That Freud guy knew a thing or two

Wow. There are slurs and then there are slurs.

There’s absolutely no indication of intent there. I think I may reserve my anger for the elected officials trying to block an entire generation from learning any African-American history, not the marble mouthed broadcaster.

Agreed, by the way.

That's a tough one. On the one hand, people slip up when speaking. It happens. On the other, it's not like the two words in question are THAT similar. It's not like he meant to say "can't" and accidentally said THE C-word or something.

But it's obviously a slipup, and I don't think he should lose his job over this. As #3 said, there are far more intentionally damaging things happening at the hands of elected officials within this realm of discussion.

And there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos...

Who knew the A's season could get worse?

Scenarios I can imagine

1) intentional. Hard to imagine. Unless he’s like on heroin and trying to self destroy

2) a word he says a bunch in private and slips in public. Damning even if public was unintentional

3) conversely, he’s never said Negro in public and panics at that from sensitivity and says something far worse

4) pure word salad?

Between two and three it’s impossible to guess from outside

I'm not convinced that's what he actually said. It sounds like a very poor enunciation of "Negro" to me, a word that people seldom use. Dallas Braden didn't even flinch. If someone said that word in my presence, I'd have a visible reaction.

I'm not convinced that's what he actually said. It sounds like a very poor enunciation of "Negro" to me, a word that people seldom use. Dallas Braden didn't even flinch. If someone said that word in my presence, I'd have a visible reaction.

Perhaps I'm watching a doctored clip, because it sounded clear to me and I originally watched the clip without knowing what I was supposed to be listening for.

I'm going to suggest option 2 in GregD's post is the most likely explanation here.

That was last night; I assume he's been fired by now.

I'm not convinced that's what he actually said. It sounds like a very poor enunciation of "Negro" to me, a word that people seldom use.

Same. He DEFINITELY sounded like he said the word, but no human would use that word in the context of saying how great the Negro League Museum is. Live television, there's nothing like it. He apologized. Literally millions of people still use that word in malice, and will never apologize.

In a world where books about Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente have to be approved by partisan political operatives, a vocal flub is next to nothing.

Dallas Braden didn't even flinch.

Dallas Braden looks like Proud Boy.

FWIW, serious black folks on Twitter (my sample size)--folks with civil rights pedigrees, national profiles-- are 99% "dude says this ALL THE TIME off the mic"....

Dave Stewart basically said Kuiper is a good person. The NBLM president says that Kuiper was genuinely excited to be at the museum, and thinks he should be forgiven. Dallas Braden tweeted, before Kuiper's comment, that the NBLM was a wonderful place and the president of the museum was doing a great job. So it seems that Kuiper's comment isn't anything more than a slip of the tongue. And while Braden does look like a Proud Boy, I'm almost certain that he isn't one.

3) conversely, he’s never said Negro in public and panics at that from sensitivity and says something far worse

Don't think of an elephant, don't think of an elephant...

The name of the museum is a trap. Just use a graphic.

You could say " look at your TV screen right now. We went to this place today and it was great!"

What announcer will dare to try to say the name of the museum now?

Um. Any announcer that doesn't habitually use a horrible racial slur in everyday conversation when the mike's not on?

Um. Any announcer that doesn't habitually use a horrible racial slur in everyday conversation when the mike's not on?

That could be the case, but one would think such instances would have surfaced before now. Or that someone would come forward to report them now that the issue is out in public.

Lots of folks occasionally get tongue-tied or garble their speech, although I’ve never heard one quite like that, and from a professional broadcaster even, but I don’t see how anyone can be certain that Kuiper regularly used racial slurs based on what is now known.

The name of the museum is a trap.

Only for people who are used to saying the word that isn't "Negro." For everyone else, the Negro League Museum is no problem.

Um. Any announcer that doesn't habitually use a horrible racial slur in everyday conversation when the mike's not on?

It's sad and depressing that we've gotten to a point where assuming the worst about people with little to no supporting evidence is just par for the course.

It was a very, VERY unfortunate slip up. But unless some other incriminating info surfaces (and it will, if there is any), there's no reason to assume it was anything more than that. This isn't a Brennaman situation.

