Oh no! Stop the presses!  It's another man who is trouble for having sex! 

I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago when the Letterman story broke, but I'm absolutely fascinated by the weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth when it comes out that some married guy gets busted dipping his pen in company ink.  In this case, it's ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips. 

Here's the reality:

• Phillips, who is married was tapping, a 22 year-old P.A.  The P.A. was all for it.

Forget morality, which exists only as perception.  No one, except Phillips' wife and kids were done a disservice here.  Discussion ended.  But wait, there's more!  The suspension and Phillips' "leave of absence" is not about Phillips and his behavior.  It's about ESPN trying to see if his actions will affect their credibility and bottom line.

If advertisers do not want to sponsor "Baseball Tonight", then ESPN will buy Phillips out.  If audiences can't accept Phillips as a credible baseball source, then they will buy him out.  Do they care about Phillips sex life? No.  Do they care about Phillips family? No.  Do they care about their bottom line and/or audience share.  Absolutely.  Do they care about women's groups harassing their advertisers (because that's what it is) to demand Phillips be fired or setting up a protest on the front lawn of the Bristol campus? You bet.

At least because it's sex, not race, ESPN won't have to worry about Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson bringing the heat.  Especially Jesse.

In Letterman's case, he brings in too much money and has too big an audience to lose his gig.  Phillips isn't so lucky.  There are several people who could do what he does, just as well as he does.  He's not critical personnel. So, buying him out would not kill ESPN.  In light of how they handled Harold Reynolds, they really have no choice if they want to avoid being sued. 

I find all of this hilarious.  Phillips did nothing wrong in the sense that he is not management, did not have anything to promise this woman (except maybe a hook up with some baseball people he knows) and she gladly consented.  There is no crime here.  Sure, the guy was married, but sleeping with Todd Brooke Hundley is a personal issue, not a professional one.  He'll pay the price dearly in public humiliation, alimony and child support. Yes, Phillips should have stayed true to his vows, but apparently there has been a patten of him not doing that.  One only has to go as far as "Mad Men" to know that happens everyday no matter what decade you are in.

Get over it and move on.