For starters, consider that ESPN identifies Parker as a “journalist.” As if.
The tempest over Parker’s comments, directed at Parker, are badly aimed. Parker was just meeting — and exceeding — the terms of his engagement. He was hired to be an outspoken black man — no credibility required.
Given Parker’s track record, there was no other reason to have hired him. And to that end, he was a perfect fit.
The extended story on Parker shows he is a self-exposed, nomadic (failed) print and broadcast sports journalist whose primary stock-in-trade is his transparent, often race-based pot-shotting. Thus, it stands to reason ESPN would be foolish enough to provide him with a regular forum.
ESPN has characterized Parker’s wild-headed, bigoted spew about Griffin as “inappropriate” — another example of ESPN ignoring context. In Parker’s case, it’s highly appropriate, given that he specializes in such worthless, senseless, obligatory bomb-throwing.
Besides, it’s not as if Parker committed the unpardonable ESPN sin of innocently using the phrase “chink in the armor” in a report referencing Jeremy Lin.
Parker has demonstrated comical genius in getting things dead wrong. In 2008 he was suspended by the Detroit News after he reported — on a TV station, no less — that Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins, now Griffin’s backup, was involved in a brawl. At the time of that brawl, Cousins was with his family — in church!
Parker claimed three anonymous sources — two would have done it — for his bogus info.