Well, the trial of Harold Reynolds Vs. ESPN, scheduled for SOMETIME, finally settled last night. Terms were not disclosed, but Harold had originally sued for $5 million.

"This was a matter of principle," Reynolds, who now works for MLB.com, said in a statement. "I stood on principle and didn't waver. My goals were met. Now I can put this behind me and concentrate on the game I love."

ESPN said it stood by its decision to dismiss Reynolds. It said in a statement that the settlement was "economically compelling to ESPN," amounting to a "fraction of his demands and less than what it would have cost to litigate the case."

When we spoke to Reynolds last year, he reiterated the "principle" stand and expressed frustration that the process was taking so long. Now he can go back to working for MLB.com, and we can go back to listening to Eric Young on "Baseball Tonight." And we miss out on what would have been a rather amazing trial. Alas.

Reynolds And ESPN Settle Lawsuit [New York Times]
Our Interview With Harold Reynolds [Deadspin]

How long as this been meandering around? Here's the total case detail, from October 2006 to the present day. We've yet to notice a single thing that's happened. Something called a "MOT APPT COMMISSION" happened on Valentine's Day — Deadspin LLP, help us out here — and what's scheduled?

Individually Scheduled Court Dates
# Date Time Event Description Status
No Events Scheduled

This case will never get started, and once it does, it will never end. America!

Connecticut Case Detail
Our Interview With Harold Reynolds [Deadspin]

The guy's name is Paul Richardson, and he used to be at Universal McCann, whatever that is. The real point: Does he know how to handle a potential — oh, OK: inevitable — sexual harassment complaint better than James Dolan? It would seem so.

Richardson began his career 22 years ago as an attorney before transitioning to the human resources field. Since then, he has held executive human resource positions at a wide array of media companies, including those focused on television and film production, digital media development, publishing, marketing and sales and other media platforms. At Universal McCann, he was responsible for overseeing all human resource functions for 72 offices and approximately 3,000 employees worldwide.

Yes, but ... can he define what makes a leader? Keep those memos coming, Paul!

New ESPN Hire To Lay Down The Law [Awful Announcing]

But he saved his loudest admonitions for our pal Harold Reynolds; he says Harold has no business pleading innocence. What's LeBatard's case? Harold hit on his girlfriend.

"For Harold to be claiming that he was wrongfully fired.. I don't know how he says that with a straight face." ... "He creeped out two of my girlfriends ... I'm doubtful."

You can hear the whole audio at Leave The Man Alone. Personally, we're just creeped out that Dan LeBatard has had multiple girlfriends.

ESPN Is Filled With Sexual Harassment [Leave The Man Alone]
Our Interview With Harold Reynolds [Deadspin]

Friday afternoon, we accepted an invitation to MLB.com's offices in Manhattan for an interview with ... Harold Reynolds. This is the first SHOTY nominee we've interviewed — save for the imaginary conversations with Barbaro that go on in our head every day — and we talked for about an hour on a variety of topics, most of which involved ESPN and Reynolds' ongoing lawsuit against the company.

Reynolds couldn't get into detail on most aspects of the case, but he still had plenty to say. After the jump, dip inside the brain of the newest MLB.com employee. And we will say this: The man can hug.

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--

Mr. Reynolds, we won't lie: We're pretty surprised to be talking to you right now.

Hey, you guys have been real good to me.

Really? We think we once called you "Handsy" Reynolds.

I've been called a lot worse.

We think that if your firing would have happened five years ago, you would have gone quietly into the night, ESPN would have just moved on and no one would have ever thought about it again. You'd have just been gone. But today, the way they're used to running their business doesn't work anymore. People hold them more accountable than they used to, and when they shroud something in mystery, people want to know what happened. The day after your firing, "Harold Reynolds" was the No. 1 most searched item on Technorati. No offense, but you're not Britney Spears. Were you surprised by the mass interest in what had happened to you?

First off, I'm glad I'm not Britney Spears. And certainly none of those searches were done by me. As for being surprised, yes and no. Yes, because to me, I'm just Harold. But no, because ESPN, it's a huge entity. It's a huge monster. The day I was let go, with nothing said, no comment but "he's just no longer with the network," that piqued a lot of curiosity. Because of that, people were trying to find out what was going on.

You did an interview with The New York Post the day after you were fired where you just sounded confused.

That was an ambush. I just answered the phone, and the guys says, "I hear it's sexual harassment." I was like, 'Excuse me, who is this?' I wasn't ready to do an interview; I was still trying to figure out what the heck's going on.