Suspended:

Oakland Athletics play-by-play announcer Glen Kuiper was suspended after using what sounded like a racial slur during a game broadcast Friday. “Glen Kuiper has been suspended and will be off air until a review of the incident is completed,” an NBC Sports California spokesperson told The Washington Post on Saturday night.
. . .
Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, issued a statement on the matter Saturday.
“I’m aware of the unfortunate slur made by Glen Kuiper,” he wrote. “I welcomed Glen to the NLBM yesterday and know he was genuinely excited to be here. The word is painful and has no place in our society. And while I don’t pretend to know Glen’s heart I do know that my heart is one of forgiveness. I hope all of you will find it in yourselves to do the same!”

Forget Kuiper, the other guy should be banned for that beard alone!

Not just the beard, but that hat too!

Russ Dorsey pointed out on Twitter that if this was the pregame opening, those things are usually taped, and he was surprised no one threw a hand up to say "uh, let's do that again?" If they weren't pre-taped before, they're gonna be now.

Eff it. We'll do it live!

But even without it being pretaped there's a delay and the broadcast team is supposed to be prepared to "push the button" and kill the feed if need be.

26. Maybe it's some vengeful crew guy giving him a comeuppance ? Isn't that how the reds guy was taken out ?

Don't know but I've got to imagine the producers are looking into how this went out on to the air as well.

Isn't that how the reds guy was taken out ?

No way to prove it, but that's the scuttlebut.

The Goplus Welder welding cart is a budget-friendly option that still offers plenty of features. It’s made of heavy-duty steel and has a powder-coated finish for added durability. https://weldingchamp.com/best-tig-welding-gloves/

26. Maybe it's some vengeful crew guy giving him a comeuppance ?

As seen in A Face in the Crowd...

FWIW, serious black folks on Twitter (my sample size)--folks with civil rights pedigrees, national profiles-- are 99% "dude says this ALL THE TIME off the mic"....

i mean, he was born in 1950s wisconsin, so it wouldn't surprise me if he grew up using the word. [ed: see post [34]]

i will point out that this is wholly different from the thom breneman situation, where he deep-throated a gay slur and then apologized by claiming to be a god-fearing christian, as if those aren't exactly the group of people who pose the biggest threat of danger and violence to the LGBT+ community in this country.


here's something i said a while back, and i think it's applicable here:

there is some aspect of "(pseudo-)scientific" classification to the way i think about this stuff. the factors that guide my thinking are something like this:

-- what is the target, and what is the cause, of the animus?
-- do the actions/words inflict/attempt to inflict acute harm?
-- is the subject unrepentant/unremorseful?

in this situation:

-- there is no target for the slur, and to the extent that there was a cause for it, it's that kuiper went to the negro leagues museum in his free time, and wanted to bring positive attention of it to a larger audience.

-- there was no attempt to inflict acute harm.

-- he showed immediate and obvious remorse.



i don't claim to speak for anyone else, but this seems to be as close to innocuous as these things get.

Glen Kuiper was born in 1963. So no he didn't grow up in 1950s Wisconsin. Having said that every single American kid has grown up with the N word being rather ubiquitous.

He's a witch. Burn him !

[34]
goddamnit.

He's a witch. Burn him !

It wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. Just to be safe. It would be a cautionary tale for people who think using racial slurs is no big deal.

It wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. Just to be safe. It would be a cautionary tale for people who think using racial slurs is no big deal.

when i'm in a charitable mood, i want to encourage people to be better people.

That could be the case, but one would think such instances would have surfaced before now. Or that someone would come forward to report them now that the issue is out in public.

Lots of folks occasionally get tongue-tied or garble their speech, although I’ve never heard one quite like that, and from a professional broadcaster even, but I don’t see how anyone can be certain that Kuiper regularly used racial slurs based on what is now known.

I allow the possibility. But I will say, as a person who has never used that word in conversation, and can't even quote lines from Pulp Fiction out loud without tripping over it... there is absolutely 0.000% chance I would, indeed could, make that particular verbal error, and I have a hard time imagining anyone who isn't more accustomed in day-to-day conversation to saying "######" than "Negro" could.

It's sad and depressing that we've gotten to a point where assuming the worst about people with little to no supporting evidence is just par for the course.

It was a very, VERY unfortunate slip up. But unless some other incriminating info surfaces (and it will, if there is any), there's no reason to assume it was anything more than that. This isn't a Brennaman situation.

I sympathize with this viewpoint, actually--I detest the assumption of guilt, and allow that I may be committing that which I despise in this case. My logic for that is above.

Anyway, the reality that everyone ought by now to understand is: it was and is inevitable from the moment he made that slip-up that he will be fired for it, and he will. For better or worse, for any kind of public spokesperson, saying that word in any context, accidentally or intentionally--you might as well strip naked on the air. It's an instant, guaranteed firing offense, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Worse than that, actually--it's career ending. Everyone who works in broadcasting has to understand that by now.

