Jemele Hill is suspended from ESPN, and people have ~theories~

2025-04-28 12:12:30admin

ESPN has a lot of people saying "something is up" after it suspended SportsCenterhost Jemele Hill for two weeks. Specifically, they're calling out the network for kowtowing to the NFL.

The suspension came after Hill sent out a series of tweets beginning on Sunday night responding to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' statement that he would bench any player that knelt during the national anthem.

SEE ALSO: ESPN is now the frontline of the American political-culture war

Hill told fans upset by Jones' position that only withholding your own money from Cowboys' advertisers can affect change. Even though she clarified Monday morning that she wasn't calling for a boycott, she still got suspended.

ESPN said in a statement that the punishment was due to a "second violation of our social media guidelines," referring to that time the host called President Donald Trump a "white supremacist" on Twitter.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

But her fans -- and haters -- were quick to see through ESPN's statements on the matter and call the sports broadcasting giant out on its undying allegiance to powerful (and wealthy) professional sports leagues.

The move reminded many of Bill Simmons, the former ESPN sportscaster and wonder boy who in 2014 was suspended after calling NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a liar. Simmons was fired by ESPN a year later and moved on to HBO.

Jemele Hill proving what @BillSimmons taught us: Nothing gets ESPN more nervous than an employee going after the almighty NFL.
— Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) October 9, 2017

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Even Trump supporters, who want her fired (echoing the White House) were calling BS.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

ESPN's brown-nosing aside, many were quick to call out the double standard Hill faces.

A white POTUS can tweet a meme of him assaulting a woman with a golf ball, but a black woman can't be thoughtful on Twitter about injustice?
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) October 9, 2017

But Jemele spoke truth to power and she's out two weeks? Seems like a warning shot to me. The double standards are staggering y'all.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) October 9, 2017

Jemele Hill is held to a higher standard for her online behavior than the current President of the United States. Just think about that.
— Andrew Jerell Jones (@sluggahjells) October 9, 2017

.@espn wants to profit off of @jemelehill, they want her "diversity" (symbolically) but don't want her commentary & voice as a black woman.
— Nicole G. Van Cleve (@nvancleve) October 9, 2017

So what to do about ESPN's shady motives? Some took Hill's comment that "change happens when advertisers are impacted" to heart.