Tuesday, July 12, 2011
ESPN, suspend Michael Smith
In his feed at http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith for which he has 95,225 followers, on July 11, 2011:
It started with this, concerning a crash in which a cyclist was hit by a speeding car and another thrown into a barbed wire fence:
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90532487813537792
"For real, am I wrong for laughing at that Tour de France crash? Can't get over the driver speeding off as if he didn't know he hit someone!"
and he followed up with discussions with several outraged people, and defended his statement with:
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90539435388715008
"I'm sorry that crash is hilarious. Every. Time."
then he dismissed numerous objections with a cavalier:
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90606872075321344
"It had far been too long since I'd angered an entire community. Today I've managed offend cyclists everywhere. Guess what? It's still funny."
Finally, he issued this pathetic faux apology:
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90613389457502209
"i'd like to apologize to cyclists, people who ride bikes, people who know people who ride bikes, and even paperboys. Happy? I miss anybody?"
Totally and completely unacceptable behavior by an ESPN employee and spokesperson.
Make your opinion known at
It started with this, concerning a crash in which a cyclist was hit by a speeding car and another thrown into a barbed wire fence:
"For real, am I wrong for laughing at that Tour de France crash? Can't get over the driver speeding off as if he didn't know he hit someone!"
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90539435388715008
"I'm sorry that crash is hilarious. Every. Time."
then he dismissed numerous objections with a cavalier:
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90606872075321344
"It had far been too long since I'd angered an entire community. Today I've managed offend cyclists everywhere. Guess what? It's still funny."
Finally, he issued this pathetic faux apology:
http://twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith/status/90613389457502209
"i'd like to apologize to cyclists, people who ride bikes, people who know people who ride bikes, and even paperboys. Happy? I miss anybody?"
Totally and completely unacceptable behavior by an ESPN employee and spokesperson.
-----------
Followup:
Excellent articles on this issue followed at:
A petition with over 1,500 signatures at my last check (7/27):
and a truly hilarious video take on it at:
Additionally, you can listen to the Around The Horn broadcast of July 11, 2011 in which all the commentators seemed to find great amusement at the car hitting cyclists in the Tour de France (at the beginning and about 13 minutes into the broadcast):
or a shorter clip is here:
Audioboo / ESPN - Around The Horn - TDF Crash: http://bit.ly/nSyXwk
You may wish to provide feedback to the sponsors of the Around The Horn show via feedback on their websites or at:
http://www.facebook.com/PizzaHut (sponsor)
http://www.facebook.com/hanes (sponsor)
A Facebook page entitled, "Fire Michael Smith of ESPN" (over 480 "likes" at last check on 7/27)
or directly to the individuals on the Around The Horn broadcast on their twitter feeds at:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 12, Michael Smith added on his Twitter feed a statement:
"I apologize for my insensitive remarks re: the TdF crash. I recognize my comments were inappropriate given the serious nature of the crash."
then shortly thereafter when someone who sent him a message saying "All of these people attempting to ruin ur life and ur the jerk? It was a joke. Just like these people attacking u. A joke" he responded:
"thanks man. believe me i'm good. not gonna succeed."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update July 13: @MrMichael_Smith has deleted the offensive statements from his timeline on Twitter, but not his numerous statements defending them to outraged respondents. Deleting them does not make them unsaid, nor does it change the hilarity in the Around The Horn broadcast.
HERE is a screenshot of the original unexpurgated set of Michael Smith's tweets.
Labels: journalists
Comments:
<< Home
Let's try this again...because my first comment was not mean or a personal attack. This is really being blown out of proportion. Why does he need to be suspended for making a comment on how he reacted to the video? We would be suspending people infinitely if we did this to everyone who offended someone personally.
# posted by 
: 8:49 AM
: 8:49 AM
For those who have lost friends and relatives in cycling road accidents, there is no humor whatever in this incident. I'm receiving comments in response to this blog like, "I want to run these #!@%*#s over everytime I see em on the road."
For those unfamiliar with the sport of cycling, the riders were on course to a potential victory that would have put them in the history books and probably been worth in excess of US$1M. Think of the parallel of an athlete being injured and robbed of victory in whatever sport interests you - this is the foremost international competition in cycling. Their injuries WERE serious, though fortunately not life-threatening.
