ESPN Announcer Ron Franklin Apologizes for Calling Jeannine Edwards ‘Sweet Baby’

ESPN announcer Ron Franklin was pulled off the radio broadcast of the Fiesta Bowl after an incident with reporter Jeannine Edwards.

As Sports by Brooks explained Sunday, ESPN announcer Rod Gilmore and Edwards were discussing the subject of Gilmore’s wife Marie being elected mayor of Alameda. Apparently Franklin interjected, saying something along the lines of “let me tell you something, sweet baby.” Edwards naturally objected to the way she was addressed by Franklin, let him know about it, and he responded by saying okay then, a–hole.

A fellow employee who witnessed the event reported it to ESPN, which tried to pull Franklin off the Chick-fil-A Bowl later that day, but didn’t have enough time. They were able to remove Franklin from the Fiesta Bowl, however. This isn’t the first time Franklin has been caught speaking condescendingly towards a female co-worker. He also spoke down to Holly Rowe during a college football game on ESPN a few years ago.

Franklin has apologized for saying things he should not have.