Mike Greenberg's slip of the tongue gets him in hot water

[C26 Run]

I really don't understand your position.

It SOUNDS like you acknowledge that it was (likely) an accidental slip of the tongue, but you think he should be punished anyhow because the resulting word is so repulsive.

is that a fair reading of your position?

Not at all, I'm saying his slip of the tongue should be talked about by him. Not just dismissed as another minority rant.

:helmet:

[NOLASKINSFAN]

Not at all, I'm saying his slip of the tongue should be talked about by him. Not just dismissed as another minority rant.

:helmet:

Find another cause, he does the right thing if he never gives this a bit of attention. 10 years on the air speaking to millions, 3 hours a day and we find out today he is a closet racist. Get a life.

[fullnelson9999]

If he didn't say "coon", then why apologize? How can anyone say "coon" without hearing it first? Words of this nature just don't fall out the sky.

:helmet:

Really?

What if he had slipped up some other time (as he often does, he talks pretty quickly) and said "dkfjsld" (if that can even be pronounced)?

Ok strange example, but I think you know what I mean.

A lot of times someone messes up or jumbles words together they make funny sounds or words. I ask you, how could he have said that very strange collection of sounds without hearing it before?

He said it. It's not a simple case of ramble rousing. It's so easy to dismiss other peoples' feelings when it's not your own.

:helmet:

It easy when the other persons feelings are, sorry to say, somewhat irrational.

The point is, the slip up happened. No matter the day, it happened. People get so uncomfortable talking about ethnicity. If your a radio personality, you do your best to complete sentence and thought without making a serious slip of the tongue. I'm not saying they don't happen but of that nature. Come on man.

:helmet:

Have you ever once been on the radio? Its not as easy as it sounds man. Ive jumbled words together before while on air.

If anyone should take that position against me, then that is on them. I've not one time called Greenberg a racist I just don't understand how others can dismiss what he said and later apologized for. Acknowledging what has happened is the first step towards progress. All I'm saying is that Greeny should have addressed this issue. Dismissing it as "oh he didn't mean it", is itself an injustice.

:helmet:

Why acknowledge a common radio mistake?

The only reason people think he meant it is because they want to think he meant it.

What progress are you talking about here? I certainly do not hope its anything race related.

He said it. It should be addressed by him. Allowing a slip of the tongue of that nature causes harm. He may be a nice guy with a great history. But let me ask you this would he ever let slip out a Jewish derogatory word?

:helmet:

Slip of the tongue of what nature? Definitely not a racial one.

Thing is, he didnt even slip out a derogatory word in the first place. You have to understand this.

Look this is the thing. I said it before...this is nothing more than a fabricated situation created by people who want to make something out of nothing.

The only way you could think that hes saying something racial in this case is if you want to think of it as racial.

[fullnelson9999]

Not at all, I'm saying his slip of the tongue should be talked about by him. Not just dismissed as another minority rant.

:helmet:

With the points you are making, it certainly sounds as if you think theres more to it.

[redskins55]

For all the people who say its just a slip of the tongue let me ask you this...

As long as you've heard the words "Martin Luther King Junior" have you ever heard someone combine the words King and Junior to make Kunior????

Because that's basically what is being implied that Greeny caught himself from uttering..... The word " Kunior"!! :doh: In my years I've never heard someone slip their tongue and say "Martin Luther [Ku]nior". But Martin Luther Coon has been said many times.

Now I agree with many that the guy mistakenly uttered it. But the fact that he said it goes to show that he had either said it before or was used to hearing it somewhere. Either case is bad for him because it goes against his character as a representative of ESPN and he should be fired. If he's genuine about his "slip of the tongue" he should openly apologize and devote an entire segment of their show explaining why he apologizes and the significance that MLK means to him. Then and only then should he possibly retain his job. But for those who want to defend this guy WAKE UP!!

Stop making excuses for what your common sense tells you. Martin Luther Koon may not be something that you personally would say, but it's a harsh reality that we all must deal with knowing that so many of our citizens still use racial slurs to define black people. Just check out the comments on youtube as evidence enough. Regretfully, this country must suffer the sensitivities of a race because for hundreds of years including today's time, derogatory words and metaphors were/are used to define them. (Coon, ni**er, monkey,gorilla,boy,watermelon,etc)

It's a shame but its reality

[redskins55]

Really

?Have you ever once been on the radio? Its not as easy as it sounds man. Ive jumbled words together before while on air.

I ask you, how could he have said that very strange collection of sounds without hearing it before?

When you were on the radio did you ever tangle your words when saying Jason Campbell and say Jason Coon??? lol I doubt it......i'm just sayin.. Its pretty much common sense what Greeny was saying. He messed up big time//

[AsburySkinsFan]

When you were on the radio did you ever tangle your words when saying Jason Campbell and say Jason Coon??? lol I doubt it......i'm just sayin.. Its pretty much common sense what Greeny was saying. He messed up big time//

It is only "common sense" if you want it to be. No on says coon with Cambell because Campbell doesn't sound anything like it and its stupid to think that it would. What I find funny is that ya'll who want to make him a racist spell what he said "coon" instead of what he really said which is spelled "K-un--" which is a mix of King and Junior with "ior" cut off.

