On January 18th 2010 Mike Greenberg of ESPN’s Mike & Mike In The Morning spoke the following ” Mike & Mike In The Morning on ESPN Radio talking Football with you on this Martin Luther C’word King Jr. holiday”…
Later that evening Mike Greenburg issued this statement on ESPN:
“I just came home from the Knicks game and found out about the mess that was created by my garbling a sentence on our show this morning; I apologize for not addressing it sooner.
And I’m sorry that my talking too fast – and slurring my words – might have given people who don’t know our show the wrong impression about us, and about me.
I feel horrible about that, because nothing could be further away from who I am and what our show is about.
I would never say anything like that, not in public, or in private, or in the silence of my own mind, and neither would anyone associated with our show, and I’m very sorry that my stumble this morning gave so many people the opposite impression.”
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THE GOVERNMENT shall make no laws restricting……..
Many others can including one self.
Man, I read about this on Deadspin. Absolutely, the guy should’ve been punished more. Even if it was somehow an innocent “slip of the tongue” (Highly doubtful), the guy should’ve gotten a suspension.
There used to be some kids on a weekly sports talk show on a college station here, and they infuriated me, because they kept going on and on about “so and so is a really good wide receiver for a white guy,” or “so and so is like a lot of black quarterbacks, he has a cannon for an arm, but doesn’t manage the game well.” A little more subtle than “Martin Luther Coon” but ugly stuff, nonetheless, IMO. I wrote the station a couple of angry e-mails. Those kids aren’t on the station this year. They might’ve just graduated or decided not to do it, but I’d like to think the station fired them.
Tiger99 that was beautifully written. On two occasions I have heard people I know and care about use the “N” word and it shocks the heck out of me. When it has happened I did mention it but I have to say both times the people in question had a buzz on. I know that is no excuse because obviously the thought is in their heads, but maybe they hide it from themselves so well it comes out when they are uninhibited and a little out of control.
Thank you for the compliment…
Thank you, Tiger, for bringing this to attention.
There should be outrage over this, but it’s not getting any air time that I am aware.
I’m shocked actually that this guy would blurt such a thing and then try to explain it away as a slip of the tongue or garbled speech.
Hopefully, other blog sites pick this story up.
your welcome javaz
I don’t believe at all that this was an arbitrary combination of consonants and vowels.
It appears solely as force of habit. As you describe, Tiger, someone goes through life hearing and repeating a series of words together and it is second nature to always use them together.
He couldn’t help himself, those words are connected in his mind the way the words “Martin Luther King” come as a package to everyone else who isn’t like him.
Is it because he says it so fast that this is less of a story out there?
To me the C’word has a whole different meaning.
What I’m saying is, there’s little chance it could have come off my tongue, because who on earth says that word anymore?
The “C”word isn’t that common anymore, the Term “Martin Luther C’word” has been and will unfortunately remain common…
That why I felt it important to write and share the post and give it the Title it had…
Hiding it and the destructive hurt it can cause only strengthens those who would use it…
I am positive he has said the term outloud behind doors when he feels it is safe to do so… He doesn’t think Martin Luther King Day in his head he thinks Martin Luther Coon when reads or hears Martin Luther King… His mouth only responded to the thought being sent from the brain…
Exactly. This was the result of repetitive behavior. And it’s hard to stop that train from going down the same track it always goes down.
I can’t imagine this was an innocent slip of the tongue. I’ve never even heard that phrase before. This reminds me of my brothers, who think it’s perfectly fine to make racist jokes but then when I tell them they are racist, they act offended.
Another Wake-up Call…..
Just when seems like, maybe we have made progress in our humanness and compassion, Whammy, a gentle slam of your head against the wall of bigotry, once again opens your eyes to the fact that, many of these “asleep” individuals have just gone underground to avoid being recognized. Imagine how hard it is to keep all that hatred hidden inside, it has to ooze out sooner or later.
Hey somebody changed my Title… Whats Up With That ?
I thought considering the context of the story, as a pun it was fine. Maybe it’s not?
Tiger99, when the title is out in other places the internet, on Google and search engines, article gathering sites, etc., it is not accompanied by the full article when it appears.
There is no context and sometimes it’s possible to get the exact opposite impression of the author’s and site’s sensibilities. I thought that was a distinct possibility in this case.
So, the title was edited so no one would misunderstand what the content of the article was about.
Aha, that was my other thought of what it could be. Last thing we need is a visit from Stormfront.
Yeah, but now we’re going to get a visit from the “Swedish-Lutheran Mafia” trying to sell us life insurance. 😆
( I can say this, I was raised Augustana/ Swedish Lutheran)
First of all, an incredible expose, thank you so much for sharing not only this horrific incident, but your own personal experience. I have been there often with people I thought were other than who they are, it hurts.
Second, can’t your title be corrected, just email Adlib, she’s the guru of this site.
Thank you…
Um, yeah, I could have never made that slip, ’cause I never hear that before. Although, I know what they did to NAACP, so it don’t surprise me, be he seemed like he’d just the night before slammin’ a few back with his buddies in rapt anticipation of the AABA, where they might once again see fundamentals like no jump shot, etc by teams such as Wichita White Lightning and the Washington Grand Wizards.
It rolled of his tongue just as you described it come off your coworker’s. Way too natural. Only excuse I could see, is if he were watching a documentary the night before on Dr. King where he was repeatedly accosted with such slurs. Somehow I doubt the latter scenario…
Tiger, I read a very small blurb on this at the end of a Yahoo sports story but like you say it was on someone’s blog. Perhaps I am a bit guilty of not saying anything about it. I thought it was going to make,at least,the round on sports talk/blogs sites. He ha said that more than once in his life! That just didn’t come from nowhere. Good catch Tiger.
(Having been raised a Lutheran, when I saw your title, I thought the post was about religion–Martin Luther/Martin Luther King, jr.)
I can’t belive this man is sliding by like this, they nailed “Jimmy The Greek” to the wall and denied Rush ownership in the NFL, so were is the outrage?
Add Don Imus. Didn’t Mike & Mike follow the Imus show? Are they not a rather big program?
Yes, they are. I flip past them on ESPN or something once in a while. Seems like they’re always on. Made it like a minute once before flipping past. Annoying, annoying, annoying.
What is with the yelling on sports talk?
Should be “sports-yell.”
If anything he and black Gospel proved to the namesake that indeed the devil did not hold a monopoly on all the best tunes.
I loved the Lutheran hymns. Still do. Black Gospel? WOW!
It’s the one drawback in being Unitarian. Not quite the same musical tradition… 😕