Tennessee baseball player Evan Russell has left the door open to suing ESPN over the false claim he took PEDs.
Shockwaves were sent through the world of college baseball when ESPN broadcasters claimed live on air that Russell missed a game because he failed a test for PEDs. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
So, ESPN announcers decided to say Tennessee’s Evan Russell was suspended for PED’s according to “reports and speculation” and that the NCAA would now be testing the whole team.
Where is this report that stated this about Russell? pic.twitter.com/HnsG0GfciZ
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) June 4, 2022
The claim turned out to be completely false, and one of the broadcasters involved did end up apologizing and setting the record straight. However, Russell feels like the damage has already been done.
ESPN broadcaster Troy Eklund apologizes for his comments about Evan Russell on his broadcast last night. pic.twitter.com/XgJO77vlHI
— Ben McKee (@benmckee14) June 4, 2022
“You know, it’s always going to be a blemish just because it was out there on national television that people can make an argument, even if for some reason I end up playing, you know, 10, 15 years from now with some success,” Russell explained when talking about the false claim during an interview on “Tomi Lahren is Fearless.”
When talking about potential legal action against ESPN, he also added, “Me and my legal team are pursuing many options. In a sense it’s to prevent it from happening again.”
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
It’s good to see that Russell hasn’t just disappeared after the false claim made about him. If the perception in the world of baseball is that you use steroids, your career is done. It’s cooked. It’s over.
That’s why it was so shocking when Troy Eklund and his partner Lowell Galindo just threw the allegation out on-air like it was nothing at all.
ESPN Broadcasters Make Horrific Allegations On Live TV https://t.co/D0Yc3DPesB
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 6, 2022
Should Russell sue the hell out of ESPN? I’m not a lawyer, but I’d say that if he can prove having the allegation out there hurt his career, he should consider it.
Troy Eklund of ESPN issued an apology on-air to Evan Russell during the Missouri State vs Grand Canyon game a bit ago. pic.twitter.com/Uhn5eZ1gBS
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) June 4, 2022
Fortunately for him, it was a complete lie and he didn’t do anything wrong. We’ll now just have to wait and see how it plays out potentially in court. Either way, it’s great to see the young man stand up for himself against a senseless lie.