[#98QBKiller]

As long as you've heard the words "Martin Luther King Junior" have you ever heard someone combine the words King and Junior to make Kunior????

Because that's basically what is being implied that Greeny caught himself from uttering..... The word " Kunior"!! :doh: In my years I've never heard someone slip their tongue and say "Martin Luther [Ku]nior". But Martin Luther Coon has been said many times.

Now I agree with many that the guy mistakenly uttered it. But the fact that he said it goes to show that he had either said it before or was used to hearing it somewhere.

So you're saying that when a person misspeaks, it's only possible to garble together words that they've heard and/or used before?

[jnhay]

Are people here seriously trying to say that Greenberg has just been holding back his racism and calls MLK a coon when no black people are around? Great theory.

[cjcdaman]

How are some not realizing that he was saying "King" but after King is "Junior"? It's quite simple to understand.

[Busch1724]

How are some not realizing that he was saying "King" but after King is "Junior"? It's quite simple to understand.

Because people will get out of it what they want to get out of it. It's like statistics and making a legitimate mistake isn't allowed anymore...for whatever reason it gives people a cause to try and get the guy canned and ruin his life. He didn't do anything like Marv Albert did but what Greenie accidentally did is more dangerous than drunk driving, cheating, etc.

[fullnelson9999]

When you were on the radio did you ever tangle your words when saying Jason Campbell and say Jason Coon??? lol I doubt it......i'm just sayin.. Its pretty much common sense what Greeny was saying. He messed up big time//

No, but I may have called him Jampbell.

Please, you cant be that thick.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Lesson from all of this; talk long enough in person or on radio and sooner or later you'll mangle some words that will sound offensive.

Lesson two: say it in front of people and someone who hears you will make more of it than it really is and make you a racist for doing it.

[fullnelson9999]

For all the people who say its just a slip of the tongue let me ask you this...

As long as you've heard the words "Martin Luther King Junior" have you ever heard someone combine the words King and Junior to make Kunior????

Because that's basically what is being implied that Greeny caught himself from uttering..... The word " Kunior"!! :doh: In my years I've never heard someone slip their tongue and say "Martin Luther [Ku]nior". But Martin Luther Coon has been said many times.

Now I agree with many that the guy mistakenly uttered it. But the fact that he said it goes to show that he had either said it before or was used to hearing it somewhere. Either case is bad for him because it goes against his character as a representative of ESPN and he should be fired. If he's genuine about his "slip of the tongue" he should openly apologize and devote an entire segment of their show explaining why he apologizes and the significance that MLK means to him. Then and only then should he possibly retain his job. But for those who want to defend this guy WAKE UP!!

Stop making excuses for what your common sense tells you. Martin Luther Koon may not be something that you personally would say, but it's a harsh reality that we all must deal with knowing that so many of our citizens still use racial slurs to define black people. Just check out the comments on youtube as evidence enough. Regretfully, this country must suffer the sensitivities of a race because for hundreds of years including today's time, derogatory words and metaphors were/are used to define them. (Coon, ni**er, monkey,gorilla,boy,watermelon,etc)

It's a shame but its reality

:doh:

Whats a shame is how badly you are trying to spin something that was really not even a big deal into something much larger.

Why is it that someone cannot jumble words together unless they have heard that jumble at some other point in their life, or secretly say it when no one else is around? How on earth does that make sense?

You know, a lot of people Ive talked to, and even myself, had never even heard of the term "Martin Luther Coon". Yet it seems as if everyone that has been "offended" by this situation thinks its so common in speech

If common sense tells you anything, its that this is not a big deal at all. He just happened to jumble words together that sounded like "coon", corrected himself, and then continued on. Im starting to think that either you havent even heard the clip or that you have never really listened to how fast Mike Greenberg speaks and how often he jumble words.

[Bang]

On my podcast, which you can hear by clicking my sig below, I spend a certain amount of time every week making fun of stupid things commentators say, and the mis-speakings that they have that sound funny.

For example,

Here's Warren Sapp completely mangling a single comment about Wes Welker and Randy Moss.

Weff Welker? Moss going deese? I wonder, did he mis-speak? Or did he say something that was truly in his heart? Of course he mis-spoke. He garbled some words. He does it every Sunday on NFLN, and he does it a LOT. (Coincidentally, he is Tweeting his ass off to have Greenberg boycotted. I'll be listening to his mumblemouth extra careful now.)

We've got a nice clip of Bob Irsay, owner of the Colts calling Tony Dungy "Coach Dundee" at their Super Bowl parade. He completely gaffed the name of the coach who just won him a Super Bowl. I don't have that one to link to, Tom has it (he's my partner on the show) but we play it all the damn time because it's funny.

Here's Tony Siragussa saying Ronde Barber likes balls down low where he can play with them. (Ronde had just INTd a tipped pass) Is he calling Ronde gay?

