Last week a side story began to emerge while Denny Hamlin was holding off Jimmie Johnson for the win at Martinsville.
NFL commentator and former Miami Dolphin Bob Griese made a quip after a network NASCAR promo about Juan Pablo Montoya out eating a taco. A member of the NASCAR media heard the remark and it wasn’t long before the Internet was a buzz. By the end of the game Griese had made two apologies and by Monday the network had suspended him.
Why?
It’s a sad fact that racism exists in America. But what was said Saturday by Griese wasn’t even close to being racist. Not even in the neighborhood.
Had he said that Montoya was sneaking across the border illegally, or checking his cartel in Columbia or had he used a derogatory name when referring to him, that would have been racist. Stupid? Yes, but racist, far from it.
Most importantly was Montoya offended? No.
“Football coach? I don't know who it is,” Montoya said after the race. “Somebody mentioned it to me. I don't really care to tell you the truth. Yeah, I don't. I could say I spent the last three hours eating tacos, but I was actually driving a car. But that's okay, I don't care.”
There are a couple of elements at work here. One is the Internet itself, and the other is the state of professional journalism today.
There was a time when the world was full of journalists. Newspapers ruled and there were plenty of reporters to fill the pages. The amount of subscriptions was the benchmark and someone graduating journalism school could be reasonably assured of a long career. Newspapers and the reporters also served a noble purpose. Pointing out flaws in society and government, righting the wrongs, giving a voice to the little guy.
But as the Internet flourished and newspapers began to die, many of those old-time journalists fell by the wayside while a few learned to live and work in a brave new world.
This brave new world is all about driving pageviews and serving ads. And what ever it takes to drive those pageviews is what matters. Isn’t always about news, it’s more about grabbing someone’s attention and getting them to click on a link. Nobility be damned, unique website visitors are king.
So it goes with some of the journalists who know what can drive the pageviews that keep editors happy. Whether that’s good or bad is open to debate. But it is what it is and sometimes journalists desperate to keep their jobs do what they have to do, instead of what they need to do.
Back to one Juan Pablo Montoya. Is there still racism in America? Sadly yes. Was Griese’s comment racist? No. While it was stupid, in the days when newspapers were king, the remark would have struggled to make it to water cooler status, and would certainly never made it past the editors desk into print. Instead what wasn’t a real story was made into one, the editors are smiling at their pageview reports, a journalist’s job is safe for another week, while a good, seemingly decent man was suspended and will no doubt carry a stigma for the rest of his career for no good reason.
Reporters could still serve a noble purpose, right the wrongs and speak up for the little guy. Maybe someday we’ll get back to that. But for now one thing is for sure; journalists need to know how to pick their battles. And what happened last Sunday wasn’t even a skirmish.
Comments
"NFL commentator and former coach Bob Griese "
Wasn't he also an NFL quarterback at one time as well?
I believe we have gone off the deep end as far as being politically correct and worrying about whether what we say may offend any one person or group. That said, the statement by Griese was intended to be racist and many people knew exactly what he meant. Another online correspondent said that it was no more offensive than if you said a southern born driver was off having biscuits and gravy. Where do you draw the line or do you? When is it not alright to say NASCAR's newest African American (fyi: black is no longer politically correct) is out eating watermelon? Just my two cents and now I'm off to have a bagel.
This is one of the most stupid, non-stories EVER!!! Who really cares. What if he refered to a white guy "out eating a cheeseburger, a black guy "out eating ribs" a chinese person "out getting an egg-roll" or an italian "out eating pasta?" Big, fat deal! I'm so tired of the neutering of American speech. Good luck trying to neuter me. Now, this white guy is off to eat a cheeseburger!
I agree with Brian. I am Polish from Chicago out having a stuffed cabbage. So what's the big deal?
In the world of the ENTERTAINMENT and Sports Network (ESPN), it's all about the personalities and not about the sports. Just look at their self-promotion commercials. These ESPN guys are always expected to say something cutsie or come up with some quip that makes them feel like they're keeping up with the rest of the cute quips from the other ESPN guys. Griese was only doing what was expected of him - trying to say something cute. I'm pretty sure that his comment wasn't meant to purposely demean anyone - as an ESPN analyst, he's supposed to say something cute every 2.1 minutes and he failed in his attempt. If it continues to get press, maybe Taco Tell can sign both Montoya and Griese to a contract to do a series of commercials based on this incident.
Greg- You obviously cannot be a modern journalist since your article is accurate and insightful. Thank you.
At the same time, might EESPN's quick, heavy-handed response have been to distract attention from its other problems???
You're spot on Greg...I read about this and asked a few friends (who were more ethnically diverse than my white male self) how this was offensive, they agreed it was just a bad attempt at humor and the only one offended should be decent comics and joke writers. I hope there are others but yours is the first i've seen sense taking such a rational slant on it.
Greg, I agree with you all the way here that people have made too much of this. People are too ****ing sensitive these days, and take themselves way too seriously. Really, we're getting upset over stupid comments like this and ESPN is making it media worthy while viewers and fans alike are up in arms. Maybe Jeff Gordon was out eating grapes, you know, because he's white. People, stop taking yourselves so seriously and move on. Juan Pablo Montoya moved on within TWO SECONDS of hearing about this. It's sad that the person who the comment was directed at can move on so fast yet outside observers cannot. You people who are upset need to re-examine yourselves. Or better yet, get hit by a train.
Bad journalism, not on Bob's part, but on ESPN's. I will be glad when we do't have to watch them anymore. I have to mute the fools now, maybe I will just turn it off. WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE?
I would love to know his name, so I could write him a letter. He is so out of touch with the world, how in the hell does he hold his job? Must be diversity again.
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