I detest the assumption of guilt, and allow that I may be committing that which I despise in this case.

Oh you are. That's undeniable.

I thought it was Duane Kuiper also; how could he have been been born in 1963 if he was in the majors in 1975 to have baseball card? Now the answer is revealed.

32 I do not remember in the original w/Andy Griffith; was it in the remake.

Supposedly did happen w/John Gilbert in the switch from silents to talkies.

Oh you are. That's undeniable.

Yes. Concession made.

It's an instant, guaranteed firing offense, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Worse than that, actually--it's career ending. Everyone who works in broadcasting has to understand that by now.

Is that something to be proud of though? That we've become so unforgiving as a society that an inadvertent slip of the tongue - no matter how cringeworthy - should be career ending? It doesn't need to be that way, and I'm not sure who it benefits to be that extreme when dealing with honest mistakes.

And for the "He probably says it regularly off the air" crowd, I have a hard time understanding why someone like that would bother going to visit the Negro League Museum in his spare time to begin with, let alone be so openly excited about it that he wanted to sing its praises on live TV.

I was asking my wife and our young adult-aged children recently about what words are "beyond the pale" to say publicly, or even privately - the true "bad words". I was surprised at how much disagreement there was about where "the line" was, and all three family members told me I was probably the most cautious member of the family. I had the most words that I believe are over the line.

But there was one word where everybody agreed you cannot say it, it's the worst word, there's no context outside of if you hear it while listening to certain music, and it is over the line: the n-word.

And that is at the core of my problem with Kuiper in this situation: There doesn't appear to be any kind of context or history that suggests negative intent. But I have a hard time imagining being in a situation where that would "slip out" - it is almost like if you were speaking English, and then mistakenly "slipped out" a word in Slovenian or something. If you don't know Slovenian, you can't suddenly pop in a word in Slovenian. If you literally never use the n-word, I'm not really sure how you would "slip out" the n-word...which is why a lot of people believe it reveals his (at least occasional) use of the word in other situations.

And how does his partner in the booth (that's Dallas Braden?) not even flinch about it? Even if you think Kuiper was mangling the word "Negro", I'd still be like, "Dude, what'd you just say?!"

The last point is that it may literally be the only word (I think there are a few others, but I may be in the minority?) that everybody is supposed to know that you can't, under any circumstances, say. As written above in #39, "Everyone who works in broadcasting has to understand that by now".

It sounded like poor enunciation to me, not a slip of the tongue. But I literally had never heard of this Kuiper before reading the article so I have no idea what he’s like.

I doubt he will be fired unless there are people who already don’t like him and want a reason to get rid of him. Another reason to not be an ####### at work is that you are more likely to get the benefit of the doubt.

I think if Glen is a person who says this a lot or has a problematic history with racial issues or even with his coworkers it would have come out by now.
There's millions and millions of hours of live media content out there. A flub somewhere along the line is bound to happen. Do an investigation and have a punishment that's in line with what the investigation finds.


I recall the brouhaha over Cosell's "little monkey" line.

And how does his partner in the booth (that's Dallas Braden?) not even flinch about it?

Well, that's just professionalism. You don't break character while the camera's running. For all we know he might have said "Dude, do you realize?" the instant the camera stopped.

There very likely was a producer moaning in agony in Kuiper's ear about 3 seconds (of stunned silence) after he said it though.

Is that something to be proud of though? That we've become so unforgiving as a society that an inadvertent slip of the tongue - no matter how cringeworthy - should be career ending? It doesn't need to be that way, and I'm not sure who it benefits to be that extreme when dealing with honest mistakes.

Well, my own opinion, since you were addressing me--no, I don't believe it is something to be proud of. I think it's more bug than feature. But there's no avoiding the fact--every person who ever has a microphone put in front of them has to be aware that that, above all other words, is a word that must not ever be said. If you're sick and distracted and woke up late and rush into an executive meeting with no pants on--it doesn't matter if it was an honest mistake you've never committed in your 30 year career. You're still fired.

I sympathize with this viewpoint, actually--I detest the assumption of guilt, and allow that I may be committing that which I despise in this case. My logic for that is above.

