By Debbie Schlussel
On Friday, I wrote about ESPN’s racist, bigoted casting call for a commercial. Then, on Monday, I wrote about how, on Saturday, ESPN’s middle-aged pretty boy Chris Fowler told the “College Game Day” audience that they’re racists if they didn’t vote for Barack Obama.
Well, ESPN doesn’t like it when it gets called on a foul. This popped into my e-mail inbox, and I’ve posted the ensuing exchange:

From: Coleman, Tilea Tilea.Coleman@espn.com
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 3:46 PM
Subject: ESPN Casting Call Posting
To: “writedebbie@gmail.com” writedebbie@gmail.com
Hello Debbie –
I recently read one of your postings entitled: “They Owe Limbaugh an Apology: Liberal ESPN’s Racist, Bigoted Casting Call.” You stated in your blog that “ESPN–in a memo–set forth bigoted stereotypes against Jews, Blacks, Asians, Middle America, Southerners, you name it.” On behalf of ESPN, I wanted to make it clear that we (ESPN) did not author the memo that was distributed, as you suggested in the aforementioned statement. It came from an outside casting agency.
Here is our official statement as it relates to this matter: “Our marketing department just learned of this casting call today (Wednesday, Nov. 12),. The language and approach reflected in that document were not approved by us and in no way represent ESPN or the respect we have for the college community.”
Debbie, thanks for your understanding and please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.
Best, TC

Do you really believe that ESPN hires an ad agency and lets the agency come up with the ad and start spending money on it and casting before ESPN execs approve it? Dream on.

From: Debbie Schlussel writedebbie@gmail.com
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Subject: Re: ESPN Casting Call Posting
To: “Coleman, Tilea” Tilea.Coleman@espn.com
So, is it ESPN’s normal practice not to know about what kind of commercial the network is running? You had no idea what the commercial was about and yet it was already in the casting stage? Please respond.
Also, how do you explain Chris Fowler calling all of us who did not vote for Barack Obama “racist”? Why on earth was he allowed to do this on “College Game Day”? Here’s the post about that:
https://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2008/11/hypocrite_espn.html
Please respond. Please also tell me if ESPN agrees with Fowler’s claim. If not, what is ESPN doing to discipline Fowler? Will we hear an apology from him to the 55 million plus Americans who did not vote for Obama? If not, why was Rush Limbaugh forced by ESPN to apologize to a single solitary pro football player?

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From: Coleman, Tilea Tilea.Coleman@espn.com
Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 6:17 PM
Subject: RE: ESPN Casting Call Posting
To: Debbie Schlussel writedebbie@gmail.com
ESPN was aware of the campaign, but was not aware of the casting call document. Again, the language and approach reflected in that document were not approved by us.
I’m looking into the Chris Fowler remarks and will get back to you.
Thanks, TC

Ah, I get it. ESPN knew they were making a bigoted ad, but they simply didn’t approve of it being put down in writing on the casting call sheet. That makes it so much better.
I have yet to hear back from her on Fowler’s comments about us “racists”, and I’m not holding my breath.