Courtesy New York Post

(October 23, 2009) The funny thing about ESPN isn't all that funny: The only time it indulges — even encourages — sexual insensi tivity from employees is as a matter of commerce, while in public, on ESPN, ESPN Radio, in ESPN the Magazine or ESPN.com.

Or on ESPN's annual Sunday prime-time ESPY Awards show, which this year featured Victoria's Secret models. Hubba-hubba and va-va-va-voom!

That's when "guy talk" is allowed, even preferred, when it's cool to encourage young adult males, ESPN's most prized customers, to think of women as something to rub against. All other times — as proscribed by mandatory sexual-sensitivity sessions initiated years ago, after ugly episodes — sexual misbehavior from ESPN employees will not be tolerated!

One, therefore, would have thought that Steve Phillips, given his history of sexual <ho>inside-trading as the Mets' GM, would have been pre-disqualified from ESPN employment. Yet, ESPN hired him and then fast-tracked him on TV and radio. It didn't matter that Phillips did not distinguish himself as a go-to baseball analyst; at ESPN, cross-promotion and self-promotion trump foresight and substance.

And that's not the first time ESPN hired an on-air, front-and-center fellow with a history of on-the-job sexual misconduct who reprised his act with ESPN. But this fellow years ago apparently took the cure, seems to have righted himself, so let's cut him and his family a break.

Beyond that, there was the widespread word, two years ago, that a frequent on-air ESPN talent took a picture of his genitalia, then distributed the photo to female employees. Although he was another expert with dubious expertise, ESPN's decision not to renew his contract closely followed that rumored matter.

Harold Reynolds, a valued ESPN baseball analyst — not that ESPN would know the difference — was fired as a serial philanderer.

Reynolds sued and settled out of court. ESPN maintains that Reynolds was tossed for cause, several of them, all the same.

Recently, after news surfaced that ESPN reporter Erin Andrews had been covertly videotaped undressing in her hotel room, coverage of that story inspired ESPN to angrily complain that Andrews should be treated as a respected broadcast journalist. Amen to that! OK, so days later, she appeared, voluntarily, in a provocative photo spread in a men's magazine. Hubba-hubba.

And while not particularly handsome men of all ages are hired to appear on ESPN, is it a coincidence that the vast majority of on-camera women hired are young and attractive? Last week, ESPN the Magazine released its desperately transparent "Body Issue," a nude Serena Williams on the front cover. A-oooooo!

In Phillips' case, his most noteworthy conquests seem predicated on preying on the weak. As Met GM, he pulled Al Leiter and Mike Piazza from a Florida franchise's fire sale — and had sex with at least one office functionary, a woman who answered to him.

At ESPN, Phillips, 46, "conquered" a 22-year-old production rookie who, it turns out, is given to fighting indiscretion with some of her own.

Either Phillips preys on the weak or blackmail excites him.

Meanwhile, ESPN wants it both ways. It wants to sell its aroused, naughty-boy side to the outside while condemning sexual harassment — and worse — on the inside.

An ESPN exec once explained how this works: "Just because Playboy magazine carries nude photos of women doesn't mean sexual harassment should be tolerated within its offices."

He seemed very pleased with his explanation/rationalization.

Until this follow-up was asked: "Playboy? I thought ESPN was a sports network."

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