Det/Oak Gm 2

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Wow, what a weak reason to get rid of Lyons. People need to lighten up a bit. It was a joke, for cryin' out loud! What a bunch of overly sensitive wusses at Fox. And he didn't even know that the guy in the stands was blind on that one, either. You can't say anything anymore without offending somebody somewhere. But insult fat people, oh, be my guest...open season 24/7.

People at Fox are "overly sensitive wusses?" Bill O'Rielly? Sean Hannity? The network of "fair and balanced" is overly sensitive. Oh, my.

Imagine firing someone who has a history of publicly insulting Jews for observing their religious holidays. I mean what the heck, it's not like they're Christians. Wow.

And he didn't know that kid was nearly blind. He just knew he was wearing really thick and strange glasses, so it was only natural to make fun of him. I mean, who wouldn't?

And now he's canned over a remark questioning the honesty of Latinos? Makes no sense. C'mon, everybody knows that Latinos can take a ribbing about stealing wallets.

And, not only all of this, but the poor schmuck get's fired before he got to his "A"material. Man. I'm tempted to write a very pointed letter to Fox. I still haven't heard his opinion of Black players or Italian players or Asian players yet.

Say, reminds me, stop me if you've heard this one....two Jews, a mentally retarded kid, a pregnant Latino and the emperor of Japan are in a row boat......

In all seriousness, Steve, the rules are different when one is broadcasting on the public airwaves.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I didn't expect you to agree. Fox's regular programming is totally liberal-biased, while their news network is conservatively-biased. I'm sorry, I missed the memo on who it was that publicly insulted Jews. I am a very pro-Israel Christian, as the Bible commands us to be, so I don't know anyone that is a true "Christian" who would dare say anything like that. Perhaps a Skinhead, or other such radical group, but not any mainstream Christians that I know of.

I don't have to be politically correct. I don't see things that way. If Pinella opened it up by speaking Spanish (which I speak fluently, as I have a Spanish Minor from SDSU) on an English speaking broadcast, in a country where English is the official language (at least the voters said so), then he is inviting comments, no matter how stupid or insensitive, from his colleagues.

They said that he butchered the Spanish language because of his conjugation of the word hablar, by saying "hablaing Espanol." Well, trust me, I live among many Mexican-Americans, and illegal aliens from Mexico, and they butcher both Spanish and English with regularity.

Can't Latinos take a ribbing about stealing wallets? It seems like Paul Rodriguez and Carlos Mencia constantly make stereotypical remarks about their own race in their "jokes." Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Red Foxx all made careers about poking fun at their own, and every other race under the sun. Oh, it's not funny if a white guy says it? Bullshizle.

You wouldn't be so cavalier about firing people if it was your butt on the line. You might think that leniency was in order, and just be given the chance to apologize on the air, and move on. I'm sure glad I don't work for you, or you would have to fire me every week.

It's not just Fox, how about CBS?

I was against the firing of Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder for his remarks about black athletes, which, while true, were deemed insensitive.

I was against the firing of Ben Wright for his remarks about females' breasts and their relationship to the golf swing, which, while true, were deemed insensitive.

I was against the firing of Gary McCord for his remarks about the greens at Augusta National being bikini waxed, while, while true, were deemed offensive to Hootie and the Blowhards at the Masters.

It is my opinion that the only two taboos in speech should be:

1) yelling "fire" in a crowded building, and

2) threatening any act of terrorism.

This is just my opinion, and not one bit of it was done with sarcasm.

[umpduck11]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

It is my opinion that the only two taboos in speech should be:

1) yelling "fire" in a crowded building, and

2) threatening any act of terrorism.

But Steve, this harkens back to a recent thread which developed a discussion on freedom of speech. Fox Sports has every right to fire whomever
they choose, and to decide what comments are "inappropriate" when
broadcast on their network.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Absolutely. They have every right to fire whomever they choose. I just think they overreacted. Like I said, that's just my own opinion.

[GarthB]

Steve, apparently you didn't read the last lines of my post...the only ones that were serious.

When broadcasting on the public airwaves, unlike joking around with the guy at the bar, you don't know your audience and the smart broadcasters understand this. Lyons did not. From insulting a Jewish ball player for observing the holidays to his remark about/to Pinella, who is partially of hispanic heritage, he was oafish and, as Fox decided, being inappropriate.

This has nothing to do with people not being willing to take a joke at their expense (many are not) and everything to do with not alienating the audience Fox is attempting to reach. This was a business decision, pure and simple.

As I tell coaches, "fair" has nothing to do with the rules. They are what they are and intelligent people understand that going in.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I had never heard about Lyons insulting a Jewish ball player about holiday observances. I would find that very offensive as well. If he has a pattern of insulting remarks, then perhaps Fox was justified. I do feel that Pinella opened himself up for remarks by speaking Spanish on an English speaking broadcast. If it had been Richard "Frenchy" Fuqua, speaking French, a surrender joke could well be in the offing. I didn't use the SAP function on my TV for a reason. I didn't hear Jose Mota speaking Spanish tonight.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by GarthB

Say, reminds me, stop me if you've heard this one....two Jews, a mentally retarded kid, a pregnant Latino and the emperor of Japan are in a row boat......

I'm still trying to figure out the punch line.