ESPN anchor Jemele Hill, has been suspended for two weeks by ESPN for a “second violation of our social media guidelines,” according to a statement released earlier today (October 9th).
ESPN's Statement on Jemele Hill: pic.twitter.com/JkVoBVz7lv
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 9, 2017
The previous night, Hill posted the following tweets, after Jerry Jones forced his players to stand during the national anthem, threatening to bench them:
Jerry Jones also has created a problem for his players, specifically the black ones. If they don't kneel, some will see them as sellouts.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
No. Jerry has turned this into them choosing football over the community they represent and that isn't right. https://t.co/u4MgpnCDAI
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
Don't ask Dak, Dez & other Cowboys players to protest. A more powerful statement is if you stop watching and buying their merchandise.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
I could say the same for the fans. Same ones asking them to do something will willingly watch the Cowboys next week. https://t.co/3OgNnUMN9C
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
If the players are all standing and doing what they say, that obviously won't be true. The message will be sent. https://t.co/jNmoVZWjQd
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
I agree. But by drawing a line in the sand, Jerry put his players under more scrutiny and threw them under the bus. https://t.co/QRTl8fl6RW
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
Cowboys have a huge national following. Lot of black & brown folks are Cowboys fans. What if they turned their backs on them? https://t.co/qezpPwDTAB
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
If the rationale behind JJ's stance is keeping the fanbase happy, make him see that he is underestimated how all of his fanbase feels https://t.co/45ZDibcWNH
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
Or, how about not patronizing the advertisers who support the Cowboys? You can watch and do that, right? https://t.co/duPNqxFta7
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
This play always work. Change happens when advertisers are impacted. If you feel strongly about JJ's statement, boycott his advertisers. https://t.co/LFXJ9YQe74
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
This is about to be the biggest story of the next 24 hours. https://t.co/uqWSKsxSjL
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
Hill was certainly right about forecast over the following 24 hours. Many perceived the tweets to be encouraging a boycott of the Dallas Cowboys, but Hill clarified her tweets today on her Twitter page.
Just so we're clear: I'm not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
If fans really are that upset about what JJ & Stephen Ross have done, don't call the players sellouts, but you're watching every Sunday.
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017
ESPN were quick to suspend her following these tweets. The first “violation” they were referring to were the tweets in which Hill called Trump a “white supremacist.”
However people feel about her using her platform to voice her opinions, Hill spoke nothing but truth in those social media posts. We stand with her!
