Sports

ESPN Settles Lawsuit With Doug Adler After Firing Over ‘Guerilla Effect’ Comment

(Photo by Robin Marchant/Getty Images for ESPN)

David Hookstead Sports And Entertainment Editor
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ESPN has settled a lawsuit with Doug Adler after his absurd firing back in 2017.

Adler was fired by the popular sports network after he said Venus Williams was using “the guerrilla effect” during a match in early 2017. People thought it was racist because they thought he meant a gorilla, and he was canned. Clearly, it wasn’t racist at all and Adler rightfully sued ESPN. Now, he’s officially come out on top. (RELATED: Doug Adler Sues ESPN)

The New York Post reported the following Thursday:

Now, with the network under new and perhaps more sensible management, comes muted word that ESPN “has amicably resolved our dispute with Doug Adler.”

Sources claim — without ESPN’s dispute — that Adler received a monetary settlement and has even been returned to ESPN’s payroll and could return to work tennis events for the network.

No official apology was granted him, but such an agreement certainly leans toward ESPN’s tacit admission that Adler was done wrong.

ESPN has done more dumb stuff over the past few years than I can count, but this is actually an outstanding outcome for Adler and the network.

Keeping the door open for Adler to return to television demonstrates that the network is way more rational under Jimmy Pitaro’s leadership.

ESPN was a disaster under John Skipper’s leadership. It was an absolute circus on every level, and horrible decisions were being made all over the place. Firing Adler is a clear example of that.

ESPN gave him some money, put him back on the payroll and might bring him back onto television. That’s about as good as it gets for Adler.

Will the damage caused by the network after dragging him through the mud ever be fully fixed? Probably not, but this is a lot better than getting nothing.

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