When a Taco Isn't Just a Taco

griese apologized twice, ESPN needs to get over their bs.

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mr travis i dont know your ethnic background, but mine is italian. if a remark like that was made towards me i would have only found offense if they said i was out eating a sausage - after all, it could have been polish or hungarian. this country of free speech is becoming a country of gag orders. no racial slur was used in mr griese's comment. he was making a joke about someones (he thought) background. if you've never had joke made about your background you must be one of the few. and if you cannot take a joke about yourself you need to grow a backbone and get on with your life. this country is made up of millions of jokesters, if you dont want to be made fun of then stay out of the limelights. mr montoya is known today by millions more people than he was prior to saturday. who cares?? i dont believe that this is what my father fought for, was wounded because, and held prisoner for. maybe you should ask the few dog faces; leather necks; swabbies; jarheads; etc that are left from WWII how they feel about this situation. after you do please post your results because i'd like to know if my feelings are in the MINORITY.

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To throw another item into the mix -- nobody flinches when people reference 'paddy wagons'. Imagine if such a vehicle and term were used frequently and without hesitation to describe the rounding up of drunk/misbehaving blacks/latinos?

Griese deserved to be punished and probably shouldn't be on the air anyway given his general stammering ways that make him much less coherent than Lee Corso who had a freaking stroke earlier this year. But you make a good point about where we draw the line at whats truly offensive and what isn't. I certainly don't have the answer to all this but wanted to add the paddy wagon thing as a person with a bit of Irish blood.

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The world has gone totally over the edge when it comes to being politically correct. When I was growing up I had Italian friends and Polish friends and we used to make fun of each other and no one thought anything of it. I am a Heinz 57 variety and I wish I has a dollar for everytime someone made fun of me for that fact, I'd have retired years ago. I liked the response Juan Pablo had saying only he didn't know who Bob Greise was lol. And geeez I didn't know Columbians didn't eat taco's, I always thought they were a Central and South American treat, and heck I love them! Well, now that you mentioned it I'm gone to get a Taco, here I come Del Taco!! Come on people lighten up!!!!

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America did have free speech, a long time ago. Now we need consult the politically correct rulebook before we speak. Its gotten out of hand. I have Polish blood in me and laugh my butt off at a good Polish joke. Come on America, lighten up!!!!
Archie Bunker is rolling over in his grave right now. Had this show been pitched in todays world, it would have been passed over instead of being one of the greatest sitcoms ever produced. Come on America, lighten up!!!!

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Unfair for Griese to make a taco remark and get screwed, while TV en Espanol shows racist comedy all the time, here in the USA, for example, google MEXMUNDOVISION for a taste of 'comedy' blasting the African race.

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Puleeze! Montoya handled the situation perfectly by simply not empowering the words or Griese by saying nothing in return. Quite frankly, he diffused the comment perfectly by saying he didn't know who Griese was. The point above is well-taken in that there are differing opinions about which ethnicity is off limits for jokes. Why give someone's simple words that kind of power over your feelings? Call me what you want because words can only affect me if I empower you and the spoken/written word by reacting to you/them. The "N" word has been given more power over more people than any other single word in the English language. Amazing. It's like when a child first says a "bad" word. If the parent overreacts he gives that word "power" in the eyes of the child. They are only words until someone provides the power or effect to the word.

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That is the best article I've read in a long time. A black running back just made insensitive remarks towards gay people, nothing has happened. Shaq makes stupid remarks towards Yao Ming and nothing happens. It's like the whole US is turning into San Francisco

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I think Griese was wrong for saying it (because he probably believed it). I think Montoya handled it perfectly (not a Montoya trait, if you know anything about the man). Griese suspended for a week, the world didn't come to an end, so let's let it go. Being of Mexican descent myself, I find that the greatest disservice to the Latino culture are shows like "George Lopez". I actually KNOW people like that, but not all latinos act or talk like that! In my opinion, George Lopez is more offensive to Hispanics than Bob Griese.

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I'm sorry people but this country has gone to hell with this latest incident. Pretty soon we are going to have to have "mimes" doing sports coverage because of all these sensitive ears. Lets see,he was out having a Taco. That is possible considering his nationality. If i was an american athelete and the mexican channel said i was i was out having a pork chop, I don't think i would take to much offense.

This country and all their nationality groups better shutup because its makin me and the other 260 USA residents sick.

Grow up!

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Some ethnic groups are more organized than others. Maybe that's why responses to racial injustices differ. Still, it takes a lot of guts to stand up for your own ethnic group. They may not even appreciate it. Even people within the African American community don't see Rev. Sharpton or Rev. Jackson as their spokesmen. Many didn't recognize MLK as spokesman for the black community when he was alive. I, being African-American, appreciate what all these men have done to keep the racist bullies at bay. Because, when you give the bullying-type an inch, they'll take a mile. Society as a whole needs to "nip racism in the bud" as soon as it rears its ugly head, no matter how minor the slight may appear. I applaud ESPN for being alert enough to catch the inappropriate remark. If we keep letting racial putdowns go as being minor, we might just revert back to the days of legalized segregation.

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I think you mean White southern driver "out having some squirrel." Not that there is anything wrong with squirrel. Don't get me wrong.
Prepared the right way (I like it smothered), squirrel is good eatin'!

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Once again ignorant white people have no idea what it means to be part of an ethnic group that is constantly stereotyped and ridiculed. Unfortnately jokes about tacos and watermelons are group specific and are in no way a complement. Both are only used to promote insensitive humor. There are not many names that one can call a white person and offend them. Whitey, honkey, white body....please, they call themselves that and laugh about it. There's an advantage to being the cultural majority in Amerikkka. But if I called a white person murderer of Indians, or enslaver of Blacks, or killer of Japanese they'd probably have big a problem with that. So those of you white people who are aware and progressive need to teach your people how to respect culture that is unlike theirs.

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Clay: Also, being African-American, the media hasn't always been kind in its portrayal of us. There is a history of stereotyping and making all kinds of generalizations about blacks from way back when. Today, those types of stereotypes need to be countered. But, how do you compete with a network like ESPN in the black community, where there is not a whole lot of money for it? There are no TV stations, radio stations, or other media outlets to compare to the viewing audience of an ESPN, MSNBC, FOX, or national network. That's how other people find out about African Americans, because they certainly don't come a visitin' to pass the time of day in the 'hood, ya know. The negative portrayals of blacks especially hurt us where I live. It's embarassing to have people think just because you're from an urban area that you might be a thief, drug addict, rapper, "'ho" - the list goes on and on. Yet, those are the images people get from the mass media.

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George: Of course, it doesn't offend you. You must be white. White people have what is called a "social advantage." Take a trip to another country, like Saudi Arabia. Live there for a few years. You'll be the minority there, then. I hear they have special ways of showing Americans exactly what they think about American culture. Ha! Ha! See how far your "social advantage" gets you there. Maybe when you come back, you'll be a little more sensitive toward minority cultures.

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This country has gone to hell quick,give me a break about the taco commnet its frigging food next it will be looking at somebody wrong and we will have to say I am sorry , its a sad day to say it but its no longer proud to be a American

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ESPN needs to get a F***ing life. I have suspended ESPN from all of my televisions for one week as punishment for being stooooopid.

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Perfect Mister Travis...You are right when you say it proves more bout others than about him...Just like Limbaugh,Imus,Miss Cali...on and on..Martha Burk...the list goes on...

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