And at that point, you had no idea you'd been fired for sexual harassment?

I found out solely through newspapers and your site. They never specified this is what it is. In the vernacular of the paperwork, it's actually "Not Following The Direction Of Production." But they never said that publicly. They just let me hang out there and get slaughtered.

To this day, of all the people you worked for at ESPN, the people who fired you, you still haven't talked to any of them about why you were fired?

Nobody in upper management. I've talked very briefly with a few different people I used to work with. I've searched for information just like anybody else. I didn't know what was in the complaint. We sent the labor board to go get [my personnel file and complaint], and they were denied. The state attorney general subpoenaed ESPN, and they just didn't turn it over. Finally, we got in front of the judge, and the judge turned over the personnel file. And that was just May 18. May 18 was the first time I had ever seen my personnel file and what any of the complaints were against me. Through a court order.

Do you still talk with any of the guys from the show?

Kurkjian and Peter (Gammons) have called, and I speak with them a lot. Ravech has tried to contact me a couple of times. The main people I worked with were Peter, Karl, Krukie and occasionally Kurkjian, and everybody's contacted me except for Kruk. I'm not gonna sit here and slam him, though.

I think what has happened with most of the people at ESPN is, because of the lawsuit, a lot of people are afraid to get in touch with me. It's not that they don't like me. I understand.

You were there for a long time.

Eleven years. I knew everybody from the janitor to the president. I felt like that was home for me. I understand if people don't get back at you.

It was tough to leave, because I went across every portion of ESPN, with Little League, and College, and Major League Baseball. That means studio and remote side. I knew thousands of people. It's difficult not being in touch.

Was there a fear, once all this went down, that you'd never work again?

I had to think about it, before I filed the lawsuit, and I came to the point that I was like, "You know what? I'm just not working anymore." And that was fine with me. To me, it's always been about clearing my name. I don't, to this day, feel like I was fired properly. I was wrongfully terminated, it was rush to judgment, they did not do a proper investigation. Had they done this the right way, we would have never been in this situation. I stand by that. I built my life for 30 years as a professional, whether it's in baseball or broadcasting, and to have that torn down, in one statement, by one person, I wasn't gonna stand for. This was my only recourse. I wanted to meet, and I wanted to sit down, and I didn't get any answers.

We've seen the court papers of what has been filed against you, and, not to make you get into specifics, but when you look at what some other ESPN personalities have been accused of, or what they've even admitted to ... why you? If these were all just misunderstandings, they could have had stronger cases against other people, if they wanted to make an example out of someone.

I won't get into specifics, but when you look at some of the other stuff people have said about other people there, it's pretty obvious that this situation was not fair to me. I will say that. They can read between those lines as well as you can. That's one of the main reasons I think I've got such a strong case. I was not treated fairly in comparison to some of the other things that have gone on in that place.

Talk about the day all this went down. Was it just HR in the room with you? Oh, and by "HR," I mean "human relations," not, you know, you.

It was Norby Williamson, Marcia Keegan and Steve Anderson. That's who was in the room, and that's who fired me. They called me in, and told me I was fired.

After you were fired, did you look around for other jobs immediately?

I talked to just about everybody in the industry. The first people who came to the forefront were the Mariners; I've always got a job there. I met with everyone. And every single one of them was like, "Well, let's see what happens with this ESPN business first." That's another reason I'm so grateful for MLB.com, to step up and say, "we'll give you a job right now." They know interviews like this are gonna have to happen. But when I met with other executives at other networks, they'd always ask immediately about the ESPN thing. After I tell them what happened, they're like, "That's it?"

Have you ever talked to any of the women who made accusations against you since they made them?

No. These weren't relationships. They could stand in front of me right now, and I wouldn't know who they are.

Do you still watch "Baseball Tonight?"

A couple of times. But it's hard. I feel like I helped build that show. It's tough to turn it on and see the show and not see me on it.

Do you think, generally speaking, that ESPN is a difficult place for women to work?

Anytime you have women in a sports environment, it's going to be difficult to them. They're just outnumbered; they become a minority. I think you have to be extra respectful to them and their position. You have to be more sensitive to it, because you never know how people will react to something.

Did you ever have any sexual harassment training at ESPN?

Nope, never. They put out that there were concerns of five women with incidents of misconduct, but this isn't something that happened in one incident. I never had training, I was never asked to go to training, though I think everybody else in the building probably had it.

