espn: wear afl t-shirt at work

espn is silly.

An ESPN staffer tells Romenesko the e-mail below from John Skipper, Executive Vice President of Content, was sent last week to all ESPN employees. The staffer writes: "As a member of the newsroom, I find it increasingly difficult to square such promotional stunts with my journalistic ethics and principles. We're supposed to objectively cover the AFL, and yet we're being asked to wear an AFL t-shirt to show our support when the league's bosses walk through the newsroom?"

ARENA FOOTBALL DAY
Wednesday, May 16
11:30am - 1:30p.m.

Connecticut based employees will be receiving Arena Football team t-shirts compliments of Russell Athletic.

If you are comfortable, please wear it to work on Wednesday, May 16th, as a symbol of welcome to our Arena Football guests.

* Tailgate party at the Bristol cafeteria compliments of the Arena Football League.

* Commissioner David Baker, AFL Staff, & Ownership, as well as "Special Guests" will be in attendance.

* Hamburgers and Hotdogs will be served.

 

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/41524/

It's a DB, although you wouldn't know it from the thread title on the Sports/News board.

 

Nice. I'm waiting for the Bob Ley piece on "Outside the Lines."

 

Perhaps it was covered in the thread on this board from the ombudsman... woman.

 

It does say, "If you are comfortable," doesn't it? Were employees required to wear the shirts?

 

This has been discussed at length in the other thread, but anyone who works in corporate America knows there's always a set of teeth behind a statement like "if you are comfortable." Do you think those who aren't comfortable (what if no one was?) will be embraced by their corporate higher-ups for chosing to do so?

 

Sirs, Madames,

I imagine that's all The Schwab ever wore to work, at home, whatever.

YHS, etc

 

fuckabunchaespn.

 

Sirs, Madames,

Coming up next on ESPN:

Sports-Bar Eye for the Queer Guy.

YHS, etc

 

That would have seemed to be a good time to take a two-hour lunch...

"Don't say no like a good little whore..."