Does anybody remember Craig James? You know, the former SMU running back turned college football analyst turned overbearing football dad turned conspiratorial coach killer turned failed US Senate candidate? That Craig James?
Well, you better be sitting down for this one because James is back in the news. According to the New York Times, the disgraced former analyst is suing Fox Sports, who he had a cup of coffee with in 2013. Somewhat embarrassingly, Fox fired James 48 hours after he was hired by the Fox Sports Southwest regional network because his hiring wasn’t fully vetted by the corporate offices. Now almost two years later, James is suing and seeking six figures in damages.
Former college football television analyst Craig James on Monday filed a religious discrimination lawsuit against Fox Sports that contends he was fired because he had expressed opposition to gay marriage during a failed run for the U.S. Senate.
The former running back for Southern Methodist University and the New England Patriots is seeking at least $100,000 in damages. Fox hired him in August 2013 — months after he lost the Texas Senate primary to Ted Cruz — only to fire him days later.
James filed his suit in Dallas County, where he is seeking a jury trial to hear claims against the network that include breach of contract and violations of state law.
The lawsuit comes a year and a half after James filed a complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission. I just wonder what happened to the executive at Fox Sports Southwest who thought it was a good idea to bring this nightmare to their company.
James and his lawyers are trying to claim “religious discrimination” because of his rather extreme anti-gay views (after losing in the senate primary, James went to work for an organization that believes gay people are harmful to society) which is a strategy that is sure to further endear him in the hearts and minds of true American patriots. A rich and famous former television personality trying to sue over “religious discrimination” takes a lot of nerve when you read stories like this.
The best part of the Times report on James’ lawsuit is Fox’s defense, which basically says “we didn’t fire you because of your intolerance and hateful rhetoric, we fired you because nobody likes you.”
In its statement last year, Fox called James “a polarizing figure in the college sports community” and said “the decision not to use him in our college football coverage was based on the perception that he abused a previous on-air position to further a personal agenda.”
Craig James got blasted in the Texas US Senate primary by Ted Cruz. Just meditate on that for a while.
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