Speaking of being politically correct...............what do you guys make of Haslam always calling Sashi "Obama?"
I'm sorry, but that rubs me the wrong way. I find it more offensive than what Grossi said.
I should edit to explain my reasoning. I did not approve of Sashi's plan and I thought he and his team did a terrible job of making personnel decisions.
However, I respect the hell out of Sashi and Berry as people. Both are intelligent, hard-working, black men that earned their status the right way. They worked hard. They educated themselves. They lived a moral life.
Why call him "Obama?" Was he saying that intelligent, good-looking, powerful black men are that rare? Did he call Dorsey "Abe" or "Lincoln?"
It was reported in the Wickersham article. Haslam would regularly refer to Sashi as "Obama." I edited my first post about it, in case you want to read it again.
Wickersham reports that Brown, who declined to comment on the matter to Wickersham, “didn’t think Haslam was being disrespectful with the Obama nickname, even if it caused others to cringe.” (Brown, like Barack Obama, attended Harvard Law School.)
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
I would say that as a team, the Browns and employed more people of color in positions of power than any other team in the league. Just also coincides that we have FIRED more people of color in the league as well
As far as the "Obama" stuff. IDK for sure but I have a few takes:
This was "reported", it was never confirmed he did this. A lot in that article is up for debate. We HEARD on air what Tony said, in real time.
And not that its right by any means, or am I trying to justify it, but Jimmy is an older southern white guy. Different places talk in different tones, and different ways. What somone in Cleveland finds offensive, someone in Alabama would not, and vice versa. If the person who was called a name didn't find it offensive - then we shouldn't really care about it IMO.
Theres also the WAY something is said. Although probably not the right thing to say to Sashi, it wasn't meant in a mean way or derogatory way. In that case, someone should have simply said to Jimmy on a side bar (and they may have), "hey, maybe you shouldn't say that for this reason....." and that is that.
I find it hard to believe with TG and Bakers history, he is ok with Tony calling him something like that in such a derogatory way. He wasn't saying it to be endearing, that's for sure.
Jimmy is CEO of a large company. I don't think he gets the "oh, he's just a Southerner" pass like that.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
A sense of humor judged by us, the peanut gallery. It was an article with intent to drag Jimmy's name through the mud in every sentence, no matter the triviality. Sashi said he had no problem with it, but apparently that's not good enough for some. I mean, he is a grown-ass man, right? If he didn't like the name, he would tell Jimmy not to call him that.
It just cracks me up that in today's day and age, what we deem as "offensive" is seldom judged by the person that (allegedly) should be offended... It's by someone carrying the torch and calling something offensive on another's behalf. Strange days...
So it's too much to expect a little more tact from a guy that owns a professional sports team and runs a large company?
And I laughed at "article with intent to drag Jimmy's name through the mud"... as if his name isn't already there. No hackjob of an article could do to Jimmy's rep what he hasn't already done to it himself.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
That article was written by a guy who is well-respected and had inside access to the Browns. Yet somehow, that article is degraded by the same people who like article written by some dude dressed up like a wizard and/or a tweet from some dude w/34 followers. LOL
So it's too much to expect a little more tact from a guy that owns a professional sports team and runs a large company?
And I laughed at "article with intent to drag Jimmy's name through the mud"... as if his name isn't already there. No hackjob of an article could do to Jimmy's rep what he hasn't already done to it himself.
Could not agree more. Jimmy's issues are bought and paid for by Jimmy alone. Does that change the intent of the article? Not one bit, sorry bud. (I called you "bud", hope you're not offended).
Tend to not agree on the "tact" thing in this case. It's a nickname, one that didn't bother Sashi. For all we know, he liked it.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN Cleveland Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi returned to the air Wednesday, two weeks after being suspended by the station when a hot mic caught him using a derogatory slur to describe quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“It’s great to be back. I’m excited to be back. I got a lot of support from those who matter,” Grossi said upon his return to “The Really Big Show” on 850 WKNR. “A few things I do want to say. This obviously was a situation taken very seriously by our company and by me. For me, it’s been humiliating, it’s been quite traumatic, in fact. But it’s also been a learning experience to me.”
