>> IT'S A THIRD ROUND FLASCLASH.
A LOT AT STAKE.
>> Reporter: DOUG ADLER MADE HIS
NAME IN THE WORLD OF TENNIS.
CALLING MATCHES FOR ESPN, AND
BEFORE THAT AS AN ACE ON THE
COURT.
BUT YOU WON'T FIND MUCH OF THAT,
AFTER A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO GOOGLE YOUR
NAME AND SEE THE WORD RACISM
USED IN THE SAME SENTENCE AS
DOUG ADLER.
>> I HAD NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT
TERM, UNTIL THIS WHOLE
SITUATION.
>> Reporter: THAT SITUATION
BEGAN EARLIER THIS YEAR, DURING
THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN.
ADLER CALLING A MATCH BETWEEN
VENUS WILLIAMS AND SWITZERLAND'S
STEPHANIE VERGOLA.
>> VENUS WAS TOO GOOD.
TOO GOOD.
IT BECAME APPARENT TO ME WHAT
VENUS WAS DOING.
HE SAID THAT HE NOTICED WILLIAMS
PLAYING AN AGGRESSIVE STYLE OF
PLAY.
>> YOU SEE VENUS MOVE IN.
PUT THE GUERRILLA EFFECT ON.
CHARGING.
>> Reporter: TO SOME VIEWERS, IT
WAS CLEAR.
THEY HEARD AN ESPN COMMENTATOR
COMPARING ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP
TENNIS PLAYERS, AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN, TO A GORILLA.
SPELL GUERRILLA IN THAT
SENTENCE.
>> G-U-E-R-R-I-L-L-A.
>> Reporter: SO, LIKE GORILLA
WARFA
WARFARE.
>> YES.
>> Reporter: NOT G-O-R-I-L-L-A.
>> NOT TO DO WITH AN ANIMAL.
>> TWO WORDS THAT HAVE SIMILAR.
ANGER MOUNTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT ADLER SAYS HE DIDN'T HEAR
ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY UNTIL THE
NEXT DAY, WHEN HIS BOSS TOLD HIM
HE HAD BEEN BRANDED A RACIST.
>> I SAID, YOU'VE GOT TO BE
KIDDING ME.
AND HE SAID, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
HE SAYS, WE ALL KNOW WHAT YOU
MEANT.
>> Reporter: THE GUERRILLA
EFFECT.
IS THAT A COMMON PHRASE IN
TENNIS?
>> IT'S BEEN USED FOR DECADES.
>> Reporter: PERHAPS MOST
FAMOUSLY IN THIS ICONIC NIKE
ADAD AD
FROM 1995.
THE AD'S NAME, GUERRILLA TENNIS.
THOSE ARE TWO, WHITE TENNIS
PLAYERS.
DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT
YOUR TERM MIGHT NOT BE
APPROPRIATE WHEN REFERRING TO OR
DESCRIBING AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN
OR BLACK TENNIS PLAYER?
>> NO.
NO, NEVER.
>> Reporter: WHEN ASKED ABOUT
ADLER'S COMMENT, DAYS LATER,
VENUS WILLIAMS SAID THIS.
>> I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO
SITUATIONS THAT ARE NOTE-WORTHY.
>> Y
>> Reporter: YOU TOOK THAT TO
MEAN THIS IS NO BIG DEAL.
YOU DID NOTHING WRONG.
>> Reporter: B
>> I DID NOTHING.
>> Reporter: ESPN ASKED ADLER TO
APOLOGIZE ON AIR.
ESPN SAID, DOUG ADLER SHOULD
HAVE BEEN MORE CAREFUL IN HIS
WORD SELECTION.
HE SAID THE NEXT DAY, HE WAS
FIRED.
IF PEOPLE LISTEN TO THE FACTS
HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO SHAKE
THEIR HEAD AND SAY, THERE HAD TO
BE ANOTHER REASON.
WERE YOU A PIN PAIN IN THE ASS
TO WORK WITH?
WERE YOU NOT WELL-LIKED?
>> I DON'T THINK SO.
>> Reporter: NOW, ADLER IS SUING
THE COMPANY.
CLAIMING WRONGFUL TERMINOLOATIONTERMINATIO N.
>> IT COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO
JOHN McENROE.
IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN WITH MATEEN
IN A NAVRATILOVA.
ADLER SPENT HOURS RESPONDING TO
HIS CRITICS.
>> 20 HOURS A DAY, NO FOOD, NO
SLEEP.
OBSESSED AND PASSIONATE TO GET
MY NAME BACK AND MY REPUTATION I
BELIEVED I HAD TO DO THAT.
>> Reporter: WHAT TOLL DID THAT
TAKE YOU ON?
THAT PROCESS?
>> I HAD A HEART ATTACK.
>> Reporter: NOW, ADLER HAS
FOUND A POWERFUL ALLY IN DAVID
DINKINS, THE AVID TENNIS FAN AND
NEW YORK CITY MAYOR.
DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN
IT'S APPLIED --
>> TO A BLACK?
>> Reporter: YEAH.
AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN PLAYER.
>> NO.
IT SHOULDN'T BE TAKEN BY
ANYBODY.
>> Reporter: ESPN IS PART OF A
BIG COMPANY, DISNEY.
IF THEY FEEL YOU DID SOMETHING
ON PURPOSE OR BY ACCIDENT, THAT
CASTS THEM IN A BAD LIGHT, DON'T
THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY
THANKS BUT NO THANKS?
WE'LL END THIS RIGHT HERE.
>> IF THEY'RE DOING THE RIGHT
THING.
IF THEY HAVE GOOD CAUSE TO DO
IT, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT.
BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE GOOD CAUSE.
AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG.
>> Reporter: WHY DID YOU FILE
THE LAWSUIT?
>> THEY KILLED ME.
THEY MADE ME UNEMPLOYMENT.
THEY ENDED MY CAREER.
THEY KILLED MY REPUTATION, MY
GOOD NAME.
WHAT ELSE WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?
>> Reporter: DO YOU SEE A DAY
WHEN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO -- I NOTE
THIS ANGER IN YOU.
DO YOU SEE A DAY WHEN YOU WILL
BE ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT THAT
ANGER?
>> I HOPE SO.
I'M FRYI INTRYING TO LIVE WITHOUT IT
NOW.
I AGREE THERE'S A GREAT DEGREE
OF ANGER NOW.
AND I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE
ANGER.
AND UNTIL I THINK THAT I'M
PROVEN FAIRLY, THAT I DIDN'T DO
ANYTHING WRONG, I THINK IT'S
GOING TO SIT WITH ME.
>> ESPN SAYS TO THIS DAY,
THEY'RE NOT 100% SURE WHICH WORD
ADLER INTENDED TO USE.
THEY DENY ALL OF THE ALLEGATIONS
IN THE LAWSUIT.
TELLING US, ADLER MADE AN
INAPPROPRIATE REFERENCE TO VENUS
WILLIAMS, FOR WHICH HE FELT NO
APOLOGY WAS NECESSARY.
WE STAND BY OUR DECISION TO
REMOVE HIM FROM THE 2017