Sandy GholstonApparently, Rob Parker has resigned from his position as a columnist for the Detroit News. This comes in the wake of his in-poor-taste comment directed at now-fired Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli in a post-game press conference. During a Dec. 21 press conference, Parker poorly attempted to lighten a tense moment by asking Marinelli if he wished his daughter has “married a better defensive coordinator.” Marinelli’s daughter is married to since-fired Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Joe Barry. The comment brought Parker under tremendous fire both locally (in Detroit and around the state of Michigan) and even nationally (on a Fox broadcast he was ripped by Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Jimmy Johnson and Michael Strahan). Parker has come under a tremendous amount of fire. However, I contended all along (without condoning his behavior) he should not have been fired and it does not appear he was fired. But, it seems he may have been demoted from columnist to a general assignment reporter. Parker, who also was a frequent contributor on ESPN and hosts a radio show, has had his share of missteps (including spreading the horrible rumor about a Michigan State University football player, Kirk Cousins, on a local television show in Detroit. He ultimately apologized, but the damage was already done), and perhaps those chickens have come home to roost a bit. It’s a sad state that Parker has created for himself. He was in such a great position working as a columnist at a major national newspaper and serving as a contributor on ESPN. But, to whom much is given much is expected. Now, Parker must pick up the pieces and rebuild. Hopefully he will learn from this painful lesson. He may have to repair some bridges he has burned, but I do hope he bounces back. In spite of a lot of bull you will read about Rob, he really is a good guy who has made a few bad mistakes.
Richard Prince:
http://www.mije.org/richardprince/columnist-rob-parker-out-detroit-news