Everybody but you?

I'm sure I wouldn't slip through the cracks now, after me, but yeah: It was just never offered to me.

Do you think, generally speaking, that ESPN is too powerful?

They're a powerful entity, there's no doubt about that. But I couldn't worry about that. But I needed to file this suit to file my name. Whether it would have been ESPN or anybody else. It had to be done.

Before this whole business, we never got the impression that you were one of the least popular ESPN broadcasters; there wasn't a site called "Fire Harold Reynolds" or anything. People like Kruk and Berman get it a lot worse than you ever did.

Man, you guys just kill Chris. Leather? Is that what it is? You're with leather?

Something like that. We actually have no problem with leather. It's one of our favorite materials. Anyway, you'd never had that much negative about you in the media, and then, suddenly, everything in the media about you was negative. That must have been disconcerting.

The biggest eye opener for me was that I never had enemies. My whole life, I was the guy who loved everybody, hugged everybody, said hi to everybody. When something like this happens, they come out of the woodworks. I'm like, "Man, people hate me." That hurts, you know? That's probably the biggest shocker of it all. I really was naïve to that side of things.

Did people get quiet when you walked in the room?

Oh, yeah. I'd walk into restaurant, and my wife would always get the "Oh, poor girl" looks from everybody. That's hard. That's been the most difficult part of the whole thing was seeing my wife see all the hurt she had to go through. We're pretty upbeat people. To have night when you were crying and you don't have direction, it's real hard. But it's been good for us, it's forged our relationship closer. Hell, we'd just been married a couple of years. It was like, "Hello, marry me" and then BLAM. But we'll weather the storm. Forget jobs, forget if I'm gonna work again, forget about how people who don't know me perceive me. What matters is what's happening at home. I sat down with my wife, explained to her what was going on and she said, "Let's go forward with the lawsuit." She backed me up, no matter how darts were thrown our way.

Talk about this new MLB.com thing. Do you have a contact all set? Is part of this a deal with the new baseball network that's coming in a couple of years?

It's a two year contract, and, as for the baseball network, that's something that we'd all have to address down the line. They don't have it under the same umbrella. In my eyes, I see them co-existing, but it's up for MLB to set up the difference. I'll be on five days a week after the All-Star break, and then it'll be two days a week in the offseason. I'm not taking this job because I couldn't wait to work again; it's an unbelievable opportunity. The reach here is greater. I'm not Internet savvy, so it kind of blows me away what people can get to on the Web. In my heart of hearts, I love to teach baseball. If I can get in people's homes and teach the game, and educated people on it, this is where I need to be.

Do you still live in Connecticut?

Yep, in West Harford. I'll come into the city twice a week, and we'll have everything done that can be posted for the rest of the week. We want to be as current as possible.

Have you lost any friendships because of this whole thing?

Naw, people know me. People who have been around me have never wavered. They know that if I had done anything, I would have said so. The real people around me ... well, I don't want to get into anything too philosophical.

The Web doesn't handle philosophy well.

Exactly. I'll get killed when this runs.

So we were wondering if you would give us a hug.

I don't think my lawyers would like that too much.

We promise not to file a complaint.

Sorry. Probably not a good idea.

That's right: Your friend and ours, Mr. Harold Reynolds, out of a job since being fired by ESPN for now "official" reason in July, has been hired by MLB.com to work as a broadcaster. Here's the official press release.

After the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Reynolds will appear five days per week at 2 p.m. (ET) to bring his unique viewpoint of the game directly to fans around the globe. Reynolds will also interact with fans via weekly online chats and through his blog, giving MLB.com users unprecedented, round-the-clock access to one of baseball's most knowledgeable and popular personalities.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the Major League Baseball family," said Reynolds. "I look forward to being a part of the MLB.com team and taking full advantage of this chance to service baseball fans worldwide across Major League Baseball's array of multimedia platforms."

Wow, that's all Harold, all the time: Five days a week! We would ask ESPN their view on this ... but, as we all know, they refuse to admit Harold ever existed. Well, other than to respond to his lawsuits.

Welcome back, Harold. We're glad to have you. Just to be safe, though ... we think you know which restaurant chains to avoid.

Reynolds To Work At MLB.com [PDF]

"The thing that's amazing to me is how long the legal process takes," said Reynolds, who says depositions haven't yet been taken and the case isn't scheduled for trial until February of 2009. "I've never had any upper-management person tell me why I got fired," he said. "I'm not bitter, but I'm definitely angry. Had I had a chance to sit down and explain situations, we wouldn't have been in this."

