ESPN football analyst Bob Griese apologizes

buckaroo

buckaroo

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ESPN college football commentator Bob Griese apologized for a comment he made about Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya during the Ohio State-Minnesota college football game Saturday. When asked where JPM was in the standings, Griese said that he was out having a taco. Since then, everyone has gone crazy trying to apologize, minimize criticism and just down right being silly. This is PC gone nuts again. But I will say one thing, ESPN won't do anything to Griese, as they have in the past with other people. Besides, who knows for sure that JPM even likes tacos? And, JPM is Columbian, not Mexican. Maybe old Bob should get a pass because of his ignorance. :sarcasm:
 
Yeah Griese was blatantly wrong in making that comment. Doesn't he know that JPM isn't Mexican. He wouldn't be out getting a taco. Now if Griese had said he was out getting some 'blow' that might be more believable considering he's from Colombia. ;)
 
I was watching that game with my son and I was really surprised when Griese said that. I even backed it up so my son could hear the comment, as he said he didn't hear it the first time. My pc police radar went wild when I heard him say it. I knew there was going to be a real big stink made about it. I just hope he doesn't get fired over this. People can say things that offend the majority with impunity, but if somebody makes a thoughtless comment like this there has to be a big deal made of it.
 
Benevolent One said:
I was watching that game with my son and I was really surprised when Griese said that. I even backed it up so my son could hear the comment, as he said he didn't hear it the first time. My pc police radar went wild when I heard him say it. I knew there was going to be a real big stink made about it. I just hope he doesn't get fired over this. People can say things that offend the majority with impunity, but if somebody makes a thoughtless comment like this there has to be a big deal made of it.
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If he had commented a few years ago about a question of Bill Lester, saying he is out eating a watermelon, Bob's butt would have been outta there. However, given that NASCAR is a secondary subject with ESPN Sports, and given that JPM was merely a Colombian rather than an AF, good old Bob will get a pass and his apology will be the end of it. AND, most here will agree with that.
 
buckaroo said:
Maybe old Bob should get a pass because of his ignorance.
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Ignorance comes with the territory when you're talking about football commentators.

I just find it funny that they're talking about NASCAR during college football. Maybe football's just not all that exciting after all? ;)
 
Where in the heck is the 2 Good Reverands at when this is going on. Surely someone told him a commentator said something bad about a minority.

Jesse and Al, where are you hiding?

I like JPM comments, who is Bob Griese?

Bad joke, but Bob's apology should be rescpected and end of story.
 
GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN said:
who is Bob Griese?
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I confess: I had no clue who he was, and had to look him up. Ask me a month from now, and I wont remember who he is.

Kind of sad when his 15 minutes of fame comes from a ignorant comment, and not because of something he did in his career.
 
foehammer111 said:
I confess: I had no clue who he was, and had to look him up. Ask me a month from now, and I wont remember who he is.

Kind of sad when his 15 minutes of fame comes from a ignorant comment, and not because of something he did in his career.
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Actually his fame came from winning one or two Super Bowls as quarterback of the Dolphins. Not that I liked him, but anyone who followed football at all more than 20 years ago or so would know exactly who he is. He's also a fairly high profile broadcaster. Now if he made video games, I'm sure a certain segment of the population would know him as well as John Madden or some game maker. I'm sure he lays awake at night lamenting the fact that people living in their mom's basements don't know who he is. I realize than not all gamers live in their mom's basements, but a large enough amount of them do that the stereotype, in this case, is pretty valid.
 
GREAT AMERICAN RACE FAN said:
Where in the heck is the 2 Good Reverands at when this is going on. Surely someone told him a commentator said something bad about a minority.

Jesse and Al, where are you hiding?

I like JPM comments, who is Bob Griese?

Bad joke, but Bob's apology should be rescpected and end of story.
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Who needs the 2 Good Reverends when we have you.

Perhaps Griese's apology should be "accepted', but "respected"..NO.
 
Benevolent One said:
I'm sure he lays awake at night lamenting the fact that people living in their mom's basements don't know who he is. I realize than not all gamers live in their mom's basements, but a large enough amount of them do that the stereotype, in this case, is pretty valid.
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Speaking of cultural ignorance, here's this statement from BO.

I'm a gamer, as I'm sure you know from my sig. Dispite the stereotypes you want to believe, I represent the majority of people who play games these days. I'm in my 30s, married, with kids, home-owner, and I have a steady job. That demographic makes up 54% of the modern gaming population (at least last time I read about it).

Sorry my not knowing who your idol is offended you, BO. Let me know when he hasn't made an ass of himself, and I'll make sure I remember him then.
 
foehammer111 said:
Speaking of cultural ignorance, here's this statement from BO.

I'm a gamer, as I'm sure you know from my sig. Dispite the stereotypes you want to believe, I represent the majority of people who play games these days. I'm in my 30s, married, with kids, home-owner, and I have a steady job. That demographic makes up 54% of the modern gaming population (at least last time I read about it).

Sorry my not knowing who your idol is offended you, BO. Let me know when he hasn't made an ass of himself, and I'll make sure I remember him then.
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As I stated, he is certainly no idol of mine. I said I never really liked him as a player. He is ok as a broadcaster. I also don't practice idolatry. I'm sure whoever made up those statistics had no particular agenda in mind either. :rolleyes:

I am not a deiphobe, like many on here, who need to idolize earthly people or things. I simply felt the need to point out that since the NFL is the most watched sport in the country, it is likely that many, many people know who one of the all time greats is.
 
