[Mulderator]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,220877,00.html

FOX Fires Baseball Broadcaster Steve Lyons for Racially Insensitive Comment
Saturday, October 14, 2006

DETROIT — FOX baseball broadcaster Steve Lyons has been fired for making a racially insensitive comment directed at colleague Lou Piniella's Hispanic heritage on the air during Game 3 of the American League championship series.

The network confirmed Saturday that Lyons was dismissed after Friday's comments. He has been replaced for the remainder of the series by Los Angeles Angels announcer Jose Mota.

"Steve Lyons has been relieved of his FOX Sports duties for making comments on air that the company found inappropriate," network spokesman Dan Bell said.

Lyons had been working in the booth for the ALCS alongside Thom Brennaman and Piniella.

A call to Lyons' cell phone was not immediately returned Saturday.

In the second inning of Friday's game between Detroit and Oakland, Piniella talked about the success light-hitting A's infielder Marco Scutaro had in the first round of the playoffs. Piniella said that slugger Frank Thomas and Eric Chavez needed to contribute, comparing Scutaro's production to finding a "wallet on Friday" and hoping it happened again the next week.

Later, Piniella said the A's needed Thomas to get "en fuego" — hot in Spanish — because he was currently "frio" — or cold. After Brennaman praised Piniella for being bilingual, Lyons spoke up.

Lyons said that Piniella was "hablaing Espanol" — butchering the conjugation for the word "to speak" — and added, "I still can't find my wallet."

"I don't understand him, and I don't want to sit too close to him now," Lyons continued.

FOX executives told Lyons after the game he had been fired.

Piniella, approached before Saturday's Game 4, declined to comment on the situation except to say: "No, he's not here today."

This was not a first-time offense for Lyons, nicknamed "Psycho" during his nine-year big league career as a utilityman that ended in 1993 with the Boston Red Sox.

Hired when FOX began broadcasting baseball in 1996, Lyons was suspended without pay in late September 2004 after his remarks about Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Green is Jewish and elected not to play one of the two games at San Francisco that took place during the Yom Kippur holiday.

The network apologized for Lyons' remarks at the time.

Lyons, 46, was a career .252 hitter with 19 home runs and 196 RBIs for Boston, the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta and Montreal. He was a first-round draft pick by the Red Sox, 19th overall, in 1981.

I don't get it? Maybe some of our hispanic members (Fidelista?) can clue me in on this but I don't get how Lyon's remarks disparage Hispanics? Maybe I'm just missing it.

Or maybe they wanted to fire Lyons anyway and used this as an excuse.

[Fidelista]

Its pure BS. I can't understand what is happening .
The fact that this guy was fired for this ---is stupid --IMO.
It is always funny watching white boys beat themselves up over nothing however! .
Silly , the only word I can think of . Speech, humour , and expression are at risk >f

[trekguy]

Lyons said he didn't want to sit too close to Piniella (Hispanic) ... out of concern for his wallet(stolen)... or something to that effect.

Typical "stereotype" humor that gets sportscasters fired.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by trekguy

Lyons said he didn't want to sit too close to Piniella (Hispanic) ... out of concern for his wallet(stolen)... or something to that effect.

Typical "stereotype" humor that gets sportscasters fired.

What stereotype? I wasn't aware that Hispanics were known for stealing wallets? These guys have been in the game for 20 years (Lyons was a player) and I am sure it was banter back and forth between the two of them and Lyons wasn't even thinking about Piniela being Hispanic. In fact, I never knew he was of Hispanice heritage until today.

[Fidelista]

Since this is show business--I suppose they can fire for whatever reason they want.
I read , and didn't see anything that would be seen as offensive.
"racially insensitive" can lose a job now , hope it doesnt wind up a criminal offense in future. >f

[Littlefield]

I am sure Keith Olberman who was fired by Fox and hates them almost more then Bush will tell you Monday .Stay tuned .
Sounds like they just wanted an excuse to fire him.

[poochee]

According to this article this was not his first offensive comment.

On Fox, Sour Notes From a Pair of Veteran Voices

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/10/sp...ts&oref=slogin

[trekguy]

Originally Posted by Mulder

What stereotype? I wasn't aware that Hispanics were known for stealing wallets? These guys have been in the game for 20 years (Lyons was a player) and I am sure it was banter back and forth between the two of them and Lyons wasn't even thinking about Piniela being Hispanic. In fact, I never knew he was of Hispanice heritage until today.

What stereotype?? You're kidding, right?

I don't even know if he is Hispanic or not... he was just speaking some Spanish during the broadcast.... hence the reference by Lyons. I'm sure it was just an attempt to say something humorous by Lyons... maybe he's an OK guy, maybe not, but the networks nowadays do not tolerate much as far as on-air racial no-no's.

BTW, Lou's been in baseball for more than 40 years... about a 20 year career...he was quite a good player for the Royals and the Yankees.

Anyway, I don't think Lyons should have been fired for that, but I'm not surprised by it, either. Seems anytime someone makes a comment like that... they're gone.

[ekim68]

Actually I'm surprised at this. I've watched these guys for a while and they go back and
forth...In a way I think the news is in 'the news'...I've watched these guys for a while and
there seems to be a give and take...Leave it to the pc news...Oh no, I think I agree with
Mulder..

[poochee]

According to the article I posted, he made fun of a fan wearing special glasses because of his poor eyesight for 53 seconds and according to the other article posted here he had previously made remarks about a Jewish player not playing on Yom Kipper and was suspended. I guess enough is enough, so they fired him. I'm not debating the issue just mentioning incidents.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by trekguy

What stereotype?? You're kidding, right?

No--I'm not--I know he said "hablaing Espanol" but I don't see a "stereotype", like making a joke about running across the border or working on a farm, etc. Again, are Hispanics known for stealing wallets? (other than Fidelista? ) His comments were in direct response to Piniella saying its like finding a wallet on Friday and hoping to do it again the next Friday. I just don't see the sterotype.

[Littlefield]

Like I said they wanted an excuse watch Keith O .Monday nite he is very knowledgable about baseball and FoX Sports because they fired him too ! I am positive he will not side with Fox that I do know about him.

[Mulderator]

Originally Posted by poochee

According to this article this was not his first offensive comment.

On Fox, Sour Notes From a Pair of Veteran Voices

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/10/sp...ts&oref=slogin

Your not going to get a fair assessment from the NY Times on a Fox sportscaster. The alleged "offensive" conduct was his questioning why Shawn Green, a jewish player, did not play on a Jewish religious holiday. And he was absolutely right--pro athletes are required to play on Christmas--if you sign a contract worth millions, you ought not to skip playing for religious holidays. Now--one can disagree with on that and debate it, but it certainly is not "offensive" to bring it up, unless you happen to so PC that you are irrational.

Are we to the point that we can't question whether a player should or should not play on a religious holiday?

[poochee]

I would have to hear what he said. There will probably be a rerun on the whole thing. The thing about the glasses was out of line.

[iltos]

i too think it's absurd...fox has got it's stereotypes mixed up, and seems to be walking on eggshells

how's this for a stretch
a/ its close to election time
b/ fox is widely considered to be a "reliable" network among the conservative vote
c/ the hispanic vote is increasingly important
d/ it's best to err on the side of safety in this unpredictable pc environment, and the guy had already been warned once for his mouth

it makes as much sense as anything