Anyway, the reality that everyone ought by now to understand is: it was and is inevitable from the moment he made that slip-up that he will be fired for it, and he will. For better or worse, for any kind of public spokesperson, saying that word in any context, accidentally or intentionally--you might as well strip naked on the air. It's an instant, guaranteed firing offense, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Worse than that, actually--it's career ending. Everyone who works in broadcasting has to understand that by now.

if doug glanville says the same thing, is it career ending for him?

#47 my wife was just telling me about a Zoom call with one of their (female) executives who was getting up early on the West Coast for the call, was still in her underwear, and couldn’t immediately figure out how to turn her video off (she eventually did).

About 15 years ago, my boss and I were on a big conference call with clients, lawyers, other bankers, etc. He thought he was on mute and got into a huge screaming match with his wife that everyone could hear.

They both kept their jobs.

That being said, there’s not many MLB announcing gigs out there and I’m not going to shed any tears for a guy whose job it is to speak on air when he makes a mistake like this. Nobody is entitled to these jobs. I’m not going to call for his firing but I’ll understand whatever decision the A’s feel appropriate to make.

If you're sick and distracted and woke up late and rush into an executive meeting with no pants on--it doesn't matter if it was an honest mistake you've never committed in your 30 year career. You're still fired.

But that's not a split second slip up. You'd have to not notice you weren't wearing pants the entire time you were hastily getting ready at home, the entire time you're driving to work, the entire time you're entering your office, etc. The HR dept would probably (reasonably) assume you made the conscious choice to prioritize showing up to the meeting on time rather than getting ready and showing up a few minutes late.

Whether it was a slip of the tongue or just bad enunciation, what happened with Kuiper took just a fraction of a second. If you intentionally unzip your pants in front of a co-worker you'll rightfully get fired for sexual harassment, but I doubt you would if you just accidentally walked out of the bathroom for a split second with your fly down.

I assume there aren;t many condemning Kuiper who spend their days speaking for long periods ex tempore?

But I have a hard time imagining being in a situation where that would "slip out" - it is almost like if you were speaking English, and then mistakenly "slipped out" a word in Slovenian or something. If you don't know Slovenian, you can't suddenly pop in a word in Slovenian. If you literally never use the n-word, I'm not really sure how you would "slip out" the n-word...which is why a lot of people believe it reveals his (at least occasional) use of the word in other situations.

I’m not sure about the “he must use the word a lot in order for it to ‘slip’ out then” theory. Kuiper would have likely heard the word from other controversies, from other people’s usage, including its now common usage among African-Americans, or even from reading Huckleberry Finn back when it was a standard part of most American Literature courses, without necessarily using it himself.

Just about everyone knows the word, even those who never used it as a racial slur. If Kuiper really used such that language “in everyday conversation when the mike's not on”, I think someone on the broadcast crew or otherwise within earshot would have reported it, or that would be coming out now that it’s an issue, and it almost certainly will be uncovered in any investigation.

I’m no expert, but I think people can occasionally mangle their speech without saying something they intended, used commonly, or even ever used. So, I’d see what the investigation turns up before deciding Kuiper’s future. If there’s nothing more than a one-time unfortunate but unintended slip of the tongue, I wouldn’t make it a firing offense, but I have some doubt the A’s would be willing to take the likely flak for that decision. If the investigation turns up more, then it’s an easy firing.

I think people can occasionally mangle their speech

Of course they do, and as different as the second syllables of negro and the other word are, the stress pattern of "Negro Leagues" reduces that difference

Maybe he listens to a lot of hip-hop and sings along.

But there was one word where everybody agreed you cannot say it, it's the worst word,

Society doesn't remotely act like it's the "worst word." It's said and heard tens of thousands of times per day, probably more. If it was truly the worst word, we wouldn't permit people to hear it, much less hear it that much.

And in fact, that understates it. It's not just that the word is heard so much, but it's also the case that people hear Black people derogatorily or aggressively called it tens of thousands of times per day (albeit primarily in art). White people actually hear Black people called that word by orders of magnitude more than they did during the depths of Jim Crow.

It didn't even make Carlins seven worst words although c...sucker did which is liberally used in baseball even today. If Carlin updated his list there would be hundreds of words and phrases now that would make the list

Just to see if anyone on the site is still maintaining the BBTF Nanny, Carlin’s naughty seven were: \"####\", "piss", \"####\", \"####\", \"##########\", \"############\", and "tits". Some of those would probably still get you fired if uttered on TV.

EDIT: Looks like the Nanny may now give the mildest expletives a pass.

56, kind of difficult for George Carlin to update his 7 words, on account of him being dead.

