ESPN Warns Golfer-Analyst Azinger to Quit Mocking Obama on Twitter
Posted by Jim Hoft on Friday, August 26, 2011, 3:00 PM
ESPN warned golfer-analyst Paul Azinger to lay off Obama on Twitter.
Azinger has been commenting recently on the president’s work ethic.
USA Today reported:
ESPN is coming down on Paul Azinger for mocking President Barack Obama on Twitter. The golf analyst tweeted Friday that the Commander-in-chief plays more golf than he does — and that Azinger has created more jobs this month than Obama has.
ESPN has ‘reminded” Azinger his venture into political punditry violates the company’s updated social network policy for on-air talent and reporters issued yesterday.
“Paul’s tweet was not consistent with our social media policy, and he has been reminded that political commentary is best left to those in that field,” spokesman Andy Hall told Game On! in a statement.
ESPN’s Hall would not comment on whether Azinger, who won the 1993 PGA Championship, will be fired, suspended or punished in some way. “We handle that internally,” he said.
Hat Tip Ed
UPDATE: Apparently it’s OK to bash Republicans on ESPN but not Obama.
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Published May 22, 2012 at 5:04 am - 18 Comments
Louie_DaSmasher commented:
Facts is facts.
usamopatriot commented:
ESPN…..Extra Stupid Posturing Nabobs
Brian R commented:
To criticize THE ONE is BLASPHEMY!!!
katy commented:
If the comment was made about Bush, Azinger would get his own show and a 10 year, muti-million dollar contract!
Paul in N. AL commented:
There goes free speech in ESPN Land.
tarpon commented:
Commies don’t like being mocked.
And why does ESPN see it as their job to do this? For Obammunism?
Gimme a Break, I'm just a Hobbit commented:
Wonder if ESPN had anything to say about former employee Keith Olberdouche?
merks commented:
ESPN is only against it because it’s parent company ABC is in the bag for Obama! If you work for any part of the left wing media you are not to talk bad about the chosen one!
Fuquay Steve commented:
Wait till the one shows up at a Hoya game – then they’ll spout the proper tone !
Karnival commented:
I guess this means we won’t be seeing anymore of Obama on ESPN. No more Obama playing basketball. No more Obama making his NCAA picks. No more Obama calling the Superbowl winners. No more Obama hosting the ______ at the White House. No more Obama playing golf. Oops.
Carol commented:
Gotta love hypocrisy.
GoNavy92 commented:
ESPN should show another soccer game….I’m sure ther ratings are through the roof!
L.E. Liesner commented:
Not really an original statement, I think the guy from Golf Magazine said it first. Has ESPN ever heard of the First Amendment?
Major Kong commented:
Any one heard any b!tching from The A.C.L.U., lately. Man they sure have gone to the ground on issues that used to get them all wee-wee’d-up in the past.
Tjexcite commented:
fired, suspended or punished in some way
What every they do, freedom of speech will not be in the room or have a set at the table.
kato commented:
If he made comments about George W. Bush — or Sarah Palin or Mitt Romney — ESPN would have trotted out his First Amendment rights.
ESPN is to sports what CNN is to news. Mostly a bunch of retired athletes, waving their hands and reading nonsense from teleprompters.
dnb commented:
My what thin skin ESPN/Obama have!
Opaobie commented:
What hypocrisy, considering all the political sniping from the Left other ESPNers do all the time, and yes, even RACE-BAITING…and didn’t Keith Oberbite previously work there?????
donh commented:
When a politician ventures into sports ….a sports commentator can venture into punditry. There was no policy violation here….just more of Jay Carney’s fascism working the phones to knee cap anyone who fails to give homage to the dear leader.
germanicus commented:
Guess they’ve never read a Lupica column.
#1AMERICAN commented:
hey ESPN…facts really suck and hurt don’t they…have you heard of freedom of speach??????
ohiochili commented:
Bow before your progressive Masters!
gus commented:
Did Azinger say anything that was not DEMONSTRABLY TRUE???
vamoose commented:
Bravo, ESPN! You’ve managed to double or triple the number of people who will see Zinger’s tweet by keeping the story alive for a few more days.
OxyCon commented:
Azinger is getting the “Halperin” treatment!
Cutlers bad knee commented:
Azinger is right the sad truth is that tweet is 100% fact….FACT-Odumbo does golf more then Azinger.
FACT-Azinger likely has created more jobs than Odumbo and Azinger more than likely tips his caddy better….
One more Fact- Azinger told the TRUTH, Something I have rarely heard out of Odumbos mouth…….oops did I say rarely, Sorry I meant NEVER………
Justice Beaver commented:
Maybe someone from ESPN should read Kenny Mayne’s tweets. Definitely some “political commentary”. But I guess it’s OK ‘cuz he’s a lib.
tommy mc donnell commented:
america the land of the free liberal style. ESPN has always been hard core left in its politics. they have glorified every bad behavior in sport.
Fuquay Steve commented:
The x games are extremely popular with their target audience – political discourse not so much. Ride on brothers. Peace out. Morons.
SpideyTerry commented:
ESPN does realize they’re gonna be on the hook if one of their employees mouths off about thr Right, right?
john03 commented:
They said “Paul’s tweet was not consistent with our social media policy.” They should have said “Paul’s tweet was not consistent with our socialist media policy.”
