According to a Forbes.com report, ESPN has issued a statement in light of the Dana White calling Ariel Helwani a douche. As you might expect, it was tempered in a way as not to create waves with its partner, the UFC.
The UFC did not immediately issue a statement after White responded to a reporter’s question about Carano. White seemed to go out of his way to name Helwani and say that his IG comments were made all about him and that he was a ‘douche.’
Many of Helwani’s colleagues spoke out on social media in his support.
ESPN declining to comment on a corporate partner insulting their employee does a really clear job of showcasing their priorities. https://t.co/Ftzr2u8mbo
— Kevin Draper (@kevinmdraper) February 14, 2021
Yet, ESPN remained silent until Monday.
The statement emailed to Forbes did not identify White’s comments and muted the insult on their employee. “Ariel is a valued colleague and an exceptional MMA reporter. His record speaks for itself.”
The statement itself could be cut and past on Ariel’s resume if he wanted. It doesn’t address what was said about White and why his colleagues felt compelled to support him. ESPN and the UFC are broadcast partners and its clear that the network does not want to create waves with White. In so doing, it has given him the sign as to the parameters he can push.
Payout Perspective:
It is disappointing that an employer does not have the moral compass to at least speak out when their employee is wrongfully attacked. As I noted yesterday, if you actually watched Helwani’s comments about Carano, they were thoughtful and tempered. He also wished Carano well and stated that he reached out to her people for comment. Whether or not you believe this is really not significant. His comments made sense and in no way did he devolve the issue into name calling like White. The UFC president is entitled to his opinion but he’s also entitled to its criticism as well. For ESPN to do nothing is like letting the kid steal without a slap on the wrist allowing him to figure out how much more he can get away with the next time.
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