Rocco Baldelli has rare illness (Merged... Rocco Baldelli is a Jerk... reply #9) / [color=navy][b]Boycott Fox Sports[/b][/color]

[Gopher74]

Yes, in fact they had Penthouse Pets on specifically all week, I believe.

 

Meh, not that big of a deal to me as I don't know if a kid would ask the question, but I'm not a father, and I can understand why you find that so distasteful.

 

I have a bit of a problem with that type of promotion or whatever you'd like to call it of having that for a full week. I mean, Penthouse isn't exactly classy(not that any are, but Playboy's a little better if I'm not mistaken...).

 

[Brewtacular]

Gopher74 wrote:

The truth is, the American Media is the best media in the world.

 

Really? Well we did beat out the likes of Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Madagascar in the world freedom of the press rankings. While those are not the be all, and end all, it does suggest something when we finish in the mid 40s. The quality of American reporting is pretty poor. If I want objective news I prefer the BBC.

[joepepsi]

What Brewtacular said. BBC is better, so is stuff from CBC. American broadcast journalism is lazy and sensationalistic, NPR and Public television notwithstanding.

[biedergb]

If I want objective news I prefer the BBC.

Not to take this thread too far away, but I would hardly call BBC objective. Without getting political, I would compare BBC to the NY Times, both are well respected, but not entirely objective.

 

In terms of the weathergirl issue, I am a relatively new father (21 month old), and I can say that things look and sound different than they did 2 years ago -- I understand where Brian is coming from. I would say the issue is more parading a Penthouse Pet is in poor taste and geared to drive up ratings, and is now deemed OK by current societal standards. I think that is a statement more on where our current standards have moved to.

[TooLiveBrew]

The quality of American reporting is pretty poor. If I want objective news I prefer the BBC.

 

Amen. And also... Rocco Baldelli. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Patrick425]

I have been trying to bite my tongue regarding the subject matter of this thread. It appears that there are some strong feeling regarding this situation. While it appears that Hence was clearly misinformed, I have no problem with writers and announcers being critical of athletes. When the media acts like a cheerleader it bothers me. Jim Powell is never afraid to make informed critical statements regarding certain MLB players. He's probably my favorite announcer.

In regards to physical disabilities. As expressed by different posters here, there are clearly cases when a person who has a severe disability does not appear to be disabled. However, I am still convinced that 60% - 80% of the time when you see an able looking person exiting a vehicle parked in a handicapped spot that person does not have a physical impairment that would justify them parking in said spot. I know some people are strongly going to disagree with that statement. A year or two ago one of the local stations did a piece on handicap parking on the streets of downtown Milwaukee. They were approaching able looking people who where using handicap tags to get prefferential street parking. Of all the people they approached, I don't remember one person who claimed that they actually had a phyical handicap. Instead they all stared blankly or sheepeshly tried to avoid the reporters questions. I try not to get to angry when I see what appears to be an able-bodied person using a handicap spot, because I realize that there may be some impairment that I'm not aware of. However, it bothers me to no end that many people who do park in handicap spots really don't belong there.

[TooLiveBrew]

A few years back, a great friend of mine saw someone pulling up into a handicapped spot without a handicap plate. He, being the outgoing & good-spirited guy he is, said, 'I'm going to go up & say something.' He got up to the driver's side (summertime, so her window was down), and said something to the effect of, 'Excuse me, [why are you parking here if you're not disabled]?'

 

I wasn't close enough to hear her response, but I could certainly see her as she climbed halfway out of the door, pulling her wheelchair behind her. Whoops! - btw, her liscence plate read "WHEELS" - shoulda seen that comin'!

 

http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/laugh.gif

 

Classic.

[Bring Back the Stein]

Interesting issues.

 

1. Seems to be the gross lack of sensitivity of Hench. His piece seems to be a bad try at aping other "attitude" blog postings and he trips up since he doesn't distinguish between what's invited criticism of lack of effort, and what's, well, a freaking disease. His sin is compounded because he had plenty of time to back up and correct himself. The best reporters and producers will move heaven and earth to correct the record when they know they got it wrong, in fact or in tone. The hacks ignore it, fail to write a correction and hope it goes away. Strike one.

 

2. The tastelessness of having Penthouse Pets announcing the weather. To be sure, looks are a determinant in television news, but the direct association with pornography is a different matter. Now, I'm a free-speech absolutist, but that doesn't mean that I believe all free speech should be available to every one all the time. The concerns of parents shouldn't be submerged to the market forces who are using this type of R-rated titillating (no pun intended) to market their brand. Strike two.

 

3. The general tenor and tone of cable sports coverage. I have the same criticism of cable news coverage and it is no coincidence that, since they've come under the aegis of their respective corporation's entertainment divisions, both have suffered. And that's the argument: Hey, it's entertainment, who cares, and so there goes the dive to the lowest common denominator. We're all worse off. Web sites like one are at least partly the byproduct of general dissatisfaction with sports coverage. Strike three.

 

A fourth issue should be the failure of Fox News to even acknowledge the concerns of pretty interested viewers. I'm not naive enough to think that this Web site, which is an awesome Web site, by the way, should be the tail that wags the dog of big bad Fox. But even a cursory look around this site shows a passionate and active bunch of baseball fans who have to represent a significant cohort within their viewership. Seems to me that if they ignore folks here about this issue, they're likely to do it over and over in other cases, which is a contemptible position in its own right.

