On Tuesday, ESPN Cleveland reporter Tony Grossi was suspended for calling Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield a "fucking midget." That comment was uttered at the NFL Combine when Grossi and co-host Tony Rizzo thought they were off the air. At the time they were apparently discussing quarterbacks the franchise had (and will) miss out on:
ESPN put out a statement explaining the rationale behind the suspension, and also apologized to fans, the Browns, and Mayfield, among others:
Grossi also added a statement in which he said there was "no excuse for using that language." He said the "derogatory slur" was used without malice or thought:
As you can see if you read Grossi's full statement, the two have a history that extends well beyond this hot mic moment.
Grossi has been openly critical of the Browns' 2018 first overall pick during the nearly two years that he's covered him, including in the pre-draft process. This includes Grossi accusing Mayfield of demanding that his flights be first class when the Browns were vetting him prior to selecting him. At the end of the 2018 season, Mayfield also accused Grossi of using a leading question to try and get a comment out of him that would stir the pot.
More recently, as in this past October, Mayfield exited a media session early after calling a question from Grossi "the dumbest question you could ask."
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