Last week Susannah Collins was let go by Comcast Sportsnet Chicago, where she was covering the Chicago Blackhawks. Earlier in the week she had made a verbal flub, which was detailed in our last post. She handled that situation extremely professionally.
Her firing was the culmination of the increased attention she received after last week's episode, when the public learned of her past performances in a raunchy "sports" web series that can be found on YouTube.
This is a wonderful teachable moment for aspiring sportscasters. Everything you do is part of building your reputation and brand. Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the like are all potential focal points of prospective employers or fans. Use them responsibly, and at your own risk.
Collins' firing shines the light on a myriad of issues - women in sportscasting, the role of social media in sports, sportscasting ethics - to name a few. They bring forth other questions, such as whether her employer knew of her previous role, and whether she deserved to be fired.
Our point is simply that sportscasters must do everything in their power to protect their good name and reputation.
Base your sports broadcasting career, and life, on a solid moral compass to prevent your career from being needlessly derailed.
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