ESPN apologizes for crass question</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'></p> <span class="articleBegin">C</span>HICAGO - Several hours after removing an offensive poll question, ESPN.com offered an apology yesterday afternoon.</p> The question, based on the success of Boston’s professional sports teams, asked whether voters would rather see the Patriots lose to the Steelers, Johan Santana be traded to a team other than the Red Sox<font color="#888888"> </font>or Kevin Garnett blow out his knee.</p> The poll was switched by Friday night, but when Garnett learned of it, he told the Herald, “Wow, that’s really distasteful, man.”</p> Nor was Celtics<font color="#888888"> </font>coach Doc Rivers pleased to hear about the feature, which appeared on ESPN.com’s Page 2. Celtics PR man Jeff Twiss expressed the team’s unhappiness with the item and said yesterday afternoon that ESPN was “apologetic.”</p> Later in the day, ESPN released the following statement:</p> “Friday’s ESPN.com Page 2 poll used very poor judgment in its option about Kevin Garnett. The poll was removed immediately upon the senior editorial staff becoming aware, and we sincerely regret the error in judgment. We are addressing the issue and apologize to Kevin Garnett, to the Celtics organization and to those offended by the poll question. Obviously, we wish good health to all athletes.”</p> The Garnett portion of the poll was obviously a poor attempt at humor, but it had to be particularly perplexing to Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who had taped promotional spots for ESPN.</p> </div></p>
I hate ESPN anyway. I just recelty started posting there again after years of boycotting their message boards. The boards still suck and the Mods delete anything and everything that gets reported regardless of whether is violates the TOS. I should just stick to my own forums and forums I like, but it is good for a laugh. So, while I never take those type of things seriously anyway and have even been guilty of wishing opposing teams players would "Blow a tire", I feel that ESPN and all the rest of the Celtics haters do not want to see Boston succeed and therefor continue to underestimate the C's success and wish bad things. I don't accept the apology because I know it was only given when they got called out. If no one said anything, that poll would still be up and I can bet the voting would be in KG's disfavor.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mynetsforlife)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> What's so wrong with that?</p> </div></p> Honestly...that's what I was thinking.</p> </p>
Whats wrong with that!? You know its distasteful. It would be like if I said Kobe should get shot in the head and killed. What would be wrong with that? You tell me...</p>
The point is, wishing harm on anyone, regardless of the extent of it, is distasteful. Dont try to disguise or divert the matter. You know for a fact a Lakers fan and a Yankees fan like yourself are doing that out of spite. It's really not cool, dude. Seriously.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Loyalist)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> The point is, wishing harm on anyone, regardless of the extent of it, is distasteful. Dont try to disguise or divert the matter. You know for a fact a Lakers fan and a Yankees fan like yourself are doing that out of spite. It's really not cool, dude. Seriously.</p> </div></p> didn't you admit to wishing someone would 'blow a tire' yourself?</p> meh it's not like they were being extremely evil, just kinda going with the vibe of anti-boston hate going on since the Boston sports scene is so darn good right now.</p> It's not like they actually come out and said I wish KG would get injured. Kinda a bit too much of a PC knee jerk reaction IMO and ESPN did a big dick tuck over it too.</p> </p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mynetsforlife)</div><div class='quotemain'> ESPN was trying to make a joke (a bad one).</p></div> Really?Wheredidyoureadthat?IwasundertheimpressionthatthiswasapollonPage2.Anyway,theycouldhaveaskedamillionbetterquestions:TheCelticslosetherestoftheirhomegames.TheCelticsfindouttheirleasehasexpiredanddon'thaveacourttoplayin.Orsomethingofthatnature,notKGblowingouthisknee.</p>
If you or I say, "I hope player X gets hurt so maybe it would make things easier for my favourite team," that's one thing. Who are we but petty fans? But when a industry bigtimer like ESPN takes things to that level, I find it wrong.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticFan)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> didn't you admit to wishing someone would 'blow a tire' yourself?</p> meh it's not like they were being extremely evil, just kinda going with the vibe of anti-boston hate going on since the Boston sports scene is so darn good right now.</p> It's not like they actually come out and said I wish KG would get injured. Kinda a bit too much of a PC knee jerk reaction IMO and ESPN did a big dick tuck over it too.</p> </p> </div></p> I said I had been guilty of that. I admitted it and I am saying it was wrong. That was the whole point of me admitting it. I also believe saying "blow a tire" and actually saying blow out a knee are two different things. First of all, my comment is nonspecific and could mean a multitude of things like a simple sprain or hammertoe. But blatantly wishing for a severe injury is plain wrong! And I, of all people, am not PC. What I am is pissed about is this lack of respect for this team. I absolutely expect it from a Lakers and Yankees fan, so no biggie, but ESPN is a major sports network whose job is to report the sports news. Sure a little personality is allowed and even a funny comment or two, but being a C's fan I would have expected that you wouldn't be so nonchalant. That was wrong for them to allow that to be published. Page 2 or not. Joke or not. Injuries, especially to the knee, are not just game or season ending. It's potentially career ending AND life long for these guys. When you see what happened to TJ Ford, it's especially serious to be more cautious thats all. I ain't advocating to be robots and not joke around with actual funny humor. Jokes should have a punchline.