"Dude... dude."

[Guest OlerudOwned]

[A Boy Named Seo]

What the fuck?

[Guest Edgy DC]

There actually used to be an unwritten rule about this in broadcasting, that you'd never describe two black players as looking alike, lest it --- like in this case --- betray the reality that your world is so white that you really you have little means of distinguishing among any black men. The exception was in place that you could make such a comment if two men looked so much alike that you'd lose credibility by not pointing it out.

The "Dude, dude" and the "We're live, you know" were clearly reminders to stay within the rule.

OE: Also reminders to not act the jackass during a sober moment. But I don't think sports journalists care about that any more.

[A Boy Named Seo]

You've got problems when Mitch Williams is the voice of reason.

[bmfc1]

Hysterical. Nice work by Billy Ripken to try and focus Matt Vasgersian (maybe Vasgersian thought he was doing an XFL game again).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I don't even get it.

Mitch Williams is actually one of the better jocks they got over there.

[Guest Swan Swan H]

You think so? Williams strikes me as a slightly less jocko version of Rob Dibble, all boys-will-be-boys and back when I played. The only ex-players who have showed me anything are Reynolds and Plesac.

[bmfc1]

From the Business of Baseball, an apology:

http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3204:mlb-networks-matt-vasgersian-needs-to-work-on-being-professional&catid=48:ei-mlb-network&Itemid=82

[Vic Sage]

="Edgy DC"]There actually used to be an unwritten rule about this in broadcasting, that you'd never describe two black players as looking alike, lest it --- like in this case --- betray the reality that your world is so white that you really you have little means of distinguishing among any black men. The exception was in place that you could make such a comment if two men looked so much alike that you'd lose credibility by not pointing it out. The "Dude, dude" and the "We're live, you know" were clearly reminders to stay within the rule. OE: Also reminders to not act the jackass during a sober moment. But I don't think sports journalists care about that any more.

i disagree with your take on this. I think the reaction to his lame joke was more of the "don't try to be a funny when a guy is getting put in a neck brace, you dickhead" variety, then any response to some perceived political incorrectness in his humor.

[Guest Edgy DC]

I'll agree with you disagreeing with me.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

="Vic Sage"] ="Edgy DC"]There actually used to be an unwritten rule about this in broadcasting, that you'd never describe two black players as looking alike, lest it --- like in this case --- betray the reality that your world is so white that you really you have little means of distinguishing among any black men. The exception was in place that you could make such a comment if two men looked so much alike that you'd lose credibility by not pointing it out. The "Dude, dude" and the "We're live, you know" were clearly reminders to stay within the rule. OE: Also reminders to not act the jackass during a sober moment. But I don't think sports journalists care about that any more. i disagree with your take on this. I think the reaction to his lame joke was more of the "don't try to be a funny when a guy is getting put in a neck brace, you dickhead" variety, then any response to some perceived political incorrectness in his humor.

"RACIST!"

"HEY! He's not a racist... he's just inhuman."

"Ohhhhhh. Sorry about that."

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think if the guy had looked like Kenny Rogers (the singer, not the pitcher) and whatshisname had said, "Hey, look! Isn't that Kenny Rogers?" the reaction would have been the same.

In other words, I don't see the racial aspect in this either.

[Guest themetfairy]

I don't see it as a racial thing. Just a stupidity thing.

[batmagadanleadoff]

I'm glad I only conflated white guys in the Conflate thread.

[G-Fafif]

I find it offensive that anyone would insert a football reference into a baseball clip.

[Guest OlerudOwned]

Regardless of the reactions, it is sort of a racial thing, because that guy looks nothing like Donovan McNabb. At all. That's what makes the clip so agonizingly great. It's a delicious casual racism sandwich wrapped up in the pita bread of mindbogglingly bad timing.

[G-Fafif]

What exactly does Vasgersian think he's bringing to the table with that remark? The silent "we hope he's OK" pause from the announcers kind of said it all regarding what they were watching.

But he's got a nice voice, which I guess explains his anchor role.

[Benjamin Grimm]

You know, even though I've lived in the Philadelphia area for more than twenty years, I have no idea what Donovan McNabb looks like.

