Radio host fired after sexist comments regarding ESPN reporter Maria Taylor’s outfit

With the rise of social media, women who work in the world of sports seem to take daily hits from online trolls for simply existing and working in a field dominated by men. Facing the belittling and verbal harassment head on is just another task these women check off on their to-do lists with a mixture of grace and utter sadness.

During Maria Taylor’s first time covering an NFL game for ESPN from the sidelines of the New York Giants-Pittsburgh Steelers clash on Monday night, Taylor was targeted for her outfit by the host of a radio program in Chicago, USA Today reported.

Dan McNeil, a host on 670 The Score, tweeted criticism about Taylor’s sideline outfit she wore during the ESPN broadcast, asking if she was an NFL reporter or “a host” for an adult awards show, according to USA Today. His tweet has since been deleted.

On Tuesday, McNeil was fired, according to a statement from 670 The Score.

Before McNeil was fired, numerous people jumped to Taylor’s defense, including fellow media members like Taylor Rooks and Jemele Hill and athletes like Terrell Owens

Taylor, who has been in the sports field almost her entire life – first as an athlete and then as a reporter, clapped back at McNeil. “Hey ladies remember you can wear whatever you feel confident in!”

Taylor has spoken in the past about how difficult it is when she’s sometimes the only woman in the room and how she’s grown to be more outspoken while taking chances.

“I remember when I used to go to coaches’ meetings and stuff like that and I would never say anything — I would just sit in a corner and sometimes coaches wouldn’t even shake my hand,” Taylor said, NBC News reported in 2019 . “They would go around and talk to everyone else — and of course it’s a room full of men — and I learned to think, ‘You know what, if they’re not gonna shake my hand, I’m just going to stand up and shake theirs.’”

Since then, Taylor hasn’t been afraid to speak her mind.

“I’ve learned to recognize that I’m in certain rooms for a reason,” she told NBC, “and I’ve learned — if I have an opinion or something I want to say — to say those things and not feel afraid about it.”