That explains the hostility.

Like most of us, Ron Franklin is contemptuous of sideline reporters.  Unlike most of us, Ron Franklin has the opportunity to express his contempt directly.

Longtime ESPN announcer Ron Franklin was pulled off ESPN’s Saturday Fiesta Bowl radio broadcast by ESPN executives after an incident involving the veteran broadcaster and ESPN-TV sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards.

Scheduled to work on the ESPN-TV broadcast of the Chick-fil-A Bowl Friday, Franklin and Edwards were part of a production meeting before the game that was also attended by ESPN announcers Ed Cunningham and Rod Gilmore. During the meeting, the subject of Gilmore’s wife Marie being elected Alameda (CA) mayor came up.

As Gilmore, Cunningham and Franklin discussed the subject, Edwards tried to join the conversation.

When she did, Franklin said to her, “Why don’t you leave this to the boys, sweetcakes.”

Edwards responded to Franklin by saying, “don’t call me sweetcakes, I don’t like being talked to like that.”

Franklin then said, “okay then, a–hole.”

After the meeting Edwards reported Franklin’s comments to ESPN management.

Pretty snappy comeback there.

I’m sure this will be compared to the earlier incident Franklin had with Holly Rowe which got him in trouble at the WWL, but the difference here is that this was an off-air incident.  Indeed, it’s a credit to the professionalism of Franklin and Edwards that there was no apparent on-air hangover from the incident during the bowl game broadcast.

Of course, it’ll be interesting to see how ESPN deals with Franklin, given its strong record in reacting to inappropriate comments by its broadcasters.

Back to you, guys.