Sports announcer for ESPN, Bob Griese, has been suspended for a week for making racist remarks.
During the Ohio State/Minnesota football game, NASCAR drivers were shown. Someone asked where Juan Carlos Montoya was. Griese answered he was out having a taco.

The Associated Press reports:

(AP) ESPN broadcaster Bob Griese has been suspended one week for a remark he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz says Griese will not be working a game this week.

Krulewitz says ESPN has spoken to Griese and “he understands the comment was inappropriate.”

During ESPN’s broadcast of the Minnesota-Ohio State game Saturday, a graphic was shown listing the top five drivers in NASCAR’s points race. Fellow analyst Chris Spielman asked where was Montoya, who is Colombian.

Griese replied he was “out having a taco.”

He has twice apologized on air for the remark.

Montoya is declining to comment on Griese’s suspension. He brushed off the remark Sunday, and said he’d never heard of Griese.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/27/bob-griese-suspended-for-_n_335070.html

Is this comment and subsequent suspension much ado about nothing? Are we just getting way too sensitive as a society? Has PC taken over our lives? Yea, it was a stupid comment for sure but was it harmful?

How does this compare to say, making a comment about watermelon if he was speaking about any black player in the NFL? When put in those terms, suddenly the taco remark takes on a bit more of a punch. All of a sudden that taco grows before my eyes.

On the other hand, Bob Griese did apologize twice on the air. People misspeak. People say stupid things, often things they don’t intend. We all remember what we thought we heard from Bob McDonnell. One week isn’t too bad. It is symbolic. I think we can forgive Bob Griese.

10 Thoughts to “ESPN Bob Griese in Big Trouble”

  1. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    In a previous life, I was a crispy corn tortilla filled with seasoned beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, and diced tomatoes, and I am shocked and appalled by these insensitive comments!!!

  2. Well now, it didn’t need to be said. However, people do say things they wish they could take back, mainly because they didnt think about how others would perceive. I think the week’s suspension was probably a good compromise. 1 week is not long. And because he was suspended, no one can bitch.

  3. Slowpoke, your slowpoke cartoon has come through. I released you cussing in spanish so you could see it. Darling pic. Change back to that address now.

  4. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Well, hey, I was frustrated 🙂

  5. Emma

    Small potatoes (oops, I just insulted the Irish).

    In a country where “leave the gun, take the cannoli” is one of the most-quoted movie lines, I’m just not seeing the big slur here. I don’t agree that it carries the same punch as the watermelon analogy, because that image is intentionally unattractive and offensive, and has been portrayed in movies and drawings that way.

  6. What’s the difference? taco? watermelon? both foods have been attributed to ethnic groups.

  7. Rick Bentley

    Amazingly stupid thing to say. So patently offensive and unfunny that if I were his employer, I don’t know that I’d forgive him.

  8. I would look at track record.

    I just watched the Irish Tenor who was banned from the Yankees Games. People say stupid things they don’t mean to say. I will but up the links.

    http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/10/28/2009-10-28_after_saying_sorry_for_jewish_joke_irish_tenor_ronan_tynan_to_sing_at_antidefama.html

    Part of what he said went back to a conversation with another realtor. He explained this on TV, while acknowledging how offensive his remark was.

  9. El Guapo

    It all depends on the source. A guy with a big nose can make jokes about his big nose, and people will be rolling on the ground laughing. But if someone else were to make a joke about his big nose, there would be a hush as people glared at the joke teller.

  10. bigspyke

    This is absolutely a stupid move on ESPN’s part. What if Spielman asked about Mike Martin and Griese said “he was out having a hamburger”………absolutely NOTHING would have been said……..NOTHING. This country has become so obsessed with “hurting someones feelings” that we have gone 180 degrees the other way. It is so pathetic.

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