We continue to find it amazing that still no one from ESPN has talked to Reynolds yet. And February 2009? Jeez, by then the case will be settled by President Kucinich.

Reynolds Returns [Seattle Times] (via Sports By Brooks)

We keep forgetting that TBS is going to be showing a ton of baseball games this year — along with the Division Series and the NLCS — and Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn are going to be the main analysts. Gwynn and Chip Carey are the lead broadcasters, and Ripken's gonna be the studio guy with Ernie Johnson. We suspect he will dial it down somewhat from Charles Barkley.

Who's not listed here, by the way? Harold Reynolds! We were hoping Harold would find a spot on the roster, but apparently, he's been put in the Do Not Call list. We don't know about you, but having baseball back reminds us how much we kinda miss him.

TBS Lands Ripken, Gwynn [SI.com]

That's right, folks: It's time for a Harold Reynolds vs. ESPN update!. (Via The Smoking Gun, as always.)

Claiming that "no events" in his work history can be characterized as sexual misconduct, Reynolds, 46, refers to the "pimp daddy" incident, which apparently occurred in the network's Bristol, Connecticut cafeteria. As Reynolds tells it, the woman lodged her complaint because he offered to buy lunch for her and other employees. This was a courtesy, the court filing notes, "extended by the last person in line, especially when the last person was Mr. Reynolds." While the comment "may evidence racial stereotyping or bias on the part of the supposed complainant," wrote lawyer Joseph Garrison, "it is most certainly not 'sexual misconduct'" on Reynolds's part. "Most people, instead, would consider an offer to buy lunch as a kind or generous gesture."

OK, so, now, there's one of the "five women" stories taken care of; let's hurry and get to the other four! This is really becoming like "24;" one story defused, we have to find the other four before it's too late!

Harold Reynolds: "I'm No Pimp Daddy" [The Smoking Gun]

ESPN will present certain documents and information that should be protected against unrestricted use and dissemination, including documents and information related to concerns raised by five young women about [Reynolds'] sexual misconduct.

Well, first off, five is an impressive number. We're not sure that's the real reason ESPN wants it private, but they sure got that number five out there, didn't they?

ESPN: Five Women "Concerned" About Reynolds [The Smoking Gun]

That's right: It's an official ESPN contract. Reynolds was expected to make $4.875 million over a six-year deal, and the contract reveals what that entails. Reynolds was required to make three "personal appearances," call 12 on-site games (not counting the Little League World Series) and make a minimum 85 studio appearances. ESPN provides first-class air transportation to all games, and for days Reynolds is in Bristol, he gets a $48 per diem, which will provide for several full meals at Boston Market, even with sides of mashed potatoes.

So, nothing necessarily new in the lawsuit just yet ... but we suspect Deadspin LLP will find lots of fun tidbits in the contract language.

Harold Reynolds' Big Hit [The Smoking Gun]
Harold Reynolds Coverage [Deadspin]

(Originally, some guy was featured on the left of this picture, but he emailed us and — pretty rudely, we thought — demanded that we take crop him out of the photo, even though the photo is right here and pretty much everywhere else. So there you go, weirdo. Feel better?)

All right, here we are: It's time for the Final Four. We have our ESPN side of the bracket, and then our Masturbator Locator Vs. Horse side of the bracket. All four candidates are worthy. It's time for some tough decisions, people.

The polls for the semis will be open all the way through the holidays, until January 4, so feel free to take your time making up your mind. Because it's for all the marbles, as they say. And we mean marbles: We're going to send marbles to the winner. Here's the most recent bracket:

The matchup breakdown:

No. 1 Seed: Chris Berman
2006 Highlights
Changed the way you thought about pickup lines.
United Tony Kornheiser, Keith Olbermann, TRL, prime-time NBC programs and an awesome teenager who's "stupid, just stupid."
Spawned the first piece of Deadspin clothing.

No. 5 Seed: Harold Reynolds
2006 Highlights
Fired from ESPN for "undisclosed" reasons.
Hugged the wrong person at the wrong time.
Played awfully dumb.
Sued ESPN's ass.

So, go vote: Who is headed for the SHOTY Title Game?

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

We return to the SHOTY Tournament, with the final two quarterfinal matchups, today and Thursday. Of all the Elite Eight matchups, we think this might end up the closest. (The first two have been runaways, though you can still vote.) First, a reminder of the bracket.