57 And in his routine, Carlin states t-word should not even be on the list.

46. Can't find it on the internet, but during the year Mike Norris was having his sensational year for the A's (1980, looked up). he and another A appear in what must have been the MNF booth (can't imagine it was Monday Night baseball). Cosell kept hugging, chucking Norris on the chin, praising him and also calling him a little monkey. I don't remember any adverse publicity about it.

I dug Cosell as a boxing announcer, also on MNF.

It didn't surprise me that he had the Alvin Garrett incident.

Ascribe it to whatever you want, I am not inside Cosell's head (I'm barely in my own). Please, please keep in mind Cosell's relationship with Ali. He stood up for Ali at a time it was not a popular position. The 1969 Esquire cover; some of the people are still alive. James Earl Jones, Richard Benjamin. Does it make up for Schulberg being a friendly witness? I'll let others judge.

By the way, to preserve for posterity if anyone cares, Chick Hearn was a fantastic play by play announcer for the LA Lakers; Chickisms may still be used; bunny hop in the pea patch; mustard's off the hot dog; the game's in the refrigerator, jello's jiggling; Hairston blows the layup (as a kid I thought that was part of his name). Once when LA played Phoenix, the star guard, Paul Westphal (Aviation HS, USC) was out w/a stress fracture. Chick interviewed Westphal and asked is there something about that injury, I've only seen a white man get that? Westphal did not have much of a response, just said he didn't know. There was publicity about it, different time I suppose. I had never heard criticism of Hearn's racial beliefs.

The story of Bobby Bragan is rather inspirational in that regard.

Humans are complex.

But you’re almost never supposed to say “negro” either. I get some anxiety before saying “Negro Leagues,” let alone in front of a black person. Point being, I can see some old white dude in a heightened state of momentary stress screwing up without being a private racist. Maybe just the opposite — nervous about saying a different word you’re not supposed to say.

There's a great scene in "The Mule" with Clint Eastwood which goes to the point in 60.

Not sure of the exact scene but Clint has basically been playing the kind hearted racist for 20 years now.

Not one of Carlin’s 7 words, but an underwear ad on the NBA playoffs (ESPN radio) definitely used the word “balls”, it kind of shocked me.

when i'm in a charitable mood, i want to encourage people to be better people.

when I'm in a charitable mood, i lie down in a dark room until it passes.

Speaking as someone who has recorded hours and hours of myself reading scripts, slip ups don't have to be connected to any words or sounds you normally make in day-to-day life. I'd say the majority of the mistakes I make come from thinking about an upcoming word, or a preceding word I almost stumbled over, and then mashing it together with the word I'm currently trying to say, forming a totally new alien word.

Now Kuiper's a professional public speaker, so I'm sure he's error rate is far lower. But I think for anyone, it can often be a challenge to keep your mouth and your brain on the same page. As McCoy says, give anyone enough air time and they're going to make a mistake. You just hope it's not a disastrous one.

32 I do not remember in the original w/Andy Griffith; was it in the remake.

In the original voice in the crowd, somebody (the Patricia Neal love interest character) puts him on the air while he is rhapsodizing about the gullibility of his audience and how he can make them believe anything -- which spells the end for his career.

Always loved that movie for the way Griffith played against the type he played every other time.

It feels kind of quaint these days....the idea that a demagogue would be discredited if his audience found out that he actually had contempt for them.

I used to live with a guy who loved the show Little People Big World. He met the dad from the show at a wedding etc. Anyways one of his high school buddies was engaged to an actress from the show Boston Legal who happened to be a little person.

Long story short he was super excited to meet her and when he got to their house two little dogs ran out of the front door when his friend answered and my roommate says "Hey little midgets!" His buddy just said "we don't use that word around here".

As he was embarrassedly telling me the story I just said congratulations at least you know you will never say anything dumber than that.

I think it's fair to assume this probably wasn't an innocent slip of the tongue. I have never accidentally said it. I can see suspending him & doing a little digging to figure out if it seems probable it was an honest mistake, or a sign of something deeper/worse. If he indeed uses the word regularly, I doubt it would be *that* hard to ascertain.

However, I can understand this as well: "But you’re almost never supposed to say “negro” either. I get some anxiety before saying “Negro Leagues,” let alone in front of a black person. Point being, I can see some old white dude in a heightened state of momentary stress screwing up without being a private racist. Maybe just the opposite — nervous about saying a different word you’re not supposed to say."

