1:10 PM Mon, Oct 16, 2006 | Permalink
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It's never good when booth announcers are the news. They are to report and comment on the games, not become part of the event. But as we start the new week, two announces are without jobs because they said things this weekend before engaging their brains first.
Perhaps the biggest faux pas occurred during the brawl between Miami and Florida International. Get a load of this transcript from former University of Miami and Tampa Bay Bucs reciever Lamar Thomas working in the booth for Comcast Sports:
"Now, that's what I'm talking about. You come into our house, you should get your behind kicked. You don't come into the OB playing that stuff. You're across the ocean over there. You're across the city. You can't come over to our place talking noise like that. You'll get your butt beat. I was about to go down the elevator to get in that thing. I say, why don't they just meet outside in the tunnel after the ball game and get it on some more? You don't come into the OB, baby. We've had a down couple years but you don't come in here talking smack. Not in our house." In situation where order is trying to be restored, calm is in order, not someone trying to incite the riot even further.
FOX Sports Commentator Steve Lyons is also eating his words today. Lyons was bantering with former manager Lou Pinella. In the second inning of Friday's game, Piniella talked about A's shortstop Marco Scutaro's playoff success at the plate. He then mused on how Frank Thomas and Eric Chavez needed to be more productive, then compared Scutaro's to finding a "wallet on Friday" and hoping it would happen again the next week. Piniella said the A's needed Thomas to get "en fuego" - "hot" in Spanish - because he was currently "frio" . After lead announcer Thom Brennaman praised Piniella for being bilingual, Lyons remarked Piniella was "hablaing Espanol" and added, "I still can't find my wallet." Lyons also added, "I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit too close to him now." Lyons has apologized saying "If I offended anyone, I'm sorry." However for now he is off the broadcast and is to meet with FOX President David Hill.
FOX likes to boast how it produces broadcasts with "Attitude." It looks today the network needs an "Attitude" adjustment.
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