By now, you've seen the story of Steve Beuerlein saying "USC thugs, man" on air (if not, click here). Well, Steve Beuerlein and CBS are saying he was just joking:LeslieAnn Wade, vice president of communications for CBS, said Beuerlein was joking off-air with play-by-play man Bill Macatee and was unaware the telecast had resumed. Wade said Macatee lives in southern California and follows Trojan football.
"Steve being a Notre Dame guy and like any two friends who have those allegiances would do, they kid each other about Notre Dame and USC all the time,'' Wade said. "Certainly Steve wishes it wasn't on the air and so does CBS, but that is the explanation.''
Despite that, I'm sure that CBS sent a stongly worded memo to all their sports guys to warn them about what they say could make it on air.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-27-2007 @ 12:36PM
Gerry said...
Good Lord, will this politically correct business never end? Is there no longer any room for humor? Good natured kidding? Did Steve Buerelin mean it? No way. He's a Domer. He loves to needle SC, just as the Trojans love to needle ND. Big Deal!!! The fact that he said it on the air is unfortunate (we all make mistakes). I just don't see any reason for all the mea culpas! FIGHT ON! Trojans!!! Good Night ND!
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11-27-2007 @ 4:25PM
PackerFan576 said...
Beuerlein should be fired, not so much for this comment, but for being a terrible announcer. He killed his team when he was a qb and now he's killing the rest of us as an announcer. How do guys like him keep getting jobs?
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11-29-2007 @ 10:32AM
The Dude said...
It's amazing that it was caught on tape. Rarely do these kinds of private bigoted moments seep out.
There's no doubt in my mind that CBS MUST fire him. The only place for bigoted sportscasters is with equestrian sports or other sports where the participants are so exclusively white that the issue does not ever arise.
To the first poster, note his choice of words, and how many synonyms for "thug" that he might have chosen that would have accomplished the same sentiment, without coming across as racist.
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