Maybe not an idol but I respect him for his accomplishments. While at Purdue he was a pitcher on the baseball team, a guard on the BB team, and he played quaterback, punter and kicker on the football team. Not to mention his pro career.

Besides since he lives in NC some now I have to stick up for a fellow Carolinian.

This is not to be confused that I stick up for Carolina or even other Carolinians.
 
Hey foe, have you ever heard of Joe Namath? Guess what, Joe was a Super Bowl winner who wore pantyhose. Betcha didn't know that either. Griese, a QB who is the only pro QB in history to have gone a total season without a loss. Not eve Tom Brady can say that. Oh scuse me, do you know who Tom Brady is?
 
buckaroo said:
Oh scuse me, do you know who Tom Brady is?
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Wasn't he on the Brady Bunch?

Are you saying that people actually watch football for entertainment? Seriously? I thought it was just a way to tell how many weeks until the next NASCAR season. That's shocking considering it's not even a sport. :D
 
But seriously, I'm just giving you guys a hard time.

I know who Tom Brady is. I've heard of Joe Namath, but off the top of my head I couldn't tell you what he's famous for other than being a QB for the Jets. I think. :idunno:

I'm not a football fan, so it shouldn't be surprising that I didn't know who Bob Griese was until he made this comment. Just like I wouldn't expect a non-NASCAR fan to know who Cale Yarborough is.

But back on topic, I think this whole thing is blown way out of scope. I don't think he ment it as a racial statement even though it sounded that way. More than anything, it just makes him look dumb because Montoya isn't Mexican, and they don't eat tacos in Columbia.

Clearly, Griese isn't a mental giant. I think he was just trying to make a stupid joke, and it came out all wrong. I don't know him personally, but he strikes me as the sort of person who would look at Stephen Hawking and ironically say something to the effect of "Look at that retard". Not because he was specifically trying to be mean, but just because if he thinks something is funny, it just comes out.

news-graphics-2007-_441537a.jpg
 
buckaroo said:
Guess what, Joe was a Super Bowl winner who wore pantyhose.
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wasn't that just for commercials? hopefully. <g> took me a LONG time to like namath after the jets beat the baltimore colts. still don't consider him a johnny unitas but he was damn good and a great showman. yeah, griese was great in the modern era. and dull, dull, dull.... he said something stupid. like we never have. he apologized, time to move on.
 
He should have said tamales. That's one of the foods served in both countries. We have a good South American restaurant here in town. They have dishes from several countries south of Mexico and no Mexican dishes.
 
barelypure said:
He should have said tamales. That's one of the foods served in both countries. We have a good South American restaurant here in town. They have dishes from several countries south of Mexico and no Mexican dishes.
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Where? Where? :D

We have a Peruvian place down the road that is outstanding.
 
I saw an article about this, and there were some hilarious reader comments after it.

Here's a few:

"My name is Juan Pablo Montoya. You joke about my ethnicity. Prepare to die."

"People with the last name "Griese" shouldn't make jokes about tacos."

"Every person I encounter that I would label a "Taco Eater" falls into the pot head category, so, maybe there's just a misunderstanding here."

"Whats wrong with Tacos! I love tacos and wouldn't mind being called a taco eater, In fact I once ate like 12 tacos."

"Grow some thicker skin people. Brb, off to eat a Potato."

"Yeah, I'm sure everybody would be just as offended if someone said Michael Schumacher was "out having a bratwurst." Or maybe Joey Logano was "out having a canoli." Good Lord."

"Can it be Berman next time?"

"If he'd have said "Juan Pablo Montoya was out doing lines all night" then I could see why he (and Columbia, that fine country reknowned for many important contributions to the world, and most emphatically NOT reknowned as a major producer of Cocaine) might be pissed."

"Tacos? Puleeze. I'm an olive-oil drinking, pasta scarfing Guinea, and proud of it."

Someone also posted this image of the World according to Americans.

original.gif
 
foehammer111 said:
"If he'd have said "Juan Pablo Montoya was out doing lines all night" then I could see why he (and Columbia, that fine country reknowned for many important contributions to the world, and most emphatically NOT reknowned as a major producer of Cocaine) might be pissed."
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:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
Thanks BP.

I will have to remember that.

Don't get to Raleigh very often but when I do...............
 
foehammer111 said:
I know who Tom Brady is. I've heard of Joe Namath, but off the top of my head I couldn't tell you what he's famous for other than being a QB for the Jets. I think. :idunno:
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You may not know who Namath is but I can still remember him. He cost me $100 in the Superbowl.

And I should have known better than bet against a fellow Pennsylvanian. :)
 
This isn't new, but just something that happens from time to time. How about when Howard Cosell referred to a couple of Washington Redskins as a couple of monkeys? Howard in no way was a racist and his comment was meant to show how wirery they were. Or when Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder was canned for his comments about why black athletes were bred that way. Limbaugh was canned for commenting on the fact that the media was hoping that a black athlete succeeded as a quarterback. Its a shame that we have become so PC that every person broadcasting on TV or radio has to watch what he or she says because who knows who will be offended. One thing that is certain though, you cannot offend a white person, but if you do, nothing will be done. A simple "I didn't mean it" or "It was a joke, get over it" will suffice.
 
Well, I'm offended by this whole thread.

But then, I'm only an Appalachian-American so it's ok to offend me. Sorry, nevermind. :cool:
 
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