Yes. The brain works very fast, particulary under stress "I'm going to say negro in 0.5 seconds wait can I use that word anymore? Oh wait this other word is worse def don't say" and BOOM brain spits out the other word that was floating around in there.

If I made that slip up, it'd be easy for people to talk to friends/acquaintances/co-workers + check my socials and realize it was a bizarre mistake. For which I would apologize.

Last point: I was married for 20 years. Got divorced, eventually remarried. I've called my new wife by my ex-wife's name a few times (although never in "tender moments" - just habit after so long. She couldn't care less.

But I've *never* accidentally called her by anybody else's name.

Now Kuiper's a professional public speaker, so I'm sure he's error rate is far lower. But I think for anyone, it can often be a challenge to keep your mouth and your brain on the same page. As McCoy says, give anyone enough air time and they're going to make a mistake. You just hope it's not a disastrous one.

For those that honestly want to evaluate how it could have happened, you have to start at the very beginning and consider the fact that he began the discussion already in that sort of forced jocularity mode that pregame dude shows get themselves into, wherein he was trying to communicate some sort of supranormal thrill over his day, the day he shared with his fellow pregame bro -- even though in reality, it was just a nice set of weekend activities. I mean, I've done literally the same Saturday in KC -- only swapping in Gates BBQ and swapping out whatever inferior place he attended. It's ... not that big a deal.

So, he's already trying to get his audience in a "mood" and not really an organically-arrived-upon mood, but one you have to strain to get yourself into yourself and thereby have to strain the audience even more to "feel you." So he's already kind of play-acting in a middle-age bro sort of way.

Then you have to turn to the almost-certain fact that, as a middle-aged bro-y kind of dude, he wanted to make sure his audience knew that part of his "fantastic" day included doing something he almost certainly internally framed as "black," or at the very least "open-minded for a white guy like the open-minded white guy I know myself to be." If he'd just gone to the KC Art Museum and gotten BBQ, he'd have had a different mindset and not tried to communicate that he was "with it" or "down with it" or the other sort of things middle-aged white dudes think when they do something "open-minded." He'd have used entirely different adjectives and been in an entirely different communicative mood. But, no -- here he wanted to make sure he got "credit" and absolutely wanted to know a "fantastic" day could include doing something "black/open minded." Or, indeed, that the fact he did something "black/open minded" was an affirmatively positively "fantastic" thing.

Given all this, he's already a bit behind the proverbial performative 8-ball and then gets to ... the word ... at which point there was probably a bit of panic and second thought that were harder to deal with since he wasn't in a normal frame of mind to begin with and since he wasn't in a normal frame to begin with, he probably thought something like "can I say this, oh no, I'm already feeling a bit weird am I acting weird does the audience think I'm acting weird and now I'm panicking a little and not even remembering what we did does that look weird???" and as a result of the overload and the forced mood, he bumbled and stumbled and whiffed.

We should also add in the possibility of an adult beverage too many at the BBQ place .... Always a possible factor, particularly here in the kind of strangely ecstatic mood he was trying to portray.

Just heard this recently. At the 17-minute mark in this clip, Joe Garagiola interviews Buzzie Bavasi about the joint holdout of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale during 1966 spring training. Bavasi speaks from the point of view of a baseball man who's secure that the reserve clause is good and should go on forever.

"I offered the boys a large amount of money... am I going to tear up the contracts of the other 23 because these boys are so out of line? No." "I will be talking to the boys next week, and I'm sure by that time we will know... whether Donald and Sandy will be playing baseball."

Alison Morris was reporting on Kobe's death and it appears she did a word salad of Knicks and Lakers so it sounded like she said the N word. Now it was entirely obvious that she didn't really say the N word and had screwed up the Lakers name. It still caused quite a bit of controversy at the time.

2) a word he says a bunch in private and slips in public. Damning even if public was unintentional

This one.

Speaking as someone who has recorded hours and hours of myself reading scripts, slip ups don't have to be connected to any words or sounds you normally make in day-to-day life. I'd say the majority of the mistakes I make come from thinking about an upcoming word, or a preceding word I almost stumbled over, and then mashing it together with the word I'm currently trying to say, forming a totally new alien word.

Hey Greg!

Stuart England has been absolutely critical to getting me through all the dog walks during our long, dark winter. I'm up to the Instrument of Government now, and looking forward to closing things out this summer. But will also be sad that it's over.

Hey Greg!

