Peter Pascarelli, a ESPN baseball guy who does podcasts and wears other hats at the network – researcher & helping out on Sunday Night baseball – learned a lesson the hard way this month – if you’re going to take shots at Bud Selig, be prepared for the repercussions. Pascarelli, who is well-liked by colleagues for his humor and brutal honesty, has been relinquished of his podcast duties for comments he made about the new statue of baseball commissioner Bud Selig outside of Miller Park in Milwaukee. Pascarelli’s comments from the February 11 podcast have been removed, but according to this quote and comments on message boards, poop, pigeons, and the statue were the gist of it. No big deal, right?
Wrong. You walk a fine line when talking shots at Bud Selig at ESPN – a year ago, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt was suspended for ripping Selig. (It was apparently deemed “personal” by the powers that be at ESPN.)
Pascarelli’s comments must have gotten back to Selig quickly because a day later, he appeared in a special podcast just to apologize.
“I wanted to clean up something I said on Thursday, which was not said in the right way, for which I apologize concerning the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig … I made a throwaway line about the stateue that is being put up in his honor at Miller Park in Milwaukee … you know how I am – I’m not exactly the glibest person at times, sometimes my sense of humor is clumsy, and this was as clumsy as it gets. And for that, I really apologize both to Bud Selig and everybody at ESPN … to have something like this happen is not good on my part. It is completely my fault, no one else is responsible for it.”
Pascarelli then offered up a history lesson on Selig (as if he were reading it from wikipedia or something), and closed with: “I dismissed [the statue] and denigrated it in a stupid and sophomorish way and for that I apologize.” He then said the podcast would “be the same” but with “a little bit of a monitor on the babble.”
The podcast returned today … with just Eric Karabell and no sign (or mention) of Pascarelli.
While ESPN had no comment on Pascarelli, a source tells us his days on the podcast are over.
I know Selig seems to be hated by so many people, and they have that right, but I just cant get upset at the guy who ushered MLB into a period of record attendance and revenue. To me he is vilified more often than he should be. .02
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Last edited by The Bud Selig Protection Comittee on Fri Feb 26, 2010 2:34 pm, edited 1 time in total
Bud Selig is a clown. I dislike the man to a great degree. The man ushered in the steroid era and turned a blind eye to it. I also dislike ESPN a great deal as well because of this clown shoes suspension and the previous suspension of SVP. Give me a break. Colin Clownherd (not a typo) says more objectionable things on his daily radio show and receives no suspension. Give me a break. ESPN, ha, glad DP is no longer with them at least.
I gotta stand up for Colin "Clownherd" though. He's not afraid to take a stance, backs up his views with legitimate facts (or reason), and seems to know a lot more about sports in between the lines than say Jim Rome.. I listen to Rome; i like him. But it seem he makes his living by reporting off-the-field stories, and doesn't seem to have much insight in breaking down a team, upcoming game etc. He's like TMZ-Sports.
Pogotheostrich wrote:Apparently it depends on how big of a name you are because Simmons doesn't seem to have an restrictions on Selig. http://twitter.com/sportsguy33
Those few Simmons tweets are wonderful. The blackout one is my favorite.
One more idea for Bud Selig's statue: Have him watching a blank TV screen that has the plaque, "The 1994 World Series."
One more idea for Bud Selig's statue: They should black it out every Saturday afternoon during baseball season.
Idea for Bud Selig's statue: Put smaller statues of players roiding up in front of it as Bud's statue looks the other way.
I gotta stand up for Colin "Clownherd" though. He's not afraid to take a stance, backs up his views with legitimate facts (or reason), and seems to know a lot more about sports in between the lines than say Jim Rome.. I listen to Rome; i like him. But it seem he makes his living by reporting off-the-field stories, and doesn't seem to have much insight in breaking down a team, upcoming game etc. He's like TMZ-Sports.
Sorry but I've gotta whole heartedly disagree with your assesment of Colin. While I do agree with your view on Rome, and in general hate that radio time slot. Colin's "stances," are essentially whatever the opposite of popular opinion are. I remember after the Clemens steroid stuff became big news Colin lighting into a caller telling him that his program and ESPN radio don't do, "devil's advocate," that they are big boy radio and if he wants to play devil's advocate he should call the local yocal sports show. The funny thing is, a few years later, Colin is playing devil's advocate every day, and throws it in our face that he's doing it saying that he gets ratings, e-mails, phone calls, etc. when he takes a polarizing stance in the opposite side of popular opinion. I honestly believe the only thing he cares about is driving ratings (which is fine... he makes money off it), but it means I respect none of his sports, "opinions," and his constant ridiculing of listeners who are passionate about fans is a complete farce. Give me a break, talk about biting the hand that feeds him.
Cafe Home
Fantasy Football
Fantasy Basketball
Fantasy Hockey
by JTWood » Fri Feb 26, 2010 11:51 am 
]
