Courtesy USA Today

(April 1, 2011) ESPN is pulling Jalen Rose off the air after a report found the NBA basketball analyst waited almost three weeks to tell his employers about his arrest in Michigan on suspicion of drunk driving.

"Jalen has accepted full responsibility for his actions. Both parties are taking this very seriously, and as a result, we've agreed that he will not be on our air while he addresses this situation," said ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz in an email to Game On!

On Thursday, ESPN's new ombudsman at the Poynter Institute published a report blaming Rose for not informing his bosses in Bristol, Conn. about his run-in with the cops for weeks.

As a result, ESPN was scooped on a story about one of its own analysts when a Detroit TV station broke the news Rose had been cited for DUI by West Bloomfield, Michigan police on March 11. He's slated to appear in court on April 20.

"Rose's concealment compromises ESPN," said the report by Poynter's Kelly McBride and Regina McCombs.

Krulewitz said ESPN made the decision to pull Rose before Poynter issued its report. Rose apologized for his late night run-in with the law with this statement earlier this week:

On March 11th, I was driving to my home when I was involved in a single vehicle automobile accident. I voluntarily submitted to blood alcohol screening because I was confident it was safe for me to drive. Although I was not feeling impaired, the results of these tests indicate that my blood alcohol level was above the legal limit. I regret the decision to drive home that evening and am grateful that no one was hurt in the accident. I apologize to my family, my employer and each and every one of my supporters for my lapse in judgment. I am particularly sorry for disappointing those who trust me to serve as a role model for young people. I accept full responsibility for my actions and look forward to a resolution of the legal matter as soon as possible.

The former University of Michigan star executive produced ESPN Films' highest-rated documentary, The Fab Five.

Rose sparked a war of words with former Duke players when he recalled in the documentary that as a college kid he thought Duke preferred to recruit "Uncle Tom" African-American athletes such as Grant Hill. He and other Fab Fivers also said they thought ex-Duke star Christian Laettner was a soft, over-rated, pretty boy.

The former Blue Devils fought back, with Hill penning a response in the New York Times and ex-point guard Bobby Hurley reminding Rose that Duke went 3-0 against the Fab Five.

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