It took nearly a week, but sports radio host Dan McNeil has apologized for his degrading tweet targeted at ESPN’s Maria Taylor.
During her first appearance as a sideline reporter for ESPN’s Monday Night Football telecast, McNeil criticized Taylor’s outfit, stating she looked suited for an adult film awards show. “NFL sideline reporter or a host for the AVN annual awards presentation?” McNeil wrote on Twitter. The longtime Chicago sports radio personality deleted the tweet soon after, but not before it went viral and ultimately led to him being fired from his position as afternoon co-host on 670 The Score.
After remaining silent for almost a week and letting the backlash settle, McNeil posted an apology on Twitter Sunday morning.
As recently as a few years ago, a similar tweet from McNeil probably would have been overlooked, but there’s now an overdue respect for women in sports and the challenges they endure to do their job. McNeil’s brash style is part of what made him so successful for three decades, but lines that were once blurred have become more defined, and his poor attempt at humor crossed it.
Brandon Contes is a former reporter for BSM, now working for Awful Announcing. You can find him on Twitter @BrandonContes or reach him by email at Brandon.Contes@gmail.com.
