NBC News fired “Today” show anchor Matt Lauer last week after he was accused of sexual harassment by female colleagues. That came after the network fired its top political reporting star, Mark Halperin, after reports of sexual harassment and assault.
All that came after NBC News killed reporter Ronan Farrow’s investigation into Harvey Weinstein. Farrow, stymied at NBC, took his story to The New Yorker, where it catalyzed the cultural explosion reshaping workplaces in the U.S.
And all of that came after NBC, in the summer of 2016, hired sportscaster Mike Tirico to helm its most-watched program: NFL football. The splashy hire of Tirico, best known for his 10-year run as ESPN’s Monday Night Football announcer, was made after multiple publicized reports dating back to the 1990s of stalking and sexually harassing his female colleagues.
Accounts of Tirico’s behavior aren’t difficult to find — there’s a “sexual harassment controversy” section on his Wikipedia page — and the allegations against him, which include incidents of stalking, groping, and explicit comments toward his female co-workers, are recounted in two books, “ESPN: The Uncensored History” by sports writer Michael Freeman and the 2011 oral history of ESPN, “Those Guys Have All the Fun.” The Daily Beast reported extensively on Tirico’s history in 2014, quoting the books.
NBC did not respond to The Intercept’s repeated requests for comment, but NBC Sports told the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday that the network has no plans to replace him.
“When we hired Mike in 2016, we were aware of the incidents from more than 25 years ago, which had been addressed in 1991-92 by ESPN, his employer at the time, and for which he has apologized,” an NBC Sports rep told the Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “Mike has repeatedly assured us that this behavior is long in his past, and we have no evidence of anything to the contrary in his tenure at NBC Sports.”
Josh Krulewitz, ESPN’s vice president of communications, told The Intercept in a statement that Tirico’s former employer took the allegations very seriously. “These charges were aggressively addressed 25 years ago with a lengthy suspension,” Krulewitz said. “We have continued to focus on maintaining the most professional work environment for all. It’s a critically important company priority.”
Tirico is currently the play-by-play announcer for NBC’s Sunday and Thursday Night Football package and is set to replace Bob Costas as NBC’s primetime host for the 2018 Olympics.
During Tirico’s time at ESPN, word of the sexual harassment allegations against him reached the newsroom with six additional women coming forward with their own stories, which culminated in his suspension, according to “Those Guys Have All the Fun.”
“No fewer than 50 cases of sexual harassment” were reported by female staff to ESPN management through the first half of the ’90s, and Tirico became “one of the most notorious cases to arise.” Women said he never took “no” or “leave me alone” for an answer, and his behavior “got way out of line.”
ESPN ordered Tirico to “seek counseling” in addition to the three-month suspension, during which he didn’t receive pay or appear on air.
One woman said she was approached by Tirico at a staff party in 1992 and after rejecting his “you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen” approach, he followed her as she left the party and “then reached in through the car window and thrust his hand between her legs as she attempted to start the engine,” according to the book.
In another incident, a female producer received an email from Tirico saying he wanted to sleep with her and later, when the staff went to a bar after covering the NCAA tournament, Tirico walked up to her and said, “I wish I was single. If I were, I’d throw you on the table right here and fuck your brains out.” He persisted and later followed her car on the highway, according to “ESPN: The Uncensored History.”
“Tirico was waving his hand in a motion that she interpreted to mean he wanted her to pull over. Instead, she continued driving, increasing her speed significantly. Tirico increased his speed as well, staying alongside her.”
Six other women came forward after the incident with the female producer, saying he had “made references to their physical features, touched them inappropriately, or expressed his desire to have sex with them,” according to the book.
Top network executives tried to suppress the Harvey Weinstein story for months. Farrow, an NBC News contributor, had plenty of material as he worked on the Weinstein story for months but was told by executives that he didn’t have enough reporting to go on air with the story. He was told to stop reporting on it, 12 sources with direct knowledge told HuffPost.
However, NBC News President Noah Oppenheim said the idea that the network “would try to cover for a powerful person is deeply offensive to all of us.”
“We were on that long list of places that chased this thing, tried to nail it, but weren’t ultimately the ones who broke it,” he said at an NBC News town hall, even though an NBC News contributor was indeed among those who broke it — just not with NBC.
Then there’s Lauer, who had a button under his desk that allowed him to lock his office door without standing up. Two women who Lauer harassed said he used the button for privacy when he would lure women into his office with plans to initiate sexual contact.
Allegations poured out after last week’s complaint, but NBC News Chair Andy Lack maintained that last week’s allegations against the co-host were the “first complaint” about his behavior in over 20 years, though he noted it may not have been an isolated incident. Variety reported that several women said they complained to executives at the network about Lauer’s harassment, “which fell on deaf ears given the lucrative advertising surrounding ‘Today.’”
The network was also long home to The Apprentice and The Celebrity Apprentice, hosted by Donald Trump, who has been accused by 16 women of sexual assault or harassment.