BurmaShave commented:
I wonder what ESPN would say about one of their commentators making snide comments about Bush or Palin.
jony101 commented:
thats why I don’t have cable, its all for the liberal agenda, even foxnews has been compromised. I get my news from youtube and some websites to my liking. No one is allowed to criticized obama in the regular news just like in venzuela and cuba.
Chip Bennett commented:
This action is as unsurprising as it is hypocritical. ESPN’s parent company Disney gave a quarter-million dollars to the Obama campaign in 2008. Clearly, they’re just protecting their investment.
JDubya commented:
I could care less about ESPN. I am not a big fan of sports on TV; cannot stand watching others doing the exercise.
Obviously it shows where ESPN’s compass is pointing, though.
ESPN: We wear kneepads and lobser bibs servicing Downgrade is pretty tough these days, now that he has not clue of what he is doing anymore…
Boycott ESPN and all of their sponsors.
zefal commented:
I remember tony kornholeheiser constantly mocking Vice Presidential candidate Sara Palin constantly on espn’s Sunday night football. Apparently Azinger is allow to do it on the air but not Twitter? He should try it and if they say anything point out that tony was free to constantly mock Palin.
princesabin commented:
1) Freedom of speech only applies to the government, not a private company. A private company reserves the right to censor their employees. Is it moral? Not really. Is it legal? Yes. A 100 times yes. I urge all of you citing the first amendment to read the Constitution since you don’t seem to understand how it works.
2) Except in this case I understand the point of view of ESPN, most of his tweets are sports related as if he is making the tweets in his capacity as ESPN employee. They try to remain apolitical. I think it’s easy for us to say if he was supporting Obama he’d get away with it, but Twitter wasn’t around under Bush (and thank God it wasn’t, as whiny as people are about Obama imagine the furor from the liberals about Bush!!!) He is associated with ESPN.
His best course of action is to leave ESPN and then tweet all he wants about all things. That’s his right as a US Citizen. He’s more than welcome to join a conservative news station like FoxNews and talk about all his political beliefs without fail, it’s not like he needs the job.
Taxpayer commented:
YAY AZINGER!
I bet absolutely no other ESPN commentator has made any political remarks on air, EVAH. That includes the ones who fawned over Candidate Obama when he showed up at sporting events.
Multitude commented:
ESPN enforces rules that require political neutrality…yet ESPN employees are expected to contribute overwhelmingly to Democrats.
This is little different than our United Way strong-arm tactics I’ve openly opposed (once to my professional detriment), where employers declare that there will be 100% support but will of course of course not require anyone to individually make that decision. They’d never coerce… that’d be… illegal. (Funny how those accidents in payroll that proceed to donate funds from my account to United Way’s still occur).
Alec Rawls commented:
My feedback for ESPN:
I am a-okay with Azinger’s Tweets. I understand if it is against your policy, but don’t punish him for it, and hey, why not give him a double gig as a sports and political commentator-comedian, a la Dennis Miller?
Also, a clue in case you haven’t figured it out: 98% of golf viewers agree with Azinger about Obama. Don’t go shooting yourselves in the foot here.
Regards, AR
Cutlers bad knee commented:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA……Even the golfers hate King Putt, Ouch that has really got to hurt the Kings ego….
myohmy commented:
ESPN another Obama supporter?
KC commented:
Don’t watch Disney
Will add ESPN to the list, (that keeps growing)
JustSaying commented:
This is the last real President….the one in the White House now is a joke! Check this out
http://youtu.be/zXhJSYV0lK4
Chip Bennett commented:
@princesabin:
No. Employers do not have the right to restrict employees’ free speech outside of the workplace.
Paul Azinger’s Twitter account is not his workplace. It is his personal, private communication medium. Note that his Twitter username is @PaulAzinger, not @PaulAzingerESPN or similar.
mcc commented:
If you love the soldier, but have no regard for his CIC, you might want to read this:
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/08/some_gave_all_obama_shot_par.html
God bless our heroes and their families. You’re in our hearts today and always.
Patty commented:
Comments are great. ESPN needs to keep their mouth shut. This is still a free country. Good Grief.!
Patty commented:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/politics/7619-obama-hires-negative-news-squasher
By the way this is why. Obama has hired a news squasher
Patty commented:
Any negative news about Obama is immediately squashed. Imagine if Bush hired someone to do this..they would still be working.
ESPN is on Obama DVR you can bet and on his IPOD, you can bet.
Stan commented:
Yes, Lupica spouts liberal propaganda in his Daily News comments as does Kenny Mayne in his tweets–forums that are separate from ESPN.
But you people fail to cite the biggest example of ESPN hypocrisy regarding politics. Hunter S. Thompson wrote articles for espn.com in the final years of his life which were chock full of Bush-bashing and anti-conservative rhetoric.
Azinger is getting reprimanded for stuff he posted on an account separate from ESPN, yet ESPN published Dr. Thompson’s material containing political diatribes on its own site.
Mad Hatter commented:
ESPN is owned by the Disney Corporation.
The CEO of Disney is Robert Iger
Robert Iger is married to Senior Editor for the Huffington Post, Willow Bay.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Iger
In the words of the late Paul Harvey,
“And now you know… the rest, of the story.”
mcc commented:
Obama has hired a news squasher
More to learn here including this:
His wife, Nita Chadhoury, ran MoveOn.org’s attack ad portraying Gen. David Petraeus as “General Betray Us.”
http://floydreports.com/obama%E2%80%99s-new-terminator-%E2%80%93-paid-with-your-taxes/