ESPN has suspended SportsCenter anchor Jemele Hill for a series of tweets about Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. On Sunday, Jones said that any Cowboys player who did not stand for the national anthem would not be allowed to play.

Hill was responding to angry fans who were encouraging the Cowboys’ star players to test Jones’ resolve. Hill countered that this was an unfair burden to put on the players and if fans objected, they should act.

Jerry Jones also has created a problem for his players, specifically the black ones. If they don't kneel, some will see them as sellouts. — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

No, I think the Cowboy fans — the paying customers — need to pick up this fight. Don't look to Dez or Dak. YOU do it. https://t.co/f9YjZFgGGt — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

If you strongly reject what Jerry Jones said, the key is his advertisers. Don't place the burden squarely on the players. https://t.co/Gc48kchkuv — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

Hill later clarified that she was not advocating a boycott of Cowboy’s advertisers, but making the point that fans should not place the burden on the players alone.

Just so we're clear: I'm not advocating a NFL boycott. But an unfair burden has been put on players in Dallas & Miami w/ anthem directives. — Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) October 9, 2017

ESPN, nevertheless, has suspended Hill for two weeks, saying the tweets violated their social media policy.

ESPN's Statement on Jemele Hill: pic.twitter.com/JkVoBVz7lv — ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) October 9, 2017

The White House has previously called for Hill’s firing after she tweeted that President Trump was a “white supremacist.”


It is unclear how Hill’s tweets violate ESPN’s social media policy because the policy allows for political commentary related to sports.

In 2014, ESPN suspended Stephen A. Smith for one week for suggesting women need to be careful to not provoke domestic violence.

ThinkProgress reported exclusively in September that ESPN attempted to remove Hill from the air after her tweet about Trump but was thwarted after her co-host Michael Smith and others refused to go on the air without her.

An ESPN spokesperson tells ThinkProgress that Michael Smith will not appear on tonight’s 6PM SportsCenter. According to ESPN, he will return tomorrow.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.