Dana Jacobson suspension...your thoughts?

[Mark Latimour]

Another in the long line of suspensions from TV / Radio programs for saying the wrong thing at the wrong moment:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printe...ck=1&cset=true

Too PC or was this one justified? Let the sages of TB OT be the judge.

[jkritchey]

Hmm, her comments didn't even air on ESPN? That's kind of strange. I guess it was reporters at the party who 'leaked' to the public at large, an incident of poor behavior at a private party. That aspect of it is quite strange.

While I wouldn't encourage her to be fired, I'm surprised she hasn't been (yet). She's simply not that valuable a property to ESPN to be worth the trouble.

Her behavior certainly gives her employer reason to question her judgment, given her access to a live microphone with the company logo on it. I'm guessing she gets canned eventually for this, and I wouldn't have a problem with it.

As for the various groups claiming they are victimized and making comparisons to disparaging remarks against different groups, that's all silliness. But ESPN makes a living on reporting on that kind of silliness. Paybacks are hell.

BTW, the LA Times link requires a log in, so I just hit Google News about this. I may not have read the same info.

[PSPookie]

Not just a private party, but a roast. She was also specifically refering to something at Notre Dame. No one with a lick of sense should be offended by the drunken ramblings of this woman except (maybe) for Notre Dame fans.

[bradjonesbass]

This was at the Mike and Mike Roast... She's a UM alum. and huge fan, so of course she's going to disparage ND.

PC world gone nuts. And for the record, I'm a devoted Christian. This is insane though. PEOPLE LIGHTEN UP! F@#$ PC

[Jared Lash]

I had to Google this as I hadn't even heard anything about this "story". Apparently, she was drinking and disparaged ND, Touchdown Jesus and according to some reports Original Jesus who I believe is more sacred but less athletic.

A little perspective though. It was a freaking roast. A non-televised roast. If she made disparaging remarks about Christianity on air at ESPN, I'd expect her to face harsh penalties or lose her job. That's the risk of being an on-air personality.

But really, being penalized for vulgarity at a roast? Isn't that like penalizing a race car driver for "driving too fast"?

[jkritchey]

Vulgarity from Don Rickles or Redd Foxx at a roast is one thing. Being embarrassingly drunk and humiliating the event while being vulgar is quite another.

Edit to add: I really think the target of her slurs () in this case is nothing but a crutch. Sure there is the usual lineup of people hoping to be victims, but for me, the real issue is getting hammered and uncontrollably launching an F-bomb tirade at <fill in the blank>. The target is a side issue, IMHO.

[Bryan316]

Originally Posted by PSPookie

Not just a private party, but a roast. She was also specifically refering to something at Notre Dame. No one with a lick of sense should be offended by the drunken ramblings of this woman except (maybe) for Notre Dame fans.

That's what they get for being Notre Dame fans!

[burk48237]

Originally Posted by jkritchey

Vulgarity from Don Rickles or Redd Foxx at a roast is one thing. Being embarrassingly drunk and humiliating the event while being vulgar is quite another.

Edit to add: I really think the target of her slurs () in this case is nothing but a crutch. Sure there is the usual lineup of people hoping to be victims, but for me, the real issue is getting hammered and uncontrollably launching an F-bomb tirade at <fill in the blank>. The target is a side issue, IMHO.

BINGO. I have no issue with what ESPN did, they are a private enterprise acting in their best interest. It doesn't appear that their was a huge cadre of protesting Christians threatening to burn down ESPN and issue Fatwas against Ms. Jacobson. But she showed poor taste and worse judgement. Enough poor judgement where ESPN had a right to consider wether it was in there best interest to hand her a microphone.

Now if the government were to haul her before a Human Rights Commission (ala Canada) or fine her or otherwise hold her up to some civil action for her "offenses". I would take issue with that.

[Jeremy Crockett]

Why when people are caught being tools, they always say:

My actions ...were inappropriate and in no way represent who I am.

Of course they represent who you are. YOU said/did it.
Does anyone really buy this line of BS?

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by burk48237

BINGO. I have no issue with what ESPN did, they are a private enterprise acting in their best interest. It doesn't appear that their was a huge cadre of protesting Christians threatening to burn down ESPN and issue Fatwas against Ms. Jacobson. But she showed poor taste and worse judgement. Enough poor judgement where ESPN had a right to consider wether it was in there best interest to hand her a microphone.

Again, the problem is that the event was a roast. It's hard to have an event where the goal is to mock someone in a lewd and often vulgar manner but require that no one is offended.

That said, she shouldn't have been on stage. Roasts are a hard enough thing to do well for comedians, let alone athletes and broadcasters. Crude and funny is very different from simply crude. Apparently she thought just being vulgar was good enough.

