Monday, August 21, 2006
MORE ON BRYANT "BUMBLE" GUMBLE DEBACLE
Recently, I told you about the NFL Network's lead play-by-play man, who has opened his famously big mouth again. Known best for his 15 years on NBC's "Today Show"...Bryant Gumbel is the current host of HBO's "Real Sports" program, and is no stranger to controversy. First, in 1989, he wrote a memo to Today Show executive producer Marty Ryan, which was critical of other Today Show personalities. This memo was leaked to the press. In the memo, Gumbel commented that infamous weatherman and 100-year-old Birthday wisher Willard Scott "holds the show hostage to his assortment of whims, wishes, birthdays and bad taste...This guy is killing us and no one's even trying to rein him in." He even commented that Gene Shalit's movie reviews "are often late and his interviews aren't very good."
There was enough negative backlash in regard to Gumbel's comments toward Scott, that Gumbel was shown making up with the much-loved Willard live on The Today Show.
Then, during this past Winter Olympics in Italy....Gumbel said the following: "Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t like them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something’s not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what’s called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won ... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they’re done, when we can move on to March Madness — for God’s sake, let the games begin."........:rolleyes
Now, the man once dubbed "best morning TV interviewer" in the nation had the audacity to ask if outgoing NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue show his successor "where he keeps Gene Upshaw's leash."...in reference to the African-American man that leads the players union.
Now....I comment that If the white man can be an anti-semite, and a racist....Bryant Gumbel can certainly at the least....be called a Bigot! It seems former Minnesota Vikings' running back and players union rep for the team for several years....Robert Smith...agrees with me!
Smith was quoted as accusing the TV host of both desperation and jealousy.
"Bryant Gumbel has fallen in recent times,'' Smith told SI.com on Tuesday. "He's desperate to have a respected, national voice again, but the problem is a lot of people aren't listening anymore. So you've got to say something like that to get attention for yourself. But he's misinformed.
"To me, this is Gumbel's Dan Rather-type mistake. He's someone who has been around for a while and has some credibility, but who wants to believe a certain perception. I believe part of it with Gumbel is that Gene is a much more powerful black man than he is. And he's jealous of Gene's power and position. I think Gumbel's even jealous of where his former [NBC's Today] co-host Katie Couric is, and how she's moved on to a more powerful position and he still hasn't.''
I couldn't agree more! Kudos to you, Robert Smith!
There was enough negative backlash in regard to Gumbel's comments toward Scott, that Gumbel was shown making up with the much-loved Willard live on The Today Show.
Then, during this past Winter Olympics in Italy....Gumbel said the following: "Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t like them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something’s not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what’s called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won ... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they’re done, when we can move on to March Madness — for God’s sake, let the games begin."........:rolleyes
Now, the man once dubbed "best morning TV interviewer" in the nation had the audacity to ask if outgoing NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue show his successor "where he keeps Gene Upshaw's leash."...in reference to the African-American man that leads the players union.
Now....I comment that If the white man can be an anti-semite, and a racist....Bryant Gumbel can certainly at the least....be called a Bigot! It seems former Minnesota Vikings' running back and players union rep for the team for several years....Robert Smith...agrees with me!
Smith was quoted as accusing the TV host of both desperation and jealousy.
"Bryant Gumbel has fallen in recent times,'' Smith told SI.com on Tuesday. "He's desperate to have a respected, national voice again, but the problem is a lot of people aren't listening anymore. So you've got to say something like that to get attention for yourself. But he's misinformed.
"To me, this is Gumbel's Dan Rather-type mistake. He's someone who has been around for a while and has some credibility, but who wants to believe a certain perception. I believe part of it with Gumbel is that Gene is a much more powerful black man than he is. And he's jealous of Gene's power and position. I think Gumbel's even jealous of where his former [NBC's Today] co-host Katie Couric is, and how she's moved on to a more powerful position and he still hasn't.''
I couldn't agree more! Kudos to you, Robert Smith!