For those unfamiliar with the sport of cycling, the riders were on course to a potential victory that would have put them in the history books and probably been worth in excess of US$1M. Think of the parallel of an athlete being injured and robbed of victory in whatever sport interests you - this is the foremost international competition in cycling. Their injuries WERE serious, though fortunately not life-threatening.
Again, I did NOT say (or wish) those things, and I don't want to be grouped with someone who did. My comment was about asking for a suspension. Polite commentary and debate must be subjective.
# posted by : 11:37 AM
: 11:37 AM
To clarify, I think there is a colossal difference between a personal and private reaction, however inappropriate and offensive, and a publicly announced and defended inappropriate statement by someone trading on their professional employment as an ESPN commentator and spokesperson, as Mr. Smith does on his Twitter page.
The real issue here is that he is playing to his base audience, which is composed of the kind of people that throw their half empty Budweiser cans out the window at you. He's not going to recant this, and ESPN will have no interest in him recanting this.
hanes brands and pizza hut are sponsors of the around the horn show. click over to their corporate websites and ask them if they think this is funny. you might get 'more bang for your buck' by contacting the companies that advertise on espn, as espn has a history of complacence in these regards.
nubianchanteuse, public commentary should have public consequences. I've been hit by a car myself while on a bike, and it isn't funny. Public figures encouraging this attitude need to be chastised, and if it takes one solipsistic man losing his job to save the lives of a few cyclists, it's a fair trade.
I really do think Mr. Smith was initially commenting on the driver of the car acting as though he didn't hit someone. Unfortunately Mr. Smith found himself in a hole and decided to get out of it by digging. Realistically now he's just stoking the controversy-page-view-machine.
As a dedicated cyclist I find myself overly sensitive to the attitudes people have towards cyclists, especially the ones that think dooring people or just nudging them with their car is "funny". Every time I have a near miss with a car it gets less and less funny.
Combine that with (as Nancy points out in her comments above) the fact that these were the race leaders for the day and the idea that anyone—especially a "sports reporter" like Mr. Smith—would find that hilarious is... sad.
Do I think Mr. Smith needs to be suspended? Probably not. I'd rather have ESPN make him do an interview with Johnny Hoogerland, asking him how incredibly hard it is to complete a stage in the TdF after a horrific accident like that. I'd like Mr. Smith to ask him what kind of inner strength it takes to climb back on the bike and continue on, knowing he still has weeks of racing left. Even better would be if Johnny's father (who road with him the next day) could be there in the interview as well.
Yeah, that's what I'd really like to see. I wonder if Mr. Smith would be laughing then?
As a dedicated cyclist I find myself overly sensitive to the attitudes people have towards cyclists, especially the ones that think dooring people or just nudging them with their car is "funny". Every time I have a near miss with a car it gets less and less funny.
Combine that with (as Nancy points out in her comments above) the fact that these were the race leaders for the day and the idea that anyone—especially a "sports reporter" like Mr. Smith—would find that hilarious is... sad.
Do I think Mr. Smith needs to be suspended? Probably not. I'd rather have ESPN make him do an interview with Johnny Hoogerland, asking him how incredibly hard it is to complete a stage in the TdF after a horrific accident like that. I'd like Mr. Smith to ask him what kind of inner strength it takes to climb back on the bike and continue on, knowing he still has weeks of racing left. Even better would be if Johnny's father (who road with him the next day) could be there in the interview as well.
Yeah, that's what I'd really like to see. I wonder if Mr. Smith would be laughing then?
SERIOUSLY????
Let me ask this.. if someone makes an "off-color" joke, which IS intended to be funny, gloves are off and potential lawsuits get written..but when someone makes an off-colored comment which affects equally a number of people, why is some consequence not to be expected?? really?
Did we think 9-1-1 was comical? It was an act of terror, why is an act of horror funny?
Let me ask this.. if someone makes an "off-color" joke, which IS intended to be funny, gloves are off and potential lawsuits get written..but when someone makes an off-colored comment which affects equally a number of people, why is some consequence not to be expected?? really?
