it doesn't value experience or credibility by elevating McNutt this far. Continuing to elevate her will only confirm that.
Put simply, ESPN should start rewarding talent based on merit again. McNutt hosting a general sports show like "First Take" is an insult to every sports fan who helped make the show the cash cow it is.
Here's an idea: make employees pass a standard sports history quiz before going on-air. Tony Bruno said ESPN once quizzed him by making him identify the third line of the Canucks.
Apparently, Bruno passed.
That's a bit much. However, holding up a photo of Barry Sanders and asking, "Who is this?" would suffice. It would certainly weed out people like McNutt.
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