ESPN football analyst Bob Griese apologized twice Saturday for a comment he made about NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya during ESPN's telecast of Ohio State and Minnesota. To promote Sunday's NASCAR race in Martinsville, ESPN displayed a graphic with the top five drivers in the points race. Color commentator Chris Spielman asked "Where's Montoya?"
"Out eating a taco," Griese responded.
If there was anything more remarkable than the tone-deaf nature of Griese's comments about the Colombian driver, it was that the remark was so audible, given how far Griese had just wedged his foot into his mouth.
Griese smartly apologized before the conclusion of the broadcast.
"Juan Pablo Montoya is one of the best drivers in NASCAR," Griese said shortly before the end of the game. "I just want to apologize for the comment I made earlier in the ballgame."
ESPN released a statement shortly afterward.
"During today's telecast of the Ohio State-Minnesota college football game on ESPN, analyst Bob Griese made an inappropriate comment when discussing NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya," the statement read. "Bob apologized during the telecast, and plans to apologize again [Saturday night] during ESPN's college football programming after his plane lands. ESPN has spoken to Bob and he understands that his comment was uncalled for."
Griese later made good on the promise, apologizing on air during ESPN's Saturday night telecast of Florida and Mississippi State.
"Earlier today on our game I made an offensive comment regarding Juan Pablo Montoya as part of a NASCAR promo," he said by phone. "It was regrettable and I should not have said it. I really enjoy NASCAR and I follow it closely and would like to take this opportunity to apologize to Juan, NASCAR and everyone else who heard my comment."
Griese isn't the only analyst to talk himself into trouble during a Big Ten broadcast. Three years ago, ESPN relieved Brian Kinchen of his duties after referring to a comment he had previously made about a receiver's "soft hands" as "kind of gay."
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-25-2009 @ 10:23AM
brian said...
It's almost to the point where you can't show any humor because you have to be too "Politically correct"
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10-25-2009 @ 10:28AM
Don Delli Paoli said...
Too much political correctiveness going around! Italians have been the butt of jokes for decades, you don't see us getting mad if someone makes a remake about the food we eat. I'm Damn proud of pasta, pizza, canoli's, etc..So if Mario Andretti stepped out for a slice of Pizza, I don't think he would feel offended, I don't. So, America, "Get A Grip"!
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10-25-2009 @ 6:39PM
samanthaldavis24 said...
First of all, Mario Andretti used to be in the same position as Montoya when he raced Nascar. He was very talented driver who could do a lot more than just drive in a left-handed circle. The Good Ole Boy's back then didn't want him on their circuits but he won Daytona and the rest is history. Griese has been involed in the business way too long to just spew something like that without meaning it. He's Colombian not Mexican and would if someone responded by saying he's probably selling some cocaine to your annoying ass 72 Dolphins teammate Mercury Morris. not funny in anyway too single out some ones nationality in a stereotype that doesn't even make since. Bob there's Mwxican's, Colombians, Puerto Ricans and many other hispanis cultures. You might remember Cubans also, seeing as you played your career in a city heavily populated with them.
10-25-2009 @ 10:43AM
grassjocut said...
So if he had said Jimmy Johnson was out getting a burger would he have had to make an apology statement?
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10-25-2009 @ 1:17PM
bastion78 said...
Why don't you ask yourself why did Griese use the word Taco instead of burger or something else? If it had been Jimmy Johnson, would he have said taco? No he wouldn't have. This was an obviously racist joke.
10-25-2009 @ 2:02PM
JayQuo said...
Bastion, you're an idiot. The point is that Jimmie John is American and hamburgers are an American food. They would use that type of joke in other countries with no problem, if an American was in the competition and stepped out. They'd say he's having a hamburger and think nothing of it, because it's not a negative stereotype. There are negative ones, like saying he's a cocaine dealer because he's Colombian, but that's not what he said.
The fact that the white stereotypes don't even register with you just tells me that you're one of the idiots perpetuating this giant double standard and running around looking for ways to be insulted. Take it from a Latino.. guessing that someone is eating the food of their own country rates about a 0 on the insult scale. Griese isn't in the wrong, you're just acting like a little girl.
10-25-2009 @ 12:22PM
JFCJR said...
How stupid and how ridiculous??? Griese did not day anything wrong. This country gets "offended" at such comments that are made as a joke, yet at the same time this country does not get "offended" at the thousands of unborn babies that are murdered every year. Kill a baby...fine. But say something in jest that would offend a Hispanic, an Italian, an African American, a Native American, a Jew, a Christian, a Muslim, a homosexual or whatever else and you have to apologize and/or get fined, get reprimanded or loose your job. What a screwed up nation we have become.....
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10-25-2009 @ 12:26PM
bucki811 said...
Is this worse than Lee corso saying a team shot their wad?
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10-25-2009 @ 10:22PM
kfogs1957 said...
My God, that Taco refernce set back race relations twenty years. People, get a grip and take a step back from the cliff. Should he have said it? No. Does it make any difference? NO!!!! Everyone is so damn sensative and playing the victim. Grow up, and worry about something important, this was an absolute no story. By the way, I'm no Griese fan, he has said plenty of stupid things over the years, just add this to the list.
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11-19-2009 @ 7:07PM
darfut said...
We are fastly becoming a nation of alianated citizens. The immigrants coming to the U.S. today want to live in America, but want to stay as ethnic as they can. With that kind of loyalty to their new host country, I can see why natural born Americans get upset when someone mentions a taco when refering to someone of hispanic background and the latino community goes ballistic.
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