When you only have a job for one week, do you put it on your resume? That’s the problem facing sportscaster Craig James. After getting a gig with Fox Sports Southwest, James appeared for one college football post-game show on August 31, and then he got fired. Not for anything he said on the air, but because the network big wigs finally realized that they had hired a renowned homophobe.
James had a controversial career at ESPN before he quit in 2011 to run for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate from Texas. During his campaign, James distinguished himself for his knuckle-dragging approach to LGBT issues. James insisted that homosexuality is a “choice” and that gays “are going to have to answer to the Lord for their actions.” (Like we’re the only ones who will.) James was also a big supporter of Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign. James ultimately got 4% of the vote in the primary, which was won by Ted Cruz, himself no prize package.
So it wasn’t exactly a surprise when James showed up on Fox Sports. What was a surprise was the network’s actions. Apparently, the top brass weren’t aware of the decision to hire James and when they found out decided to drop him. “We just asked ourselves how Craig’s statements would play in our human resources department,” a Fox spokesman told the Dallas Morning News. “He couldn’t say those things here.” And now he won’t.
All of this will be more fodder for the right, which is convinced that Fox is going soft on gay issues.
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Photo credit: Texans for Craig James
Mike
They had to be looking for a reason to fire him and that was the perfect reason, but not the “real” reason. All that Fox News stands for is anti-gay, so that would be a huge contradiction. They are covering something up.
dewin
@Mike:
Uh, a tad paranoid, are we?
Let’s credit the network for doing something fair and right-
We don’t need to thank them, just a little credit this time-
Ogre Magi
typical christian
Shadeaux
@Mike: I agree. I’m not buying it either. Ann Coulter alone should never show her face there with all the hate she has spewed over the years.
2eo
@Mike: Family are drug smugglers if what I’ve read is correct.
Polaro
I’m choosing to give Fox credit, for once. Fox Sports is not Fox News.
BJ McFrisky
Of course no one here believes it—it goes against the far-left doctrine espoused by all gay groups that anyone who doesn’t drink the liberal Kool-Aid is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, looking to attack and destroy us at every turn. If we can’t accept that people evolve on gay issues, then how come we now think Obama is in our corner?
Grow up, people. The world is changing (yes, even Fox News). Don’t believe it? Watch “Red Eye” where everyone there is either gay or acts like it (for the past 6 years), and their bosses haven’t lynched them yet.
CaptainFabulous
@Polaro: This. Fox News is not representative of the various Fox networks.
MK Ultra
For me, the reasons behind it aren’t too important. What’s important is that a hostile, angry individual who espouses anti-LGBT views, and by extension anti-American views, no longer has a soapbox to spew his vomit from.
Suburban
I don’t even watch anything on FOX and I don’t buy this story. I agree they were looking for a reason to get rid of him. He never even said anything bad/homophobic on the air and they canned, that sounds very strange. Don’t those guys sign contracts,he’ll hire a lawyer and sue the shit out of FOX. Dr. Laura says bad things about us on the air among others and they still have jobs??
Lawerence
@BJ McFrisky: I’d rather drink “liberal kool aid” than be a soulless zombie Rethuglican sheeple!
Dakotahgeo
Soft heads seem to be the norm for soft right-wing pols!
1EqualityUSA
Scowling & smiling at the same time. Conflicted.
Polaro
We do need to get over this need to find the thorns when given a rose. We get kicked in the teeth enough not to go looking for fights that aren’t there.
krystalkleer
that’ll teach ya to zip yer lip! this ain’t the 50’s anymore…big brother is watch’n…and she’s pissed!
http://getoffmydress.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-king-of-all-queens.html