It seems strange that of the two people involved this week, Harold Reynolds is the one who doesn't work for ESPN anymore. In fact, he's suing them. And we can never figure out if Jay Mariotti would vote for himself in these tournaments; after all, it does make him more famous.

The matchup breakdown:

No. 4 Seed: Jay Mariotti
2006 Highlights
Brought together the Cubs and the White Sox.
Shrunk from Ozzie Guillen's manly challenge.
Inspired a loving fan site.
Reveled in all the fame.
Declared war on Wikipedia using the famous "whining" method.

No. 5 Seed: Harold Reynolds
2006 Highlights
Fired from ESPN for "undisclosed" reasons.
Hugged the wrong person at the wrong time.
Played awfully dumb.
Sued ESPN's ass.

So, go vote: Who is headed for the Final Four?

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Ordinarily, the SHOTY tournament will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but this week, with that whole Thanksgiving business, we're going Monday-Tuesday this week. We hope your system can handle the shock.

Don't know if you've had a chance to look yet, but that Roethlisberger-Mikulik matchup? With more than 6,000 votes, Roethlisberger is up by four. That's four single votes. So if you haven't voted yet, go over there, because your vote will, in fact, count.

We've got another popular upset pick on the ballot today: ESPN outcast hugger Harold Reynolds takes on the legend that is Ned, the injured Florida International running back eager to hop on the field, crutches and all, and join the fight. It's a 5-12 battle, and we wouldn't be surprised if it's closer than you might think.

The tale ... of ... the tape!

No. 5 Seed: Harold Reynolds
2006 Highlights
Fired from ESPN for "undisclosed" reasons.
Hugged the wrong person at the wrong time.
Played awfully dumb.
Sued ESPN's ass.

No. 12 Seed: Ned
2006 Highlights
Had his teammates' back, totally.
Made it back out on the field.
Developed his own legend.

So, go vote: Who advances to the Elite Eight?

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

One network executive told me that Reynolds' decision to sue ESPN could brand him a "troublemaker" in the industry. The exec said he would be reluctant to hire him. Still, another executive, who has spoken extensively with Reynolds since he was fired, said "time" and our "second-chance" nature will work in Reynolds' favor.

We're not so sure this is the case anymore, though; it might be older thinking. Whether they've noticed it up there or not, the long-awaited ESPN competitors are starting to pop up a bit; mock Versus all you want, but they're coming, not least of which TBS, which is pretty likely to hire Reynolds at some point. In fact, the notion of a major personality filing a high-profile suit against ESPN might have been unthinkable as recently as a year ago. But the air smells different now; a suit's more likely to embarrass ESPN than Reynolds, and that, friends, is a sea change.

Reynolds Vs. ESPN [New York Daily News]

"They have [sensitivity] classes at ESPN for things like this," Reynolds said. "But never in the 10 previous years I've been there have I ever had to go to one of those classes. The way they are, if they want to work with me on new interview techniques, if they want to show me a new studio, anything like that, they take me by the hand and walk me down the hall to the studio or the meeting room. You would think if they thought there was a problem, I would have had to go to one of those training sessions. But never, not one time ever, was I told to go to one of those classes."

Reynolds also said there never has been any language in his contract that warns about the consequences of inappropriate sexual behavior. Not even in the newest contract he signed in March.

"And there are guys who do have those things in their contracts," Reynolds said.

Oh, we're sure there are! We love — LOVE — the idea of different ESPN personalities having certain behavioral clauses written into their contracts. We suspect you can come up with some fun ones.

Reynolds Wants ESPN To Explain Its Actions [Seattle Times]
Why Your Hometown Columnist Sucks: Steve Kelley [Deadspin]

• Reynolds was making $1 million a year from the network. Jemele Hill, fire your agent!
• The letter Reynolds received about his firing gave no reasons for the termination.
• ESPN has yet to give Reynolds a copy of his personnel file even though Connecticut law requires them to.
• The infamous "hug" was not at the Outback Steakhouse or a Boston Market; in fact, it happened earlier in the day, and Reynolds and the huggee — hugged? — went to Boston Market that evening together.
• Reynolds is seeking "at least $5 million."

This is going to get ugly, and, obviously, we can't wait.

Announcer Sues ESPN Over "Hug" Firing [The Smoking Gun]

Announcer Sues ESPN Over "Hug" Firing [TSG]

So, you know our pal Harold Reynolds? Well, it appears he's less than pleased with how his departure from ESPN was handled. (By "departure," we mean "getting fired for sexual harassment.") So guess what? He's suing their ass.

