WFAN’s Craig Carton is not backtracking in an argument with ESPN’s Jeff Passan over the network’s bombing report on former Mets general manager Jared Porter’s sexual harassment of a foreign journalist.
Carton blew Passan Wednesday to open his afternoon shift and give him a ‘tjankie’. Carton also said ESPN did not care about the woman who directly harassed Porter with 62 unanswered text messages, including a photo that allegedly showed his erect penis.
In addition, Carton Passan called a “tjankie b —-” before the start of his show, and was called by Maggie Gray for the term. He Passan also tweeted on Twitter for his initial praise over the hiring of Porter by the Mets and accused him of wanting to take the honor for co-author Mina Kimes’ reporting. Passan said he was not aware of Porter’s behavior during his hiring.
“They called her. “They brought her back into her worst nightmare by dealing with the reality of her stalker,” Carton said on the air. “Let’s not act as if they’re giving a rat’s ass over the victim, because they do not.”
Porter sent the messages to the woman in 2016 while working for the Cubs. According to his report, ESPN first became aware of Porter’s misconduct in 2017, but at the request of the woman he sexually harassed, did not report it. ESPN said he has had a ‘periodic’ contact with the woman since then, and the woman decided to come forward anonymously after Porter was appointed by the Mets in December.
Carton and co-presenter Evan Roberts were critical of the timing of ESPN’s report, which suggests the network is sitting on it until Porter is appointed to a prominent position. Passan refuted the allegation during an appearance with Michael Kay of ESPN Radio, after which Carton and Roberts considered in the afternoon’s war.
“There’s another radio station in New York today that was pretty irresponsible about its coverage of this, and I hate to let them shine because they do not deserve it,” Passan told The New York Post. “The idea that ESPN has been sitting on this story since 2017 is the largest amount of irresponsible garbage I’ve heard in a long time.”
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James Kratch can be reached at [email protected].