Stuart England has been absolutely critical to getting me through all the dog walks during our long, dark winter. I'm up to the Instrument of Government now, and looking forward to closing things out this summer. But will also be sad that it's over.

So that's whose been downloading those old episodes....

Luckily for you there's a whole other podcast going now (140 episodes and counting!)

140 episodes and counting

I doubt that I’m the only one deterred by the sheer volume of material offered. Maybe you could match your scholarly interest and the BBTF audience’s attention span with something like Top Ten Bawdiest Moments in English History?

Quantity has a quality all its own.

I'm just hunting for the same target audience as that never ending AI Seinfeld loop. Perpetual content is the future of culture!

Dallas Braden sounds as annoying as he looks. His signature home run calls are cringeworthy. I will not repeat them here.

Bob Huggins enters the chat
(different offended group, but is this a career-ender?)

"West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins appeared on 700 WLW’s Bill Cunningham Show [in Cincinnati, where he used to coach] on Monday morning and directed a homophobic slur toward Xavier University fans [another Cincinnati school].

At around the 1:15 mark of this clip, Huggins mentions “all those f*gs, those Catholic f*gs,” referring to Xavier University fans who would “throw rubber penises on the floor, and then say they didn’t do it.”

"Huggins: “Any school that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn’t do it, by god they can get away with anything.”

Cunningham: “I think it was transgender night wasn’t it?”

Huggins: “It was a Crosstown Shootout, yea, no, what it was, was all those f–gs, those Catholic f–gs I think.”

Cunningham: “All right.”

Huggins: “They were envious they didn’t have one.”"

However, I can understand this as well: "But you’re almost never supposed to say “negro” either. I get some anxiety before saying “Negro Leagues,” let alone in front of a black person. Point being, I can see some old white dude in a heightened state of momentary stress screwing up without being a private racist. Maybe just the opposite — nervous about saying a different word you’re not supposed to say."

You're not the only old white guy to think this. My WAG is that this: White America has never been honest with itself about true extent of the evil of slavery and the pain involved in the Black experience in America, and panics at having to do so. White people talk around it, or whitewash the history of it, or mostly just avoid mentioning or even thinking about it.

I don't think Glen Kuiper is a racist. I think Glen Kuiper is an old white guy who had spent the day in a museum where the Hard R was unavoidable and it messed with his head a bit, because that's what happens when you're not able to dodge a thing that you're able to dodge all the other moments of your life.

hard to believe the question in 80 is genuine but gone in 6 seconds, forget the other 54.

At this point when someone does something like in post 80, I assume they’re having a drug abuse or mental health issue. How can you not know that will get you in serious trouble in 2023?

I particularly enjoyed that the Higgins comments were brought to everyone's attention by a meteorologist.

After reviewing the Zapruder film, 70 actually understates the forced mood Kuiper was trying to foster and was afflicted by. It wasn't that the day was "fantastic," it was that it was "phe-NOM-inal." That's obviously massive rhetorical overkill and I remain convinced that the only reason he dubbed it that was because it involved him engaging with Black people and wanting white bro "credit" for it. (*)

So if you're of a mind that (2) is the explanation -- "Hang 'em High" Lassus's entry duly noted -- I think it's pretty clear that you'd have support in the idea that when he started talking he unquestionably "had Black people on his mind."(**) With that said, it would still be strange and incongruent to use a slur when speaking about a "phenomenal" experience.

(*) It's not really even customary to report on your day's activities when you call a baseball game, or anything close to customary.

(**) Point being, I don't think it's an accurate timeline to conclude that he arrived upon the word "Negro" and for the first time happened upon the thought -- "uh oh, something Black, danger." Whatever word association exercise that led to the final result, if any, had its origin far before coming upon the need to say "Negro."

At this point when someone does something like in post 80, I assume they’re having a drug abuse or mental health issue.

Or wants to get fired and doesn't mind litigating for the money still left on the contract, or settling for part of it and going home.

It's not really even customary to report on your day's activities when you call a baseball game, or anything close to customary.

What I did over my road-trip vacation is not uncommon for road games.

hard to believe the question in 80 is genuine but gone in 6 seconds, forget the other 54.

Huggins coaches West Virginia - so I put up on a tee the chance for numerous hillbilly insults here.

hey, I did my job. somebody else can take it home !

