ESPN Benches Bob Griese for 'Taco' Crack

TMZ.com ^ | 10/26/09 | Staff

[OldDeckHand]

Can anyone at ESPN keep a job? The network suspended Bob Griese today for a racist remark he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya.

While he was calling Saturday's Minnesota-Ohio State game, Griese made a crack about Montoya saying he was "out having a taco." Montoya is Colombian.

ESPN is yanking Griese off the air for one week, and a rep for the network says Griese "understands the comment was inappropriate."

Yesterday ESPN fired baseball analyst Steve Phillips after news broke of his sex scandal with a production assistant.

[OldDeckHand]

I heard this live and didn't think anything of it, until he apologized later in the broadcast. If Montoya was Polish and Griese made a crack about him "out having a Paczki, or if he was French and the reference was to Cheese, would anyone be making any fuss

[norwaypinesavage]

I’m sure the Limeys and Krauts are offended.

[Gordon Greene]

I’m so tired of these politically correct morons it makes my head explode!

WHEN IS SOMEONE IN THIS COUNTRY GOING TO GROW SOME THICKER SKIN!!!

[eyedigress]

I didn’t realize tacos were a stereotype of Columbians.

[twistedwrench]

Would that be a “Talladega Taco” ?

[Mobties]

Griese is a pretty good announcer. Most of ESPN’s other announcers are second rate or worse.

[shibumi]

How about Potato Heads and Spaghetti Benders?

[massmike]

.....and yet Olbermann can’t get fired no matter how hard he tries.

[Loud Mime]

Back in the days when people weren't offended at
every remark...

[magritte]

I didn’t realize the horrid stereotype that Columbians were taco-eaters...now, if Griese would have said “went out for some blow”...magritte

[Gordon Greene]

Don’t git me started!

“Pardon me while I whip this out!”

[kempster]

Juan Valdez is turning over in his grave.

[OldDeckHand]

"How about Potato Heads and Spaghetti Benders?"

I remember when the World Cup was broadcast on ABC in 2006 and one of the announcers - a British man - referred to Wayne Rooney (a striker on the English national team) as "potato faced" - a reference to his Irish heritage, he's the son of Irish immigrants in the UK, and Rooney's undeniably Irish-looking face.

Can you imagine if a similar comment had been made about a member of the Brazilian team or the South African team?

[MediaMole]

...but no one is as bad as the team of Ron Pitts and John Lynch on Fox. Stuttering, audible pauses and still calling the wrong players’ names.

[muawiyah]

The real racism in this case is the top dogs thinking only Meskins eat tacos.

I just had a dozen this weekend and Fur Shur I ain't no Meskin.

[C19fan]

Has Charles Barkley ever been suspended for his anti-white comments????

[goseminoles]

From the headline I thought there was a new mexican cocaine out there that wouldn’t produce such a weight loss. My bad. Who knew? Taco crack *snicker*

[billorites]

"Yesterday ESPN fired baseball analyst Steve Phillips after news broke of his sex scandal with a production assistant."

All in all, I think Phillips probably had the better scandal of the two.

Just saying...

[muawiyah]

(Tacos are not part of the Columbian stereotype ~ but to the top dogs at ESPN, all Latinos are alike ~ Meskin, Columbiano, etc. All same thing. All eat tacos.)

[darkangel82]

ESPCN sucks. They won’t stfu about Obama.

[The Comedian]

That's so racist. Everyone knows that Colombians like fried chicken and watermelon...

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[cydcharisse]

I take it you haven’t seen Phillips’ girl friend.

[calex59]

What the USA has sunk too. It is unbelievable how people cave to the racist screed.

[THEkingjaymz]

I guarantee that all the liberals who are outraged about this don’t have a damn clue as to who Juan Pablo Montoya is. There is no way in hell he makes some comment about Gordon, Johnson, or Martin and gets suspended for it. I hate it when politics gets in the way of sports.

[ican'tbelieveit]

Gordon poked a bit at JPM after the race Sunday, kind of referring to his hotheadedness. We all just make sure not to make him mad.

[Verginius Rufus]

Do they even eat tacos in Colombia? I think of tacos as Mexican food.

[Finalapproach29er]

What a ridiculous country.

ESPN is the worst of the worst corporations, too.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

I missed it live. Someone should write a book on all the things your not allowed to say. That would be a big book nowadays. I dont think any serious person thinks Bob Griese is racist.

[OldDeckHand]

"...but no one is as bad as the team of Ron Pitts and John Lynch on Fox. Stuttering, audible pauses and still calling the wrong players’ names."

I watched that game yesterday. One word came to mind - painful. It was horrible, just horrible.

[Irish Eyes]

The PC pendulum has swung way to far to the left. Suspension over a taco remark is way over the top. I think that the pendulum will start swinging the other way soon. People are getting fed up with this cr*p.

[GRRRRR]

Seriesly, this country needs a lobotomy..

Don’t think you can say “Taco” and “Crack” in the same sentence either.

[VOA]

“Back in the days when people weren’t offended at
every remark...”

Amen to that.

I think I’ve watched “Blazing Saddles” about five times on CMT.

If I have a spare moment someday, I gotta’ buy a DVD copy.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Can you imagine if a similar comment had been made about a member of the Brazilian team or the South African team?

Why would you call a Brazilian or a South African "potato faced"?

[uncitizen]

this thread is making me crave a taco.

[left that other site]

What if he REALLY WAS out having a Taco? I just had one myself this evening, and I’m not offended if someone mentions it! LOL

[OldDeckHand]

"Why would you call a Brazilian or a South African "potato faced"? "

Hence, the "similar" remark. Although, I'm not sure what cultural food references you'd actually say - perhaps something about sugar canes to a Brazilian and Curry to a South African.

[Loud Mime]

“See? It’s coming off!” was a GREAT line; obviously from Richard Pryor.

[dragnet2]

WHEN IS SOMEONE IN THIS COUNTRY GOING TO GROW SOME THICKER SKIN!

You kidding? Hispanics and blacks are the most easily offended people on the planet...It's borderline insanity.

[billorites]

"I take it you haven’t seen Phillips’ girl friend."

No, I hadn't, but I have now.

My heavens. She looks like Nathan Lane.

[Labyrinthos]

What if Montoya was out having a taco?