Former ESPN tennis announcer Doug Adler is suing the sports entertainment giant for firing him after comments he made about Venus Williams.
Adler stunned the sports world when he used what everyone assumed was the word “gorilla” when describing the way Williams charged the net at the Australian Open this past month. However, the former announcer says his words were misunderstood, per TMZ Sports.
https://youtu.be/0FeQ7czQsX8
Rather than “gorilla,” Adler claims he meant “guerrilla,” pointing to a Nike tennis ad campaign back in the 199os called “Guerrilla Tennis.”
“You see Venus move in and put the guerrilla effect on … charging.”
According to TMZ Sports, Adler says his former employer knew what he meant but made him apologize and then fired him. He also says nobody will hire him because “No one will hire a ‘racist.'”
It’s unknown what type of compensation Adler is looking for with his lawsuit, but it’s clear he’s not letting go of this without a fight.