In a statement, Franklin said: "I said some things I shouldn't have and am sorry. I deserved to be taken off the Fiesta Bowl."

Edwards said Monday in an e-mail to USA TODAY that she was talking with ESPN announcer Rod Gilmore about his wife, Marie, being elected mayor of Alameda, Calif., during a production meeting before the Chick-fil-A Bowl. After a few minutes, she said Franklin joined in the conversation and said: "Listen to me, sweet baby, let me tell you something …"

Edwards says she told Franklin not to address her like that. Franklin responded, according to Edwards: "OK, then listen to me, a—hole."

Edwards and Franklin both worked the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

A colleague reported the incident to ESPN management, Edwards said. With the duo scheduled to work together again Saturday night, ESPN decided to pull Franklin from its Fiesta Bowl radio coverage. He was replaced by Dave LaMont.

"We made a late play-by-play change to the Fiesta Bowl radio team," ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said in a statement. "We're not going to get into specifics other than to say adhering to our personal conduct policies and showing respect for colleagues are of the utmost importance to our company and we take them extremely seriously."

ESPN apology: Krulewitz also apologized for "inappropriate" on-air behavior by anchors Hannah Storm and Josh Elliott and NFL insider Adam Schefter in which they appeared to celebrate the firing of Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini.

The incident happened on Monday's SportsCenter. As Schefter discussed which NFL coaches were on the hot seat, he received a message announcing that Mangini had been fired. Storm and Schefter then high-fived because of the timing of the news, not because Mangini was fired, Krulewitz said in a statement.

"Their actions were inappropriate, and they immediately recognized this and acknowledged it on-air. While they were not making light of the firing itself, Everyone involved understands how difficult it is on individuals to lose their jobs and the effect it can have on their families, and ESPN apologizes for the incident."