About a year ago, the Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman was briefly suspended for her “lynching” comments in regards to Tiger Woods, and today another analyst on the network has been suspended. Former PGAer Andrew Magee, who is an on-course reporter, has been “disciplined” for a comment made to analyst Gary McCord, about a funny t-shirt that he saw a fan wearing. Via CBS Sports….
Magee, serving as a roving reporter during the second-round broadcast, told the network he believed he was off the air when he mentioned to fellow analyst Gary McCord that he had just seen a fan wearing a T-shirt that read, “I got kicked out of the Boy Scouts for eating a brownie.”
McCord, who works primarily for CBS Sports, didn’t react verbally and there were several moments of dead air following the comment.
Golf Channel spokesman Dan Higgins said the network received several e-mail complaints from viewers about the remark. The Golf Channel’s online message boards have been filled with fan feedback on the matter.
“He was disciplined for that,” Higgins said, from Orlando. “It was a mistake. He’s fairly new in the role of on-course reporter, which is no excuse, but he has been disciplined, yes.
“It was inappropriate.”
I’m confused. Were there really that many people out there who were actually offended enough to contact the network? And on top of that, how many people do you think even get the joke? I admit that I myself had to think about it for a few seconds before it registered. While I have yet to hear how the presence of the t-shirt was exactly relayed over the airwaves, it seems like this is a non-issue. I think the Golf Channel’s stance of the comment being “inappropriate”, is the right one, and in no way should Magee be suspended.
Update: It appears that Magee has actually been suspended and will be off the air for one week starting today.
Golf Channel reprimands loose-lipped Magee (CBS Sports)