Here's one of NCAA football analyst Gary Danielson talking about a play which a guy "laid a BIG ****" on a guy. Now, do we assume he saw the player defecate on the UCLA QB? Or do we think maybe he slurred a word a bit?

Here's one of Sam Huff this year saying that he wants to execute these guys.

Does anyone think Sam Huff wants to kill anyone?

Here is one of Deion Sanders talking about Dez Bryant, saying he is a good man in the community, he touches our kids. Now, one could hear that and assume Deion is calling him a child molester. Couldn't you?

And finally, here's a nice update from some NFL Network talking head who tells us that Willie Parker has a rather embarrassing injury..

Ouch! What is this guy thinking?

The moral of this post boys and girls, is that people who make a living talking sometimes make embarrassing mistakes, and it does NOT necessarily indicate anything OTHER than that they made a simple mistake.

~Bang

[Larry]

When you were on the radio did you ever tangle your words when saying Jason Campbell and say Jason Coon??? lol I doubt it......i'm just sayin.. Its pretty much common sense what Greeny was saying. He messed up big time//

Remembering the old comic strip Tank McNamarra. The title character is a former jock turned broadcaster, who's famous for making mistakes on the air. (His trademark is saying "Norts Spews".)

One strip opens with Tank and another person (black) in a broadcast booth at a stadium, holding microphones.

Tank: ". . . NFL Legend, who I'm proud to have here tonight as my colored man."

Tank freezes. Thought balloon: "I think I meant 'color man'."

Third frame. "Colored man" is holding his hands next to his face, singing "Do Dah. Do Dah". Tank is burying his face in his hands, saying "Gimme a BREAK, Frank."

[redskins55]

I guess for some of you its still unimaginable that even a mistake can mean something more.

Howard Cosell called one of our beloved Washington Redskins Alvin Garrett a " little monkey" on MNF. Is Cosell a racist? Of course not, but even back then in 1983 he was vilified for it. If Cosell would've said something like that today it would be even worse because its more media outlets. Greenberg clearly said kune/coon/ or koon however you want to spell it, after Martin Luther. Is he a racist, probably not but did he mess up?? Hell Yes! Make light of it all you want but the reality is he said it and it offended alot of people.

[fullnelson9999]

I guess for some of you its still unimaginable that even a mistake can mean something more.

Howard Cosell called one of our beloved Washington Redskins Alvin Garrett a " little monkey" on MNF. Is Cosell a racist? Of course not, but even back then in 1983 he was vilified for it. If Cosell would've said something like that today it would be even worse because its more media outlets. Greenberg clearly said kune/coon/ or koon however you want to spell it, after Martin Luther. Is he a racist, probably not but did he mess up?? Hell Yes! Make light of it all you want but the reality is he said it and it offended alot of people.

Again, it only means something more if you want to force it to mean something more. He did nothing wrong here. Its really not that hard to understand.

Did he make a mistake? Yes. Just like thousands of radio personalities all over the country do every day...he jumbled words together.

Take a look at Bang's post above, I think that should clear it up a bit.

BTW, I thought it was pretty known that Cossell used the term "monkey" to refer to Garrett's size, not race.

[Goaldeje]

There are slips of the tongue that are Freudian, and others that are not.

[terpfan44]

ha ha...the got-ya monster eats another

...Greenberg uses way too many personal pronouns..I, I"m, Me,I,My...like three in a sentence sometimes..the dude is like a woman most of the time..too funny..

his book is titled..."Why My Wife Thinks I'm an Idiot"

[NOLASKINSFAN]

can we end this now? what "hot water" is he in?

[desioreo87]

the reason why this is a big deal is because nothing was said about it for a day. The man used such a vile word, and even if it was an accident, you don't carry on the show like nothing happened. He should have stopped immediately and apologized and then got on with the show. If that happened this wouldn't be a big deal.

Its the fact that no on set did anything that this is a big deal. It is also why its a little suspicious. You cant just call MLK a coon and not apologize, even if it was an accident. He should have stopped and apologized right there.

[MattFancy]

Vile word? I doubt it. It was a slip of the tongue. Just let it go already, everyone else has.

[cjcdaman]

the reason why this is a big deal is because nothing was said about it for a day. The man used such a vile word, and even if it was an accident, you don't carry on the show like nothing happened. He should have stopped immediately and apologized and then got on with the show. If that happened this wouldn't be a big deal.

Its the fact that no on set did anything that this is a big deal. It is also why its a little suspicious. You cant just call MLK a coon and not apologize, even if it was an accident. He should have stopped and apologized right there.

:rotflmao:

You want to know why they didn't stop the show and apologize???

Because it was A SLIP OF THE TONGUE!!! HE DID NOT MEAN TO SAY COON!!!

[BigMike21]

:rotflmao:

You want to know why they didn't stop the show and apologize???

Because it was A SLIP OF THE TONGUE!!! HE DID NOT MEAN TO SAY COON!!!

Yeahhhhh so Warren Sapp won't let it go so I tweeted him with a little smack talk. Needless to say he retweeted it and now I'm getting hate mail basically :doh: