The ESPN debacle involving hosts Rachel Nichols and Maria Taylor is continuing to cause turmoil.
One year after Nichols, who is White, insinuated that her Black colleague Taylor was being promoted over her due to ESPN’s “push” for diversity rather than her talent, Nichols finally issued her mea culpa to the masses. Fans of ESPN were disgusted that her “The Jump” co-hosts Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson supported her.
Nichols originally got egg on her face because she failed to turn off her mic during a June 2020 conversation where she complained to LeBron James’ publicist of being passed over. Nichols coveted the hosting gig for the NBA playoffs in “the bubble” in Orlando, Florida, that Taylor was given. The conversation was recorded by a former Black ESPN employee and given to Taylor, setting off a yearlong internal war of words between multiple employees.
On Monday, July 5, 2021, Nichols said she was “so sorry” for making disparaging remarks about Taylor on the show she hosts, “The Jump.”
Rachel Nichols opening comments on Monday’s live episode of “The Jump”: pic.twitter.com/VpI826k0pp
— megan turner (@megnturner_) July 5, 2021
NBA and ESPN fans were irate that the two Black men were so enthusiastically backing Nichols and that they, in fact, spoke longer about the subject than Nichols — even though they had nothing to do with the incident.
How Perk and RJ looked defending Rachel Nichols on The Jump today pic.twitter.com/mrDkJFsHjk
— 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮🚫𝙛𝙛𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙣 (@Play0ffBron) July 5, 2021
They really shouldn’t have had Big Perk or Richard Jefferson say anything. Espn put two black men in bad spots about something that had nothing to do with them.
— Robert Littal BSO (@BSO) July 6, 2021
Kwame Brown tried to warn Us. Now they have Richard Jefferson and Perk in on their Little Go Along pic.twitter.com/ydrktqWj4X
— Italo Bugat (@ITALO0821) July 5, 2021
Perk what are you saying pic.twitter.com/q9Tm0S3jU3
— janelle s. (@janelIe_) July 6, 2021
Perk and RJ ended up saying more about it than Rachel and that was messed up. Rachel should’ve faced the music by herself. She put herself in this jam so she should’ve gotten herself out of it.
— The Anonymous Nobody (@el_budget) July 5, 2021
#RachelNichols has me caught between “of course she wants to have all the top jobs over #MariaTaylor It’s a competitive workspace” and “for someone who tries to uplift minorities in sports media she sure seems to have a problem with it when she’s competing with them”
— Mention It‼️Podcast (@MentionItSports) July 5, 2021
Bet you they won't even put the BS apology on YouTube 🤣🤣 … #ESPN what ya hiding ? #RachelNichols #MariaTaylor #BLM #MeToo #RichardJefferson #Perk and with lightskin and darkskin Uncle Ruckus on her side 🤮 pic.twitter.com/JSiA93n3kg
— Scurby Charles (@MorallyToldBy) July 5, 2021
