The Internet has been collectively up in arms over the past day, after a website reported that Bruce Feldman was suspended indefinitely by ESPN for working on a book project for which he had been given proper approval.
The network is now saying that no such suspension ever was given to Feldman.
"There was never any suspension or any other form of disciplinary action," ESPN announced in a statement. "We took the time to review his upcoming work assignments in light of the book to which he contributed and will manage any conflicts or other issues as needed. Bruce has resumed his assignments."
The announcement comes with many questions, the biggest being why it took so long for the network to respond to the overwhelming cry for an explanation from media and Twitter users. The hashtag #freebruce remained a trending topic in the United States all day Friday, competing with the ever-popular Harry Potter, which was released nationwide at midnight.
The language in the statement has also brought about some doubts regarding its straightforwardness. Saying Feldman "has resumed his assignments" does indicate that he was not doing so for a period of time.
The story stemmed from a SportsbyBrooks report that said Feldman was suspended by ESPN and banned from Twitter for his part in assisting with the book of former Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach. The former coach has a rocky relationship with ESPN, due to the accusations a former player, Adam James, made against him. James' father, Craig James, is a college football analyst for ESPN.