Grossi, who covered the Browns for 30 years at The Plain Dealer prior to joining ESPN Cleveland, continued, “Being on the front lines of what we jokingly call the ’100 Years War’ is a unique experience. It’s not like covering the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Cleveland Indians. It’s certainly not like covering the Steelers or the Packers, teams that have a lot of success and a lot of fun and a lot of joy.
"And I don’t take it lightly, this career that I’ve had, this job that I have here at WKNR and ESPN Cleveland. Occasionally, I have misstepped. This is my fumble. It won’t define me. What will define me is stepping up, learning from it, moving forward and doing the positive things I need to do to show that I’m a better person from it. And that’s what I intend to do,” he said.
Grossi was pulled from the airwaves indefinitely on Feb. 25 after he referred to the Browns quarterback as “a f----- midget” during a moment he didn’t think was being streamed. In a release announcing the suspension, the station’s owner, Good Karma Brands, said it would not “tolerate derogatory language that demeans other groups of other people.”
Grossi quickly issued an apology in which he acknowledged his “differences” with Mayfield and the “erosion” of their relationship. “I have always endeavored to report and comment on [Mayfield] and the team fairly, and am shaken by these events,” he wrote at the time.
Back on Oct. 30, the two had a dust-up in the locker room when Grossi’s line of questioning irked Mayfield, causing the quarterback to exclaim “Jesus, Tony!” and storm off.
Jimmy is CEO of a large company. I don't think he gets the "oh, he's just a Southerner" pass like that.
Key words you used, "I think". You have no way of knowing, neither do I.
That's true, and I hope I didn't make anyone think otherwise. Was not my intention.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN Cleveland Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi returned to the air Wednesday, two weeks after being suspended by the station when a hot mic caught him using a derogatory slur to describe quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“It’s great to be back. I’m excited to be back. I got a lot of support from those who matter,” Grossi said upon his return to “The Really Big Show” on 850 WKNR. “A few things I do want to say. This obviously was a situation taken very seriously by our company and by me. For me, it’s been humiliating, it’s been quite traumatic, in fact. But it’s also been a learning experience to me.”
Grossi, who covered the Browns for 30 years at The Plain Dealer prior to joining ESPN Cleveland, continued, “Being on the front lines of what we jokingly call the ’100 Years War’ is a unique experience. It’s not like covering the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Cleveland Indians. It’s certainly not like covering the Steelers or the Packers, teams that have a lot of success and a lot of fun and a lot of joy.
"And I don’t take it lightly, this career that I’ve had, this job that I have here at WKNR and ESPN Cleveland. Occasionally, I have misstepped. This is my fumble. It won’t define me. What will define me is stepping up, learning from it, moving forward and doing the positive things I need to do to show that I’m a better person from it. And that’s what I intend to do,” he said.
Grossi was pulled from the airwaves indefinitely on Feb. 25 after he referred to the Browns quarterback as “a f----- midget” during a moment he didn’t think was being streamed. In a release announcing the suspension, the station’s owner, Good Karma Brands, said it would not “tolerate derogatory language that demeans other groups of other people.”
Grossi quickly issued an apology in which he acknowledged his “differences” with Mayfield and the “erosion” of their relationship. “I have always endeavored to report and comment on [Mayfield] and the team fairly, and am shaken by these events,” he wrote at the time.
Back on Oct. 30, the two had a dust-up in the locker room when Grossi’s line of questioning irked Mayfield, causing the quarterback to exclaim “Jesus, Tony!” and storm off.
Maybe it's just me (I feel I've been plenty clear of my disdain for Grossi and the Cleveland sports media in general), but his quotes that article make him sound like a total Dbag.
Last edited by oobernoober; 03/11/2001:58 PM.
There is no level of sucking we haven't seen; in fact, I'm pretty sure we hold the patents on a few levels of sucking NOBODY had seen until the past few years.
I'm glad he's back because there's sure no other reason to ever tune in to 'KNR. At least the Grossi segments are semi-interesting / semi-informative.
