Tony Kornheiser has done it again. ESPN suspended him, this time for two weeks, for his smart assed comment about Sports Center anchor, Hannah Storm. The acerbic dean of sarcasm quipped:
“I know she's very good, and I'm not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won't. But Hannah Storm, come on now! Stop! What are you doing?"
"She's got on red go-go boots and a Catholic-school plaid skirt. Way too short for somebody in her 40s - or maybe early 50s by now. She's got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body,"
Sports talk radio is all about expressing opinions which is exactly what Kornheiser did. While his remarks aren’t exactly noble, they are far less demeaning than those in the mainstream media on a daily basis. How is this worse, for instance, than David Letterman’s comment about Sarah Palin’s daughter being knocked up by Alex Rodriguez. Letterman was not suspended. Consider the stuff that is regular chatter from guys like Glenn Beck and Keith Olbermann. They’re still going strong like the Energizer Bunny.
Tony Kornheiser’s remarks were not made while on ESPN’s nationally broadcast program, “Pardon the Interruption.” It was on an ESPN affiliate in Washington DC for a local show that is syndicated elsewhere.
Looking at pictures from Hannah Storm’s Sports Center broadcast, it’s surely not the kind of outfit dignified professional ladies would wear, but certainly is not necessarily out of bounds for a sports program. It’s certainly more campy and quirky than pushing the lines for too sexy, but her outfit almost certainly was one that would invite comments.
So what’s going on here? Is ESPN being insanely politically correct?
If so, get over it. Others might find some of Chris Berman’s nonsense offensive. For people who are easily offended, scouring EPSN’s transcripts would almost certainly bug somebody.
Is it that Kornheiser dared to badmouth another ESPN personality?
If so on that count, there’s lots of crazy banter that probably approaches this level of nonsense pretty regularly.
Is ESPN management trying to make an example out of Kornheiser?
If so, what’s the example? What’s the message?
ESPN over the last three decades has become an indispensible institution in virtually all sports fans lives. When they stick to sports, they generally do quite well though some of their personalities can be boorish and annoying. There isn’t a big jerk in our book than Chris Berman. We used to appreciate Linda Cohn tremendously, but in recent years she’s started talking in a very exaggerated New York Jewish accent that at times sounds like it’s derogatory but perhaps because she is Jewish, she gets some license. Her act has become annoying and tasteless leaving the viewer to wonder what the accent is all about.
While we’re at, haven’t some of their docudramas been a joke and guilty of terrible stereotyping?
Surely Tony Kornheiser fans will flock to his defense. Hannah Storm fans will flock to her. Surely many ESPN viewers appreciate both of them. ESPN released the following statement through its Executive Vice President, John Skipper:
“Tony Kornheiser's comments about Hannah Storm were entirely inappropriate. Hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences."
Oh come on now. Hannah Storm is a big girl. Can we not expect her to have a sense of responsibility and accept that provocative attire provokes comment? We’ve seen nothing to suggest she’s reacted in any controversial way toward Kornheiser’s comments. She just continues to do her job and do it well. If she wants to have a little fun with how she dresses.
We’re looking for some clincher to wrap this up, but there’s not much more we can say about Kornheiser other than “boys will be boys” for better or worse and this wasn’t that bad.
For more, read the following article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2010/02/23/2010-02-23_espn_supsends_kornheiser_for_storm_comments.html#ixzz0gUcJrIKG
“I know she's very good, and I'm not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won't. But Hannah Storm, come on now! Stop! What are you doing?"
"She's got on red go-go boots and a Catholic-school plaid skirt. Way too short for somebody in her 40s - or maybe early 50s by now. She's got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body,"
Sports talk radio is all about expressing opinions which is exactly what Kornheiser did. While his remarks aren’t exactly noble, they are far less demeaning than those in the mainstream media on a daily basis. How is this worse, for instance, than David Letterman’s comment about Sarah Palin’s daughter being knocked up by Alex Rodriguez. Letterman was not suspended. Consider the stuff that is regular chatter from guys like Glenn Beck and Keith Olbermann. They’re still going strong like the Energizer Bunny.
Tony Kornheiser’s remarks were not made while on ESPN’s nationally broadcast program, “Pardon the Interruption.” It was on an ESPN affiliate in Washington DC for a local show that is syndicated elsewhere.
Looking at pictures from Hannah Storm’s Sports Center broadcast, it’s surely not the kind of outfit dignified professional ladies would wear, but certainly is not necessarily out of bounds for a sports program. It’s certainly more campy and quirky than pushing the lines for too sexy, but her outfit almost certainly was one that would invite comments.
So what’s going on here? Is ESPN being insanely politically correct?
If so, get over it. Others might find some of Chris Berman’s nonsense offensive. For people who are easily offended, scouring EPSN’s transcripts would almost certainly bug somebody.
Is it that Kornheiser dared to badmouth another ESPN personality?
If so on that count, there’s lots of crazy banter that probably approaches this level of nonsense pretty regularly.
Is ESPN management trying to make an example out of Kornheiser?
If so, what’s the example? What’s the message?
ESPN over the last three decades has become an indispensible institution in virtually all sports fans lives. When they stick to sports, they generally do quite well though some of their personalities can be boorish and annoying. There isn’t a big jerk in our book than Chris Berman. We used to appreciate Linda Cohn tremendously, but in recent years she’s started talking in a very exaggerated New York Jewish accent that at times sounds like it’s derogatory but perhaps because she is Jewish, she gets some license. Her act has become annoying and tasteless leaving the viewer to wonder what the accent is all about.
While we’re at, haven’t some of their docudramas been a joke and guilty of terrible stereotyping?
Surely Tony Kornheiser fans will flock to his defense. Hannah Storm fans will flock to her. Surely many ESPN viewers appreciate both of them. ESPN released the following statement through its Executive Vice President, John Skipper:
“Tony Kornheiser's comments about Hannah Storm were entirely inappropriate. Hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences."
Oh come on now. Hannah Storm is a big girl. Can we not expect her to have a sense of responsibility and accept that provocative attire provokes comment? We’ve seen nothing to suggest she’s reacted in any controversial way toward Kornheiser’s comments. She just continues to do her job and do it well. If she wants to have a little fun with how she dresses.
We’re looking for some clincher to wrap this up, but there’s not much more we can say about Kornheiser other than “boys will be boys” for better or worse and this wasn’t that bad.
For more, read the following article:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/2010/02/23/2010-02-23_espn_supsends_kornheiser_for_storm_comments.html#ixzz0gUcJrIKG
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