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ESPN writer ‘disciplined’ for Nick Saban misquote joke on Twitter
By Cody McClure
Published:
ESPN writer Mike Wise has been “disciplined” by the company after making up a quote from Alabama head coach Nick Saban in a tweet, which he later deleted.
It was meant as a joke, Wise said. Wise, a reporter for The Undefeated, is known for being a bit of a “wise” guy (pun intended). His Twitter handle even makes that apparent (@MikeWiseguy).
An ESPN spokesperson released a statement on the matter Tuesday morning, according to a report from AL.com.
“Yesterday, Mike Wise posted inappropriate tweets about Nick Saban,” the statement said. “The tweets were a clear violation of our journalistic standards. Mike has been disciplined. Putting imaginary words in the name of anyone we cover is unacceptable.”
Here is the original tweet screenshot:
Apparently, this isn’t the first time Wise has made up quotes.
He was once suspended by the Washington Post for making up news about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger being suspended, the report said.
Wise sent out this pair of tweets on Tuesday:
Anyone that took my sarcastic tweets about Nick Saban seriously, my apologies. I’ll take them down. Especially to Alabama’s SID. My bad.
— Mike Wise (@MikeWiseguy) August 22, 2017
If it’s any consolation, I believe non-Native students shouldn’t paint their face for football games. So I hope Alabama kills Florida State.
— Mike Wise (@MikeWiseguy) August 22, 2017
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
