A Fox Sports college football analyst was fired after just one week once video footage surfaced of him in 2012 speaking of gays having to face God for their sexual choices.
Craig James, a former NFL player who unsuccessfully ran last year for a Senate seat in Texas, said during a campaign debate that gays would “have to answer to the Lord for their actions,” the Daily Mail reported. He also said, to applause, that being gay “is a choice” and those who “choose to do that” face accountability from God.
He made the comments about gays in context of explaining how “God’s going to judge each one of us in this room for our actions,” the Mail reported.
He added: “We should not give benefits to those civil unions. They should not occur. We have to stay strong on this, this is important, man. … We have a fiscal issue in this country. … We also have a moral issue in this country.”
Fox executives fired him and said he “will not be making any further appearances on Fox Sports Southwest’s football coverage this season,” a network spokesperson told Sports Illustrated.
Another Fox spokesman told the Dallas Morning News, “We just asked ourselves how Craig’s statements would play in our human resources department. He couldn’t say those things here.”
Mr. James was formerly an analyst for ESPN, but took a hiatus to run for Senate. He was hired by Fox Sports a month ago.
At the time of Mr. James’ hiring, Fox Sports Southwest executive producer Mike Anastassiou called him a “talented broadcaster who I’ve admired throughout his career. His knowledge of college football and the experience he brings as an analyst will be a tremendous asset to our coverage.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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