</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Loyalist)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticFan)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> didn't you admit to wishing someone would 'blow a tire' yourself?</p> meh it's not like they were being extremely evil, just kinda going with the vibe of anti-boston hate going on since the Boston sports scene is so darn good right now.</p> It's not like they actually come out and said I wish KG would get injured. Kinda a bit too much of a PC knee jerk reaction IMO and ESPN did a big dick tuck over it too.</p> </p> </div></p> I said I had been guilty of that. I admitted it and I am saying it was wrong. That was the whole point of me admitting it. I also believe saying "blow a tire" and actually saying blow out a knee are two different things. First of all, my comment is nonspecific and could mean a multitude of things like a simple sprain or hammertoe. But blatantly wishing for a severe injury is plain wrong! And I, of all people, am not PC. What I am is pissed about is this lack of respect for this team. I absolutely expect it from a Lakers and Yankees fan, so no biggie, but ESPN is a major sports network whose job is to report the sports news. Sure a little personality is allowed and even a funny comment or two, but being a C's fan I would have expected that you wouldn't be so nonchalant. That was wrong for them to allow that to be published. Page 2 or not. Joke or not. Injuries, especially to the knee, are not just game or season ending. It's potentially career ending AND life long for these guys. When you see what happened to TJ Ford, it's especially serious to be more cautious thats all. I ain't advocating to be robots and not joke around with actual funny humor. Jokes should have a punchline.</p> </p> </div></p> I just didn't see it as a vicious comment but morea lack of inginuity for a poll question. I sincerely doubt they actually would want KG to be seriously hurt after having languished so long in Minny. Bottom line it's a silly poll written on ESPN2, the not so serious part of ESPN (take that for what it's worth). I'm quite certain fans of other jealous teams wish and yell from the stands a lot worse.</p> I wonder if you would be as upset if they had a poll about teams that keep winning titles all of the time (Pats, Spurs for example) and said "Tim Duncan finally falls apart and lets someone else win the title" rather than your favorit team.</p>
To be honest, I dont get caught up in other teams problems, injuries, or what is said about them. So you are totally correct. I wouldn't have given it a second thought if the poll were about, say,Tim Duncan. And just for the record, I'm not actually upset. What some ESPN bozo or opposing teams fans says is of little consequence since it is only words. I just thought it was pretty lame and unnecessary for a "humorous" poll question. Like one poster said in this thread. There were a multitude of wayyy more funnier scenarios and things that coulda and shoulda been said. But hey, we may have just beaten this topic to death and are giving it unneeded life by discussing it for this long. I had understood the point of the Lakers fan and Yankees fans comments already and I see your point. But from the POV of koolaid drinking homers who dont like a bad word said even in jest, it was rather crass.</p>
"Blowing a tire" is a coward's wish. A true competitor wants to meet his opponent at his best so that his victory means something.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Loyalist)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> To be honest, I dont get caught up in other teams problems, injuries, or what is said about them. So you are totally correct. I wouldn't have given it a second thought if the poll were about, say,Tim Duncan. And just for the record, I'm not actually upset. What some ESPN bozo or opposing teams fans says is of little consequence since it is only words. I just thought it was pretty lame and unnecessary for a "humorous" poll question. Like one poster said in this thread. There were a multitude of wayyy more funnier scenarios and things that coulda and shoulda been said. But hey, we may have just beaten this topic to death and are giving it unneeded life by discussing it for this long. I had understood the point of the Lakers fan and Yankees fans comments already and I see your point. But from the POV of koolaid drinking homers who dont like a bad word said even in jest, it was rather crass.</p> </div></p> </p> I see what you're saying and yeah we dragged it out, gotta fill time somehow </p> I'm too practical to be a koolaid drinker and follow the league as well as the C's. Having waiting 21years for this team to be a title contender again will tend to do that </p> </p>
I've got some extra koolaid if you ever get thirsty! LOL! Well, I can be practical, I just find it too impractical to not be a homer. I give myself Tommy Points for mundane everday tasks. Like going the bathroom, finishing my vegetables, and gassing up the clunker.</p>