 

Anyway, please update if they ever get back to you guys.

[iluvlamp]

The writer is a cretin. No doubt about that. But everyone here is not going far enough. I'm not going to watch anything from FOX: Simpsons, Family Guy, 24, Idol, House, Cops, NFL Football (I'll listen to the radio for the Packer games), and MLB. I looked forward to watching the Brewers on national TV. Alas I refuse to watch because some hack writer was a jack bum. Just like Gregg Doyle was to Brian Butch on CBSsportsline last year. That's why I boycotted CBS. Here I come Bob and Jim!

[iluvlamp]

BTW. Just because I was curious I googled this way to that way to find out about a playboy/penthouse pet doing the weather. I couldn't find anything of note. I would be grateful for a link.

[TooLiveBrew]

Vasgersian + Good color commentator is the only way I'm watching Fox baseball this summer.

[PlayerHader]

Wow, I can't believe so many people are reacting so strongly. They guy probably is misinformed. Anyway, if I saw a guy on the DL for (exhaustion) I'd think that would be kind of ridiculous. So he made a mistake and his editors either didn't catch it or overlooked it. Big deal. Maybe the guy is a jerk, maybe it was an honest and boneheaded mistake. It's not like he's picking on some little homeless boy in the street.

And I hope all you boycotters let us know how often you actually pass of a game on TV to listen to Bob and Jim. I know I'll be tuning in on the tube as often as I can.

[brewers19]

It may be a mistake, but it's mocking and trivializing a serious medical condition that significantly affects many people's lives. And neither he nor FOX have apparently issued any sort of apology or correction after receiving numerous complaints about it, which makes it all that more disgusting. People are right to be outraged.

[Tisko]

Even if it is a mistake why is that article still posted? Why hasn't at the very least have they issued an apology or edited the article?

[Fike85]

Boycotting Fox, Fox News, Fox Sports Net, FX, et al is an extreme response that does not necessarily solve anything. Boycotting Hench is one thing, but I don't see how now watching Brewer games on TV does anything but drive down the ratings and thus hurt the Brewers revenue generating potential.

[iluvlamp]

*I am against boycotts. I just didn't want to post it all in blue. I thought it was obvious. The Hench guy is a fool. But, I don't want to stop reading other good foxsports.com writers. I wrote an e-mail to Hench myself. I will let it be at that. A lot of people say a lot of stupid things on the e-bays these days and it is best to let your voice be known. If it doesn't then you don't go back. YOU don't have to watch FOX. YOU don't have to go to foxsports. I like that Brian raised awareness of this article to me. I do. Let your clicks do the talking though.

[PKBadger]

Yeah, it would take a combination of Brian Anderson kicking Santa Claus in the ribs and strangling a puppy while Bill Schroeder looks on, wearing a t-shirt that says "I heart Osama bin Laden" for me to stop watching Brewers games on TV.

[TooLiveBrew]

They guy probably is misinformed.

Inexcusable. If he were uninformed and said something to the effect of, 'this guy's always hurt!', then I could brush it off. He's a fool for being both so uninformed and glib.

[jazzytrav]

Yeah, I'm going to echo the same thing everyone else here is saying just because I can. It's one thing for him to be misinformed and make a mistake. But enough people have informed him now, so at the very least he could apologize to Baldelli. He doesn't have to do anything, nor does anyone have to watch, read, or listen to anything from Fox.

[MoneyballMan]

I agree with this Hench dude being an idiot, but I'm really not sure how that translates to Fox News Channel. I will continue to be a loyal viewer (it's on in my office every day when I'm in town) and hopefully that doesn't make me an outsider here! Sure sounds like I'm in the minority. Maybe the FNC part of this thread needs to move to a political board.

[brewers19]

Just to clarify and remind, no one (Brian or anyone else) said anything about boycotting all things Fox, Rupert Murdoch, etc.; just Fox Sports, which encompasses foxsports.com and FSN.

[TooLiveBrew]

The Aussie's turnin' the screws, eh?

 

http://www.soxfirst.com/50226711/rupert.jpg

[lcbj68c]

Just bumping this thread to announce that Baldelli has returned for the Rays today. In speaking to some of my Florida friends and fellow Rays Fans (they are my 2nd favorite team), Baldelli has been doing well through taking nutritional supplements and vitamins and that his mysterious fatigue like symptoms haven't re-appeared and he's done well in Spring Training. How exciting that he can be a apart of this unforgettable season the Rays are putting forth. Such an injustice that the Rays declined his option for 2009 already, but that is business. Here's hoping he can stay healthy and not pull a David Duval like exit from the sport.

[dadofandrew]

They're not picking up his option, might as well let everyone know.

[pitchleague]

pardon me, Al, but isn't that what lcbj68c just said?

 

Good for Rocco, if I say may so. He's always been a good hitter but seemed to be afflicted with weirdo injuries. Maybe he's the Ben Sheet of hitters. I hope he gets the chance to stay healthy and get to the playoffs (as with all Rays, of course.)