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Indianapolis Star sports columnist Gregg Doyel “will not be covering the Indiana Fever,” the newspaper said in a statement Tuesday, nearly three weeks after Doyel used a press conference to greet the team’s No. 1 draft pick, Caitlin Clark, with a “heart” hand gesture and verbal banter that were widely criticized.
Bob Kravitz, who’s written about sports in Indianapolis for IndyStar and The Athletic, reported on Tuesday that Doyel is serving a two-week suspension because of his actions. Kravitz cited unnamed sources when writing about the suspension in his subscription email newsletter, Musings of an Old Sportswriter.
A spokesperson for Gannett, IndyStar’s parent company, said the company does not comment on personnel matters or personnel actions. The spokesperson, Lark-Marie Anton, said Doyel will not be covering the Fever.
Kravitz reported that his sources indicated that Doyel will write about the Fever by watching televised games but he not attend any of the WNBA team’s games this summer at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
On April 19, IndyStar Executive Editor Eric Larsen said the newspaper had no comment beyond an apology column written by Doyel.
No columns by Doyel have been published by IndyStar since April 29. He sent the following message that day to a public text group facilitated by the newspaper:
“Programming note: I’m leaving tomorrow to visit my mom in South Carolina, my dad in Florida and then my son in Colombia (South America!!). Brutal time to be off, but plans were made and family is family. See you on the other side.”
When contacted Tuesday by the IBJ, Doyel declined to comment on his employer’s disciplinary measures.
Doyel used his first chance to pose a question to Clark—a two-time national collegiate player of the year—to pause and form a “heart” sign with his hands in a gesture toward the basketball star and a reference to the heart hand sign she frequently directs to her family after games. It was the start of a brief exchange that Doyel later addressed with an apology in a published column.
Doyel wrote that it was “creepy” to welcome Clark to Indianapolis in this manner.
Clark responded to Doyel’s hand heart by saying, “You like that?”
“I like that you’re here. I like that you’re here,” Doyel said.
Clark then talked about her personal use of the hand heart: “I do that at my family after every game. So … it’s pretty cool.”
Doyel wrapped up the exchange by saying, “OK, well, listen, start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine.”
The Fever’s regular season begins May 14 with a road matchup with the Connecticut Sun.
The NBA’s Indiana Pacers, a team Doyel routinely covers, trail the New York Knicks 1-0 in an Eastern Conference Semifinals playoff series.
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The know it all is finally only slightly getting what he deserves
Significant lapse in judgment, and in a huge venue.
Should have been much sooner! What an awful way to welcome her to our city. No true apology either. Totally out of line. No respect for him at all!
Sounds like the woke Star and Gannett are afraid to go ahead and fire him as he deserves.
So true!
Wouldn’t “woke” have involved an immediate firing? This seems to me to be something less than that.
Oh, GB……don’t be captive to far-right trend terms. It looks silly.
“Woke” is over. Try to keep up.
Agree with all the comments above. Doyle should be fired given his years of experience covering players… he should know better. There will likely be times for critical writing when the team fails to perform perhaps, but what a boneheaded move on the honeymoon of Indy getting a first round pick and one of the greatest female players of all time.
Still waiting for Doyle to criticize Lily for dropping sponsorship of Connor Daly because of what his father Derek said. Doyle was quick to skew Derek, but looked the other way and said nothing when Connor’s sponsorship unjustly terminated by Lily.
First off I’m not a fan of Doyel. He flip flops all over the place to get a hook and an audience. Let’s not follow the woke mentality and cancel someone out of pocket. In an effort to be clever he went off the cuff and failed. He has apologized and I think that and this suspension should be it. Some of the best advocates for causes are those who were offenders the first time around. This whole world of one mistake and your done, just finito is so counterproductive. Now if he comes back and after two good games has the Colts in the Super Bowl, then see ya dude.
Completely Agree.
First, any adult who is spouting the word “woke” automatically undermines his credibility, so my advice is to drop the nonsense babble and just make your point.
