Former Philadelphia Eagles player Hugh Douglas (pictured left), contributor to ESPN’s “Numbers Never Lie,” verbally assaulted the show’s host, Michael Smith (pictured), during an event thrown by the National Association for Black Journalists (NABJ) at the House of Blues in Orlando last Friday night, according to The Big Lead.
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Douglas, who reportedly had too much to drink that night, attempted to join the house DJ on stage and was reportedly flustered when Smith wouldn’t assist him in getting on to the stage, leading Douglas to threaten to punch him and reportedly call him an “Uncle Tom” and a “house n*gger.” When Smith reportedly tried to walk away, Douglas allegedly grabbed him by the wrist before other party-goers intervened to break up the potential fight.
An ESPN spokesperson made it clear that the network was aware of the incident and “[was] looking in to the situation.” The spokesperson also revealed that Douglas has since been taken off of the show until details can be sorted out.
In addition, an official from the NABJ had this to say:
We’re confident that ESPN will handle the situation in an appropriate manner.
Whether Douglas, former NFL first-round pick for the New York Jets, and Smith will be able to continue working together remains to be seen.
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