ESPN Suspends Dan Le Batard For LeBron James Joke

Last week, ESPN Radio host Dan Le Batard referenced his local affiliate’s morning show being upset that LeBron James didn’t take out a full-page newspaper ad thanking Miami. Dan then made a bit of it, going so far as to get an estimate from Ohio-area papers to see how much an ad that said simply “You’re Welcome” would cost. He also began spit-balling other ideas, including airplane banners and billboards. But when the Cleveland Plain-Dealer and Akron Beacon-Journal both made erroneous claims he had actually attempted to take an ad (and took credit for defending LeBron), Le Batard decided to troll hard.

On Wednesday, six billboards popped up in Akron, Ohio, with the message “You’re Welcome” in comic sans and “Love, Miami” at the bottom. Le Batard also had plans for one of his producers to hold up a boombox outside Friday’s homecoming ceremony, a la John Cusack in “Say Anything.” It was meant be a joke (as Le Batard constantly admitted on air, it was “a publicity stunt masquerading as a cause”), as Le Batard has no hard feelings for LeBron leaving. As a matter of fact, he thanked LeBron for four exciting years in a Miami Herald column, and has been supportive of LeBron’s decision.

But ESPN has suspended Dan Le Batard, saying “His recent stunt does not reflect ESPN’s standards and brand. Additionally, we were not made aware of his plans in advance.” Of course, Le Batard had openly discussed this “stunt” for ten days, but it doesn’t matter: Dan Le Batard’s job is now on the line because of a harmless radio joke that everyone else thought was brilliant.

Read more at The Big Lead.