Update Sunday, 8:30AMPT: ESPN has fired and suspended people responsible for headline, comments.
Update Saturday, 8:20AMPT: ESPN has apologized for the headline.
ESPN has been the biggest champion of New York Knicks star Jeremy Lin’s rise during the team’s seven-game winning streak. But they have potentially undone it all with a horribly racist headline that appeared on tablets, iphones, Androids and other mobile devices following the Knicks’ loss to the Hornets. It may have appeared online as well, but Outsports was only able to see it on ESPN’s mobile sites late Friday night.
Lin had nine turnovers in the game and inspired the headline, “Chink in the Armor” (screen capture after the jump). The term is akin to any other racist epithet you can imagine. Gay athlete Rod Silvestre, who is of Filipino descent and plays in the New York Gay Football League, was understandably outraged by the headline. He posted on Facebook:
Is ESPN serious with their lead story on their web page?
How do you go from celebrating one of the best underdog stories, to now talking about Jeremy Lin for all the wrong reasons. ESPN should be embarrassed.
We want to give ESPN the benefit of the doubt here, but it’s impossible to believe the person who wrote that headline didn’t know exactly what they were writing. Especially since ESPN previously came under fire for using the same headline…to describe a USA basketball game in China.
Update, Feb. 18, 12:10AMPT: ESPN has changed the headline to “All good things….” We have reached out to them for comment.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:28 AM
My girlfriend and I were speechless when we first saw it. I’m not surprised in the slightest, though. It’s not the first time they’ve used it and been reprimanded. Definitely won’t be the last….
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 9:25 AM
Well, it’s nice to know that ESPN (Eternally Stupid People Network?) is an equal-opportunity offender!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 10:16 AM
As someone who’s been called a chink (many years ago), I’m not getting too excited about this. The phrase “chink in the armor” isn’t in itself offensive. For example, I recently saw this headline: “Santorum’s victory may expose chink in Romney’s armor.” Now, applying the “chink” phrase to someone who is of East Asian descent is questionable, but I’m willing to give the headline writer the benefit of the doubt (I don’t think there was any negative intent). There were some JLin supporters who called him the “Yellow Mamba” when he went up against Kobe (the “Black Mamba”). Yellow Mamba doesn’t sound terribly complimentary in my book (it recalls “yellow peril” or “yellow-bellied), but I think the intent was positive. So, while not egregiously bad, I think it was smart of ESPN to change the headline. Using the word “chink” in the context of an East Asian person is probably not the best idea.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 11:29 AM
You people do know “chink in the armor” is real saying right?
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 12:16 PM
Surprise! The sports community is full of insensitivity.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 12:26 PM
“chink in the armor” is a real saying, but i’m pretty sure that they were aware of the racist pun. of course, this is just conjecture. this is from their website (ESPN.com).
“Regarding a Feb. 18 headline on its mobile website, ESPN issued the following statement: “Last night, ESPN.com’s mobile website posted an offensive headline referencing Jeremy Lin at 2:30 a.m. ET. The headline was removed at 3:05 a.m. We are conducting a complete review of our cross-platform editorial procedures and are determining appropriate disciplinary action to ensure this does not happen again. We regret and apologize for this mistake.”
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 1:05 PM
Does espn understand that lin got a whole continent behind his back?? Some BILLION people.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 1:34 PM
I can’t believe you guys defending “Chink in the Armor” as a real saying. Of course it is. This is what is called a PUN, (please look up in dictionary) and if you don’t think it was intentional, I think you might be….let me put this as kindly as possible….mistaken.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 2:02 PM
You all are ridiculous. You’re reading way too much into all of this. Nobody commenting here can say that the pun was intended unless one of these twelve people wrote the headline on the website. I think some people are a LITTLE too sensitive for their own good.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 2:26 PM
@ Jeff- And I am sure you know exactly how many people have to go through copy to get it on the air. What network are you on or for which publication do you work?
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 2:45 PM
@Jeff. As someone on another site mentioned, if ESPN used the headline ‘Monkey See, Monkey Do’ with a story about black player, do you think that would be okay too? It’s just an idiom like “Chink in the Armor.’
Lin was called this offensive term during his college playing days and Asians will tell you it’s an insult on par with the N word. I would know…
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:10 PM
Hey! some of us oldsters recall “a chink in the armour” equal to phrases as “achilles heel” oops- Is their an Achilles to take
offense…..
