Fired radio host apologizes to Maria Taylor for sexist comment
The fired radio host mocked Maria Taylor after she joined 'Monday Night Football' as a sideline anchor
Chicago radio host Dan McNeil offered an apology to ESPN reporter Maria Taylor after he lost his job for making a sexist remark against her.
Read More: ESPN’s Maria Taylor thanks team for support after white host fired for ‘degrading’ comment
Taylor joined Monday Night Football as a sideline anchor, a landmark career moment, and McNeil decided to use social media to offer an unwarranted critique of her outfit and appearance last week. In a now-deleted tweet, he expressed his dislike of her chic, all-black, leather-look, sharing a screenshot of the journalist doing her job.
“NFL sideline reporter or a host for the AVN annual awards presentation?” he wrote on Twitter. The award show he referenced is the Adult Video News where hosting duties are typically handled by adult-film stars.
theGrio reported Taylor was offered support from her peers as her celebratory moment was met with controversy. Fellow sports journalist and cultural critic Jemele Hill came to the defense of her fellow Black woman in sports media and shared how the moment was “just another example of what women have to go through in this business.”
Taylor herself stood her ground against McNeil. She sarcastically offered him the opportunity to bring his “misogyny” to her next reporting job and reminded ladies to “wear whatever you feel confident in.”
Read More: Janelle Monae rants against sexism in music, religion and other institutions
While she was met with support, McNeil was fired for his comments. According to theGrio, his career at Entercom Chicago, where he had been hosting a sports show on 670 The Score since 2018 was cut short after a 30-year career in the Windy City’s radio industry.
“We must hold ourselves to high expectations to continue to be leaders in our organization, our industry, and our community. We apologize to all who were offended by Dan’s words, especially Maria,” wrote Entercom Chicago executive Rachel Williamson in a staff email the Chicago Tribune reports.
Previously he offered no comment according to the Chicago Tribune but now, McNeil himself wrote a new tweet to Taylor, this time an apology. The broadcaster claimed to have been attempting to make a joke in his original take.
“Going for a quick laugh, I failed conclusively. Best of luck — you’re terrific,” he tweeted, directly tagging Taylor.
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