When Trump left the show to focus on his campaign, he was replaced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who long before had been accused by multiple women of groping, sexual humiliation, and harassment.
Top photo: Host of the Olympics on NBC Mike Tirico addresses the media during the Team USA Media Summit ahead of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games on Sept. 25, 2017 in Park City, Utah.
Even perverts need to earn a living. You want to keep them from any job?
Aida Chavez also assaulted me at a party 25 years ago. My abuser has been writing for progressive publications while I have suffered nightmares, PTSD and have been a complete failure in life because of her abuse. It is outrageous that this publication hired her, and allows her to continue working in spite of such rumors.
“Dan” lol Nice try, Tirico!
I have something very important to say: when I was a little boy and Aida Chavez was 20, she molested me. I invite anyone who has had a similar experience with Chavez to come forward with their own accusation. I promise you, you will get a lot of media attention for doing so.
The news media needs to transfer the narrative from “accusations=guilt” to encouraging people who have been sexually harassed/assaulted to immediately make reports to HR/police, document these, and secure action against the perps that is at minimum an investigation.
That. ^^^, and I would add, go to YouTube and search for “McCarthyism”, HUAAC” , “Red Scare”
Same shit is going on now, except the forums and form of accusations are different and pervasive
Good article by Aida Chavez highlighting the Tirico history at ESPN that we had always heard whispers about. You may want to look also at ex-major leaguer Harold Reynolds, now with MLB network, but who also had harassment episodes at ESPN and was eventually shown the door because of it.
I guess Mike needs to ” do some self examination ”
Great story that the media has Buried till now
Thank
No, I’m sorry..actually , long before “”b.a.t.”(before Aida time), TNT hired Marv Albert, after he had gone through similar humiliation for his transgressions..
The media covered the MT story 3 years ago, especially ESPN, which suspended him..
I’m hoping Aida does a 20th Anniversary expose’ ofthe Marv Albert Scandal..
Men like Tirico and the rest of ’em don’t change. Some of them stop ‘acting out’ solely for self preservation and some of them just can’t. If there are additional victims from the more recent past (and I think there’s a good chance of that) I hope they come out soon so he can take his rich ass and go away. High profile comcast employees are Ho’s.
“Patrick” is a licensed psychiatrist; do not question his findings. If he says that people don’t change, that’s good enough for me.
I said “Men like Tirico and the rest of ’em don’t change”. By “the rest of ’em” I meant men like Tirico and maybe you too. What some people call a “ladies man” is a man who is ultimately controlled by women. Not because they are men or because they are women but because they have self control problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_LE3NJYHm8
Did Mike Tirico sexual harass football players?
So what? All the authors at the Intercept voted to put ‘First Rapist’ Bill Clinton back in the White House.
And I thought the only majorly unreported NBC scandal was Richard Engel. (See Glenn Greenwald for that.)
This one has reached too far and you should be ashamed. This was addressed by ESPN 25 years ago and there is no evidence of similar behavior since, and yet the Intercept decides to go with this as a legitimate story. This is tabloid journalism and it has finished me with your site. I came here because of Glenn Greenwald, who seems to be rarely here anymore. This truly is “fake news” and I am saddened at what your site is becoming.
Thank you..I alluded to this yesterday, although I might have stepped on toes, pushed buttons or rocked the boat, hence my comment wasn’t posted….or maybe it had something to do with mentioning the 20 anniversary of the Marv Albert incident,..
Small quibble, but I don’t believe Tirico currently does NBC’s Sunday Night Football, just Thursday. Al Michaels still does Sunday.
It seems like everyone in the make-believe world of TV/Movies was harassing women.
What I am interested to know is, would these scandals have made the light of day if The Donald wasn’t POTUS?
Or would the old guard establishment / media / politicians have squashed this?
In any case, it’s good to see.
The prevailing narrative seems to be one of trying to prevent men from abusing their power. But I’m thinking the viable solution would be to attack the concentration of power itself.
Unjust laws, like “intellectual property” that makes the culture in the minds of our people the property of a handful of gatekeepers, has turned Hollywood into a kingdom of whores. Whether we look at a pretty actress or a pretty actor or even a child actor, we know they probably had to suck it to get where they are. Rose McGowan says she was raped, but the Mossad spies Weinstein turned to found no shortage of her hugging her rapist and trying to look happy. Why? Because that’s how the whole system works. Rape is slavery, copyright is slavery, copyright is rape. Q.E.D. it really IS that simple.
But why focus only on sex? There are other sorts of lasting humiliation, like those “indentured servant” contracts they push on musicians. (AFAIK after 15 years, various states are still trying to pass “Artistic Freedom Acts” e.g. https://nypost.com/2003/02/24/bill-could-be-good-sign-for-musicians/ … good luck with that…)
The people have let their eyeballs be funneled through gatekeepers — and with the internet, they let it happen all over again. And the gatekeepers take a fee. Sometimes in money … sometimes in flesh. To stop it we must explicitly deny all forms of ownership of human beings, which includes, denying the ownership of the ideas, characters, stories, plots and so on that live in their minds.
