Mike Tirico’s wife Debbie Tirico might be the only woman who knew him in the 1990’s that still likes him. I know what you’re thinking: Mike Tirico? How could you say such a thing about this congenial, ultra-pro broadcaster? Nope, according to everyone who worked for ESPN in the 90’s, Tirico was the opposite of a pro. I’m talking big time sexual harassment. Such was the corporate culture of ESPN in the 90’s. I’ll get to that in just a moment…
First, let’s get it straight about Debbie Tirico, the wife of Mike. She seems like a good person. She attends benefits and charity events (as the good sports wife handbook clearly iterates every sports wife must do). I kid, of course, there is no such book, but attending charity events is certainly a pattern among the good eggs in the world of sports wives. Also, calling Debbie a sports wife is sort of a stretch, as Mike really, really doesn’t look like he could hang with anyone on the gridiron.
I wonder how Mike’s wife reacted when Michael Freeman revealed what he did at a party shortly after his hiring. He’d been working at ESPN a year, and at a get-together at somebody’s house he approached some hot chick and hit on her. She flatly rebuffed him and then told him to “fuck off” after he kept chasing her around the party. When the time came to leave, ‘ole Mikey boy forced her to stop her car, reached inside the car and grabbed her between her legs! Holy jumpin’ shitballs, Mike. You’re lucky that woman didn’t dropkick your pudgy butt across the driveway! I say that because there was another incident in which a different woman who’d been terrorized by Slimy Mike told him to his face that she would “kick his ass if he ever did that again.” Seriously, what does Debbie Tirico say about these stories? “That’s my Mikey!” Queue goofy sitcom laugh track.
