What would an apology accomplish?

For this offense I believe an apology would accomplish a lot. For the headline writer especially, a good apology might decide whether he gets another job in the same field as he was working before. As such an unpopular figure currently no company in their right mind will hire him and let him start writing headlines again. After proving his remorse however he could maybe be trusted. For the man who said the racial slur on air, an apology might help restore his image slightly although at the same time a bad apology might further hurt his image. The apology he did issue contained the phrase "My wife is Asian" which was not appreciated by many Asian people. ESPN has the most to gain from an apology. As an entire organization they need to make it clear that this behavior is unacceptable from their employees. They are supposed to be the "worldwide leader in sports" and as so racism can't be a part of their company. Treating the situation well might even inspire admiration and make them more likable than they were before.