(OutKick) The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) discovered that ESPN committed “fraud” for over 13 years by submitting fake names to the credit list for the Emmys.
“Since at least 2010 … ESPN took the awards won by some of those imaginary individuals, had them re-engraved and gave them to on-air personalities,” reported The Athletic on Thursday.
ESPN awarded the trophies to front-facing figures on “College GameDay,” such as Lee Corso, Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler, Desmond Howard, and Sam Ponder.
Note: hosts were not eligible to be honored in a credit list until 2023.
The report claims the on-air talents were not aware of the scheme. ESPN convinced them they had won the awards containing their names.
Eventually, NATAS ordered ESPN to return a total of 37 ill-gotten trophies, each of which was intended for a behind-the-scenes employee who does not exist.
Former ESPN reporter Shelley Smith recalled that, in May of 2023, executive Stephanie Druley ordered her to return two sports Emmy statuettes. Druley called the matter “serious,” telling Smith the reason must stay between the two of them.
It did not.
“I think it was really crummy what they did to me and others,” Shelley Smith, who ESPN laid off last year, told The New York Times.
As part of the punishment, NATAS also ruled ESPN executive Craig Lazarus and former executive Lee Fitting ineligible for future Emmys.
The name Lee Fitting is worth elaborating on. ESPN fired Fitting last summer under mysterious circumstances. WWE hired Fitting as head of media production this week.
A subsequent report from the New York Post on Thursday says the name-changing scheme was a factor in Fitting’s dismissal.
