ESPN suspends Keith Law

[Angrioter]

ESPN REPORTEDLY SUSPENDS KEITH LAW FOR TWITTER ARGUMENT WITH CURT SCHILLING (UPDATE)

 

ESPN has reportedly suspended MLB writer Keith Law from Twitter after a contentious argument about evolution with fellow ESPNer Curt Schilling last week. Deadspin initially reported the suspension earlier on Friday evening, and many that read the details felt that his suspension was ridiculous. Law’s Twitter ban apparently began on Wednesday, and will continue through the weekend before being lifted on Monday.

 

What happened last week was this – Schilling tweeted out a Youtube video “debunking” (as he claimed) the theory of evolution, and Law responded. Then, the conversation between the two (and others) continue to percolate without ever really turning hostile.

 

Law is frequently combative (though never truly disrespectful or hostile) with a variety of users on Twitter, and I’m curious as to whether his conversation with Schilling was simply the straw that broke the camel’s back. Contentious topic + typical snark + fellow ESPN employee = all of the makings for a situation that led to the pot boiling over.

 

The suspension appears to simply be only for Twitter and not other forms of online interaction. Law engaged in his weekly ESPN.com chat on Thursday, and also posted his weekly Top Chef recap on his personal blog the same day (while also commenting on that blog post this evening), and made a post on his Facebook fan page Friday night.

 

A pair of tweets referencing the suspension were also shot out from the Old Hoss Radbourn account, which many believe is run by Law.

http://awfulannouncing.com/2014/espn-reportedly-suspends-keith-law-twitter-argument.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=espn-reportedly-suspends-keith-law-twitter-argument

 

[BTS]

Athletes should really avoid advertising their stupidity on social media.

[jaysblue]

I need to change my avatar quick.

[Angrioter]

Athletes should really avoid advertising their stupidity on social media.

 

One thing is to create a colorful character, and another being an *******. KLaw es un idiota.

[Angrioter]

If that's all he got suspended for, then that's pretty dumb.

 

The evolution is a religious subject; KL gets paid to talk about sports.

[NorthOf49]

I'm a big fan of Keith Law. ESPN's decision-making on suspensions is pretty stupid.

 

Although to clarify, this is only a Twitter suspension.

[NorthOf49]

The evolution is a religious subject; KL gets paid to talk about sports.

ESPN doesn't pay him to do anything on Twitter, especially not at 10:02 pm. He can tweet whatever he wants from his personal Twitter account.

[Dirty SlobberKnocker]

Evolution isn't a religious subject, It's a damn fact anyone who has the basic understanding of what science is should know this.

[Key22]

Religious stupidity gets free reign to say and do whatever it wants but you know logic, reasons, and umm facts, have to be quashed because they are "militant." I had to laugh when Richard Dawkins was called an Atheist Militant. Yes he says "I don't believe and neither should you and here's why." And that is militant? Evolution is a fact. The term theory in science should not be viewed as lay persons use the term. Lay people. I have a theory that if I buy Jennifer Lawrence Purdy's chocolates that she will marry me. Yup that's my "theory." Evolution in science is as strong as the theory (law) of Gravity. If Curt is looking for the missing link he can look at newspapers to see the monkey who was in charge of the United States before Obama - after all apes know about 2000 words in English which is about right.

 

And Curt - you know that thing in your lower back called a TAIL BONE - that's where a tail used to go. :-)

[RealAccountant]

Evolution isn't a religious subject, It's a damn fact anyone who has the basic understanding of what science is should know this.

 

Evolution is not a fact its a theory in this context

 

Evolution in the context of species mutating and evolving is a fact. Evolution the theory that we are a product of evolution is a theory

I understand your intention but its important to get some things right

[RealAccountant]

Misleading title tbh

[BlueJayWay]

This is the dumbest thing I ever heard of.

[Jimcanuck]

ESPN doesn't pay him to do anything on Twitter, especially not at 10:02 pm. He can tweet whatever he wants from his personal Twitter account.

 

Actually that's not true. People can be fired for what they do on their own time, if it is harmful to the employer.

[glory]

Whether the suspension was justified or not, Keith Law is a douche.

[burlingtonbandit]

ESPN doesn't pay him to do anything on Twitter, especially not at 10:02 pm. He can tweet whatever he wants from his personal Twitter account.

 

People will associate him with the ESPN brand or thats what ESPN will say. Its why CBC fired Gomeshi even though you could say it didn't affect his job.

[Jimcanuck]

People will associate him with the ESPN brand or thats what ESPN will say. Its why CBC fired Gomeshi even though you could say it didn't affect his job.

