Last night, as YBB points out, Mike Patrick took a very subtle dig at Bob Griese’s ‘taco’ comment about Juan Pablo Montoya.

At least I’m guessing that’s what he was trying to do.

(For those who think Patrick’s comment was coincidence)

Video after the jump. Read more…

Juan Pablo Montoya having some fun on his Twitter today.

Let’s just hope Montoya steers clear of an inappropriate characterization of that new Black Taco thing.

Jim Utter of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER reports that Bob Griese has been suspended for one game for his “taco” comment about Juan Pablo Montoya.

Griese was forced to apologize at the end of his Minnesota-Ohio State telecast on Saturday and then again during halftime of ESPN’s Mississippi State-Florida.

Montoya’s response when asked by reporters was, “I don’t really care to tell you the truth.”

Based on Griese’s apologies, and Montoya’s non-response, I think ESPN went overboard in suspending the guy. I certainly don’t think there was malice in his initial comment, more a reflexive reaction based on the generation Griese grew up in.
Read more…

Diamond83 on Twitter reminded me today of a comment former UCLA Coach Bob Toledo made upon the occasion of UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero’s hiring.

(Guess that didn’t go over too well after all)

From UCLA’s DAILY BRUIN:

Next for the UCLA athletic department is a month-long effort to secure a smooth transition from the Dalis to the Guerrero era.

Toledo even suggested a way to break the ice.

“We’ll make tacos together,” he said, with a laugh.

Toledo and Guerrero are both Latino. Read more…

ESPN released this statement Saturday evening addressing Bob Griese’s “taco” comment:

(Video of original comment after the jump)

“During today’s telecast of the Ohio State-Minnesota college football game on ESPN, analyst Bob Griese made an inappropriate comment when discussing NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya. Bob apologized during the telecast, and plans to apologize again tonight during ESPN’s college football programming after his plane lands. ESPN has spoken to Bob and he understands that his comment was uncalled for.”

Griese then made this statement at halftime of the Florida-Mississippi State game: Read more…

UPDATE: Griese apologized about the comment just before the Minnesota-Ohio State ABC telecast wrapped. Still deserves a reprimand in my opinion.

Chris Mottram at SBNation.com has this exchange between Bob Griese and Chris Spielman today on the Minnesota-Ohio State ABC telecast:

Chris called it “subtle racism.” I’m more on the side of blatant. Griese should be reprimanded, or at the very least reminded that what he said was inappropriate.

CollegeFootballTalk.com weighs in as well. As does the Twitterati.

And Wikipedia already has this: Read more…