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:27 PM
REALLY ! THE WRITERS AND EDITORS SHOULD KNOW BETTER,
FREE SPEECH? MY F A , RESTITUTION FOR DAMAGES TO LIN
IS NEEDED! LIKE NAACP? HELP!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:27 PM
Well the world wide sport network really stepped into again. Really you think that “chink in the armor”, is okay, as an Asian raised in this country and had to endure so many name calling to the point of tears for the whole 18yrs of schooling I would have thought in the 21st century we were past the making fun of different race, guess not. Shame on you ESPN for what you wrote, you need to double check yourself and think about what your putting out across millions of TV’s in America. Highly upet and I hope Lin’s family steps forward against your network!!! Shame, shame, shame on you!!!!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 3:58 PM
This is why you need to be careful with language. “Chink in the armor” is a totally acceptable phrase in many instances. … but not when talking about Asians, who have endured that slur forever. Same way virtually no one uses “niggardly” anymore to mean stingy, even though its origins go back to Scandinavia. And on a lesser note, no one uses “gay” to mean happy. Language evolves and people need to be sensitive to that.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:03 PM
“Chink in the armor” is a saying, but using it to describe the action of an Asian makes it insensitive.
I wonder how many of you defending the saying would have your kickers in a bunch if someone had said a player was being a sissy.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:03 PM
@elizabeth grey, for which network do you work? You obviously know all of the ins and outs and you know the person responsible for putting the headline up and you know that they did it with the intent of degrading Jeremy Lin.
@ everybody else, my only point is that none of us knows 100% that this was done on purpose. The person simply could have been not thinking, which is much less of an issue than someone doing it on purpose. If it was done on purpose then it’s beyond reprehensible, but no one is capable of sitting here and saying with 100% certainty that this is what happened. You people need to calm down a little bit. And yes, I meant to write ‘you people’ instead of an alternative. Not that it actually means anything.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:46 PM
plain and simple, it’s worse than calling a black person, n___… other black people call other black people n___… u will never hear another asian call another asian chinc… it’s that offensive… nothin cool about it… pure racism… that person should get fired… think about it… what if when lebron lost in the finals last year, and they would have the title, n___ in the armor… think about it… how big of a deal that would have been… not only that person will get fired for sure… and he’ll never get a media job in his forseable future also… (wonders if he’s going to get just a slap on the wrist) that’d be a true travesty, shaq…
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 6:16 PM
@Tray get over your racist self. You gave the same spill on the other story.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 7:18 PM
Its sad to read such insensitive headline. It’s obvious that there was a hidden message beyond the expression as it was intended to an Asian player. The person responsible for publishing the article need to be held accountable. To all the people here who did not experience any slurs in their life think twice before commenting.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 8:38 PM
As they say on Avenue Q, Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist. So… relax. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHKIMOgoJoU
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 11:25 PM
How stupid is ESPN what are they now run by Fox-News? what a bunch of gutless jerks, come to NYC and say that kind of crap you pin-heads!!!!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 11:29 PM
and to “canmark” who are you calling a racist you cross burning SOB speak for yourself, my people were fighting slavery as abolitionists long before yours came over on the potato boats. screw relaxing it’s time to change the world and Racism , you clowns always give it a pass, it needs to BE STOPPED REGARDLESS OF THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN!!!
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 11:43 PM
‘Still waiting for Lin’s apology to all Chinese who might be offended, demeaned of put off by Lin’s Xanga blog & bloghandle: “chinkballa88″ (story @ Deadspin -> http://deadspin.com/5884316/ ).
Which doesn’t excuse ESPN. But it *does* dilute my outrage when the alleged victim use the same epithet to describe his then-gangsta-wannabee self.
on Feb 18th, 2012 at 11:44 PM
(corr. typos)
‘Still waiting for Lin’s apology to all Chinese who might be offended, demeaned [or] put off by Lin’s Xanga blog & bloghandle: “chinkballa88″ (story @ Deadspin -> http://deadspin.com/5884316/ ).
Which doesn’t excuse ESPN. But it *does* dilute my outrage when the alleged victim [uses] the same epithet to describe his then-gangsta-wannabee self.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 1:06 AM
Yeah… my eyes kinda bugged out of my head. Obviously done in (tasteless) humor.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 2:30 AM
you call me a chink and i will whip your A@@S.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 2:34 AM
let me tell you guys something, when we were younger riding on old yellow, the blacks and white always pick on us and calling us chink and you know what happen, they got there A###S tore up, after that they didn’t say sh#t afterward. let me say this, chink is a racist comment saying to an Asian person.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 5:39 AM
What do you expect? ESPN is the sort of organization full of white heterosexual male writers that relies on its white heterosexual male readers. This is typical American “dumb jock” frat behaviour that owes all its “humour” to chauvinistic discrimination against ethnic minorities, homosexuals and females.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 10:10 AM
You know, I haven’t read anywhere where Jeremy Lin himself is complaining about this. Because he’s tough. He doesn’t pull out the racist card for trivial things like this. As I said before, relax.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 10:34 AM
@Alex … The phrase is not “white heterosexual male”, its “CAUCIE heterosexual male” …
cammark can relax because he’s never suffered racism, he probably just dishes it out … to his one and only non Caucie friend.