"I have tried everything possible to handle this situation quietly behind closed doors. After numerous conversations and multiple mediation discussions with ESPN executives, it is clear that ESPN had no intention of solving this problem amicably," Reynolds said in a statement.

"For 11 years, I served ESPN with enthusiasm and dedication. It is unfortunate that ESPN has handled this process in an unprofessional manner. At the end of the day, my integrity, reputation and family are my top priorities, and for those reasons I need to set the record straight and clear my name."

ESPN says the suit is "without merit." We think, frankly, that Reynolds suing ESPN is unfathomably hysterical. In fact, we'd almost be up for giving Harold a hug to support his cause. But we don't much like the Bloomin' Onion.

Uh, you can probably expect us to cover this a bit more. Perhaps.

Reynolds Plans To Sue ESPN [Associated Press]

Reynolds had the following points to make:

• When ESPN called him in to tell him he was fired, he had no idea why and was ultimately told nothing about the reason for his dismissal. He says the first he heard about it was through the media.
• He denied the whole Outback Steakhouse story.
• The whole "prior incidents" thing? He knows nothing of that either; says he's clueless as to what the heck they're talking about.
• He's eagerly awaiting his meeting with the network at the end of the month.

In other words, Reynolds is either completely confused as to what in the heavens this whole "sexual harassment" business is about, or he's lying. Either way, someone looks awfully strange: Him, or the network. Or, our preference, both.

Harold Reynolds Gives First Interview [XM MLB Chat] (via Baseball Musings)

A reader sends in this picture from Sports Illustrated's All-Star Game photo gallery. In case you can't tell by the personalized jersey, that's Harold Reynolds giving a big ole hug to Sarah Silverman, extremely funny comic and reason every Jewish single male in the country has a dart board with Jimmy Kimmel's face on it. Here's hoping Silverman got away from Harold faster than she got away from Joe Franklin.

In Case You Missed It ... [SI.com]
Quiet Depravity [The New Yorker]
Sarah Silverman Rapes American Comedy [Slate]

(Photo by: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

You'll be waiting for a while. SI.com's Richard Deitsch talks to executives from FOX and TBS — which will be all over baseball next season — and they say they don't have any current plans to hire Reynolds. This, of course, flies in the face of Reynolds' "phones ringing off the hook" comment to USA Today, but then again, it could always be, uh, a Royals or Mariners affililate or something.

Though we suppose it's possible he could be doing games for this league.

Reynolds Not In Mix For FOX, Turner [SI.com]

Out of the "Baseball Tonight" crew, it'd be safe to say that Harold Reynolds would've been one of the longshots to be accused of sexual harassment. However, as of this week, we know that's not the case, and "Handsy" Harold has left Bristol, his legacy of demonstrating bunt techniques and calling people studs now permanently marred by indiscretion.

And it's woefully apparent that if HR can be taken down, all sports analysts are susceptible. There is no safe hug when it comes to interns, fellas. So, today I'm slipping out of my leather pants, unstrapping the ball gag, and handicapping the next sports analyst to be accused of sexual harassment.

Let's go check out some back tattoos, after the jump.

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—--

Steve Kerr: 5/1

Don't be fooled by Kerr's affable charm and $4 haircut: behind that smirk lurks a man scoping out whale tails during commercial breaks. So, put a 22-year-old intern with a 90's Bulls fixation in a conversation with him, and he'll completely unravel. It'll start out innocent enough, but then there'll be post-game cocktails at TGI Friday's, invitations to watch some old footage of game film and an eventual rousing game of Indian wrestling. "Me and Scottie used to do it all the time!!!", he'll say. No, you didn't, Steve. No, you didn't.

Joe Theismann: 7/1

He's always presented himself as a man of strong moral character and been very cautious of how he's perceivediIt's Theees-man). But with the new MNF gig, he'll be opened up to a whole gaggle of interns, all of whom he'll think have interest in hearing about his storied career as a player. Who could pass up a chance to see the scar on his leg? I know I couldn't. Nobody could. Unfortunately, HR's made unbuttoning your pants a sin around ESPN.

Sterling Sharpe: 2/1

Sterling's just too dapper and handsome and shouldn't even be allowed to talk to young girls, let alone touch them. First time this guy high-fives an assistant producer after a show, NBC will have him escorted out of the building. You know, for precautionary measures.