[Guest themetfairy]

He looks like the guy in the Chunky Soup ads.

[nymr83]

="themetfairy":2y6y07he]He looks like the guy in the Chunky Soup ads.[/quote:2y6y07he] They all look the same to you too???

themetfairy Apr 28 2009 08:52 PM

I guess that's what has kept me from a career as a baseball analyst....

Fman99 Apr 29 2009 06:33 AM

="Nymr83":3p4uabei] ="themetfairy":3p4uabei]He looks like the guy in the Chunky Soup ads.[/quote:3p4uabei] They all look the same to you too???[/quote:3p4uabei] Those soups all look different. Some have chicken, some have beef, and some are vegetarian. Speaking of which, Matt Vegetarian is a douche. What, what's his name? Oh. metirish Apr 29 2009 07:29 AM Watched this last night , not saying it was funny but the awkwardness of it was . It's like he thought his little gag was so funny he just had to get the camera guys back to a shot of his McNabb. Frayed Knot Apr 29 2009 07:35 AM I don't think the awkwardness was caused by either the racial or the insensitive towards injury angles but rather by the 'how stupid can you be to think that a multi-millionaire athlete would be working as a EMT in a sporting event not even in his home town' theorem. Centerfield Apr 29 2009 08:35 AM I've watched it twice now, and I think Frayed Knot is right. I don't think Matt Vasgersian is trying to be funny, or attempting to make a racial joke. I think he honestly thought that the EMT was Donovan McNabb. I think when they re-played it, Vasgersian realized it wasn't him, and that it looked nothing like him. And it took him a minute to realize how dumb such a notion would be. I think the reaction from the other guys in studio could be summed up as "Why would you interrupt such a somber moment with such an absurd and stupid idea?"

[Guest themetfairy]

I guess that's what has kept me from a career as a baseball analyst....

[Fman99]

="Nymr83":3p4uabei] ="themetfairy":3p4uabei]He looks like the guy in the Chunky Soup ads.[/quote:3p4uabei] They all look the same to you too???[/quote:3p4uabei] Those soups all look different. Some have chicken, some have beef, and some are vegetarian. Speaking of which, Matt Vegetarian is a douche. What, what's his name? Oh. metirish Apr 29 2009 07:29 AM Watched this last night , not saying it was funny but the awkwardness of it was . It's like he thought his little gag was so funny he just had to get the camera guys back to a shot of his McNabb. Frayed Knot Apr 29 2009 07:35 AM I don't think the awkwardness was caused by either the racial or the insensitive towards injury angles but rather by the 'how stupid can you be to think that a multi-millionaire athlete would be working as a EMT in a sporting event not even in his home town' theorem. Centerfield Apr 29 2009 08:35 AM I've watched it twice now, and I think Frayed Knot is right. I don't think Matt Vasgersian is trying to be funny, or attempting to make a racial joke. I think he honestly thought that the EMT was Donovan McNabb. I think when they re-played it, Vasgersian realized it wasn't him, and that it looked nothing like him. And it took him a minute to realize how dumb such a notion would be. I think the reaction from the other guys in studio could be summed up as "Why would you interrupt such a somber moment with such an absurd and stupid idea?"

[metirish]

Watched this last night , not saying it was funny but the awkwardness of it was . It's like he thought his little gag was so funny he just had to get the camera guys back to a shot of his McNabb.

[Frayed Knot]

I don't think the awkwardness was caused by either the racial or the insensitive towards injury angles but rather by the 'how stupid can you be to think that a multi-millionaire athlete would be working as a EMT in a sporting event not even in his home town' theorem.

[Centerfield]

I've watched it twice now, and I think Frayed Knot is right. I don't think Matt Vasgersian is trying to be funny, or attempting to make a racial joke. I think he honestly thought that the EMT was Donovan McNabb.

I think when they re-played it, Vasgersian realized it wasn't him, and that it looked nothing like him. And it took him a minute to realize how dumb such a notion would be.

I think the reaction from the other guys in studio could be summed up as "Why would you interrupt such a somber moment with such an absurd and stupid idea?"