 

number of things with ghomeshi including using corporate phone/computer inappropriately and harassment at the workplace

[HERPDERP]

Whether the suspension was justified or not, Keith Law is a douche.

 

While I don't think he deserved to get suspended, I hope this shuts Keith Law a bit up. He kept talking about politics and non baseball stuff on his twitter. It's his right, of course, but you don't see this kind of s*** from Morosi or Rosenthal.

[jays4life19]

Lmao at being "suspended" from twitter.

 

Poor guy...hope he gets through this. Can't imagine not being able to "tweet" for a few days.

[Stangstag]

While I don't think he deserved to get suspended, I hope this shuts Keith Law a bit up. He kept talking about politics and non baseball stuff on his twitter. It's his right, of course, but you don't see this kind of s*** from Morosi or Rosenthal.

 

Morosi and Rosenthal are professionals. Law, not so much.

[Gorlak]

The evolution is a religious subject; KL gets paid to talk about sports.

 

Only to the religious.

[z3r0s]

Athletes should really avoid advertising their stupidity on social media.

 

This is all that really should be said. Why the f*** you would post something like that if you clearly haven't actually looked into what transitional fossils exist?

It really is staggering how many people hold opinions on things they have clearly have no knowledge base in.

[Captain Adama]

This is such a stupid suspension.

 

Schilling was going to be deservedly ripped apart for making such a stupid, uneducated statement.

[GNick49]

I stopped listening to Law awhile after the Halladay trade. He went on 590 saying how great prospects were...Wallace was going to hit well at Rogers because he hit at every level including college. Drabek was going to be backbone of staff for a decade, TDA was top catcher prospect, so far ahead there wasn't a distant second. Well, TDA wasn't even as good as Gomes, Wallace couldn't hit major league pitching, Drabek blew his arm out, again. Yep, Law knows what he is talking about...

[RIPEXPOS]

Keith law is an arrogant dink who is pretty terrible at what he thinks he's great at, but f*** ESPN.

[BigBounceyBlueBalls]

Keith law is an arrogant dink who is pretty terrible at what he thinks he's great at, but f*** ESPN.

 

Huh this board has a lot of wannabe Kieth Laws then, but he gets paid for it! Lol

[TwistedLogic]

While I don't think he deserved to get suspended, I hope this shuts Keith Law a bit up. He kept talking about politics and non baseball stuff on his twitter. It's his right, of course, but you don't see this kind of s*** from Morosi or Rosenthal.

 

I actually somewhat like Morosenthal. Jays get a lot of national attention because of them.

[nmrch]

While I don't think he deserved to get suspended, I hope this shuts Keith Law a bit up. He kept talking about politics and non baseball stuff on his twitter. It's his right, of course, but you don't see this kind of s*** from Morosi or Rosenthal.

 

There's a reason he has as many followers as he does compared to the average sports writer, people like hearing from him on all the non baseball stuff like books, fodie stuff, boardgames, some politics etc. In the sports world, he's not really a big thing, and ESPN is actually benefiting from him routing traffic to them from people who wouldn't ordinarily care about his stuff.

 

And then there's the obvious fact about him providing a service free of charge, if don't like what he says on Twitter, just unfollow and move on. What on earth makes you think you're entitled to only read about what makes you comfortable.

[KingKat]

I have a lot of conflicted feelings about Keith Law. He's a genuinely interesting guy with very similar interests to mine but his arrogance is often just too much. Frequently, he comes off like a more educated Wilner, more knowledgeable but with the same tendency for condescension. Like Wilner, he's been a very negative influence on Andrew Stoeten (who I used to like). I've stopped following all three because I just couldn't stand their s***** attitudes. All that being said, this is an incredibly dumb suspension from the loathsome suits at ESPN. Curt Shilling's idiotic beliefs about evolution shouldn't go unchallenged because he's a jock. That's f***in' dumb. Law probably wished he took that Astros job now.

[Spanky__99]

I actually somewhat like Morosenthal. Jays get a lot of national attention because of them.

 

Law gives the Jays exposure as well, not much difference in that regard, all 3 of them do, plus others on a smaller scale of course, fangraphs. etc...

[Deadpool]

Evolution is not a fact its a theory in this context

 

Evolution in the context of species mutating and evolving is a fact. Evolution the theory that we are a product of evolution is a theory

I understand your intention but its important to get some things right

 

You're actually wrong here. That we are a product of evolution is fact, the theory relates the the "how". As in "evolution by natural selection". The "natural selection" part is the theory (and a damn strong theory it is, scientifically speaking...)