Former ESPN Announcer Ron Franklin, Fired For Calling Female Colleague “Sweet Baby,” Sues Network

(By Dan Fogarty, SportsGrid) - Ron Franklin, who had been a college football broadcaster with ESPN since 1987, was fired on January 4th for comments he made to sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards. Now, he’s filed a lawsuit against the network for wrongful termination.

Franklin was fired for comments he made before the Chick-fil-A Bowl on December 31st. He allegedly called Edwards “sweet baby” and “a–hole” when Edwards tried to participate in a conversation he was having with two other male announcers.

He was taken off the January 1st Fiesta Bowl coverage, and issued a statement through ESPN on January 3rd where he admitted he “said some things [he] shouldn’t have and [is] sorry.” The next day, however, he was fired.