Posted on 04/04/2006 6:52:44 AM PDT by Wolfie
Fox, NASCAR blasted for S-bomb during race
Family advocates rev into attack mode as car
called 'piece of s---' in broadcast
Family advocates are revving up against Fox Television and NASCAR after a driver's crew chief uttered the S-word during a nationally broadcast race Sunday.
The obscene word was aired during a car-to-crew conversation between driver Martin Truex, Jr. and his crew chief, Kevin Manion, at the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn.
A frustrated Manion told his driver, "We missed the set-up today. It (the car) was a piece of s---."
Fox announcer Mike Joy offered an immediate on-air apology, stating, "We apologize for the language on the part of Martin Truex's crew chief, but the frustration is evident this late in the race when things happen."
A March 15 ruling by the FCC declared: "The 'S-word' is a vulgar excretory term so grossly offensive to members of the public that it amounts to a nuisance and is presumptively profane. Like the 'F-word,' it is one of the most offensive words in the English language, the broadcast of which is likely to shock the viewer and disturb the peace and quiet of the home."
Fox Sports spokesman Dan Bell told Cup Scene Daily, "We are very sorry that comment escaped our screening process. We take audio very seriously and make painstaking efforts to offer only the best. We will continue to evaluate our policy but as of now there is no delay in place during our live coverage."
Joe Glover, president of the Family Policy Network, has filed an official complaint with the Federal Communications Commisison, saying NASCAR has a problem with foul language.
"It seems that every now and then, a participant in a nationally televised race will violate the FCC's clear rules against uttering vulgar terms on daytime television and 'let one slip' on the air," he said. "On one hand, leaders of the sport want families to think they're against it. On the other hand, they don't seem to want it to stop. ... At some point, you have to wonder if NASCAR is really serious about establishing a family-friendly environment for their radio and television audiences."
In addition to Glover's group, the American Family Association is urging people to file a complaint with the FCC against the Fox network.
"Fox had been warned about allowing the S-word on the air," president Donald Wildmon says on the AFA's website. "The network could have used a delay and bleeped the profanity. But they chose not to. The network chose to air the segment live. Millions of viewers, including children, were offended by the crude profanity."
But there are some who think these family advocates are going overboard with their desire to protect citizens from broadcast obscenity. Among them is radio talk-show host Neal Boortz.
"What a joke. The American Family Association says that millions of viewers including children were offended by the crude profanity. That's horse squeeze," Boortz said.
"These people were watching a freaking NASCAR race, not 'Barney & Friends.' Any adult that was offended by [Truex's crew chief's] rather explicit description as to how his car was handling should just crawl under a bed somewhere and wait until Judgment Day. As for whatever children may have been watching, you can bet that this is a word they've heard a hundred times before, probably from their own parents in the context of ... 'Don't give me any more of your C-word, you little B-word, or I'll kick your little A-word so hard, you'll have to unbutton your shirt to take an S-word.'"
As WND previously reported last September, NASCAR fined stock-car racer Robby Gordon a total of $35,000 for bad driver behavior and using the S-word during a live television broadcast.
Gordon shocked some viewers by verbally exploding against fellow driver Michael Waltrip, calling him a "piece of s---" and heaving his helmet at him. The uncensored incidents were broadcast nationally by the TNT network.
"Everyone thinks Michael is a good guy. He is not the good guy like he acts like he is. Caution was out, and he wrecked me," Gordon said after an on-track altercation during the Sylvania 300 in Louden, N.H. "He's a piece of s---!"
I don't understand your position on this Tony! Most NASCAR teams take responsibility for their actions and NASCAR certainly fines them immediately with no lawyers involved. FOX did not use the "S" word the crew chief did. He and he alone should be the one to answer for his words.
What AFA did not say in their little temper tantrum was that FOX immediately apologized for the word spoken in the heat of the moment by the crew chief who is NOT a FOX employee.
I wrote back to AFA on this but like the little minds in the communist left MSM they did not respond. If their stand is so strong why did they not include the fact that the commentators immediately apologized and did not wait for the stinking government to do something.
Too bad some of these too-sensitive people don't speak spanish. The spanish radio stations use profanity all the time and laugh about it because we don't understand them. Note to those offended: No one ever got hurt as a result of hearing 'the S-word' (for cryin' out loud!)
I'm not a Boortz fan, but he's right on target.
Thanks to the Janet Jackson fiasco, these family groups now think they've got the big stick, and they swing it whenever they get the chance.
It was at Bristol, the week before.
They never play those live, though. Always a coupel minutes after the fact. This is purely Fox's deal, imo.
"In addition to Glover's group, the American Family Association is urging people to file a complaint with the FCC against the Fox network.
"Fox had been warned about allowing the S-word on the air," president Donald Wildmon says on the AFA's website. "The network could have used a delay and bleeped the profanity. But they chose not to. The network chose to air the segment live. Millions of viewers, including children, were offended by the crude profanity."
NBC is far worse, especially on the restart issue.
Something fishy about this one.
Lord help us.
Could the AFA be any gayer?
Everybody knows NASCAR fans are Republicans...so this harrassment is expected.
I say this as a Christian:
Joe Glover, president of the Family Policy Network and the American Family Association need to take the plank out of their asses and head out of the clouds and shutup.
I can certainly understand using an expletive for bad mechanics. I grew up on a farm and everyone knows that the way you fix machinery is to cuss at it for 15 minutes and then break out the baling wire aand duct tape!
These people's lives are waaaaaaaay too sheltered.
The AFA is Anti-Republican?
I think there should be retraining sessions for all NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs. In the first of those sessions, they will all repeat, "This car is a fragment of poop" 1000 times. That will most assuredly fix it in their minds, so they'll never use the s-bomb again on the air.
In later sessions, they will repeat each of the following phrases 1000 times, to eliminate more expletives from the airways"
"Forget you!"
"That guy can kiss my grandmother!"
"You son of a battalion commander!"
"Please hurry and get those tires changed, you hardworking crew member!"
"If you bump me again out there, you fellow driver, I'll call my insurance company!"
All sessions will be led by Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association.
I would wager that most children have heard worse at school.
Thanks for pointing out it was at the Bristol race. Now that you mention it, it seems they do play driver's comments after the fact, usually when replaying was caused the comments. With twenty or so cautions at Bristol, I'm surprised anything the drivers say could be played on air. That track is brutal.
This revelation would indeed put the ball in Fox's court.
I heard the mf bomb during one race a few years back. NASCAR is rapidly trying to alienate the base.
LMAO!
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