Kevin Kennedy: 3/1

Yack. There's always been something creepy about him, even when he was a manager. Is it the pock-marks or the mustache? And you can almost smell the booze on him through the television. Kennedy will probably use the whole, "You look just like my niece" approach at first and send little boxes of chocolate covered pretzels, and then he'll not-so-tactfully ask to touch her cleavage.

Mary Carillo: EVEN

She'll fly under the radar for a little while, being very ambigious about her approach to female interns — she'll compliment them on their sweater vests and posture, as opposed to their asses. But then, she'll start bringing them handmade Christmas ornaments offer to take them hiking in Big Sur, where she'll proceed to bring up discomforting topics about Steffi Graf's legs and how Anna Kournikava's "not that pretty" in person. Then she'll offer the impressionable young lady a dried apricot and move in for a warm hug, where she'll not so subtly then ask the young lass to pee on her thigh. MC's a menace, bottom line. Remember Paula Poundstone?

In an interview with USA Today, Reynolds says ESPN won't reconsider its decision to fire him and that his career there is over.

"I had a meeting," Reynolds said, "but rather than focus on the details, I'd prefer to focus on the future. I don't understand all of the factors that went into ESPN's decision, but management has always had the power to terminate, and they decided to exercise it. I respectfully disagree with their decision, but I'm not going to sacrifice my relationship with ESPN just to make a media point."

Reynolds says he has already received calls from other networks, which is not a surprise. He did not confirm that the firing was because of sexual harassment, though, of course, everyone else has, with many pointing out that it's near impossible to get fired from ESPN unless one repeatedly displays such behavior. So, thus closes the book on Reynolds at ESPN. It's John Kruk's world, we're all just living in it.

Harold Reynolds Looks Ahead [USA Today]
ESPN's Silence Covers Reynolds Rap [New York Daily News]

We mean that not as a plea, or even a desire. We also mean it not as an excuse for his actions; anyone who has ever worked in a sports department anywhere can tell you how easily the environment can turn toxic for female reporters and editors in the vicinity. (We're reminded of the great quote from Pam of "The Office:" "Usually the day we talk about sexual harassment is the day everyone harasses me as a joke.") Reynolds clearly seems to be was more of a problem than he was a solution. We simply ask it as a matter of practice. Anyone who has read Mike Freeman's seminal book "ESPN: The Uncensored History" knows that several staffers, most notably Mike Tirico, have committed far more egregious offenses and slipped away with suspensions rather than firings.

Reynolds has to know this. He even implies as much in his statement to the New York Post, saying it was a "misunderstanding" and his goal was "to sit down and get back." That doesn't sound like someone tucking his tail between his legs and slinking off quietly. That sounds like he wants his job back.

A source close to the situation postulates: "I can guarantee you that Harold knows exactly what ESPN let Tirico and others get away with and figures that if he plays nice, agrees to go along with 'Baseball Tonight"s creative direction, a nice 'internal investigation' will determine it was a 'misunderstanding' and Harold will be back in the ESPN fold."

That is to say: The real question might not be whether or not ESPN can continue to stay quiet about this — they can — but whether or not Reynolds will continue to be.

Reynolds Confirms Firing For Sexual Harassment [Deadspin]
ESPN: The Uncensored History [Amazon]

(UPDATE: We've heard from several people who say this notion is nuts; Reynolds won't be back. So you know.)

Reynolds of course tended to overanalyze; we quickly tired of hearing his explanation, which he repeated daily, of how 76-MPH fastballs were really 99-MPH fastballs to Little Leaguers due to the reduced distance from the mound to the plate. Also we'll never forget the time during the 2004 tournament when he referred to one 11-year-old player as "a stud," and last year, when he compared Hawaii's 12-year-old shortstop to Derek Jeter. Of course, considering the nature of his firing, it might seem a little creepy to some to have him broadcasting at a youth sports event now, so soon. But it's still going to seem weird not having him there.

Reynolds Confirms Firing For Sexual Harrassment [Deadspin]

Reynolds spoke to the New York Post and doesn't believe he did anything wrong.

"This was a total misunderstanding," Reynolds told The Post. "My goal is to sit down and get back. To be honest with you, I gave a woman a hug and I felt like it was misinterpreted."

The Big Lead, who needs to put a gold star next to its source on this, says it was a minor incident that blew into a larger one because of Reynolds' history of behavior. Reynolds, for his part, still wants his job back. We think it wise that he not hold his breath.

