ESPN apologizes for fake name scam that led to Emmy statues going to people ineligible for award
BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) — ESPN has apologized to the organization that administers the Sports Emmy Awards after it was found several on-air personalities on “College GameDay” were given award statues they were ineligible to win. The Athletic revealed the scam, which ESPN said may have gone back to 1997. The network said “some members of our team were wrong” in submitting phony names, which had the same initials as the show’s stars like Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso and Desmond Howard. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences said it discovered the fraud and ESPN launched its own investigation.