Musburger Criticized for Remarks About Star’s Girlfriend During Title Game

New York Times ^ | January 8, 2013 | MARY PILON

[ConservativeStatement]

On Tuesday morning, commentary on the broadcast of the Bowl Championship Series national title game between Alabama and Notre Dame included words like “creepy,” “awkward,” “uncomfortable” and “heteronormative.”

The subject was not Alabama’s 42-14 victory, but comments made during the game by the ESPN play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger regarding the girlfriend of Alabama quarterback A J McCarron. In the first quarter, ESPN showed McCarron’s girlfriend, Katherine Webb, who was sitting near his parents. Musburger called the 23-year-old Webb, a former Miss Alabama, a “lovely lady” and “beautiful,” and said to his broadcast partner, Kirk Herbstreit, a former quarterback at Ohio State, “You quarterbacks get all the good-looking women.”

[ConservativeStatement]

In the eyes of some, this will be worse than when Dana Jacobson cursed Jesus.

And why in the intro did the narrator have to say Miami was a city where Democrats and Republicans, straight and gays, among others, relocate. What does that have to do with football?

[livius]

Am I missing something? That’s all he said? I glimpsed a headline about this on some other news source and I thought he must have said something really filthy or insulting.

What in the heck is the matter with people. This is just unbelievable.

[Thebaddog]

Musberger sounded ok to me. Let him have some fun.

[clintonh8r]

The chattering class NUST have something to chatter (or cluck) about. Otherwise they would die.

0

[Tea Party Terrorist]

It was uncomfortable and embarrassing to watch.

[clintonh8r]

....or MUST!

[Atlas Sneezed]

“It’s extraordinarily inappropriate to focus on an individual’s looks,” said Sue Carter, a professor of journalism at Michigan State.

[SamuraiScot]

MARY PILON

Why would you have a girl write a column about a football game? Why?

[boop]

What did Musburger say that isn't true?

Heck it's true for QBs from high school on.

The starting QB always gets the chicks.

[ConservativeStatement]

I understand that sentiment. Yet why is it allowed for a woman to slap a man across the face to sell a car (Fiat) in a current TV advertisement? Imagine if an ad was produced today where a man struck a woman? It would never see the light of day, nor should it but where is the outcry?

[clintonh8r]

ucomfortable and embarrassing...That was the game.

[Pollster1]

Katherine Webb deserved her position as Miss Alabama, and she is a lovely lady - quite beautiful although not my style. Quarterbacks do not get all the good-looking women, but this quarterback got one of them. Why the fuss over a truthful observation? Evidence:

[ConservativeStatement]

And whatever happened to Sela Ward? /sarc.

[mrsmith]

Well, the typical big media figure wouldn’t say something like this for fear his boyfriend would be hurt!

A normal guy would have to make some comment though. That’s one pretty young thing.

[dinoparty]

Its extraordinarily inappropriate except in the justice system. GUILTY!!!

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting. I’m just here for the pic. Nice.

[peteyd]

Wonder what she said of Kathy(nasty mouth)Griffin smacking on Anderson Coopers crotch???

[Robwin]

BFD. She's a hot babe and he made note of that fact.

Just consider how many times the cameras focus in on the cheerleaders during a football game. Is that so we can appreciate the wonderful uniforms they get to wear?

[DManA]

I think if anyone is criticized it should be the director who kept the camera on her for about (it seemed) 10 minutes.

What was he supposed to say? Come on, get the camera off that dumb ol girl.

[Robwin]

BFD. She's a hot babe and he made note of that fact.

Just consider how many times the cameras focus in on the cheerleaders during a football game. Is that so we can appreciate the wonderful uniforms they get to wear?