Accused Of Sexual Harassment [New York Post]
Harold Reynolds Update: Outback Steakhouse, An Inappropriate Hug, And A Termination [The Big Lead]

Again, nothing concrete on this. But that is definitely what they're whispering in Bristol. Some highlights:

• Thirdhand info, but I'm told it's sexual harassment. There were allegations of inappropriate actions between him and female PAs on a couple different occasions, so I'm not entirely shocked.

• It's apparently sexual harassment, but no one knows who the victim was. It went down over the course of the weekend.

• I have on good authority that HR was fired for all things, hitting on girls. Allegedly, this has been going on for a while. The last straw was when a new PA was having none of what Harold had to offer and turned him in.

• Harold Reynolds was fired more or less for copious amounts of sexual harassment. Apparently, he brazenly hits on female employees constantly, despite the fact that his wife just had a kid six months ago. He was warned by the big-wigs on numerous occasions to cool it with the ladies, but someone finally lodged a complaint, and he was canned immediately.

• It's very difficult to get fired from ESPN. It takes multiple offenses ... they're usually so worried about getting sued for unlawful termination that people are suspended multiple times for the same repeated behavior before it finally comes to getting fired. Within the walls of the campus, there are only a few on-air talent guys that had an honest reputation as being overly friendly with the ladies, and HR was one of them.

So anyway, that's what they're saying on the Bristol campus. But since ESPN doesn't have to say anything — in-house or otherwise — and neither does Reynolds, we might never know for sure. (No announcement, we're told, has been made to the staff.) That's what they're saying, though; we didn't receive a single email suggesting anything but that.

But that's not what we're saying, because we don't know. To be clear.

Say Goodnight, Harold [Deadspin]

(UPDATE: Another reader, with "contacts on the inside," refutes the sexual harassment whispers: "Anyone who is saying sexual harassment either has been given bad third-hand info or is lying. Harold has had a couple of rather heated arguments with the producers at "Baseball Tonight," and some of the suits at ESPN over the program's coverage of Alex Rodriguez. At the last production meeting, when it was made clear they were going to really play up the A-Rod angle during coverage of the Yankees-Texas series, Harold had a colossal meltdown, which led to his dismissal. The sexual harassment allegations are even more laughable when you consider that he is being replaced by Steve Phillips — a man who has never met a skirt he wouldn't chase and who was caught in one of the more embarrassing front office sexual harassment scandals in MLB history."

True? Not true? This, like the rest of it, just reinforces our point: We don't know. And the longer ESPN pretends like nothing happened, like they're a corner shop with three employees, believing this stuff can possibly remain private, the more talk there will be. Still, this is the lone "it's not sexual harassment email" we've received.)

(SECOND UPDATE: Various other sources, including Pro Football Talk and The Big Lead are confirming the sexual harassment story.)

(THIRD UPDATE: And now Newsday has confirmed it as well.)

In a surprise move, ESPN fired baseball analyst Harold Reynolds last night, for reasons that remain undisclosed. Reynolds had been with the network for 11 years and not only appeared regularly on "Baseball Tonight," but also handled College World Series duty, and that's a long time to spend in Omaha.

We're still casting about for the cause of Reynolds' dismissal — if anybody has heard anything, you know where to find us — but we remain a little shocked. It's not that Reynolds was one of the highlights of the network — he was all a little too "Big Papi, yeah!!!!" rah-rah-ish for us, though we generally found him pleasant — but Reynolds never struck us as much of a troublemaker. We're most curious what would cause the network to suddenly drop a guy, overnight, after 11 years. Maybe he refused to do an ESPN Mobile commercial.

ESPN Fires Reynolds [NY Post]
OK, Seriously, Knock It Off You Guys [Deadspin]

HR: (sarcastically) "I'm picking the best pitcher. He's got 30 straight saves. He blew two in the beginning of the year against the Boston Red Sox. I'm talking about Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees. His stuff is electric. He's back throwing like no one else in the league right now, and because of him, they're riding this guy all the way to the postseason once again, and to me, he deserves to win a Cy Young."

KR: "Would you ever consider a closer like Gagne a couple years ago?"

JK: "No."

KR: (very dismissively) "No, 'cause they don't win."

JK: "No, because they don't —"

KR: "He's on a winning team, he does answer that."

JK: "Because they don't start. Starters should win the award. They have an award for relievers."

KR: (pauses, then, visibly upset) "Rolaids."

JK: "That's right. I need one."

Fire Joe Morgan [Blogspot]