I was married for 20 years. Got divorced, eventually remarried. I've called my new wife by my ex-wife's name a few times (although never in "tender moments")

was guilty of this re the latter. once.
both were blondes, sure, but not lookalikes by any means (even though one looked like she must be Shelley Long's daughter and the other more like a Julie Bowen who - wait, wait, played Shelley Long's daughter on "Modern Family" - whoa, it's not my fault after all !).

if it ever happens, my advice, from my experience:
Deny. Deny. Deny. Eventually, she'll doubt herself - I mean, unless you're a screamer, or your deed is on videotape.

especially assuming this is in, er, the first inning of the new relationship and clearly a rally already is underway, she'll very much want to assume she heard wrong. so she will believe that (at least in this case).

possibly easier to just date consecutive women with the same name. can never be too safe in these matters.

There's an interesting moment in that audio clip, in which Cunningham transitions directly from chuckling comfortably at his own awful transphobic joke to being gripped by silent panic as soon as Huggins says the slur. That silence was Cunningham realizing that his own bigotry had lost the protection of local sports radio's obscurity, and that a national spotlight, along with all the consequences that follow, was swinging towards him.

WVU has since used ChatGPT to write an apology on behalf of Huggins.

(different offended group, but is this a career-ender?)

WVU has since used ChatGPT to write an apology on behalf of Huggins.

again, i'm in a charitable mood, so i'm fine with that apology. i mean, i'd prefer if he put his face and voice to it, rather than using some random pintrest #######, but as apologies go, this one mollifies me.

do your time, huggins, and maybe grow the #### up a little bit.

60--You remind me that there's a rapidly solidifying norm amongst the Youth that the word "Negro" must not be spoken in the classroom--not even read from a text by a Black / black / Negro / African American author..

This will quickly take hold, I think (in the same way as, 15 yrs ago, one could read "n*****" out loud in the classroom and now one absolutely does not do so.

91 - Agree with Stiggles; it it's ChatGPT more people should use it. Dropped the lame-ass "anyone I may have offended," and went with "the individuals I have offended." Did not attempt to extenuate in any way. Agrees in advance with the consequences. Good for him.

But is there any such thing as a career-ender in sports (not sports journalism) short of physical violence if one is good enough?

if it ever happens, my advice, from my experience:
Deny. Deny. Deny. Eventually, she'll doubt herself - I mean, unless you're a screamer, or your deed is on videotape.

So you're dishonest, proud of it, and you think others should do the same. Reliable signs there of a PoS.

89/95 Or you remember the Joey Bishop scene in "A Guide for the Married Man"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN2gU0XU5FU

A Face in the Crowd is a better movie, but I sure remember that scene.

So you're dishonest, proud of it, and you think others should do the same. Reliable signs there of a PoS.

I have to admit, this is the most - well, I'll go with 'eccentric' - group of folks I have ever come across.

I wasn't "honestly" thinking of anyone else. I had been in a longterm relationship, out of it for a while, but then yes, a tender moment came along and there was a whispered slip of the tongue.

who benefits from your form of honesty? not me, ok that's fine. and not her, either. maybe the relationship ends almost before it started.

fyi, it's not always the high ground to deliberately harm someone else emotionally. or is that completely beyond your grasp? maybe you can describe some preening moments where you told someone something hurtful because - well, God forbid anyone fail to bow on your beloved altar of honesty.

And I apologize for being, well, honest here. I should have known some sniper would appear - lots of them on BBTF in 2023.

I get the mistake (yours or Kuiper's, which I assume his was). After that? I'm a believer in

If you mess up, fess up.

That silence was Cunningham realizing that his own bigotry had lost the protection of local sports radio's obscurity, and that a national spotlight, along with all the consequences that follow, was swinging towards him.

Such reticence would be out of character for Cunningham, who has been a long-time hate airwaves hatemonger.

who benefits from your form of honesty? not me, ok that's fine. and not her, either. maybe the relationship ends almost before it started.

you benefit by not gaslighting an intimate partner.
she benefits by not being gaslighted into a long term relationship with someone who doesn't respect her.

and if the relationship would end over this kind of a mistake? you both probably dodged a bullet. it's better to learn that now, than 6 months from now.

it's not always the high ground to deliberately harm someone else emotionally

saying someone else's name in the heat of the rut isn't deliberate harm; it's very clearly accidental.

lying about it, however, is deliberate. and emotionally manipulative. and creepy. and disrespectful. and completely unnecessary.

And I apologize for being, well, honest here. I should have known some sniper would appear - lots of them on BBTF in 2023.

so, you're an honest liar?


-- lying requires effort that compounds continuously over time (case in point: this ####### conversation)
-- being honest takes no effort and requires no further thought