How so? Not being a snark, but he literally doesn't report anything that has not already been reported by someone else. His takes are usually either bad, or they are just a repeat of what someone else tells him. half the time, he doesn't even know about the player he is talking about.
I'm glad he's back because there's sure no other reason to ever tune in to 'KNR. At least the Grossi segments are semi-interesting / semi-informative.
How so? Not being a snark, but he literally doesn't report anything that has not already been reported by someone else. His takes are usually either bad, or they are just a repeat of what someone else tells him. half the time, he doesn't even know about the player he is talking about.
Its what I think. I'm not asking anyone to agree with me. I've been reading Grossi for 35+ years, and listening to him since the 90's when he was a regular guest on Les Levine's radio show on WHK 1420.
I'm glad he's back because there's sure no other reason to ever tune in to 'KNR. At least the Grossi segments are semi-interesting / semi-informative.
How so? Not being a snark, but he literally doesn't report anything that has not already been reported by someone else. His takes are usually either bad, or they are just a repeat of what someone else tells him. half the time, he doesn't even know about the player he is talking about.
Its what I think. I'm not asking anyone to agree with me. I've been reading Grossi for 35+ years, and listening to him since the 90's when he was a regular guest on Les Levine's radio show on WHK 1420.
Fair enough, I was just trying to get your insight as to why you feel that way. You are correct, its personal preference on if you like someone or not. I wasn't trying to bash you or anything.
Just looking for different perspective that I might be missing.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- ESPN Cleveland Browns beat reporter Tony Grossi returned to the air Wednesday, two weeks after being suspended by the station when a hot mic caught him using a derogatory slur to describe quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“It’s great to be back. I’m excited to be back. I got a lot of support from those who matter,” Grossi said upon his return to “The Really Big Show” on 850 WKNR. “A few things I do want to say. This obviously was a situation taken very seriously by our company and by me. For me, it’s been humiliating, it’s been quite traumatic, in fact. But it’s also been a learning experience to me.”
Grossi, who covered the Browns for 30 years at The Plain Dealer prior to joining ESPN Cleveland, continued, “Being on the front lines of what we jokingly call the ’100 Years War’ is a unique experience. It’s not like covering the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Cleveland Indians. It’s certainly not like covering the Steelers or the Packers, teams that have a lot of success and a lot of fun and a lot of joy.
"And I don’t take it lightly, this career that I’ve had, this job that I have here at WKNR and ESPN Cleveland. Occasionally, I have misstepped. This is my fumble. It won’t define me. What will define me is stepping up, learning from it, moving forward and doing the positive things I need to do to show that I’m a better person from it. And that’s what I intend to do,” he said.
Grossi was pulled from the airwaves indefinitely on Feb. 25 after he referred to the Browns quarterback as “a f----- midget” during a moment he didn’t think was being streamed. In a release announcing the suspension, the station’s owner, Good Karma Brands, said it would not “tolerate derogatory language that demeans other groups of other people.”
Grossi quickly issued an apology in which he acknowledged his “differences” with Mayfield and the “erosion” of their relationship. “I have always endeavored to report and comment on [Mayfield] and the team fairly, and am shaken by these events,” he wrote at the time.
Back on Oct. 30, the two had a dust-up in the locker room when Grossi’s line of questioning irked Mayfield, causing the quarterback to exclaim “Jesus, Tony!” and storm off.
So everyone was arguing that it was wrong to FIRE someone for saying something derogatory, when he was only ever suspended?
We don't have to agree with each other, to respect each others opinion.
“Being on the front lines of what we jokingly call the ’100 Years War’ is a unique experience. It’s not like covering the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Cleveland Indians. It’s certainly not like covering the Steelers or the Packers, teams that have a lot of success and a lot of fun and a lot of joy."
Can the Browns not ban this clown from the building at least?
In a release announcing the suspension, the station’s owner, Good Karma Brands, said it would not “tolerate derogatory language that demeans other groups of other people.”
They must have a different take on what "tolerate" means than I do.
And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul. - John Muir