Musicians are not forced to sign contracts. Most musicians do not become successful, and if producers cannot make money from the ones who do, that will shut down the music business. ,,,,,,,,,,,,……………………………………………………………………………………….
Geez, Josh and Jeff. Eugenics? Really? That’s your answer? lol … Listen, NBCUni is nothing but an “industrial army”, and Mike Tirico is a first lieutenant “yes man”, well-protected, high up in the ranks, by his generals. If U.S. corporations willfully started cracking down on the personal freedoms of their colonels, lieutenants and other officers, who I might add earned their way into the upper ranks of this system through their sheer, rugged individualism, well, then what in the hell would stop that sort of “limiting of personal freedoms” from creeping all the way up to the tip-top, until it infects and crashes the whole damn system?
Guys, I’m sorry, but we simply can’t care if NBCUni, as a corporation, is completely and utterly failing the women it employs because to honestly address this problem is to admit the whole system is failing. To protect the women of NBCUni is to admit internal failure, and failure invites in regulation, and then we all know what happens next …
Socialism!! And you clearly don’t want THAT do you? Of course not. So, better let the bad men keep enjoying their freedoms … ¯\_(?)_/¯
(lol) p.s. Do you find it strange you both suggested eugenics 11 mins apart? You two workin’ for 23&Me?*
*Not a big enough data pool. Whole thing’s a data-theft scam out of Silicon Valley. Holiday buyers beware.
23andme isn’t enough by itself — fortunately for Sequoia Capital, which raised much of their capital, they also have a large holding in eHarmony. Between the two companies’ databases, that’s enough to breed the Kwisatz Haderach in a few generations. Though it may leave a few frustrated housewives staring at the dirty clothes on the floor asking “how did that company set me up to date him?” along the way.
Just wait until they perfect the A.I. Bots with all that data..
I see a network offer in your future Aida..remember..Greta Van Sustren got her big break during the OJ Trial , Dominic Dunne interviews and Christianne Aunupur during Operation Desert Shield
You’d be a great sexual harassment specialist
In the not too distant future, we will look back on these days and wonder WTF we were thinking.
You must breed out aggressiveness, people.
With it, try breeding out racism, xenophobia, and dynastic wealth/power.
I agree with you about how the future will look at this current phenomenon and wonder WTF? But, stopping aggressiveness, particularly males trying to sexually “conquer” females? How could that ever end? The survival of the human race depends on sexual relationships. Males will always be extremely horny for about 2 decades of their lives so hitting on females will always be around. After all, many times the hitting leads to “consensual sex” so men will keep trying.
Lol..yep..like Richard Dawkins once quipped, ..in so many words,,probably the reason the first man stood up was to show a female how she made him feel…lol
Aggressive people are assholes, and more aggressive males will be more aggressive toward females. The roots of this problem go way beyond gender; we need to root aggressiveness out of our species. It’s clearly no longer needed to survive, and it does nothing but harm now (except for the aggressors, for whom it often brings the desired result).
He’s been “pre-disastered”.
Is this a “World According to Garp” reference? If so, I greatly approve. :)
At what point does the record of bad behavior get expunged in your life? If ESPN punished Mike for his actions and he leaves them to go on to a different company who is aware of those actions, at what point does he get to put it behind him? Does he get to at all? I’m not sure if this article was more about the possible culture of cover up at NBC, or just a hit piece against Mike, but it seems like if it’s aimed at Mike, then nobody ever gets to move on from previous mistakes. It just seems like another article piling on about a (necessary) shift in culture.
Oh, I get it..
A black , sportscaster harasser. Hey Aida, here’s another scoop for ya
Before you were born Aida, Marv Albert, who still has s job at TNT, was humiliated in the media for wearing women’s lingerie..by a woman..
So, maybe you can look that up. It’s within the 30 year time span limit
make my living off the evening news
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry
Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don’t have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em all around
We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blond
Who comes on at five
She can tell you ’bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye
It’s interesting when people die
Give us dirty laundry
Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a running bet
Get the widow on the set!
We need dirty laundry
You don’t really need to find out what’s going on
You don’t really want to know just how far it’s gone
Just leave well enough alone
Eat your dirty laundry
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re stiff
Kick ’em all around
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
Kick ’em when they’re stiff
Kick ’em all around
Dirty little secrets
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybody’s pie
We love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry
We can do “The Innuendo”
We can dance and sing
When it’s said and done we haven’t told you a thing
We all know that Kraft is king
Give us dirty laundry!
Kick ’em when they’re up
Kick ’em when they’re down
what black sportscaster? he says he isn’t black. are you accusing him of lying?
No, not accusing him of lying….pardon me if I’ve offended you
just having anothe Obama moment I guess..
I’m just another white guy who see’s what he sees..