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.
I’m not saying that excuses the comment. I do think an apology was due, and a reprimand by ESPN. But taking the guy off the telecast seems a little too harsh in this instance.
Griese is now one of ESPN/ABC’s lesser broadcasting lights. If this were Brent Musburger or Al Michaels, do you think they would’ve been suspended? Perhaps this is a convenient way for ESPN to make a strong statement without harming the stature of a weekly broadcast. I doubt most people will notice Griese is gone.
8:32 pm on October 26th, 2009
Then they’ll ask, why isn’t Griese here? And somebody will say ‘he’s away eating an apple strudel!’ And the whole thing will continue……
8:38 pm on October 26th, 2009
The funny part is that Montoya was out having a sex change operation, and Griese was actually covering for him. Life sucks.
9:32 pm on October 26th, 2009
Lets not make light of a serious slur. You may think he’s being fired for saying taco, but its more about the underlying stereotypes and prejudices of the statement.
10:33 pm on October 26th, 2009
What stereotypes, that NASCAR fans are fat, redneck, taco eating hillbilly’s
10:35 pm on October 26th, 2009
I’m no hillbilly, but I love eating the taco…..
10:53 pm on October 26th, 2009
It’s not a serious slur. There was no malice behind it. No one that I know of anywhere has said they were offended. Seriously, can you find any evidence that anyone anywhere was offended by this comment?
The suspension is simply ESPN’s way of saying that they’re racially progressive. “Look at us and what we value,” is the message. The problem is that there’s a contrived outrage when someone from the establishment makes a statement with racial overtones, but I’m guessing that the Chiefs’ Larry Johnson won’t be suspended for his comments, which are far more malicious and derogatory.
When people like Griese get suspended for a meaningless comment, people becomes scared to talk about race, for fear that an unintended comment will wreck their career. The result is that these self-righteous suspensions prevent the very type of open racial dialogue that the liberals claim that they want to promote.
10:58 pm on October 26th, 2009
yea ur not offended if your white.. white people dont understand racism because there the ones doing it and dont even know it… its like your guys wur fukn born that way.. fukn stupid
11:26 pm on October 26th, 2009
I understand it’s an insult… ya…
11:27 pm on October 26th, 2009
@anonymous…it’s you’re you moron. Learn proper punctuation, diction and sentence structure. Or else you just look like an idiot with no education.
12:34 am on October 27th, 2009
I do love the ‘white people don’t know racism’ argument if only because it’s ironically ignorant. Does the word ‘cracker’ come to mind? Racism/racist tendencies might have (unfortunately) originated with white people, but it doesn’t mean we’re immune from it.
11:33 am on October 27th, 2009
Oh, I get it now, we’re talking about the food item.
11:46 am on October 27th, 2009
Maybe if he said something like “lets roof a house” or “pave a road”, lighten up Pedro…..