Second, this is about professionalism, period. I don’t know where you work or how you grew up, but I have had a traditional career. And, if I were to act unprofessionally and embarrass my current employer or any of my previous employers, I would be fired. Running your mouth inappropriately as Doyel did is no different than any sort of other unprofessional behavior, like failing to show up for work. Little kids get detention, and grown men get fired when they act like little kids. Doyel is a grown man, and he needs to to act like one. Hopefully, this lenient reprimand will serve as a wake-up call for him to grow up.
John C. It’s Lilly not Lily. Please do your research before you respond and show some respect for one of the greatest companies based here in Indy.
We have become a really oversensitive, angry and unforgiving society. I’ve observed this increase during my 70+ years and would hate to be found imperfect in the workplace.
I personally can’t stand the guy but I think this is completely overblown.
Hilarious to watch the Libs eat their own. Can we get Kravitz “suspended” too? #Journalism
holding someone accountable for being a moron is now called eating your own?
My generation just calls it accountability…. weird to think it is a negative act to some
He made a huge error in judgement but unlike so many others in all walks of life he didn’t double down on it but owned up to it.
Can’t be perfect.
You may not like what he says but he is both erudite and empathetic and gives us much more than “X”s and “O”s.
Best sports columnist in Indy since Bob Collins and Wayne Fuson.
He’s not even close to those guys. When he writes a sensitive article about someone under the radar he is at his best. When he flip flops all over the board after a team has a good or bad game he is at his worst. He’s an antagonist when there is no reason for one. Collins and Fuson were so insightful without being a pompas ass.
These penalties are.a huge over-reaction. Doyle made a mistake, owed up to it and apologized. (Trump, take a lesson.). Doyle is a decent guy and a great columnist. If Gannett management was as perfect as they demand of their columnists, they wouldn’t be losing circulation.
He made an awkward attempt at greeting her and apologized for his mistake. This was blown out of proportion and no one feels worse about it than does Doyle. Let it go now. Let it blow over. Let the story die so both Clark and Doyle can move on.
Sorry, Doyel, not Doyle.
I have met Gregg Doyel a few times and spoken with him about a few topics, both sports and non-sports. I think he would be best described as socially awkward, but he is very insightful and empathic, particularly on matters of social injustice. He does tend to flip flop his position on sports-related topics, depending on how the wind is blowing, but this could be said about a lot of sports columnists and pundits. His exchange with Caitlin Clark was very weird and borderline inappropriate. It gave off a “dirty old man” vibe. I suspect PSE told the Indy Star he was not welcome at Indiana Fever games, practices or other events
I believe many on the right would consider him “woke” and they are thoroughly enjoying the cancellation of Mr. Doyel that is happening in the media today. I find it interesting they are quick to jump on this bandwagon, yet 100% support a man for president who has publicly acknowledged he would walk in on young women (some who may have been under 18) in various stages of undress, stated in an television interview he would probably date his daughter if she wasn’t his daughter, brags about grabbing women by the genitalia without their consent, has been found libel for sexual assault, has cheated on all three of his wives (wives two and three were his mistresses during marriages one and two), and is currently facing more than 80 criminal indictments, ranging from election fraud, election interference, and breaches of law involving secure documents and national security. Hypocrisy knows no limit in today’s GOP.
So you wrote an entire six sentences before going into a Trump diatribe. That added quite a bit to the Doyel story. Thanks.
IBJ there should be a button to turn off comments. Reading these reveals what is wrong in our country. Left/Right, everything politicized, wacko, out of proportion. Doyel is a gifted writer. He has many ribbons to prove it. He’s a bit quirky (creepy?). For those who say he “flip flops” … he DOES… but he USUALLY (humbly) admits it, just as he did here w/ the apology. All good writers and sports reporters do. It’s SPORTS. Like the weather, few predict it well. His comments, on the surface, are not THAT creepy. Let the flames begin for me. I guess you had to be there. It’s clear for those w/ a brain that he’s simply trying to get in good w/ CC.
“IBJ there should be a button to turn off comments”
There is. It’s the Back button once you’ve read as far as the blue Related Stories box that displays at the bottom of the story text.