Wednesday, April 19, 2006

I Sent This Email to ESPN

ESPN's SportsCenter used to be a highlight for me. It was the place I could go to get information about sports - the sports I love to follow. Now when I tune into ESPN, I have to wade through the fake urbanized stylings of Stuart Scott. I almost need a "Scott-to-English" dictionary to translate his phrases like "break off a little sumpin' sumpin'" and "holla at a playa when he's in the street" and "I'm busting open some white meat! Gonna move some furniture!"

What on earth does that mean?

Anyway, I was watching the tube Sunday night (April 16) when Scott said something that caused several different reactions in me, enough to send an email to their ombudsman George Solomon (I couldn't find email addresses to anyone else). Here's what I wrote:
I was watching Sunday night's SportsCenter when I heard Stu Scott make this reference to a highlight using a "preacher-voice": "There is a God and His Son is Jesus." Normally I would appreciate this sentence but to use it in reference to a sports highlight mystifies me. I want to ask Scott this simple question: "If he thinks it is OK to do that, then would he also say 'Allah is God and his prophet is Mohammad'?" I find it hard to believe that he would do that. I find it even harder to believe that ESPN would allow it.

I found this quote on your HR page: "It is imperative that ESPN's workforce reflects the diversity of cultures, thinking and perspectives of its current and prospective fans and customers."

I don't think you mean that when you allow Scott to keep saying these types of things.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No comment on Stu's comment or on your comment on it, but I do want to add this:

Despite my indisputable status as a young, down, with-it chick, every once in a while a Stu-ism baffles me. For such occasions I use and recommend www.urbandictionary.com.

Just don't dig too hard into the site if you're easily scandalized.

Peace.

DJT
(the ever-lurking Methodist)