Did we think 9-1-1 was comical? It was an act of terror, why is an act of horror funny?
When Smith became a public personality representing a global company, he should have understood that he is now under more and tougher scrutiny for his words and actions than he had been in the past.
Bad Form! You do NOT laugh at something like this in a public forum and remain on the A-list.
Bad Form! You do NOT laugh at something like this in a public forum and remain on the A-list.
Ok, I get the idea that comedy is "pie in your face" while tragedy is "pie in *my* face". I'm sure Michael Smith's egregious comments were made more out of ignorance (about how dangerous that crash really was) than anything else. I'd like to see a more sincere apology plus a filmed attempt of Mr. Smith riding and crashing his own bike (at a slower speed and without a speeding car even) so he can get a sense of how unfunny it is to get run over by a car.
here's the email I sent ESPN (feel free to copy and paste, it fits within their character count). :)
Hello. I'm guessing someone in Michael Smith's contract was an agreement that he conduct himself in a manner that it is in line with being an ESPN spokesperson, supportive of athletes and competitive games. His recent behavior on Twitter (twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith) has managed to enrage an entire community. Did you know that more than 57 mil people ride bicycles in America? And that NBC Sports owns the rights to Tour de France because it's such a lucrative market to put ads in front of? The average cyclist has a household income of $60k/year and the average racer - those who are most likely to watch the Tour de France and be enraged by Michael Smiths' demeaning commentary- earn an average of $75K a year?
Regardless of how many ad dollars you're losing by doing nothing about the issue, think of what kind of message this sends your broader audience - that ESPN encourages the unacceptable behavior of its commentators. Please make a statement and suspend Michael Smith.
Hello. I'm guessing someone in Michael Smith's contract was an agreement that he conduct himself in a manner that it is in line with being an ESPN spokesperson, supportive of athletes and competitive games. His recent behavior on Twitter (twitter.com/#!/MrMichael_Smith) has managed to enrage an entire community. Did you know that more than 57 mil people ride bicycles in America? And that NBC Sports owns the rights to Tour de France because it's such a lucrative market to put ads in front of? The average cyclist has a household income of $60k/year and the average racer - those who are most likely to watch the Tour de France and be enraged by Michael Smiths' demeaning commentary- earn an average of $75K a year?
Regardless of how many ad dollars you're losing by doing nothing about the issue, think of what kind of message this sends your broader audience - that ESPN encourages the unacceptable behavior of its commentators. Please make a statement and suspend Michael Smith.
It is very obvious that Michael Smith is an uninformed myopic sportscaster. As he sits there on TV pontificating the heroics and courage of the overpaid NFL players, the true courageous athletes are picking themselves up off the pavement after hitting the road at 25 to 35 miles per hour and finishing a 140 mile ride. Not for high paying endorsements or lucrative contracts, but a true love of a sport and the desire to be there for their team mates.
I am sure Michael is one of the first to speak up and show his “genuine” concern when he sees an NFL player down and possibly sustaining a career ending injury. Telling the viewing public how his thoughts and prayers go out to the family. But we know now in reality he is sitting at home replaying the event and having a great chuckle. As long as Michael Smith is a part of ESPN I will not support anything that they are involved in and I will make sure that I will be a continuous voice to my friends and family why they too should boycott anything ESPN.
To Michael Smith, look up the word ignorant in the dictionary and you will find your picture.
From someone that has sustained a serious head injury in one of your laugh riot accidents.
Jack McGinty
PS From the photos I have seen of you it looks like you could spend some time on a bike. Not the picture of health and fitness are you?
I am sure Michael is one of the first to speak up and show his “genuine” concern when he sees an NFL player down and possibly sustaining a career ending injury. Telling the viewing public how his thoughts and prayers go out to the family. But we know now in reality he is sitting at home replaying the event and having a great chuckle. As long as Michael Smith is a part of ESPN I will not support anything that they are involved in and I will make sure that I will be a continuous voice to my friends and family why they too should boycott anything ESPN.
To Michael Smith, look up the word ignorant in the dictionary and you will find your picture.
From someone that has sustained a serious head injury in one of your laugh riot accidents.