In reality, an image conscious corporation like ESPN should have known this was a bad idea from the start.

[jkritchey]

I kind of agree, but you left out the important part: She Was Stupid Drunk. At a company function.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by OctoberMooN

Why when people are caught being tools, they always say:

Of course they represent who you are. YOU said/did it.
Does anyone really buy this line of BS?

Yes and no. I agree that often times these statements come off as an "I'm not really sorry for what I said, but sorry for the repercussions" type sentiment.

That said, not every sound bite paints an accurate picture of a person. The golf announcer who made the lynching remark about Tiger Woods certainly made a racist statement, but that doesn't necessarily make her a racist in my mind.

Everyone changes their behavior slightly depending on circumstances. Many of the things I say at band practice I wouldn't say when I'm around my grandmother or in a job interview.

But I digress. She's an ESPN employee and they can suspend her if they want. My point is simply that if they were worried about reactions to things said at this event, they should have told Mike & Mike not to have this roast.

But to look at her statements at a roast after the fact and take her comments at face value as how she really feels is a bit much.

This whole thing reminds me of a drama teacher at the high school I used to work at. For character study, she would have the students observe a teacher and then write a script to perform as that faculty member. EVERY year there were a couple kids that would go over the top and get detention, suspensions and in one case expulsion. Yet whenever I'd mention to her that I thought the whole thing should be scrapped, she balked at the notion.

[Khronic]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

...Apparently, she was drinking and disparaged ND, Touchdown Jesus and according to some reports Original Jesus who I believe is more sacred but less athletic.

LMFAO! J.C. must have been an exceptional athlete. You've really got to be in the zone to walk on water.

[Bernie Connors]

I don't have a problem with what ESPN did. If she gets fired I wouldn't have a problem with it either.

Yes this was labeled a 'roast' but a roast for Mike and Mike and a roast for Pam Anderson are two different things. I don't believe that ESPN intended for someone to get up and be like that. I would think jokes making fun of Greeny's metrosexuality and Golic's waistline were more what they anticipated.

She was sloppy drunk and wouldn't stay away from the microphone even after she was escorted away. She needs to conduct herself in a professional manner and if she can't do that while drinking, she needs to leave the alcohol alone.

[burk48237]

Originally Posted by Bernie Connors

I don't have a problem with what ESPN did. If she gets fired I wouldn't have a problem with it either.

Yes this was labeled a 'roast' but a roast for Mike and Mike and a roast for Pam Anderson are two different things. I don't believe that ESPN intended for someone to get up and be like that. I would think jokes making fun of Greeny's metrosexuality and Golic's waistline were more what they anticipated.

She was sloppy drunk and wouldn't stay away from the microphone even after she was escorted away. She needs to conduct herself in a professional manner and if she can't do that while drinking, she needs to leave the alcohol alone.

Agreed, there are plenty of businesses that consider any public action by a member of management or a spokesperson to be subject to company scrutiny. If you get filthy, stupid drunk at a company picnic and your in management for a company or a public face of that company it is more then likely to effect your career.

[Jared Lash]

For what it's worth, she was a sports anchor here in Sacramento for a few years and there were a few rumors of her having an alcohol problem back then.

If the reason ESPN suspended her was because she was drunk during a company function I don't have a problem with that. If it was because people were offended at a roast, then I think it's dumb.

[Baryonyx]

Originally Posted by OctoberMooN

Of course they represent who you are. YOU said/did it.
Does anyone really buy this line of BS?

I doubt it, but they've got to try something!

[Jeremy Crockett]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Yes and no. I agree that often times these statements come off as an "I'm not really sorry for what I said, but sorry for the repercussions" type sentiment.

Quite agreed.

Originally Posted by TheBigO

That said, not every sound bite paints an accurate picture of a person. The golf announcer who made the lynching remark about Tiger Woods certainly made a racist statement, but that doesn't necessarily make her a racist in my mind.

Again, agreed to an extent. What I had in mind was Michael Richard's diatribe at that nightclub. Followed by the insane Talk Show Apology Circuit.

And yeah, ESPN has every right to fire/suspend/punish her for said douchebaggery (drunk and dumb, not necessarily the words she spoke).

[bradjonesbass]

Originally Posted by TheBigO

If the reason ESPN suspended her was because she was drunk during a company function I don't have a problem with that. If it was because people were offended at a roast, then I think it's dumb.

Yup...

[Diggler]

Alcohol + Company Function = BAD idea.

I usually just stay away from them altogether. I see these people every day for more than 8 hours a day.