Tony Kornheiser will not make his next appearance on ESPN until next month.
ESPN announced on Tuesday that Kornheiser will be suspended from Pardon The Interruption for the next two weeks, in the wake of his comments regarding SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm‘s wardrobe.
In a statement, ESPN EVP of content John Skipper called Kornheiser’s comments “entirely inappropriate.” Skipper: “Hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences. … Hannah is a respected colleague who has been an integral part of the success of our morning SportsCenter.”
Last week, Kornheiser criticized Storm for her on-air wardrobe, calling it “horrifying” and joking that Storm was in a “Holden Caulfield fantasy.”
Compared to other recent incidents involving ESPN personalities, Kornheiser’s two-week suspension is longer than usual.
In 2008, ESPN suspended writer Jemele Hill one week for likening rooting for the Celtics to viewing Adolf Hitler as a “victim.” Earlier that year, ESPN suspended ESPN First Take co-host Dana Jacobson for one week, after a foul-mouthed speech at a roast of Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. In 2006, ESPN quietly suspended former NFL analyst Sean Salisbury for one week, after he photographed his genitalia and showed the image to co-workers.
Kornheiser has been co-host of Pardon The Interruption since 2001, and once served as a game analyst on ESPN Monday Night Football.
(ESPN)