Jack McGinty
PS From the photos I have seen of you it looks like you could spend some time on a bike. Not the picture of health and fitness are you?
It is very obvious that Michael Smith is an uninformed myopic sportscaster. As he sits there on TV pontificating the heroics and courage of the overpaid NFL players, the true courageous athletes are picking themselves up off the pavement after hitting the road at 25 to 35 miles per hour and finishing a 140 mile ride. Not for high paying endorsements or lucrative contracts, but a true love of a sport and the desire to be there for their team mates.
I am sure Michael is one of the first to speak up and show his “genuine” concern when he sees an NFL player down and possibly sustaining a career ending injury. Telling the viewing public how his thoughts and prayers go out to the family. But we know now in reality he is sitting at home replaying the event and having a great chuckle. As long as Michael Smith is a part of ESPN I will not support anything that they are involved in and I will make sure that I will be a continuous voice to my friends and family why they too should boycott anything ESPN.
To Michael Smith, look up the word ignorant in the dictionary and you will find your picture.
From someone that has sustained a serious head injury in one of your laugh riot accidents.
Jack McGinty
PS From the photos I have seen of you it looks like you could spend some time on a bike. Not the picture of health and fitness are you?
I am sure Michael is one of the first to speak up and show his “genuine” concern when he sees an NFL player down and possibly sustaining a career ending injury. Telling the viewing public how his thoughts and prayers go out to the family. But we know now in reality he is sitting at home replaying the event and having a great chuckle. As long as Michael Smith is a part of ESPN I will not support anything that they are involved in and I will make sure that I will be a continuous voice to my friends and family why they too should boycott anything ESPN.
To Michael Smith, look up the word ignorant in the dictionary and you will find your picture.
From someone that has sustained a serious head injury in one of your laugh riot accidents.
Jack McGinty
PS From the photos I have seen of you it looks like you could spend some time on a bike. Not the picture of health and fitness are you?
ESPN doesnt give a "RATS" ass about what its employees do or say to the masses!!
Michael Smith commented how funny it was that a PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST was hit by a NEWS car during a stage at the 2011 TDF. ESPN's inability to cover a race that has been around for over 100 years and lets their employees make fun of a Pro Cyclist getting sent to the hospital. What if it was his child that got hit, would it still be funny to him? It was someones Son/Father/Brother/Husband that he was laughing at.
Michael Smith commented how funny it was that a PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST was hit by a NEWS car during a stage at the 2011 TDF. ESPN's inability to cover a race that has been around for over 100 years and lets their employees make fun of a Pro Cyclist getting sent to the hospital. What if it was his child that got hit, would it still be funny to him? It was someones Son/Father/Brother/Husband that he was laughing at.
ESPN doesnt give a "RATS" ass about what its employees do or say to the masses!!
Michael Smith commented how funny it was that a PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST was hit by a NEWS car during a stage at the 2011 TDF. ESPN's inability to cover a race that has been around for over 100 years and lets their employees make fun of a Pro Cyclist getting sent to the hospital. What if it was his child that got hit, would it still be funny to him? It was someones Son/Father/Brother/Husband that he was laughing at.
Michael Smith commented how funny it was that a PROFESSIONAL CYCLIST was hit by a NEWS car during a stage at the 2011 TDF. ESPN's inability to cover a race that has been around for over 100 years and lets their employees make fun of a Pro Cyclist getting sent to the hospital. What if it was his child that got hit, would it still be funny to him? It was someones Son/Father/Brother/Husband that he was laughing at.
since when a road accident is considered funny ? ESPN as one of the LARGEST SPORT Chanel, should be more sensitive when his Anchor laughed at this sort of accident no matter what the context is.
i wonder if ti would still be funny if MICHAEL SMITH was the cyclist who has been hit by the car and i wonder where did ESPN get this funny Anchor :D
i wonder if ti would still be funny if MICHAEL SMITH was the cyclist who has been hit by the car and i wonder where did ESPN get this funny Anchor :D
sponsors of "Around the Horn" are Pizza Hut & Haynes, owner of ESPN is Disney - yes folks, The Walt Disney Company http://corporate.disney.go.com/index.html
I have complained to all of these - ESPN doesn't care, they thrive on this kind of idiocy. We need to stop ranting. Make it clear to the sponsors and corporate big shots that this we will not buy their pizza, their T-shirts or go to their theme parks unless they publicly apologize and terminate Mr. Smith for his disregard for human life.
