January 4, 2011 · 4:28 PM

Say it ain’t so, Uncle Ron.

It’s a strange world we live in when ESPN fires Ron Franklin, yet keeps Craig James on the payroll.

31 Comments

Filed under ESPN Is The Devil

31 responses to “Say it ain’t so, Uncle Ron.”

  1. Boro Dawg
    January 4, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    You can bet on the Devil firing someone for this. Why not Craig James or Dana Jacobson among others for their stupidity? All this means is now there is another play-by-play slot for a female to fill ala Pam Ward and Beth Mowens. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

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  2. hailtogeorgia
    January 4, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    I’m sorry, but I don’t have much sympathy for Uncle Ron here. If the man doesn’t like sideline reporters (which is something I doubt…my guess is that he’s a sexist S.O.B.), that’s fine, but good grief, what he said was just plain dumb. I’m sure there are plenty of broadcasters who don’t think too highly of a few of the female sideline reporters, but they have enough sense to keep their mouths shut about it and do their jobs. The fact of the matter is that the (generally) attractive female sideline reporter is a staple of the industry now and Uncle Ron better get used to it. If he doesn’t, he’s going to start resembling if a different Uncle with three letters in his name (and I don’t mean Sam).

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    • Russ
      January 4, 2011 at 6:04 PM

      Agree 100%. In my mind, this is no different than if he told Rod Gilmore to “be quiet and let the white people talk”. Of course, Rod would have rightfully stomped his ass.

      Ron sounds like a crotchety old man that just can’t face life in the 90’s (much less the 10’s) and is looking for an out. I’ll miss his southern tone, but not his outdated attitude.

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  3. ZDawg
    January 4, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    Well, at least he can go to that rival college broadcasting network that competes with the four letter network–no wait nevermind.

    Later sweetcakes.

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    • gastr1
      January 4, 2011 at 5:23 PM

      Yeah. It’s pretty much the end of the line, no?

      He wrote his own ticket, though. What James did lacked taste and violated professional decorum but was sanctioned by his employer. What Ron did lacked taste and violated professional decorum and was clearly, obviously something his employer did not like and would take action over.

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  4. hailtogeorgia
    January 4, 2011 at 4:54 PM

    Also, to be quite honest, the last time I heard him call a game that I can remember (which was Georgia in last year’s Independence Bowl) I wasn’t that impressed. He made several errors and was overall disappointing.

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    • gastr1
      January 4, 2011 at 5:24 PM

      Bet he still beat the crap out of Mark Jones and Bob Davie, who can’t even be counted on to comment on the game itself, much less make an error on it.

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    • Newt
      January 4, 2011 at 5:25 PM

      Agree here. While he and Mike Gottfried were great in their prime, they were clearly no longer fit for that prime time spot (esp Gottfired) by the time they got moved out. Franklin’s got a great voice that just sounds like southern college football, but like so many broadcasters towards the end of their run, he’s a step slow too often to handle the really big games (looking at you Verne). ESPN initially made the huge mistake of putting Mike Patrick in that spot, but they’ve got it right now. I’ll take Nessler and Blackledge over any other team out there.

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      • Stoopnagle
        January 4, 2011 at 5:28 PM

        I also like Nessler.

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        • Newt
          January 4, 2011 at 5:29 PM

          I hope CBS snaps him up to take Verne’s spot whenever they finally force him into retirement.

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        • Hobnail_Boot
          January 4, 2011 at 6:04 PM

          Would you still like him if you knew that he got on the P.A. a couple years ago at Tech’s home basketball opener and said “to hell with Georgia”?

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          • Bulldog Joe
            January 4, 2011 at 10:22 PM

            Georgia Tech gave Brad his first broadcasting job right out of college.

            He and Blackledge are the best team, by far.

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            • Wolfman
              January 4, 2011 at 10:50 PM

              I honestly have begun to enjoy Sean McDonough. I think I’d like him better if he weren’t paired with Matt Millen.

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              • By Georgia We Did It
                January 5, 2011 at 4:38 PM

                Really like Sean McDonough. He used to do the CBS broadcast prior to Uncle Verne and was much better IMO. Why was he not retained?

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      • gastr1
        January 4, 2011 at 5:29 PM

        +1. I do like those two, and in my pre-UGA-student youth I was a Blackledge fan, being from Pennsylvania. (So yes, that it is what’s wrong with me, fwiw.)

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  5. Stoopnagle
    January 4, 2011 at 5:27 PM

    Damn. That’s a shame. Ron Franklin was the sports anchor for the NBC affiliate in Houston when I was growing up, so this is the end of a long line with me personally.

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  6. AlcoholicGenius
    January 4, 2011 at 5:30 PM

    He a fish eyed fool. He had many better option to messing with her. Should’ve called her something like “skeeter” and offer her a 40 and a gar. That what Paul Johnson would do – – he a genius too, sensitive to womens issue. Nobody thank that sexest, but trust me, womens hate to be call skeeter – – unless they already had a couple 40. Why that fool want to be a lonely man?

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  7. Tommy
    January 4, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    What Franklin did would’ve gotten him fired anywhere. This isn’t Mad Men. What sunk him is that he refused to personally apologize, which really is the topper. Really, Ron? That’s the ship you’re going down with — your God-given right to call a female coworker “sweetcakes”? Not exactly a Howard Beale moment.

    Craig James’ continued employment, while baffling in and of itself, really has no bearing on the Franklin matter. But the fact that the two situations both exist under the ESPN tent is quite the curiosity.

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  8. Dog in Fla
    January 4, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    First Billy Gillespie. Then Ron Franklin. Why won’t they ever learn? Cal’s learned.

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  9. Chuck
    January 4, 2011 at 5:42 PM

    Apples and oranges, imo. Ron Franklin making the comments he made was silly, and anyone with any sense would have thought twice before making the comment, and failing that, would have apologized and lived to broadcast another day.

    Craig James is a mystery – he’s not even that good, never mind the conflict of interest – but the WWL may be covering their legal butts holding on to him. Different matter altogether, imo.

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  10. dudetheplayer
    January 4, 2011 at 7:54 PM

    I think the biggest issue here is ‘ole Uncle Ron already has a track record of this behavior with the Holly Rowe thing, and he apparently didn’t learn anything from his previous exile by ESPN.

    I like the guy, but it was pretty dumb move on his part and I have little sympathy for him.

    Ride off into the sunset Uncle Ron.

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  11. NRBQ
    January 4, 2011 at 8:19 PM

    Wasn’t the Rowe thing on-air?

    So Ron called her an asshole in private and she wrote a wah-wah letter to her employers and got him fired. Maybe he was right.

    I love him, anyhow, and hope somewhere down the line she gets speared by Nick Fairley.

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  12. Mike
    January 4, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    Mike Tirico is still employed by ESPN/ABC and committed much worse acts than that. Although he is no longer allowed to be in Bristol, only call games and golf tournaments. I guess it is easier to fire a white male than a black male or a female.

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  13. lrgk9
    January 5, 2011 at 5:58 AM

    Is there a 12 step rehab program for stupid?

    On the James thingy, me thinks there is a lawyer in the buttermilk murmuring about employer/agent contingent liability. ESPN would love to find something tangible to cast James adrift.

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