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 10:43 AM
Wow canmark, wow.
Lets see
>You people do know “chink in the armor” is real saying right?
>Now, applying the “chink” phrase to someone who is of East Asian >descent is questionable, but I’m willing to give the headline writer the >benefit of the doubt (I don’t think there was any negative intent).
Sure its a real saying are you really so naive to think that:
(1) just because its a real saying its ok to use on a headline about an asian american by one of most visible media outlets.
(2) That applying it to an asian is just “questionable” and you are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt ?
Are you twelve ?
Oh i forgot the last thing you saud, “I haven’t heard anywhere where Jeremy Lin himself is complaining”. Do you really think this is just about Jeremy Lin ?
Amazing ….
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 5:40 PM
Can you say FIRED! and rightfully so… who is the editor on this???? I cannot believe this made to print or view online! This goes against all sensibiliies and connot be defended in any way, regardless if Jeremy says anything in reference to this at all. If I were him, I would not even give it a comment…. ignore it and maybe it will go away, along with its author.
I am dumbfounded!!
on Feb 19th, 2012 at 10:13 PM
Yes we know the expression “chink in the Armour” but it was OBVIOUSLY a racially charged pun. Stop playing devils advocate here.
on Feb 20th, 2012 at 8:48 AM
This is a BLACK mark on ESPN’s reputation. No pun intended. :rolleyes:
on Feb 20th, 2012 at 10:10 AM
This was blatant to take on the mantle of “bad boys” to command top dollar in future jobs. If you think it was a mistake then you need to stop hiring a bunch of crotch-scratching / beer belching idiots who thinks it makes them BIG to talk this way. Get a brain ESPN….if you can.
on Feb 20th, 2012 at 2:33 PM
the verdict has come out already – Fired the person who is responsible. Let’s move on and we all need to be sensitive because we are adult that need to respect each other. So whether or not we are purposely slip out of our tongue , action need to be taken against it in order to prevent it happenning again, and more importantly the same mistake and excuse to be used in the future.
on Feb 20th, 2012 at 2:34 PM
the verdict has come out already – Fired the person who is responsible. Let’s move on and we all need to be sensitive because we are adult that need to respect each other. So whether or not we are purposely slip out of our tongue , action need to be taken against it in order to prevent it happenning again, and more importantly the same mistake and excuse to be used in the future.
on Feb 21st, 2012 at 9:11 AM
This wasn’t racist at all. Lin is making history turning the ball over in his short time playing. “Chink in the Armour” is a shortcoming, weakness. The picture on the paper shows him giving up the ball again. Everybody is blowing this up wrong. What if I said the M.I.A was a “black eye” on Madonna’s halftime show at the Super Bowl? Does that make me racist?
on Feb 21st, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Other “Chinks in the Armour”:
Broncos “chink in the armour”, Tebow isn’t a pocket passer.
Colts “chink in the armour”, can’t win without Peyton.
Jets “chink in the armour”, can’t win with Sanchez.
Wizards “chink in the armour”, no talent.
should I keep going?
oh yeah, Knicks “Chink in the armour”, Lin turns the ball over too much.
on Feb 21st, 2012 at 4:12 PM
If it was an honest mistake than this guy is a complete ignoramus. Yes “chink in the armour” is a common phrase and has been used many times previously, but you’re telling me that this guy didn’t at all think that in this particular instance that phrase shouldn’t be used since he would be referencing an Asian American player? I think its actually worse that he claims it was an honest mistake because it shows what complete ignorance he has.
on Feb 21st, 2012 at 7:20 PM
[...] Hornets, ESPN.com’s mobile site posted a game recap and Lin photo alongside the headline “Chink in the Armor.” The phrasing was only up for around 30 minutes, but that was plenty of time to aggrieve a [...]
on Feb 21st, 2012 at 8:06 PM
Agreed with Jim Buzinsky and Harvard201.
Yes, it is a commonly used phrase. But even if by chance the writer didn’t use the racial pun intentionally, the editor who gave the story the green light should’ve caught it. Or the person who posted it up on the site should’ve caught it. They either purposely wanted to sneak in a racial jab, or they’re all incompetent journalists; either way looks bad for ESPN.
Also, to quote Harvard201, “To all the people here who did not experience any slurs in their life think twice before commenting.”
on Feb 22nd, 2012 at 1:08 PM
But if it were a headline calling a white guy a”cracker” everyone would just think it’s absolutely HILARIOUS.
on Feb 27th, 2012 at 11:11 PM
“New York Gay Football League”
New York has a soccer team?