I have complained to all of these - ESPN doesn't care, they thrive on this kind of idiocy. We need to stop ranting. Make it clear to the sponsors and corporate big shots that this we will not buy their pizza, their T-shirts or go to their theme parks unless they publicly apologize and terminate Mr. Smith for his disregard for human life.
sponsors of "Around the Horn" are Pizza Hut & Haynes, owner of ESPN is Disney - yes folks, The Walt Disney Company http://corporate.disney.go.com/index.html
I have complained to all of these - ESPN doesn't care, they thrive on this kind of idiocy. We need to stop ranting. Make it clear to the sponsors and corporate big shots that this we will not buy their pizza, their T-shirts or go to their theme parks unless they publicly apologize and terminate Mr. Smith for his disregard for human life.
I have complained to all of these - ESPN doesn't care, they thrive on this kind of idiocy. We need to stop ranting. Make it clear to the sponsors and corporate big shots that this we will not buy their pizza, their T-shirts or go to their theme parks unless they publicly apologize and terminate Mr. Smith for his disregard for human life.
I wrote and mailed a letter to ESPN, and I'd welcome others to do the same. My doc is here if you'd like to use it to write your own: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OY06fKTk8j0Nd8LEuk0Ro0U8PPAEZJYO6QUYHcc78s4/edit?hl=en_US#
Michael Smith and ESPN and anyone else who laughed at the Hoogerland Flecha car TDF crash should be totally ashamed. This is absolute nonsense. Where is the coverage and outrage from the press? Imagine if Michael Smith and his ilk would comment on a football hit that paralyzed a player with the same kind of rancor that he treated this event? Death to his career, that's what! Disgusting! I will join the voice of outrage.
i think we have to take our won action mine for example is to block my staff from watching ESPN in the office and we stop showing ESPN channel anymore since the SPORTS Channel is looking the other way round on this issue.
Not participating in the ESPN Sponsorship / consuming their advertiser is also a very good idea to let the corporate advertiser to be more selective on their ad placement.
btw how can i link this to my local website and we so that all my customer will be aware of this issue.
Not participating in the ESPN Sponsorship / consuming their advertiser is also a very good idea to let the corporate advertiser to be more selective on their ad placement.
btw how can i link this to my local website and we so that all my customer will be aware of this issue.
we live in an elitist world where we fortunate few can use the rest of the world as our comedy station. Got no shoes,haha, living in a Maytag box, haha, just bought Citigroup at $40, haha it is now $2 and i am rich beyond belief. We are so bored with our lives all we do is laugh at the less fortunate, that is who Michael Smith is. Money position, and no class.
I personally thought Hoogland was going to die in that crash...nothing funny about that
I personally thought Hoogland was going to die in that crash...nothing funny about that
It is terrible that ESPN has let this go on and turned a blind eye. I am appalled that see that its okay to make light of something so serious.
Thanks for all you are doing to lead the charge!
femcycfan
Thanks for all you are doing to lead the charge!
femcycfan
go this link - http://tinyurl.com/Dicksandcunts
I bet you can follow this naming convention
firstname.lastname@espn.com
bigger contacts
I bet you can follow this naming convention
firstname.lastname@espn.com
bigger contacts
go to this wiki
http://tinyurl.com/Dicksandcunts
I think you can follow this naming convention
firstname.lastname@espn.com
big targets for better reaction
http://tinyurl.com/Dicksandcunts
I think you can follow this naming convention
firstname.lastname@espn.com
big targets for better reaction
This is the type of idiotic, irresponsable comments that some motor vehicle operators use to justify running down a cyclist and leaving them broken and bleeding on the side of the road.
http://bikezilla.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/martin-joel-erzinger-attempted-murderer/
Post a Comment
http://bikezilla.wordpress.com/2010/11/07/martin-joel-erzinger-attempted-murderer/
<< Home
