These Are the Tweets Over Which ESPN Suspended Anchor Jemele Hill

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Published on
October 10, 2017

ESPN suspended Jemele Hill for two weeks Monday after the anchor posted a series of tweets encouraging fans to boycott Dallas Cowboys advertisers. Hill’s comments were in response to the team’s owner Jerry Jones telling his players if they did not stand for the National Anthem, they would not play in Sunday’s game.

ESPN anchor Jamele Hill
Jamele Hill, anchor of ESPN show SportsCenter, has been suspended for a series of tweets Sunday encouraging fans to boycott Dallas Cowboys advertisers. | Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

Sunday night, Hill began tweeting her thoughts about the matter. In a tweet now marked “unavailable,” she wrote, “If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers. Don’t place the burden squarely on the players.”

Followers responded to the tweet, some agreeing with Hill that advertisers should be boycotted, with others providing arguments against the idea. The tweet received more than 10,400 likes and 3,800 retweets.

Some followers tweeted names of advertisers that sponsor the Cowboys. Hill commented, “Or, how about not patronizing the advertisers who support the Cowboys? You can watch and do that, right?”

Monday morning, Hill tweeted some clarification to her earlier comments. “Just so we’re clear: I’m not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives.”

Hill went on to tweet, “If fans really are that upset about what JJ & Stephen Ross have done, don’t call the players sellouts, but you’re watching every Sunday.”

ESPN released a statement announcing Hill’s suspension on Monday. “Jemele Hill has been suspended for two weeks for a second violation of our social media guidelines,” the statement read. “She previously acknowledged letting her colleagues down with an impulsive tweet. In the aftermath, all employees were reminded of how individual tweets may reflect negatively on ESPN and that such actions would have consequences. Hence this decision.”

The tweets ESPN referenced it its statement were made by Hill on Sept. 11 when she criticized President Donald Trump. Hill referred to Trump as “unqualified and unfit to be President” and “a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself with other white supremacists.” ESPN subsequently released a statement saying Hill’s comments regarding Trump “do not represent the position of ESPN.” The statement went on to read, “We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognizes her actions were inappropriate.”

Hill has been with ESPN since 2006. She has been an evening anchor of ESPN’s show SportsCenter since February, along with co-host Michael Smith.

Previous SportsCenter host Lindsay Czarniak tweeted her support for Hill Monday: